1972 Guild F-212 Good, Hard, $1,095.00

This wonderful Guild 12-string F-212 guitar was made in the fabled Westerly, Rhode Island, plant in late 1972, judging from its serial number (73565) and the Guild website. It features a full jumbo body based on the F-47 design and was probably the most popular 12-string in America until it was discontinued in 1985. As such, this particular guitar has dominated lesser instruments for almost 50 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-212 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 rosewood bridge, and a multi-stripe inlaid rosette. The three-piece mahogany/maple neck supports a 14/20 fret rosewood fingerboard with no dot inlays which ends in a blackface headstock with six-per-side chrome tuners and the pearl inlaid Guild name and Chesterfield logo. It is a full-sized jumbo, with a 16” lower bout width, 4.875” body depth, and a 25.5” scale.

As you can see at a glance, there are some structural and cosmetic issues to report beyond the slight finish “crazing” which one would expect in a hard-playing 40-year-old guitar’s finish, some slight buckle rash, and small dings and bruises. There are six professionally repaired—but still visible—cracks in the top, although the back and sides look great. There are also two long parallel scratches on the back of the neck, and a ¾” chip in the finish in the middle of the back; I have no idea how one could do those things. The tuners are original and work perfectly, and the frets show little wear. The action is too high for my ol’ arthritic fingers at 5/32” at the 12th fret low E, but there is the Guild dual truss rod system and a big fat bridge to help you tweak it lower if desired. And the sound, of course, is huge, like only a good Guild 12-string can be.

Thus, this 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. It has a few scars and beauty marks, but think “mojo” and enjoy the raw power it gives you. 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 good news about the included deluxe hard shell case is that it is in mint condition, without even a ding in the tolex around the edges. It actually is new old stock, and the hinges and latches work perfectly and are bright and shiny; there’s even a key. The plush lining is soft and smells new, and structurally it is solid as a rock and fits like a glove. The bad news is that it has a Takamine logo on the top—which of course can be removed if you find it offensive. Regardless, it is excellent protection for this cool 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; cashier’s 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 its case with scrupulous accuracy. Its return will not be accepted unless it can be shown that it was egregiously misrepresented in this listing, so please check out the pictures and ask any questions you might have before offering to purchase it.

Thank you for your interest in this vintage Guild guitar.