WTB Hoboken F-47

[JohnPaulD]

Hope everyone is doing well.....Looking for a Hoboken made F-47 if anyone has one to sell. Cosmetics/playwear/checking are not a concern but a few things I need the guitar to be:

All original - tuners, pickguard etc.. (non-original saddle/nut/bridge pins are ok)
NO cracks, NO mods
NO strap button in heal (weird, I know but I hate them)

Long shot probably but let me know
Cash in hand ready to buy

Thanks,
John

 

[donnylang]

Austin Vintage Guitars has a ‘67 for $2750 (I got them down to $2400 but did not go through with the deal), and vintagemandolin.com has a ‘66 for $3300. Both appear all original to me.

I also was in talks with someone about buying a ‘65 for $2500. That price is firm and not 100% sure the guy will sell but I could talk to him. That one also looked all original and ready to go.

There’s also a ‘67 on Reverb for $2600 or so, that I personally bought and returned so I can’t say I recommend it.

With the possible exception of the ‘65, I think these are overpriced. I think the market is a bit soft for guitars right now, and I assume they’ll sit for awhile. Not sure what the going rate for a Hoboken F47 actually is, but everyone seems to be using the one on Reverb as a benchmark I assume. Which has been sitting there a year now, even with the price down to like $2200 recently.

I decided I’d rather have a Hoboken F50, but the only one I know of for sale is $5000, which I think is about $1500-2000 over what it would sell for.

 

[JohnPaulD]

Austin Vintage Guitars has a ‘67 for $2750 (I got them down to $2400 but did not go through with the deal), and Mandolin Brothers has a ‘66 for $3300. Both appear all original to me.

I also was in talks with someone about buying a ‘65 for $2500. That price is firm and not 100% sure the guy will sell but I could talk to him. That one also looked all original and ready to go.

I declined all of these because I’m not ready to spend that amount for an F47. There’s also a ‘67 on Reverb for $2600 or so, that I personally bought and returned so I can’t say I recommend it.

Hey Donny. Thanks for this. I’ll inquire, but you're right those prices are up there. If you could ask the person about their ‘65 or pass my name along that would be awesome. I appreciate your time. Thanks again.

I did see your post about the ‘67 you bought and noticed it’s back up for sale. They mention the pickguard crack but the bridge is definitely shaved. Thanks for the heads up on that one.

 

[donnylang]

I’ll let the guy know someone is interested, but when I backed out of the deal, he said he was glad because he wants to keep it ha. He actually also has a ‘67 F50 (not the same guy) but he’s not gonna entertain selling that one at all.

The ‘67 I bought was actually a super bummer deal for me because I really liked the guitar but could not justify the cost. The seller accepted the return but refused to acknowledge the issues present (even after I told them Hans confirmed the bridge was shaved).

The rub was I made an offer on another guitar they were selling later, and they said they would not deal with me because of the “problems” that occurred in the previous sale. LOL. Buyer beware with that seller, though they seem to have great feedback, so maybe it was a fluke.

 

[JohnPaulD]

I’ll let the guy know someone is interested, but when I backed out of the deal, he said he was glad because he wants to keep it ha. He actually also has a ‘67 F50 (not the same guy) but he’s not gonna entertain selling that one at all.

The ‘67 I bought was actually a super bummer deal for me because I really liked the guitar but could not justify the cost. The seller accepted the return but refused to acknowledge the issues present (even after I told them Hans confirmed the bridge was shaved).

The rub was I made an offer on another guitar they were selling later, and they said they would not deal with me because of the “problems” that occurred in the previous sale. LOL. Buyer beware with that seller, though they seem to have great feedback, so maybe it was a fluke.

Thanks Donny, very much appreciated.
A shaved bridge is a definite deal breaker for me too unless it was a steal of a deal and the sound blew me away. But for top dollar I'd want all the boxes checked. Sorry you had to go through the return, hope you didn't lose too much on return shipping.

 

[jedzep]

A shaved bridge, if you liked a guitar enough, could be laminated with a BRW sliver, almost unnoticeably.

The bridge on the Austin Vint. F-47 looks like a replaced newer bridge style, but the '58 F-40 on the site looks sweet.

Prices are nuts everywhere.

 

[JohnPaulD]

A shaved bridge, if you liked a guitar enough, could be laminated with a BRW sliver, almost unnoticeably.

The bridge on the Austin Vint. F-47 looks like a replaced newer bridge style, but the '58 F-40 on the site looks sweet.

Prices are nuts everywhere.

You're right everything can be fixed but it should be mentioned in the description and priced accordingly. Just curious, what do you see that makes you believe the bridge on the F-47 at Austin Vintage looks like a replacement? I wouldn't really know what to look out for.

 

[jedzep]

Others know better, but I believe those bridges with the two downward aiming points at the shoulders came at 1970. If I'm wrong, I hope someone will correct me.
I know the pre-70 bridge is impossible to find, maybe hard to copy too.

 

[donnylang]

The bridge on the one at Austin Vintage looks original to me.

 

[donnylang]

A shaved bridge, if you liked a guitar enough, could be laminated with a BRW sliver, almost unnoticeably.

The bridge on the Austin Vint. F-47 looks like a replaced newer bridge style, but the '58 F-40 on the site looks sweet.

Prices are nuts everywhere.

The primary issue was not the bridge but the previous need for a neck reset “hidden”, and not factored into the price. The saddle was low and the strings were too close to the top on the guitar.

