this is a picture of the guitar via the web page https://images.reverb.com/image/upl...,t_large/v1669747726/bo36tvbgmarjgfee7klo.jpg
That looks fine to me. As far as I can tell the straightedge is just at the top of the bridge right where it's supposed to be, or maybe just a 64th or less low? For a '98 12-string that's great. '98 was a very very good year for Westerly, too.
I appreciate the reply. J55-12 guitars have no history in the search. I guess they weren’t made very long. Somebody on this board listed a link that educated me to how to check neck angles and I really appreciated that. You guys are great.
Thanks for the feedback. For the record it wasn’t the bridge, it was the fretboard that needed regluing. The saddle is new from 6/22 which is when the work was done. I do not know the reason for a new saddle to be made intentionally low unless the neck angle is off or the preference of the player. But the pic he sent me per what I asked shows a very slight contact with the bridge by the straight edge. I’m not concerned about the slight checking on a 24 year old guitar. In regards to price I can see that just a few years ago the price of Guilds were a fair amount lower. But it’s the lowest price I could find on a top of the food chain 12 string Guild. If you have one or know of one please let me know. The seller does offer a 7 day return which I thought was very upstanding. The shop he sent it to for the repair seems very well thought of. But your feedback gives me more impetus to sit back and think.
letstalkguild.com
yes, that was the point. the first one was where the straight edge was flush with the bridge and the second pic showed the straight edge towards the bottom third of the bridge. Then I gave the link to the neck measure of the guitar I was looking at. I couldn't get it into jpeg format so I just copy and pasted the link to the pic.
Why was 1998 a good year for Westerly? I think it was owned by Fender then. But what makes it good? Thanks
Yes it was owned by Fender from Nov. '95 to '14 (April IIRC?).
This member (seller) seems like a real stand up guy. I agree with your assessment of the guitar and that is why I got it. The seller made it a point to tell me how much it cost pre repair and how he meant it to sell to someone that’s looking for a high end pickup. I’m not necessarily looking to amplify but it seems like a solid nicely set up guitar. It’s a model that I want to get more history on. I would like to find the specs on it as well. Can only find the specs for the JF-55. Thanks for the feedback it was much appreciated.Yes it was owned by Fender from Nov. '95 to '14 (April IIRC?).
By '98 Fender had implemented QC checklists on the manufacturing line and was investing in revamping the brand, like bringing back electrics and starting the Nashville Custom shop. Morale was good and it showed in products like my '96 D25. You look inside it and there's nary a glue squeeze from the bracing or kerfing, all the seams are flush and perfectly tight, the fret ends line up perfectly beveled as you looked down the neck, little details like that.
I remember thinking to myself "Man they even made it spotless inside where hardly anybody ever looks, read between those lines....true pride in craftsmanship" (That was my first of 3 Guilds, all bought new)
One of our members who'd worked in Westerly at the time, Hideglue, made a statement that "QC reached its zenith under Fender". It caused a bit of argument when it was interpreted as meaning that those years produced "the best" guitars (although some of us did and still do do believe that, think @West R Lee still does).
Paul (Hideglue) had to take pains to explain that it was the checklist system that created high consistency and fewer "rejects" (which is what QC is all about), not that the guitars were necessarily "built better". They just formalized Guild's existing standards to ensure they got consistently applied.
Seeing the work that was done to that 12, I suspect something outside of normal wear and use may have caused that fretboard to come loose, but obviously somebody realized the instrument was worth fixing. Dealing with a fellow member also usually has pretty good results around here.
I used to think I'd prefer a "pristine" guitar but I've become more flexible. I get your desire to simply be sure you're getting good value for your hard earned money, and in the end only you can make that decision. I see this one as a "ready to play", no surprises since it's been gone over pretty thoroughly already. And yeah, lots of folks like their saddles a bit low, that's one reason the neck alignment chck uses the top of the bridge. A low saddle and/or low action in and of themslves don't mean neck angle is bad. Only the alignment check will show if your geometry is good (and assuming saddle hasn't been shaved, although there are situations in which I'd even accept that as the most reasonable solution these days.
FWIW I didn't think that saddle has been shaved, looks pretty "fat" to me. And I judged the alignment of the straightedge in the pic by the fact you couldn't see any of it peeking out from under that obscuring string. It also looks nearly perfectly aligned with one of 'em on the top edge, so even allowing for slight angle-of-view distortion, that would indicate to me the ruler's hitting right at the top of the bridge or a few thousandths low maybe. I still think it's fine.
Good luck!
You're welcome! I guess I missed that you got the guitar, must be in another thread (I'll see it if it is). Congrats!
