1978 Guild® F-112 NT Good, Original Hard, $995.00
This veteran Guild 12-string F-112NT guitar was made in the Westerly, Rhode Island, plant in 1978, judging from its serial number (186121) and the Guild website. It features a jumbo-style body based on the smaller F-30 design and was probably the most popular 12-string in America until it was discontinued in 1982. As such, this particular guitar has dominated lesser instruments for over 35 years, and the resonance of its aged woods will only improve with its new generation of players. Its manifest mojo makes it stand out in any crowd, but it’s the huge sound that will make other players turn around to check it out.
This Guild F-112 has a solid spruce top and mahogany back, sides, and neck. The body is fully bound, top and back, with multi-stripe binding on top, and it has a large tortoise pick guard, a rosewood bridge, and a multi-stripe inlaid rosette. The mahogany neck supports a beautiful 14/20 fret rosewood fingerboard with no dot inlays which ends in a blackface headstock with six-per-side vintage-style open tuners [replaced on this guitar with chrome enclosed Gotoh tuners] and the pearloid inlaid Guild logo and emblem. It has a 16” lower bout width, 4.875” body depth, and a 25.5” scale.
This old guy has been played well and hard, and there are a number of structural and cosmetic issues to report beyond the slight finish “crazing,” some buckle rash, and a few dings and bruises which one would expect in a hard-playing 37-year-old guitar’s finish . There have been some curious “modifications” which I cannot really explain: for example, the replacement Gotoh tuners work fine, but they do leave extra screw holes showing—possibly the non-original finish pattern on the back of the headstock was added to obscure the original tuners’ “footprints.”
More importantly, there was some kind of trauma to the neck joint, resulting in a crack across the heel and extending about 8” around the treble side of the guitar. Presumably the neck was re-set at the same time as the subsequent repair, and the joint reinforced by a bolt through the neck block into the heel. There are two small repaired cracks in the top, one on the treble side of the sound hole and one above the pick guard. The bridge looks to have been shaved, and the wire connected to the end pin jack is no longer connected. I have no idea what real or imaginary defects some of these changes were addressing, but all of these are visible in the pictures, so “zoom” on the pics and see if you can live with ‘em.
The good news is that the modifications are really working well, resulting in action of only a hair over 3/32” at the 12th fret low E—extremely good for a 12-string--and the frets show relatively little wear. All in all, this vintage tone monster is thoroughly worked on, looks cool, and is ready to rule the world again—or at least your local jam. It has played hard making music and beating up on banjo and fiddle players for over 37 years. Lord willing and the creek don’t rise, it will pass into the hands of a player able to make music and turn heads for a generation or two to come.
The arched Guild hard shell case is structurally and cosmetically in very good shape, but probably newer than this particular guitar. The hardware all works, the plush interior is clean and fits this guitar like the proverbial glove, and the Guild logo discreetly displayed on the top and side plate are nice touches. It certainly provides outstanding protection for this valuable instrument.
Buyer pays a flat rate of $55 for insurance and shipping to the lower 48 states; shipping costs elsewhere will be negotiated as necessary. Payment by Paypal is preferred; cashiers and personal checks are acceptable, but checks must clear before the guitar will be shipped.
I have made every effort to describe and illustrate this vintage guitar and case with scrupulous accuracy. Please check out the pictures and ask any questions you might have before offering to purchase it. This guitar’s return will not be accepted unless it can be shown that it was egregiously misrepresented in this listing.
Thank you for your interest.
Payments by Paypal, cashier’s checks, money orders, or personal checks are acceptable, but all payments must clear my bank before the guitar will be shipped. I will CONSIDER reasonable offers, even including installment payments and trade-ins, but generally since I already attempt to price my guitars very competitively, unusual deals must be unusually sweet.
From henceforth [that's how retired English teachers talk], insurance and shipping to the lower 48 states is $55 due to constantly rising shipping costs unless a specific listing says otherwise; shipping costs elsewhere will be negotiated as necessary. I have sold guitars to Russia, Japan, Australia, and over 50 other countries, as well as almost every state in the USA. Since some of my guitars travel thousands of miles, I take care to use lots of packing materials, protect the neck inside the case, and of course de-tune the strings.
I make every effort to describe and illustrate each guitar and case with scrupulous accuracy. However, many of my instruments are well-played vintage items which are many years old, and I am not a luthier. One should assume that any guitar will require some set-up to satisfy your personal requirements, and that not every flaw or ding will be seen/recognized/described in the listing. Thus the return of an instrument will not be accepted unless it can be shown that it was egregiously misrepresented in this listing. Please read the listing carefully, check out the pictures, and ask any questions you might have before offering to buy.