...Hans claiming there were two guitars with the serial number, incorrect "German" hardware and what he perceived to be a suspicious refinish to hide some latent flaw....
Maybe just some explanation about this and what I think.
The hardware of many Guild guitars was German made by
Müller, now ABM. (
Harp tailpieces, various
Nightbird tailpieces and bridges,
roller bridges,...). I think what made Hans "suspicious" was the use of some of that German hardware that would have not been typical for that serial number/vintage yet as
Gruhn's prototype and the very early models like this didn't use the German hardware. And the hardware looked to him like for a "Nightbird I" model which didn't exist at that time yet. But at that time he also didn't know about that Walker to Gruhn note which I think explained a lot more about the "why".
The "two guitars" with "same" serial numbers story also makes sense, Hans obviously had the "original" guitar in his database with a different color/finish as that was written in the ledgers when she was finished. So lets say "sunburst" as example just to be simple.
Something on that "sunburst" guitar was changed after it was finished in the factory (maybe because Walker needed one to try out things). At some point Walker worked on it again and sprayed her black to maybe cover some wood work he did, added hardware he had on his desk (which now was newer hardware) and somehow later the guitar left the factory and nobody checked the electronics cavity until you discovered this note...As the guitar was refinished at the factory you would not have seen something but Hans did spot something on the (already previously stamped serial number) nevertheless, as he knows where to look. And that would explain the "two guitars with the same serial number" as well, which in reality is the same guitar just with a different look. Just my theory.
EDIT: My "theory" regarding the two guitars being the same is obviously wrong... See Hans post # 34. (not that we know much more now...)
Ralf
