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Description

This wonderful Guild 12-string F-412 Custom guitar was made in the fabled Westerly, Rhode Island, plant in 1974, judging from its serial number (106436) and the 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 44 years, and the resonance of its aged 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 Custom has an X-braced solid spruce top, a beautiful flamed maple arched back, and maple sides, with a three-piece maple/walnut/maple neck. The body, neck, and headstock are fully bound with seven-ply white ivoroid, top and back, and it has a large black pick guard, a rosewood bridge with white black-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 tuners—in this case, upgraded to Schaller pearl-button tuners-- and the pearl inlaid Guild name and logo. It is a full-sized jumbo, with a 17” lower bout width, 5” depth, and a 25.5” scale.

This particular F-412 Custom is now ready and eager for a return to prime time. There is some finish “crazing,” which my luthier says “lets the sound out” and really looks cool. However, there are also several actual cracks in the top, most importantly the two on either side of the fretboard extension; all have been carefully glued and cleated. There is some slight buckle rash, the few small dings and bruises one would expect in a hard-playing 44-year-old guitar’s finish, and some slight finish wear on the back of the neck. The frets show relatively little wear, and the action is very comfortable, but you’ll probably want to fiddle with the nut and/or the dual truss rods to set it up to your taste. There is an end pin jack, but apparently no working pickup—easily added if you really need even more power.

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 over four decades, 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 arched-top TKL hard shell case may not be original and is in less than mint condition, with several worn places around the edges. However, the hinges and latches work, and structurally it is still solid as a rock. It fits like a glove and is the perfect vintage complement for this 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 read the listing carefully, check out the pictures, and ask any questions you might have before you offer to buy it. 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 classic Guild powerhouse!

ALUMPSTER'S GUITARS

ALUMPSTER'S GUITARS

1974
Guild
Good
Original Hard
9 Years
ALUMPSTER'S GUITARS
ARTHUR H LUMPKIN
803-731-0515
Online Only
10:17 AM
24/7 by e-mail: akmgj@bellsouth.net. I'm old; I don't sleep much.

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.