1996 Guild JF-30-12 Blonde/Maple

This great jumbo 12-string guitar was made in the Westerly, R.I., Guild plant in 1996, judging from its serial number (AJ320385) and the Guild website. This particular guitar has therefore been dominating lesser instruments for twenty-five years, and the resonance of its seasoned woods will only improve with each new generation of players. Its classic good looks make it stand out in a crowd, but it’s the huge sound that will make other musicians turn around to check it out.

The Guild JF-30-12 Bld (Blonde) has a solid spruce top, solid curly maple sides, and a three-piece maple neck, while the beautiful flamed maple back is arched for greater projection. The body is fully bound in white (top and back), and it has a large tortoise pick guard, a rosewood bridge with white black-dot pins, and a multi-stripe inlaid rosette. The 14/20 fret rosewood fingerboard with pearl dot inlay ends in a contrasting black headstock veneer with six-per-side gold Grover tuners and the pearl inlaid Guild Chesterfield and logo. This is one good-looking guitar!

As one might expect with a jumbo guitar, this is a large and rather heavy instrument, with a full 17” lower bout and a full body. The sound, however, is not muddy or too heavily weighted toward the bass register; it is extremely well balanced, with a warm, full sound from all the strings, whether strummed in open chords or isolated in lead lines. I have it set up rather low (a hair over 3/32” at the 12th fret low E) to accommodate my amateurish finger-picking, and the action is very fast and comfortable; I suspect it would be even more powerful with a medium pick. Like many big blondes (I’m told), the harder you play her, the sweeter she’ll sing.

There are no significant cosmetic or structural items to report, not even visible fret wear and fingerboard wear in the first few frets. There is a professionally repaired hairline crack on the bass side of the fret board extension, some slight finish crazing, and a bit of wear at the top of the neck from a guitar stand, but on the traditional 1 to 10 scale, this guitar is at least a 9.While it is a truly attractive instrument, it is a real Guild, “Made to be Played”, and it has been making music and turning heads for a generation. 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 decades to come.

The included deluxe original hard shell case is arched to conform to the guitar it protects. While it has a few scuffs and dings, as might be expected, the latches still work perfectly, the plush lining is like new, “case candy” includes the original warrantee card/owner’s manual/hang tag, and structurally it is solid as a rock. Given the value of its contents, it is the ideal complement for this beautiful guitar—and of course offers outstanding protection.

Because of its size and weight, 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 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. Please check out the pictures and ask any questions you might have before offering to purchase it.

Thank you for your interest in this great Guild guitar.