2002 Guild F-412 Blonde, Very Good, Hard, $2,195.00

This wonderful Guild F-412 twelve-string guitar was made in the Corona, California, plant in 2002, judging from its serial number (CUB000052) and the Let’s Talk Guild website. It features a jumbo body based on the prestigious F-50 six-string design and was among the most acclaimed 12-strings in America until it was discontinued in 1987 (and re-issued as the JF-65M-12, and again as the F-412 from 2002 on). As such, this particular guitar has dominated lesser instruments for 16 years, and the resonance of its seasoned woods will only improve with its new generation of players. Its mojo-dripping looks will make it stand out in any crowd, but it will be the huge sound that will make other players turn around to check it out.

The Guild F-412 has an X-braced solid AAA spruce top, a beautiful flamed maple arched back, and maple sides, with a three-piece mahogany/maple/mahogany neck and hand-shaved bracing. The body, neck, and headstock are fully bound with seven-ply white ivoroid, top and back, and it has a large tortoise pick guard, a rosewood bridge with white abalone-dot pins, and a multi-stripe inlaid rosette. The bound 14/20-fret ebony fingerboard with abalone and pearl inlays ends in a bound blackface headstock with six-per-side gold-plated Grover Rotomatic tuners and the pearl inlaid Guild name and logo. It is a full-sized jumbo, with a 17” lower bout width, 5” depth, a 1 13/16” nut, and a 25.5” scale, and it is one big beautiful Blonde!

This particular F-412 is ready and eager for a return to prime time. There is considerable finish “crazing,” which my luthier says “lets the sound out” and really looks cool. However, there is also an obvious repaired crack in the lower bout in addition to the usual repaired center seam, and another repaired crack in the bass upper bout; while from more than a few feet away the repaired cracks merge well with the grain of the AAA spruce top, up close they are definitely visible as cosmetic flaws—or “beauty marks.” Other than that, there are only the few small dings and bruises one would expect in a hard-playing 15-year-old guitar’s finish, and a finish blemish in the back of the neck from a hanger or stand. The frets show relatively little wear, and the action is low and fast at 3/32” at the 12th fret low E—excellent for a vintage 12-string.

Thus, this is a truly classic instrument, a real Guild, “Made to be Played.” It has worked hard making music and beating up on banjo and fiddle players for sixteen years, and it’s a tone monster ready to rule the world—or at least your local jam. 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 included TKL hard shell case is in excellent condition, with only a few dings around the edges. Naturally, the hinges and latches work perfectly, and structurally it is solid as a rock. The silver plush interior fits like a glove, and it is great protection for this gorgeous classic 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 excellent guitar and case with scrupulous accuracy. Please read the listing carefully, check out the pictures, and ask any questions you might have before you bid. Its return will not be accepted unless it can be shown that it was egregiously misrepresented in this listing.

Thank you for your interest in this great instrument!