I just picked up a 1958 M-65 and the label is blank, except for the Guild logo stuff, which is exactly like yours. Whatever was written on the label at the factory is long gone.
I just picked up a 1958 Freshman (cherry, full scale) and there’s no badge on the headstock. A local luthier told me there was some kind of issue with the heaspdstocks on some of the 50s Guilds. Anyone know anything about that? I am also wondering about the knobs. The knobs are Daka Ware knobs. Were these common on Freshman guitars? I can’t find any pictures of any of these guitars with the knobs mine has. This is my first attempt at a post on here, so I hope I did this right.
Hello Vermonter,
Welcome! Noticed you posted your last question in the wrong section, so I just added it to this (earlier) posting.
It is not unusual for the writing on labels from the late-'50s to fade to the point where you can't see what was originally written there.
Lucky for you the guitar should also have a serial number stamped into the back of the headstock, so at least you should be able to date the guitar properly.
As far as the headstock is concerned, without being able to see it, I have no idea what happened to it, but I can tell you that the M-65 from that particular period should have a 'gold' silkscreened logo in 'script' that may wear off in time. The front of the headstock should be black and if no one attempted to polish it up, there should be some remains of the original silkscreened logo visible.
Daka-Ware made a lot of different knobs of which some were used on Guild guitars. Do the knobs on your guitar look like these?
http://www.guitarchives.nl/guitarsgalore/parts_detail.php?id=58
Sincerely,
Hans Moust
www.guitarsgalore.nl