1958 Guild M-20

The M-20 was one of Guild's least expensive guitars in the late 1950's and '60's, but it has become one of the company's most sought-after vintage instruments in recent years. The highly influential English singer/songwriter Nick Drake is known to have played the M-20 extensively and is pictured with one on the cover of the classic “Bryter Layter” album, so the model is linked in the popular imagination to his legend. Whether or not Drake actually recorded with an M-20 is the subject of some debate, but his beautifully delicate guitar parts sound right at home on this little guitar.

Even apart from this connection the instrument itself has much to recommend it. Introduced as the Economy M-20 in 1958, the Guild M-20 was a small-sized acoustic guitar with an entirely mahogany body. The rather spasmodic years of production for this configuration were from 1958 to 1965, then from 1969 to 1973, and then occasionally for a few years at a time with slightly varying specs until emerging as the short-lived S-30. And now, of course, there is the avalanche of “M-20” re-issues from the new Guild plant.

This particular M-20 probably dates to 1959, judging partly from the fact that the label clearly says Hoboken, N.J.; Guild moved to Westerly, R.I. in 1966. Apparently the M-20s from ‘59 and ‘60 were all labeled with strange 4-digit serial numbers, but not any of the other models; unfortunately, the serial number on this headstock is too faint to read. The label has no number or notes on it at all, but it has the famous Hoboken plant's "ghost guitarist" logo used only in 1959-1960, which is kinda cool. As such, it is much rarer than the more typically encountered later models, with a somewhat more responsive sound.

This Guild M-20 has a solid mahogany top and solid mahogany back, sides, and neck, and as a small-body all-mahogany guitar, it has a different tonal character from any other Guild. With no binding and only the plainest inlay, the M-20 has a very austere look but a smooth, expansive sound due to its X-BRACED top and thin light bracing. The guitar has a classic tortoise pick guard, a rosewood bridge with black pins, and the 14/20 fret Brazilian Rosewood fingerboard with pearl dot inlay ends in open vintage-style nickel Guild tuners and the Guild script logo on the black headstock overlay. The neck at the nut is 1 5/8” wide, and the scale length is 24 ¾.” The neck is slim and comfortable, somewhat in between typical Martin and Gibson specs, and arguably is a better guitar of this type than either company was producing in 1965—certainly better than Gibson’s slightly larger LG-0 or even the spruce-top LG-1, both with cheaper ladder bracing.

Some good news: there are no cracks [repaired or otherwise] in the back, sides, or neck. More good news: there's no visible fret wear, the action is set up right at 3/32" at the 12th fret low E, the neck looks straight and true, the action is consistent all the way to the 20th fret, the neck joint is solid, and the bridge is tight. I can only add that it plays great and sounds sweet, with its small size making its great Guild resonance a wonderful surprise.

Now: this one is not perfect. Since early M-20s have no binding, one would expect the edges to be kinda dinged up, and as you can see, it has dents, bruises, and scratches all over it. In addition to those and the finish crazing and flaking, there is a 4” patch of buckle rash in the middle of the back lower bout which is not clearly visible in most of the pictures, and 3 plugged screw holes above the end pin and one on each side of the sound hole.

And then there’s the “modification”: this m-20 has been modified to be electric with a very conspicuous Fender Lace Sensor pickup. The bad news is that it looks kinda funky and definitely makes this guitar “non-original.” The good news is that it works rather well, and I have actually found it useful in larger—or noisier—rooms and for audio applications. The standard jack is on the end side and is visible in the pictures. The really good news is that because of this modification I’m offering this guitar for $300 less than my other more conventional M-20.

Back to the not-so-good news: I don’t have a case small enough for it, so it’s currently in a new inexpensive gig bag. It’s obviously not authentic and all that, and if you love this guitar the way I think you will once you’ve played it, you’ll probably want to find a vintage case for it. If you prefer to start with a vintage case, I will rob some other small-bodied guitar of a vintage chip board case which fits this one for an additional $50. Just let me know; we aims to please.

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 with scrupulous accuracy. Please check out the pictures and ask any questions you might have before offering 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 classic Guild guitar.