Stump the experts: Never-before-seen Guild guitar case

[wileypickett]

This is being sold in Italy. I've never seen such a case on a Guild sold in the U.S. Is it possble Guild shipped guitars overseas without hardshell cases (possibly to save on shipping costs?) which then got cases upon arrival in their new country, ones made in that country?

Legit? Or did someone just install a Guild logo badge on a non-Guild case?!

vintage Guild case 1960's - gray with pattern | Reverb

VINTAGE GUILD CASE FROM THE 1960'SVintage 1960's GUILD case. Will likely fit guild archtop guitars.original keys provided.

reverb.com

 

[GGJaguar]

The covering looks similar to, but not the same, as the covering on '60s Gretsch cases.

 

[Canard]

Looks like maybe it has been re-covered. Look how the covering goes over the band around the edge of the top.

 

[wileypickett]

Looks like maybe it has been re-covered. Look how the covering goes over the band around the edge of the top.

Possibly, but I don't think so. To have re-covered the case that thoroughly and that neatly would have required that all the interior plush lining (both in the lid and the body of the case) be pulled up and reglued after the new covering was glued down, and that all the latches, which are reveted in place, be removed and re-riveted.

 

[teleharmonium]

When Selmer was distributing Fender guitars in the UK in the mid 60s they supplied their own cases, so it is not out of the question that a Guild importer could have the same arrangement.

 

[chazmo]

Neat!

 

[wileypickett]

(The first dress jacket my parents bought me, when I was 11 or 12, looked similar!)

 

[twocorgis]

I couldn't afford a "real" Fender case when I bought my P-Bass back in 1973, so when my Bandmaster cabinet collapsed (long story), I salvaged the Fender plaque, and it's still on the cheaper Ess & Ess case I bought. That's what this case looks like.

 

[Midnight Toker]

I'm stumped at the shipping costs!

I still have never owned a hardshell case for my 66 t100d, and when seeing the asking price thought...hmmm. Then I saw the shipping cost and thought I'd better go back to ordering a new starfire case. Hell, I payed under $200 for the guitar itself!!

 

[SFIV1967]

Or did someone just install a Guild logo badge on a non-Guild case?!

That would be my guess, the case, the handle and the latches on it do not look like any Guild case I have seen.

Ralf

 

[banjomike]

It may have been reupholstered. Europe has many good luggage companies, and cutting off pop rivets is no big deal. I noticed all the latches and handle had screws on the hardware, which would be a quick way to reattach them. Velvet plush isn't hard to find either.

The fabric sure has a european look to it; it's similar to a Spanish-made case I own, but a different color.

 

[wileypickett]

It may have been reupholstered. Europe has many good luggage companies, and cutting off pop rivets is no big deal. I noticed all the latches and handle had screws on the hardware, which would be a quick way to reattach them. Velvet plush isn't hard to find either.

The fabric sure has a european look to it; it's similar to a Spanish-made case I own, but a different color.

It's certainly possible, as you say, and people have their reasons for doing things. But taking all that work into account, and whatever it might have cost, it would have been easier and cheaper to just buy a new case, no?

 

[banjomike]

It's certainly possible, as you say, and people have their reasons for doing things. But taking all that work into account, and whatever it might have cost, it would have been easier and cheaper to just buy a new case, no?

I don't know how expensive it would be over there.
The construction looks American under that fabric.

But on something this old, who knows? Anything is possible.

 

[SFIV1967]

The issue here is that the type of case does not fit any other Guild case I can remember.

Just compare to a mid 60's Starfire case, the latches and the handle are very different and at very different positions, the holders for the top are very different and ad different positions. It simply does not fit.



Ralf

 

[fronobulax]

So we think someone added a Guild badge to a non-Guild case which may, or may not actually fit any Guild models that were contemporaneous with the badge?

 

[SFIV1967]

So we think someone added a Guild badge to a non-Guild case which may, or may not actually fit any Guild models that were contemporaneous with the badge?

I'd say yes, and with the Guild badge it wound indicate that a Guild lived in there at some point in time.
The style of latches was used on Japanese cases and also on European cases:



In Europe it was sometimes hard to get hold of American originals, so people put labels or badges of their favarite brands on other items. It was not to create a fake but to be proud about the brandname.

Ralf