Original Setup on '57 Guild CA-100?

[motopsyche]

I recently snagged a '57 Guild CA-100 and am wondering how these guitars were originally set up or put to use. Anyone have information on string guage, flats vs. wound, style of music, etc.? Love to know more about it. It clearly had at one time a DeArmond floating pickup mounted off the side of the neck. The coolest part of the purchase was found inside the hardly-used original Lifton case: a small spiral-bound notepad with a calendar on the back cover dated 1957. On one of the few pages left was what looked like a handwritten set list with the following (spelling included):

1 - Poor Boy
2 - You Are My Sunshine
3 - Red River Valley
4 - Hang Down Your Head Tom Dooley
5 - Gitar Boogie Shuffle
6 - I Want to Walk You Home
7 - Run Sampson Run
8 - Rock Around the Clock
9 - Peter Gun
10 - Ghost Riders in the Sky
11 - My Wild Iris Rose
12 - When Iris Eyes Are Smiling
13 - Rock Around Boogie Shuffle
I'm guessing the list was written sometime in 1958 or 1959.

Many thanks for any insights!

Bill

 

[john_kidder]

Bill - great find. others may know how they were set up at the time. I'd leave it acoustic, and play it with bronze strings. Or I'd put half-flats on it, find an old Dearmond Rythm Chief, and just go to town. I'd start with learning that set list, just to make the guitar feel comfortable.