1989 Guild® F-212XL Very Good, Original Hard, $1,295.00
This wonderful Guild 12-string F-212XL guitar was made in the Westerly, Rhode Island, plant some time after 1985, judging from its serial number (FJ100973) and the not-very-helpful 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-212XL was initially discontinued in 1985 with a final serial number listed as FJ100567. It was re-issued by popular request from 1998 to 2000, and again from 2010 to the present, presumably because it’s just too darned strong to die! Unfortunately, the factory website does not include serial numbers or even production numbers from those years, so I’m guessing that this one is the 406th F-212XL produced after 1985—mebbe 1989. Or 2000. Or 2011. Mebbe.
Regardless, this particular guitar has dominated lesser instruments for years, and the resonance of its woods will only improve with each 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, an ebony bridge, and a multi-stripe inlaid rosette. The three-piece mahogany/maple neck supports a 14/20 fret ebony fingerboard with dot 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, 12 ½” upper bout width, 10 ½” waist, 17” lower bout, 5” body depth at the end pin, and a 25.5” scale.
This particular guitar is entirely original except for the added passive electronics, although after years of domination it’s not quite perfect. There is a professionally repaired crack in the top beside the fretboard extension—common in vintage guitars, and especially 12-strings--but it is not cosmetically conspicuous, the guitar has been continuously played since this repair, and my luthier certifies it is totally stable. Like all Guild 12-strings, this guy is built like a tank, good for generations to come.
Cosmetically, there is the surprisingly little of the finish crazing which one would expect, very little buckle rash, and very few dings or bruises of any kind. There is some slight finish chipping on the headstock, but the tuners are original and work perfectly, and the frets show relatively little wear. The large truss rod cover over the (working) dual truss rods is still there, the neck is straight, the top is flat, and the action at the 12th fret low E is a hair over 3/32”—excellent for any 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 years. While it does show some of this experience, more importantly it surely does sound like it: all that seasoned resonance released from a body which has been specifically designed to create big sound. Plug in the passive under-saddle pickup through the end pin jack and you can fill Yankee Stadium! 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 original jumbo hard shell case is a bit tattered around the edges, but its arched top and solid construction protects this classic well. The padded lining is soft and intact, the pocket is even in great shape, and structurally it is solid as a rock. It also fits like a glove and is a great vintage complement 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. Its return will not be accepted unless it can be shown that it was egregiously misrepresented in this listing.
Good luck!
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.