New Member- Question about Model ID

[Solon48]

I am really glad I found this forum! I began my collection of Guilds a couple of years ago- BTW, I play them, too...! Question for some or one of the sages on this forum about a F50 R (at least I thought it was...) I bought a couple of years ago. It was a basket case, throughly thrashed.

I had the necessary repairs done -refreted, split on the side lower bout repaired, Grover tuners replaced, neck adjusted - so I could play the thing, and it now though it certainly isn't beautiful, it sounds and plays great!

Now to the point- the serial number/sticker is missing, and the headstock serial number stamp is badly worn - I can make out the letters "GF" then numerals "5,0????" (probably wear from a capo being carelessly kept clapped on the headstock-some of the purfling and the MOP on the Guild logo is missing..)

It is rosewood - I thought is was a F50R, as I said.... it has all the F50 trim on the fingerboard intact- Is this a GF 50 ? I cannot locate any info on the GF50 on the net, except the SN's,
Can anyone provide some info/picture on this model or guide me to where I can look myself? Any help would be greatly appreciated - much thanks - Lonnie

 

[Graham]

Hey Lonnie welcome to LTG.

Does it look like this?

What headstock logo is it, chesterfield or G shield? G shield would be an F-50.

Any pics?

 

[Solon48]

Thanks Graham, glad to be here!

It has the G shield - but if if it is a F50, wouldn't the SN start with "F", not "GF" ???
not tring to be a smarta**, just looking for clarity...!

Lonnie

 

[capnjuan]

Hi Solon48 and welcome: need some pics. Several of sides/back including different angles in moderate light - watch out for bright light; flash, reflection, or outdoors that washes the color / grain out.

Please reply if you have trouble posting the pics; if you haven't done this before, you'll need to stash the pics on the web somewhere; Photobucket - whatever, any of them will do; from there you can copy the IMG address and paste it directly into your post.

FYI: there are people here who, on a moonless night and completely blindfolded, can identify rosewood - Brazilian or Indian - from 500 yards away ... it's an amazing thing :shock: ... just kidding ... sort of.

Does it look like Graham's?



cj

 

[Graham]

Like this then? Could be a GF-60

 

[Solon48]

Boy, You guys are fast! Thanks!
I am not where I can post pics, if you know what I mean. I will post some later this PM
Later-
Lonnie

 

[capnjuan]

Just don't tell us you're in a men's room at a public park ... how about it; did it look like the purplish/brown on Graham's guitar?

 

[Graham]

JK and Jeff have GF-60s, I'm sure they'll be of assistance when they get here.

 

[Jeff]

Lonnie,

Welcome to the site.

Soon as you get a couple pics posted up someone here surely will solve your mystery.

Meanwhile, GF 60 fingerboard inlays look like this & the frets are big fat Gibson style frets. Leastwise this is the way mine is built.

 

[Graham]

Boy, You guys are fast! Thanks!

Later-
Lonnie

We're on commission. :shock:

 

[Jeff]

Graham,

Medical update please.

 

[Graham]

Graham,

Medical update please.

Not much change. Starting to feel like our old Prime Minister.

 

[hansmoust]

I am really glad I found this forum! I began my collection of Guilds a couple of years ago- BTW, I play them, too...! Question for some or one of the sages on this forum about a F50 R (at least I thought it was...)

Now to the point- the serial number/sticker is missing, and the headstock serial number stamp is badly worn - I can make out the letters "GF" then numerals "5,0????" (probably wear from a capo being carelessly kept clapped on the headstock-some of the purfling and the MOP on the Guild logo is missing..)

It is rosewood - I thought is was a F50R, as I said.... it has all the F50 trim on the fingerboard intact- Is this a GF 50 ? Lonnie

Hello Lonnie,

With the info you gave us I would think you have a GF-55. If it is, I guess you could call it the F-50R in a 16"-wide body format or a GF with D-55 trimmings, but that would not be the correct model designation. The GF-55 was introduced in 1989 and discontinued by 1994.

Sincerely,

Hans Moust
http://www.guitarsgalore.nl

 

[Solon48]

Thanks Hans, I do believe that's the ticket!
Some concentrated effort with a huge magnifing glass and a high intensity
lamp last night reveled what I think are the numbers "GF5"-these are pretty clear, another "5",
possibly a "0" ,another "0" and "62" --GF550062

Take a look at the pics I you will, and tell me what you think-
that headstock is ugly!

capnjuan - thanks for the info on photobucket- never used it before



http://i226.photobucket.com/albums/dd23 ... 010026.jpg
http://i226.photobucket.com/albums/dd23 ... 010028.jpg
http://i226.photobucket.com/albums/dd23 ... 010052.jpg
http://i226.photobucket.com/albums/dd23 ... 010031.jpg
http://i226.photobucket.com/albums/dd23 ... 010027.jpg
http://i226.photobucket.com/albums/dd23 ... 010021.jpg

 

[hansmoust]

Thanks Hans, I do believe that's the ticket!
Some concentrated effort with a huge magnifing glass and a high intensity
lamp last night reveled what I think are the numbers "GF5"-these are pretty clear, another "5",
possibly a "0" ,another "0" and "62" --GF550062

Hello Lonnie,

That looks like an GF-55. Serial # GF550062 would make it an instrument from 1990. There should be an ink-stamped date on one of the beveled edges of the neckblock, visible through the soundhole. They can be a little hard to read but a little flashlight might help. Can you tell us what the date is?

Sincerely,

Hans Moust
http://www.guitarsgalore.nl

 

[Graham]

Very nice Lonnie.

DFW, are you heading to the Arlington Show by chance?

 

[Solon48]

Hans -

The date inside is Feb 26, 1991 --

This is a better photo of the back of the headstock - very hard to see - I zoomed it larger, but can't figure how to
to link to the zoomed image- maybe you can see the numbers GF5 5 0 0 8 (not 6) 2

http://i226.photobucket.com/albums/dd23 ... 010002.jpg

What confuses me is that on the list of serial numbers given on the Guild site, the GF55 sn's start with 100XX and the GF50 sn's start with 500XXX, so if this is a gf50, shouldn't the sn be gf50XXXX?
Hans, thanks for the help, I love your guild book , and look at it amost every day--
Lonnie

 

[Solon48]

Graham -

Thats this weekend?? I'll check, if so, maybe tomorrow--

Lonnie

 

[Graham]

Graham -

Thats this weekend?? I'll check, if so, maybe tomorrow--

Lonnie

No it's on October 20 & 21.

There are a few of us from the Board going.

 

[hansmoust]

Hans - The date inside is Feb 26, 1991 --

This is a better photo of the back of the headstock - very hard to see - I zoomed it larger, but can't figure how to
to link to the zoomed image- maybe you can see the numbers GF5 5 0 0 8 (not 6) 2

What confuses me is that on the list of serial numbers given on the Guild site, the GF55 sn's start with 100XX and the GF50 sn's start with 500XXX, so if this is a gf50, shouldn't the sn be gf50XXXX?
Lonnie

Hello again Lonnie,

No, it's a GF-55 and the serial numbers on the official Guild site are not correct. The GF-50 was already discontinued in 1990. Serial #GF550082 is possible and that fits in with the Feb. 26, 1991 neck block date.

I love your guild book , and look at it amost every day--

Thanks for the compliments. It will take some more time before Part II of 'The Guild Guitar Book' will be out, but all the models after 1977 will be in there together with the correct serial number information.

Sincerely,

Hans Moust
http://www.guitarsgalore.nl