NGD: 2014 Guild Orpheum 12string 12 fret slotted headstock

[highwayman]

A few days ago LTGer Ralf and I met on near the German Autobahn between Munich and Salzburg (or Corona reasons, of course). Ralf sold me his 2014 Guild Orpheum 12 string 12 fret slotted headstock, one of the last Guilds built in NH. Shown at NAMM in 2014 and presented by Ren Ferguson, this is a very rare jnstrument. It is an OM, but the 12fret and the slotted headstock owe also a lot to a 000. With a red spruce Top and rosewood b&s, the guitar sounds quite bright and reminds me a bit of maple. This of course is due to the smaller than usual shape we know of Guild 12ers. It is as good as new

I have restrung it with D'Addario Nickel Bronze 10-47.

I am very happy with this guitar which makes a perfect companion for my 1969 F-312.

Thanks a lot to Ralf for not putting it up for sale on the market, and a big thank you to him for his extensive documentation of each and every aspect of this beautiful Guild!!

Let the photos speak for themselves !

 

[JohnW63]

Some day I'll see an Orpheum in the wild. How does this compare to your 312?

 

[wileypickett]

Wow!

 

[GGJaguar]

Beautiful guitar, congrats!!

 

[HeyMikey]

Congratulations. That must sound glorious and with the short scale and wide nut be a real pleasure to play!

 

[Stuball48]

What a beautiful guitar and thanks for sharing your purchase story.
Ralf has answered many questions for me and can enlarge pictures to show details I never knew were there.

 

[Rayk]

Ooo sweet , congrats. I love my 12 fretter slot head but boy if you find slots a bit of a pain to string then you went full tilt ! Lol I like 6 no more ! Hahaha

 

[richardp69]

Lovely!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[F312]

Have we seen your F312? Can we see your F312?

Ralph

 

[Westerly Wood]

great story too! and you know Ralf would have babied that thing...

 

[Cougar]

Super major congrats! Fantastic 12er!

 

[SFIV1967]

Yes, she's special as she's the prototype (the very first one designed/made by Ren) of the very few 12 string Orpheums made in 2014. She was displayed both at NAMM 2014 in Anaheim and Musikmesse 2014 in Frankfurt.
Glad you like her and glad she went to a home of a most excellent guitar player and musician!

For those who had not seen the pictures in the past, here's LTG's own Jane testing her back at NAMM 2014:

One of the quite famous FMIC managers had sent me some pictures from when she was on the desk during final setup in New Hartford just a few days before NAMM started. Not often do you get pictures of your guitars when she was in the factory...But she was also the one all the stock photos on the Guild webpage were made with.

Now I continue enjoying her 105 days younger sister, the mahogany 12 string Orpheum in sunburst (1 of 4 ever built). Below a picture of the siblings (it wasn't a sunny day, so the sunburst looks really dark):

It's such a pity New Hartford was closed in 2014, Ren and Tim had the plans layed out for a whole other series of these... Too bad those never say the light of the day.

Ralf

 

[F312]

"2014" was the zenith for Guild guitars as a guitar builder, and at breakneck speed for so many models in such a short time at New Hartford, CT.

Ralph

 

[walrus]

Gorgeous! Congratulations!

walrus

 

[highwayman]

Some day I'll see an Orpheum in the wild. How does this compare to your 312?

I think that the Orpheum is easier to play, which for a 12string is always a good thing. And of course the sound of the F312 is fuller, warmer, while the Orpheum comes across quite crisp. Both have their songs/tunes for which fit best. But I have to admit: I still have to get to know the Orpheum better. So in a few weeks, I will know more.

 

[Cougar]

...Now I continue enjoying her 105 days younger sister, the mahogany 12 string Orpheum in sunburst (1 of 3 ever built)....

Mega-WOW! Now that's what I call rare!

 

[The Guilds of Grot]

Way to keep it in the "family'!

 

[SFIV1967]

Mega-WOW! Now that's what I call rare!

Next to the prototype the rarest of the rare is owned by our txbumper, he owns the only one made Rosewood Sunburst!

NGDx2 000-12 Fret Slothead Orpheum Heaven!

OK, I figured I would roll them both out at the same time to avoid two NGD posts. I was able to acquire the 12 string in mid January and as some of you know I recently was able to land the 6 string in the last week. Here is what we are looking at. 2014 Guild 000-12 Fret Slot Head 12 String...

letstalkguild.com

The second place regarding rare Orpheums goes to our own Toni, she owns 1 of only 2 built Mahogany Natural top. The second of the two also lives in Germany but Toni's has the most beautiful mahogany wood used!

NGD - Orpheum 12-string OM Mahogany Natural

Well, the sun, finally, appeared for a bit and I was able to take a few pictures. This guitar is fabulous! Even though it is 'new', the sound and projection is amazing. It's the best 12-string I've ever played (now keep in mind, my total number of 12-strings probably equates to 20 or so...

letstalkguild.com

Third place is the Mahogany Sunburst where 4 exist. Mine and another one in Germany, the 3rd is in the US with musician Shane Alexander, the whereabouts of the 4th (which had no pickguard) are not known to me.

The mahogany wood on the back together with the sunburst gives a beatiful color on my one, here in a close-up shot:

Ralf

 

[highwayman]

Thank you guys for your congratulations!

John wanted to see pics of my F 312. Here you go, there's one with the two 12strings together. The 1969 F312 has a Hoboken lable inside. In an earlier thread I had asked the question why this can be, Guild having moved to Westerly in 1967.

I bought the 312 in 2019 from an American in Berlin who was about to move back home and was eager to sell it. My daughter, living in Berlin at the time, collected it from him. He was happy not to have to ship it and I got a good price.

 

[SFIV1967]

The 1969 F312 has a Hoboken lable inside. In an earlier thread I had asked the question why this can be, Guild having moved to Westerly in 1967.

The move happened over several years and leftover Hoboken labels were used also in Westerly until they run out of them. They didn't want to throw away good labels! But anyway, Hans could tell you if your one was still made in the Hoboken factory (possible) or already in Westerly.

Ralf