1975 Guild® F-212XL Very Good, Original Hard, $1,195.00

This wonderful Guild 12-string F-212XL guitar was made in the Westerly, Rhode Island, plant in 1975, judging from its serial number (120689) and the Guild website. It features a super-sized jumbo body based on the F-47 design and is probably the most powerful factory 12-string ever made and widely distributed in America. The F-212 was discontinued in 1985 and the F-212XL was initially discontinued in 1986; however, the XL was re-issued by popular request 1998-2000, and again from 2010 to the present. It’s just too darned strong to die!

As such, this particular guitar has dominated lesser instruments for about 40 years, and the resonance of its aged woods will only improve with its new generation of players. Its classic good looks make 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-212XL has a solid spruce top and solid mahogany back, sides, and neck. The body is fully bound, top and back, with multi-stripe binding on top, and it has a large black pick guard (a previous owner has added an identical second pick guard, I guess going for a Richie Havens look), an ebony bridge, and a multi-stripe inlaid rosette. The three-piece mahogany/maple neck supports a 14/20 fret ebony fingerboard with no inlays which ends in a blackface headstock with Guild enclosed chrome tuners and the pearl inlaid Guild name and Chesterfield logo. It is a jumbo plus size, with a full 21” body length, 17” lower bout width, 5” body depth at the end pin, and a 25.5” scale.

After 40 years this guitar is not quite perfect. There are several professionally repaired cracks, including one hairline along the top of the fretboard to the sound hole—common in older 12-strings; there is also a very old crack in one side of the headstock, and the bridge was apparently replaced entirely or re-routed for lefty stringing--I would assume the former, since the bridge shows signs of gluing but no "tracks" of a righty saddle. (This would also explain the additional pick guard--although it shows very little wear--and the slant of the saddle.)

Since the label's model number (also stamped inside) had no "L" added to it to designate a factory lefty, since the upper pick guard is clearly not factory original, and since there was no sign that the original bridge was modified rather than simply replaced, it is clear that the guitar was built and braced as a factory righty regardless of how it was strung and played by one of its several owners. Apparently, the whole bridge was replaced on a factory righty guitar; thus the unconventional slant of the saddle.

Now, I guess that this change in the saddle angle makes some miniscule difference in intonation way up the fretboard where I don't play [especially on a 12-string]. It is currently strung right-handed and plays great at my level, and I'm guessing the righty bracing patterns were not very satisfactory acoustically for a high-level lefty player. I will of course modify my listing to reflect this new reality, so you can consider buying it for $100 less than the listed price to allow you to re-modify it [or not] at your discretion. All of these issues have been professionally dealt with at one time or other, they are not cosmetically conspicuous, the guitar has been continuously played since these repairs, and my luthier certifies they are totally stable. Like all Guild 12-strings, this guy is built like a tank, good for generations to come.

Cosmetically, there is little of the finish “crazing” which one would expect in a hard-playing 37-year-old guitar’s finish, very little buckle rash, and relatively few dings or bruises of any kind. There is some slight finish chipping on the headstock and a chip on the corner of the nut, but the tuners are original and work perfectly, and the frets show relatively little wear. The neck is straight, the top is flat, and the action at the 12th fret is a tad under 4/32”—very good for a vintage 12-string.

So this tone monster is ready to rule the world—or at least your local jam. It is a truly classic instrument, a real Guild, “Made to be Played,” and it has worked hard making music and beating up on banjo and fiddle players for almost forty years. While it doesn’t really show all this experience, more importantly it sure does sound like it: all that resonance released from a body which has been specifically designed to create big sound. Lord willing and the creek don’t rise, this powerhouse will pass into the hands of players able to make music and turn heads for generations to come.

The included arched-top hard shell case is obviously original, and it has protected this classic well. The padded lining is soft and intact, and the pocket is even in great shape. There is no key for the locking latch, but structurally it is solid as a rock. It also fits like a glove and offers great protection for this wonderful vintage guitar.

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 buy this great guitar, as its return will not be accepted unless it can be shown that it was egregiously misrepresented in this listing.

Thank you for your interest.