Identifying the model of my 1973 Jumbo Sunburst

[Andersnd]

Hello -

I’ve just joined this group and am looking for assistance in identifying the model of my Guild. It is serial #90701, which from my research tells me only the production year but not the model. I have owned this guitar for 34 years and there was never a label on the inside. A luthier just completed some work on it and it appears the guitar had a new top put on it at the factory in 1977 (there are notes written on the inside that I can post if helpful). We think it is an F50, but I believe the F40 was also made at that time in a jumbo. How can I know for sure the model?

Thanks in advance for any help you can provide.

Devin

 

[davismanLV]

Photos would help.

 

[West R Lee]

Post a picture of the soundhole tag and the guitar.

West

 

[GGJaguar]

Welcome to LTG! Yes, pix will help us help you!

 

[Andersnd]

Thank you! Some pictures attached. There is no interior label/sound hole tag.

 

[GGJaguar]

That looks like an F-47 to me.

 

[Andersnd]

Thanks for the fast response! What distinguished the various jumbos of this time period? Are the dimensions different?

 

[mavuser]

That looks like an F-47 to me.

I believe it is an F-48

 

[Heath]

Anyone find it interesting that the new top date is also stamped on the brace? I wonder if Guild replaced the top…

 

[amnicon]

Late 70s bursts are the best! That's a beauty!

 

[Andersnd]

My luthier said he believes it was replaced by Guild. The handwritten note + brace stamp was the signal to him. What is the primary difference between a 47, 48, and a 50? Dimensions? Wood type?

 

[mavuser]

the F-47 is a mini-jumbo/16" lower bout, mahogany (i think)

the F-48 is a jumbo/17" lower bout, mahogany

the F-50 is a jumbo/17" lower bout, maple

the F-50-R is rosewood version of F-50

 

[Andersnd]

Thank you. It’s a 17” bout. I’ll ask my luthier about wood type, and I’ll have my answer. Thanks to everyone for such prompt responses.

 

[adorshki]

Thank you. It’s a 17” bout. I’ll ask my luthier about wood type, and I’ll have my answer. Thanks to everyone for such prompt responses.

As Mavuser mentioned, if it's 17" and 'hog body, with plain block inlays on the fretboard and a chesterfield headstock, it's an F48, very very very low production.

All regular production F50's and F50R's got G-shield headstocks and the block inlays had triangular abalone inserts. (Some of the very earliest ones may not have had the abalone, can't recall for sure, but those would have had the "lips" headstock shapes too), but the chesterfield rules out the F50 by process of elimination.

The "official" s/n charts"** show that s/n corresponding to '73, but for that period they don't break out the model numbers. Could be one reason it's been hard to ID.

**the s/n charts are known to have some flaws but for that period I think they're fairly reliable, maybe because they are so "simple".

Hope that helps.
And btw, welcome aboard! Keep us "posted"!

 

[KenL]

I have no idea what it is but I love it.

 

[Neal]

As Mavuser mentioned, if it's 17" and 'hog body, with plain block inlays on the fretboard and a chesterfield headstock, it's an F48, very very very low production.

All regular production F50's and F50R's got G-shield headstocks and the block inlays had triangular abalone inserts. (Some of the very earliest ones may not have had the abalone, can't recall for sure, but those would have had the "lips" headstock shapes too), but the chesterfield rules out the F50 by process of elimination.

The "official" s/n charts"** show that s/n corresponding to '73, but for that period they don't break out the model numbers. Could be one reason it's been hard to ID.

**the s/n charts are known to have some flaws but for that period I think they're fairly reliable, maybe because they are so "simple".

Hope that helps.
And btw, welcome aboard! Keep us "posted"!

100% correct, Al.

That is definitely a big 17" jumbo body, and definitely mahogany back and sides.

I owned both an F-47 and an F-48, and can confirm that what the OP has here is an F-48.

 

[SFIV1967]

The F-48 was introduced in 1972, the blue price list is from Nov 1973. The model shipped originally with a natural/blonde top as it looks, so that wonderful sunburst was applied when the guitar was re-topped in 1977.



Ralf

 

[Andersnd]

Wow - the notes inside the guitar indicate it was retopped in 1977. Was the F-48 still being produced at that time, and if so, was it offered in sunburst?

 

[adorshki]

Wow - the notes inside the guitar indicate it was retopped in 1977. Was the F-48 still being produced at that time, and if so, was it offered in sunburst?

No and therefore, "no".

 

[Andersnd]

Sorry - hopefully the last question. Was the F-48 ever offered in sunburst?