1967 Guild® Mark II Good, Original Soft, $495.00
According to The Blue Book of Acoustic Guitars, the Guild Mark II classical guitar was manufactured from 1961 to 1986. Gruhn’s Guide and Vintage Guitar Price Guide basically agree, although there is some disagreement as to specific features. Like most classical guitars, it’s smaller than the dreadnought or jumbo series, measuring 14 ½” at the lower bout, with a scale of 25 ½.” Like its rival, the Gibson C-1, it may have been designed more for the coffee house of the 1960s folk music scene or classical performance than for the blue grass stage. However, it still has enough carrying power for anybody and is a beautiful example of Guild craftsmanship.
The Mark II features a solid spruce top with mahogany back, sides, and three-piece neck in a polished satin natural finish, a rosewood wrap-around bridge, and a 12/19-fret rosewood finger board. It has an ornate patterned rosette and full binding on both the top and the back like the Gibson C-1 rather than the less expensive Gibson C-0, which is bound only on the top. The slotted classical headstock has no logo, but is set off beautifully by the pearloid buttons on the open nickel tuners. The serial number on this guitar (CB1493) dates it as 1967, and is clearly displayed on the label.
It might be expected that after almost 50 years of making music there would be a number of cosmetic and structural concerns, but this guitar is still relatively clean: there is some crazing or cracking in the finish, a few dings and bruises, and some fingernail wear below the sound hole. There is also a 2” repaired crack in the back, some obvious finish chipping in the treble side, and a not very precise binding re-glue along about 2” of the back edge at the waist.
Structurally, however, there are no longer any issues. There is very little actual fret wear, presumably due to its nylon strings, the action is medium low for a nylon-string guitar at a bit over 3/32” at the 12th fret low E, the neck is straight, the top is flat, and naturally playing music for fifty years has made that Guild sound even better, more resonant, and more powerful. Obviously, this guitar is not for a collector to put in a museum; this is a player’s guitar, and I sincerely hope that its next owner is someone who will play it well and often.
The rather worn original chip board case is structurally quite adequate: the hardware all works, the interior is fits this guitar like the proverbial glove, and the handle is solid. However, there are tears in the top edge, wear at the latches, and the back side looks like a cat scratched at it. While this is far from new, it certainly provides authentic protection for this valuable instrument.
Buyer pays a flat rate of $55 for insurance and shipping to the lower forty-eight 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 tried to be perfectly clear and accurate in describing this vintage instrument, so 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 buy it.
Thank you for your interest in this cool guitar.!
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.