jgmaute said:
I'm looking at a used Guild M-20. I had the owner read me the serial # and I also have a picture that shows the label. The serial# is 44314. I can't find the number listed on the Guild serial # sites. When I told her I thought it was probably a '65 she said she thought she'd had it longer than that (she's the original owner). The guitar looks like the one on page 120 of your book but does not have any letters before the serial #. It has a beige oval label with the G shield at the top and GUILD GUITARS, INC. Hoboken, New Jersey (no USA) at the bottom. What other information should I ask for to try and figure out when it was made?
The Guilds of Grot said:
My list (though un-official), says '65 started with 38637 and ended with 46606 therefore making 44314 from '65.
(How close am I Hans?)
Hello Joan & Grot,
You're both correct. That's a guitar from early 1965; that is if the serial number is indeed # 44314. You say you have a picture of the label, so there's no chance that the lady owner mis-read the number. No 'USA' at the bottom would mean it was one of the last ones without it because 'USA' was added at the bottom of the label around that time.
It's not the first time that I hear people saying that they believe their guitar is older than the specs. indicate. A lot of people have a strange way of remembering things and very often they link a guitar to other things that happened in the past. If that's how they remember it, there's no sense in trying to convince them they're mistaken. For me, I usually stick to my own dating abilities and unless they can come up with a dated 'bill of sale' that includes the serial number, I see no reason to change my mind.
But, for argument's sake, if the guitar would have been say .......... 2 years older, then it would have had the 'old' style 'lip top' headstock and a slightly different shape pickguard. But so far I have not seen any photos, so I can't say anything about that.
As far as the selling price or value is concerned, it shouldn't make much of a difference.
Good luck!
Sincerely,
Hans Moust
http://www.guitarsgalore.nl