59 Guild X175

**Jazzman301** · 02-22-2012, 08:21 PM

Does anyone know what the woods are in a 59 Guild x175? I think its a 17" lower bout and a 25.5" scale. Beyond that I am not sure if its a maple or spruce top.

Thanks for your help guys.

'Mike

**PTChristopher** · 02-22-2012, 08:27 PM

Mike,

While I suppose anything is possible on a single guitar, I have only seen them as spruce tops. Some really nice spruce tops at that.

Chris

**Jazzman301** · 02-22-2012, 08:41 PM

Thats what I was hoping. I REALLY dig, with two shovels in fact, th sound of a spruce top. There is a 59 with creme Franz P90s...man I want this honey of a Guild...haha

'Mike

**PTChristopher** · 02-22-2012, 09:26 PM

>>>There is a 59 with creme Franz P90s

You mean locally?

**Double 07** · 02-22-2012, 10:23 PM

Originally Posted by Jazzman301

Thats what I was hoping. I REALLY dig, with two shovels in fact, th sound of a spruce top. There is a 59 with creme Franz P90s...man I want this honey of a Guild...haha

'Mike

+1 on spruce tops.

**Jazzman301** · 02-22-2012, 11:06 PM

Yes I meant that there is a 59 Guild x175 with 2 creme Franz P90 pickups within a reasonable distance from me.

I may go check it out on Friday. I will be sure to leave the check book at home...Ever since I sold my X50 I have been jonesing for another Guild.

'Mike

**fws6** · 02-23-2012, 06:05 AM

Laminated spruce tops on 50s Guild X175s

My 59 X500 has laminated spruce too. I think there is considerable difference between laminated spruce and laminated maple; and I prefer the spruce

**Franz 1997** · 02-23-2012, 06:09 AM

The 'Bible' on old Guild guitars is The Guild Guitar Book, by Hans Moust. According to this, a 59 X175 would have a 243/4" scale, although there are variations - it was a small shop in the 50s. If it's a long scale neck, it should have rounded fingerboard inlays, from a left-over early 50s neck. The top is laminated spruce. The Franz pickups are typically a lower wind than P90s - between 5 and 7K dc ohms. I have a 56 X500 with these pickups and it gets just the most wonderful, creamy tone on the neck pup, which I can't achieve with P90s. A geek-ish side note is that on the model I have, the 50s magnets are still more powerful than a modern P90.
As has been said, they sound quite different from 175s, partly due to that lam spruce top. In my opinion, Guilds are very undervalued generally.
For more info, try the obsessives over at the Let's Talk Guild forum.....it's all there!!!

PS why ''leave the cheque book at home??''

**oldane** · 02-23-2012, 06:18 AM

Originally Posted by fws6

Laminated spruce tops on 50s Guild X175s

My 59 X500 has laminated spruce too. I think there is considerable difference between laminated spruce and laminated maple; and I prefer the spruce

I don't know much about Guild guitars, but generally laminated can be anything as the middle layers are invisible. My 3-ply Painter P-350 is "laminated maple" insofar the thin cosmetic top and buttom plies are maple, but the middle ply (which is by far the thickest) is mahogany and so are the braces, so it's more a mahogany than a maple guitar. BTW, it sounds great amplified.

**Jazzman301** · 02-23-2012, 10:28 AM

I can not justify, YET, buying a $2,000 guitar right now. I just spent as much to take a profession course. BUT I still need to do my taxes and after that I might be able to justify buying this honey pot of a guitar.

I have a real affection for Guilds. Hell I even really like my Dearmond M75...Its a great little guitar especially considering how cheap it was.

I don't really dig a maple top and a sharp cutaway. I feel like the Guild X175 is nothing like the Gibson 175 and I like that...haha

'Mike

**brad4d8** · 02-23-2012, 12:40 PM

If you go over to the Guild forum (• Index page) somebody will have all the information you need about a '59 X175.
Brad

**jorgemg1984** · 02-23-2012, 01:07 PM

All i know is that I have a 1965 Guild X-500 that I love.

**Section Player** · 02-29-2012, 11:48 AM

Picture attached of my Guild X-175, which I think they called the Manhattan. Based on its serial number, it's somewhere in the 1974-76 vintage. I bought it used about 4 years ago. Great sound and action. I think mine is all laminate but not 100% sure. I can't remember exactly what I paid for it and would have to try to look that up. I do know it was nowhere near $2k. I happen to like natural finishes more than sunbursts. Saw this on the wall and had to try it out; big mistake; it went home with me after a setup!

**Patrick2** · 02-29-2012, 10:32 PM

Never met an older (Hoboken) Guild I didn't like. I agree. . . . $2,000 for an X175 sounds ambitious . . . . even an old Hoboken 1959 X175. But, I've seen crazier things too!!

**Jazzman301** · 03-01-2012, 12:14 AM

The local shop selling it tends to mark up and then let you "barter" a better deal...when in fact you are just buying it for its actual value...To be fair it seems like they price things on the high end of the book value.

I think for the $2,100 they want for it it will be there for a while unless someone has been searching a 59 out for a while and jumps on this one.

'Mike

**Section Player** · 03-01-2012, 01:06 AM

After you play it, if you love it, offer the guy $1500, and walk if he doesn't take it.

**Jazzman301** · 03-01-2012, 01:13 AM

I did play it and man it sounded great and felt great. Based on the condition I would say $1200ish is fair. Its a players guitar with some rash and wear on the finish. Needed a restring in the worst way...and yet it still sounded good.

Knowing the owners like I do I think it will have to sit there a while longer before they are willing to really move more than a hundred or two on price.

'Mike