RE: prices, I saw that F47 I bought marked down to something like $2200 recently for a couple weeks with no takers. It’s been sitting since I returned it, so I think maybe the sellers of these F47s are too optimistic, but we’ll see. They are hard to price, but I think maybe $1800 seems more fair in general IMO.

 

[jedzep]

Thanks for the info, Donny. I figured avoiding a reset is always the reason for a shaved bridge.

 

[scottferreter]

I have a '69 Hoboken F47 that I'll be looking to sell soon, but it does indeed have a strap button on the treble side of the heal. I'll be selling it with its Calton case as well as its original case (which has been spray-painted with a gold cross by a previous owner), and will be asking $2400 (Calton cases are $1400, but this one sheds a bit, so I'm not gonna treat it as a huge upsell.)

Reason I'm selling is that 16" lower bout is a little big for me.

DM me if you'd be interested despite the strap button.

 

[JohnPaulD]

I have a '69 Hoboken F47 that I'll be looking to sell soon, but it does indeed have a strap button on the treble side of the heal. I'll be selling it with its Calton case as well as its original case (which has been spray-painted with a gold cross by a previous owner), and will be asking $2400 (Calton cases are $1400, but this one sheds a bit, so I'm not gonna treat it as a huge upsell.)

Reason I'm selling is that 16" lower bout is a little big for me.

DM me if you'd be interested despite the strap button.

I know I have a problem lol. But yeah those strap buttons are a killer for me. The guitar can have all the dents and scratches in the world… I appreciate the offer, I’m sure it won’t last long.

 

[fronobulax]

But yeah those strap buttons are a killer for me.

Is removing it and filling the hole with a plug an option for you? Sometimes the plug can be crafted so it is hard to detect and if it is on the heel you won't usually be seeing it.

 

[donnylang]

I have a '69 Hoboken F47 that I'll be looking to sell soon, but it does indeed have a strap button on the treble side of the heal. I'll be selling it with its Calton case as well as its original case (which has been spray-painted with a gold cross by a previous owner), and will be asking $2400 (Calton cases are $1400, but this one sheds a bit, so I'm not gonna treat it as a huge upsell.)

Reason I'm selling is that 16" lower bout is a little big for me.

DM me if you'd be interested despite the strap button.

Also worth noting that a '69 would not be Hoboken (but would likely have a Hoboken label). If I recall, yours is actually a 1970 FYI. Still a very cool early Westerly though.

 

[scottferreter]

Also worth noting that a '69 would not be Hoboken (but would likely have a Hoboken label). If I recall, yours is actually a 1970 FYI. Still a very cool early Westerly though.

I got my years and factories wrong, then. Thanks for the clarity. It's an odd one, in terms of serial number, since it's AK600, and '69 is supposed to be up to AK583 and then go to a new system. Surely one of y'all know!

 

[fronobulax]

I got my years and factories wrong, then. Thanks for the clarity. It's an odd one, in terms of serial number, since it's AK600, and '69 is supposed to be up to AK583 and then go to a new system. Surely one of y'all know!

It's the assumptions about serial numbers and the published data that are odd. Guild may, or may not, have changed the numbering scheme on January 1 of the change year. Guild almost certainly did not go back and reassign numbers assigned in the previous year to instruments that were still at the factory at the new year. There are documented cases where instruments did not leave the factory in serial number order and cases where the instrument left years after it should have according to the serial number. It is also not clear when "last number" is based upon what left the factory or what was assigned.

But based upon what we have seen before AK600 is late '69 or early '70. I'd say '70 and if anyone who wasn't Hans Moust challenged me I just say that the online charts are not correct or complete.

On the factory remember that Hoboken and Westerly operated simultaneously for a brief period and Guild used Hoboken labels until the supply ran out. So instruments that were made in Westerly had made in Hoboken labels.

 

[donnylang]

I got my years and factories wrong, then. Thanks for the clarity. It's an odd one, in terms of serial number, since it's AK600, and '69 is supposed to be up to AK583 and then go to a new system. Surely one of y'all know!

Yep it can be inconsistent.

In this case, I actually emailed Hans when I was looking at buying the guitar when it was local to me. He confirmed 1970.

RE: Westerly, I don't believe any Guild was made at Hoboken by 1969 (waiting for Hans to chime in and tell me I'm wrong LOL). The transition year would generally be 1968 (or I suppose 1967 in some cases, like a Mark I and ... maybe M20?).

 

[JohnPaulD]

Is removing it and filling the hole with a plug an option for you? Sometimes the plug can be crafted so it is hard to detect and if it is on the heel you won't usually be seeing it.

Thanks for the reply. That is always an option I guess. Not sure why but they turn me off. I guess because it didn’t come from the factory with it and I’ve seen some terrible placements and poor jobs. The worst is when someone screws it right into the body. I don’t use them so would rather not have it but if a great guitar came along and sounded incredible, and everything else checked out I could probably get over it. (I should get over it lol)

 

[fronobulax]

Thanks for the reply. That is always an option I guess. Not sure why but they turn me off. I guess because it didn’t come from the factory with it and I’ve seen some terrible placements and poor jobs. The worst is when someone screws it right into the body. I don’t use them so would rather not have it but if a great guitar came along and sounded incredible, and everything else checked out I could probably get over it. (I should get over it lol)

Factory condition is a goal that is easiest to meet when buying new. Everything else is a compromise. It goes the other way. There was much angst over the decision to add a strap button to Mrs. Fro's brand new F30 but ultimately "made to be played" won out.

At one time New Hartford installed strap buttons on instruments with electronics but not others. One of the reasons was the marketing department's belief that people who bough factory electronics were more likely to perform standing up and thus needed the button.