NGD: 1984 X500. Keeping it in the family

zulu

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There's many reasons why LTG is the best place on the net. This is one of the best: @shihan (Dennis) offered this beauty here for members only, asking only what he paid for it (from @GAD ). Simply put, Dennis "left money on the table" with this deal, just to "keep it in the family". A very kind and generous thing to do. Thank you, Dennis. And by extension, Gary.

It is very special to me because I haven't had many opportunities to have a high-end guitar. I have been very content playing for years with my simple Nightbird 1 and some other good guitars that have passed through. I've always been happy but dreamed someday for the ebony, abalone, and G shield. Also, to finally get myself a real (Guild) jazz guitar... it sort of validates a lot of years of playing. I'm still a jazz hack, but I love it. It has been hard to explain to others but this is such a happy NGD for me!

There's been other great photos of this guitar posted here before, but more is better, right! The X500 and new family photos!

x500-1.jpg


x500-1-4.jpg


x500-1-2.jpg


x500-1-3.jpg
 

shihan

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I’m sorry to see this guitar go. I really liked many things about it, but the neck and I ultimately didn’t bond.
I am very happy Zulu was able to get it. It was a pleasure meeting him and his wife.
He really earned it; 8 hrs. Here, pick up the guitar, and 8 hrs. Back!
I hope you enjoy it for many years to cone.
 

JohnW63

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I'm glad a forum member took ownership too. Ventura is maybe 2 hours from me, but I have a mental block above a certain dollar amount. That guitar looks inspiring! If I has seen and played it , I may have had to buy it and mental black be damned!
 

Norrissey

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Beautiful photos of a beautiful guitar. Wow. Such a gorgeous burst. Super cool of Dennis to pass the guitar along to another LTGer at such a reasonable price and very impressive of Zulu to make such a long road trip to get it. I think the right person got the guitar!
 

Opsimath

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Congratulations on a breathtakingly beautiful guitar, and on such a happy new Guild day! Glad you have that ebony, abalone, and G shield in hand. That tailpiece is nice, too. And the wood. And the burst. When you realize a dream it seems you do it in a grand way.

No need to tell you this but - Enjoy!
 

bobouz

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Zulu, I do believe you've struck solid gold - Congratulations!
And a 16-hour roundtrip for that guitar? Yes, I absolutely can see doing it!
 

Ixtlan

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There's many reasons why LTG is the best place on the net. This is one of the best: @shihan (Dennis) offered this beauty here for members only, asking only what he paid for it (from @GAD ). Simply put, Dennis "left money on the table" with this deal, just to "keep it in the family". A very kind and generous thing to do. Thank you, Dennis. And by extension, Gary.

It is very special to me because I haven't had many opportunities to have a high-end guitar. I have been very content playing for years with my simple Nightbird 1 and some other good guitars that have passed through. I've always been happy but dreamed someday for the ebony, abalone, and G shield. Also, to finally get myself a real (Guild) jazz guitar... it sort of validates a lot of years of playing. I'm still a jazz hack, but I love it. It has been hard to explain to others but this is such a happy NGD for me!

There's been other great photos of this guitar posted here before, but more is better, right! The X500 and new family photos!

x500-1.jpg


x500-1-4.jpg


x500-1-2.jpg


x500-1-3.jpg
I am hearing an orchestral "aaaaahhhhhhhhh"!
 

zulu

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Thank you all very kindly! This is the best NGD for me since 1987.

The drive was cool. Our GPS gave us a great route from Mojave over the coastal range to Santa Paula on back roads. No traffic or freeways.

Then we pull up to Shihan's, and I hear it. "Listen! That's it!" Some really tasty playing by Shihan and the tone was exactly, exactly what I was hoping to hear. I could have listened to Shihan play this thing for hours. It was a Princeton, right? The tone in that room is what I've been aiming for. Darn Fender amps can be so wonderful.

Some first impressions on the X500. Love. Big. Loud acoustically. Loud enough to strum and sing. Loud enough that the acoustic sound mixes in the ear with the amplified sound up to a point.

My first HB ones. Wow wow. I've been reading for years about these pickups and I finally get it. They're wonderful pickups and they do the rolled off tone knob jazz sound just right. But you guys should also hear that bridge pickup with the speaker reverb on the T1RVT cranked - spaghetti surf joy. But the jazz is what I'm mostly after and now I finally have that tone in my hands and it is inspirational!

The beauty and luxury of this guitar grabs the eye. You put this guitar on like a tuxedo. But like a finely tailored suit, you put it on and then forget you're wearing it. I envisioned myself watching my fingers dancing over the block inlays, but I don't seem to notice any of that while playing. It demands full attention to the music. A great guitar doesn't make playing effortless. It rewards technique and facilitates pushing boundaries. You folks here understand how playing is an interaction with the instrument. A competent player can coax mostly what they want out of a competent instrument. But some guitars have a way of removing barriers and can lead the player to new territory. That's why we need more guitars.
 

walrus

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Congratulations!

Love the story in your post directly above!

walrus
 

shihan

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It was a Princeton, right?

No, an old Deluxe Reverb; but it sounds good through a Princeton, too!
 
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