Maybe Guild and Gibson both used the "student model" designation to boost interest in their higher end guitars during the '60s. Kinda sorta like GM with the Chevy-Pontiac-Olds-Caddy hierarchy but without the planned obsolescence. All the guitars made in Hoboken or Kalamazoo were built to last, regardless of position on the marketing totem pole.
For sure, whether talking about Guild A-50, X-50 and T-50 or Gibson ES-125 and ES-125T guitars, the build and finish standard was still remarkably high. Almost 50 years later, these guitars continue to impress. Ditto with the 3/4 guitars and entry level classical guitars that both companies made.
The marketing logic for archtops seemed to be to sell a player a student model without a cutaway and build brand loyalty that would bring the player back when he decided he was ready for a "professional model" - a Capri, Starfire, etc. on the Guild side, or an ES-175, etc. on the Gibson side - with a cutaway, two pickups and more bling.
