1981 Guild F-412 SB Sunburst

This beautiful Guild 12-string F-412 Sunburst guitar was made in the Westerly, Rhode Island, plant in late 1981, judging from its serial number (FK100317) 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 40 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 Sunburst 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 ivoroid 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 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 prime time. There is some slight finish “crazing,” which my luthier says “lets the sound out;” however, there are no actual cracks in the top. There are the few small dings and bruises one would expect in a hard-playing 40-year-old guitar’s top finish, and somebody modified the sound hole slightly (presumably for a pickup), but hardly a spot on the dark sunburst back, sides, or neck. The bridge has been re-set, the frets show very little wear, and the action is quite low and comfortable for a 12-string: 3/32” at the 12th fret low E. As if there wasn’t enough power at your fingertips already, there is what appears to be Martin Thinline electronics accessed through the end pin, but it is currently uninstalled at the saddle.

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 forty years, and with or without the under-saddle pickup, 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 deluxe “alligator” arched-top original case is in solid condition, with a few worn places around the edges and a 2” patch in the middle of the top. However, the brass logo plate is shiny, the green plush interior is clean, the original warrantee is still in the pocket, the hinges and latches work, and structurally it is solid as a rock. It fits like a glove and is the perfect vintage complement for this stunning 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 case with scrupulous accuracy. Please read the listing carefully, check out the pictures, and ask any questions you might have before you offer to purchase 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 wonderful guitar.