Guild x 500

[guitarlover]

Hello,

Still haven't pulled the trigger on the X 170 but now someone has offered me an X 500 from 1964 with bigsby installed . While buying the X 170 for me was more or less the " reasonable " thing to do, the mojo of the X 500 really touched me in the heart.

However the guitar does not have the original franz pu but replica's from 4 seasons. On a dutch guitar forum I found some very good comments about this pu manufacturer. Anyone familiar with these pu ?

The guitar is offered for 2.200 Eur. No original case, tuners replaced ( absolutely do not care about that) and of course replica pickups. Any advice ?

I promise I will not start hundreds of threads about possible guitars to buy. Just an advice would be great : this guitar or the x 170. ( mainly (try to) pay blues and older rock. ) . Maybe someday some rockabilly too.

 

[kakerlak]

1964 is awfully late to have left the factory with Franz pickups. I'd have expected the Guild mini-hums at that point, maybe DeArmonds. I was unaware of the existence of any 3rd party Franz repros, so I'm intrigued to learn more, if anybody has some info.

 

[Default]

Curtis Novak says that he would reissue Franzes, but couldn't find decent covers.

 

[guitarlover]

I have a serialnr if this can help. Can I post this on the forum ?

 

[walrus]

I have a serialnr if this can help. Can I post this on the forum ?

Sure! Photos would be good too if you have any!

walrus

 

[guitarlover]

Probably it had the mini humbuckers first indeed. So this mod diminishes the resale value...

 

[guitarlover]

Serial : 30541

 

[guitarlover]

 

[kakerlak]

I'd guess that originally had either mini-hums or DeArmonds. It's a cool guitar -- I'm totally ignorant of 4 seasons pickups, but if they sound good, and you like the way it plays... It's certainly more appealing than an X170 to me.

 

[walrus]

Nice! A lot of mojo in that guitar!

walrus

 

[Jeff Haddad]

That looks great!

 

[Shakeylee]

If you want single coils and a guildsby, this may be the one .
If you end up not loving the 4seasons too much, you could probably have the same company rewind them to your specs.
That’s a pretty sweet guitar.
I do likeX-170’s too, so, I understand your dilemma.

 

[Guildadelphia]

Looks like it also doesn't have the original bridge (appears to be a Compton, which are actually very nice).

 

[guitarlover]

Fwiw : this is a guild fitted with 4 season pu. Although not really franz pu replica

 

[guitarlover]

To be clear : this is not me playing. Just a youtube clip from someone who was posting in a dutch guitar forum.

 

[walrus]

Ah! I was going to ask you that!

At first I thought it was the "Cowardly Lion" from Oz...

walrus

 

[guitarlover]

I did not buy the guitar in the end. I already have a korean newark guild x 175 b. So after some thinking buying a guitar with "replica" pickups just didn't make sense to me.