Guild Prototype

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Hello,
I purchased this guitar on reverb. It was found in the USA Guild factory right after the Fender Purchase. It was a body with the neck set and back cover. No serial number or model number. Does anyone have any information on this guitar?
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SFIV1967

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Welcome to LTG!
Well, it's no prototype and no real Guild produced guitar (well a Frankenguild so to say) but a nice guitar. It's a Guild body and a Guild neck assembled and finished with parts by the luthier in the shop where you bought her. Congratulations anyway and enjoy your new guitar!
Also additional info: Fender (well not Fender but FMIC) purchased Guild in 1995 and the factory in Westerly was running for another 6 years before it was closed. So "right after Fender purchase" might not be the right description either, most parts were salvaged end of 2001 only when the factory closed doors and moved to Corona, CA at that time. But who knows, maybe that body was already somehow acquired in 1995.

The guitar was discussed here:


Ralf
 
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Welcome to LTG!
Well, it's no prototype and no real Guild produced guitar (well a Frankenguild so to say) but a nice guitar. It's a Guild body and a Guild neck assembled and finished with parts by the luthier in the shop where you bought her. Congratulations anyway and enjoy your new guitar!
Also additional info: Fender (well not Fender but FMIC) purchased Guild in 1995 and the factory in Westerly was running for another 6 years before it was closed. So "right after Fender purchase" might not be the right description either, most parts were salvaged end of 2001 only when the factory closed doors and moved to Corona, CA at that time. But who knows, maybe that body was already somehow acquired in 1995.

The guitar was discussed here:


Ralf
Thanks so much for your help!!
 

ruedi

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Hi Michael, and welcome from lefty to lefty ;) I would love to know how you bond with the guitar. For a short time I was tempted to buy it, but then I let it slip, mainly because the active pickups don't suit my playing.
 

SFIV1967

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Actually I just saw that Kurt (The Guilds of Grot) posted about the body being special in that it did not have the usual maple cap but either it is a two piece mahogany body or it is a mahogany body with two piece mahogany cap. Can't say because there is no picture of the neck to body area from the side. So that never used hog body might have been some kind of design idea in Westerly. Why they would have made a design idea on a left-handed body, no idea. Maybe the Guild designer was left-handed himself!
Ralf
 
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mavuser

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congrats on the guitar, it is always fun when something like this surfaces. I am only amazed they did not track down a NOS Guild Westerly truss rod cover, after all of the other work that was done. if u want one, feel free to PM me. enjoy the Guild! it is a real post factory Guild in my own opinion, made from real Guild parts. and very well may have started as a prototype, considering the lower bout is offset (and no maple cap, as posted above).
 
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Hi Michael, and welcome from lefty to lefty ;) I would love to know how you bond with the guitar. For a short time I was tempted to buy it, but then I let it slip, mainly because the active pickups don't suit my playing.
I wasn’t keen on the pickups either, but liked the guitar. Supposed to get here Friday. I’ll let you know. I have only three days to return it. 😬
 

Guildedagain

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Looks like it has Gibson Nashville TOM bridge and tailpiece?

I like the black knobs, the other ones not so much.

P'ups and rings don't do anything for me, too much of a purist.

Sperzels are nice.

Being a custom guitar, you can do anything you want to it. As long as the neck/body joint check out and you like it's acoustic resonance, it should be a lot of fun. Easy enough to buy the p'ups you want and sell the old ones.
 
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I wasn’t keen on the pickups either, but liked the guitar. Supposed to get here Friday. I’ll let you know. I have only three days to return it. 😬
Love, love love the guitar!! Really nice neck. Very resonate against my body. I’m changing the pickups. Already ordered a set of Duesenberg vintage hum and a P90 domino for the neck. Just by the feel of the guitar I think they’re the right match.
 
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I’m replacing it all. Mojo Tone ES 335 wiring harness on it’s way. Looking for that PRS/Gibson/Duesenberg Tone. Purely conjecture, but praying it all comes together.
 
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Hello Everyone, I just wanted to give you an update on that Guild “prototype” I bought off of Reverb. I finally finished fixing her up. I added Duesenberg Pickups, a Duesenberg Les Trem, Genuine Guild knobs, Mojotone wiring harness w/PIO’s, and a phase switch. Out of all my guitars, she is now my favorite!
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ruedi

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The DuesenGuild! Well done Michael, you really made this your own and it turned out fine! Truly a special and unique guitar.
 
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