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(Fly to Pickup New Vintage Guitar Day, AirBnB)
Long story, scroll down for pics if you want to skip
so, some of you may have seen Jabberwocky's PSA about the '71 Guild Artist Award back in November. That guitar had sat unsold for months on Rig-Talk.com. The initial ask was $3,950. The seller is in LA and did not want to ship. I sent my friend in LA the ad since he was looking for a Johnny Smith. I forgot about the guitar, figuring it had sold. Bought 2 vintage (much less expensive) Guilds since the PSA, then out of curiosity checked LA Craigslist near Christmas for the Artist Award. He had posted again! Down to $2,900 - with a DeArmond 1100?!
In October, I had booked a roundtrip flight to LA for Jan through a Virgin sale. I said fuggid, I'm astounded by the quality of my first two Guild's, let me see if my friend would pick up the guitar if I gave him the money and I can then get the guitar myself in January. He obliged. Turns out the guy posting ads, a well-known shredder/EVH coverer, was acting as a broker for somebody else. Perhaps that's why the selling attempts weren't too strong. Always some 'interesting' stuff in LA.
Found an AirBnB on the water for less than half the usual going rate since it hadn't rented and I waited last minute, got a yellow convertible Camaro rental for $40 / day (when in Rome), and yesterday picked up the ol blonde Gal.
She is a beaut. I keep noodling instead of catching up on sleep. Buying guitars is fun
Right now, she has some round wound (bronze?) 11s - not what I would put on. She's not as acoustically loud as my '64 Guild CA-100 (carved top, laminate sides - can't touch this one w/o the guitar ringing) or my Victor Baker 7 String (one piece top, one piece back). She's very balanced though - I especially love the sweet mids. The mids aren't muddy and have a natural compression. The high strings aren't plinky.
I'm planning on clips of all 4 archtops purchased in the past few weeks - but those clips will take time.
Also, I'm retiring from buying
seriously...
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01-08-2016 10:08 PM
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Outstanding! Congrats HN! That photo with the Pacific as a backdrop is perfect for a guitar destined to become a classic.
A fly out to the coast NGD just made my top 5 NGD's ever posted! Enjoy your time out west.
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Love the dark amber front, and the back looks great as well! 2Born's right on about the photo and the epic acquisition!
Good luck with the "retiring" thing however! Jeff
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Hey now, that is a big score! One from the Carlo Greco era. Congrats, HeyNow. Gruhn's was asking $5000 for an identical 1970 Guild AA.
Except for the heel cap (a non-issue), it looks great overall. The spruce top has nicely ambered through the years in the Californian sun, no doubt.
Enjoy your Guild AA in good health.
(Say, you don't really have a house that looks out over the sea, do ya? ENVY!)
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Sounds like a fun trip, stunning guitar and pics!
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Congrats, I also have a 71 AA. It is a superb guitar. The neck is almost too skinny for me (that was the style then), but I get used to it pretty fast. Mine has heel cap issues as well. One day I will get mine fixed...or not!
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Originally Posted by helios
The top looks dark at certain lighting angles. At other angles, it's just as blonde as the sides. I'll take pics in daylight. Originally Posted by Jabberwocky
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Great story. Congratulations on a fine instrument, and play it in good health!
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I LOVE those guitars! Does it have the 1 11/16 nut width? They made some narrower ones and some 11/16 necks. The narrower ones were always fast but to strange under my fingers for my classical technique roots.
Guild AA is the most overlooked high end handbuilt, in my book. The high tubular arching favoured by Guild luthiers made for a really resonant woody attack.
Congrats!
David
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Great story, the stuff dreams are made of.
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Great story and have fun with the new guitar. I'd be right out on that deck playing a love song for the whales.. What are you doing for the rest of your life. That would be cool. You are a lucky man.
Joe D
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Beautiful guitar and beautiful story.
I love having cool travel experiences which combine with other experiences. They make great memories.
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Thanks all
I prefer thicker necks and this one is medium for me. Originally Posted by Stringswinger
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Wow, if you find this neck medium, I would hate to play a neck that you find thin!
These guitars have the 1 5/8 nut that Guild used until the mid 70's. While the neck is not too skinny front to back, it is pretty slim from the nut to the body.
Try Nickel Flats. The sound will be classic George Benson...
I am surprised that your guitar is not very loud. Mine is a cannon. It is one of the loudest archtops that I have ever played. Perhaps your guitar has not been played in awhile and needs to "open up".
It is my understanding that AA's from the early 70's were pretty much handbuilt by one man...Carlo Greco. You have a gem there and bought it at a great price. May it inspire your playing for years to come...
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Nothing prettier than a old blonde with a orange top IMO. Takes a good 30 years though or a lot of smokey clubs which you will never find here anymore in Ca. I love AA's. Congrats !!!
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Thanks - I've already used it to figure West Coast Blues by Wes. Great sound for that music. Originally Posted by Stringswinger
It's loud just not as loud as those other guitars. It's like 8 out of 10, while my '64 CA-100 and Victor Baker are a 9. A laminate 66 Barney Kessel I have is probably a 5 out of 10. A 50s Martin flat top would be 10 out of 10, to me. So lightly built the whole body resonates from any stimulus.
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Definitely feels like 1 11/16 Originally Posted by TruthHertz
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Gorgious guitar with top microphone, incredible price. That's GAS happiness.
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Beautiful guitar, cheap flight, even better cheap BnB overlooking sea, AND a yellow Camaro for $40 per day! Looks like all your Christmases came at once! Enjoy!
Meanwhile here in the UK.........the rain keeps falling, and falling, and falling......
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and to rub it in, that was a convertible Camaro! Originally Posted by bananafist
Beautiful guitar, cheap flight, even better cheap BnB overlooking sea, AND a yellow Camaro for $40 per day! Looks like all your Christmases came at once! Enjoy!
Meanwhile here in the UK.........the rain keeps falling, and falling, and falling......
this classic AA buy tops that $3k L5CES story, by a sunset!
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A stunningly beautiful guitar with just the right pickup! Good story too, enjoy it in good health! I'm surprised the 16" CA100 is louder acoustically... that must be a sweet guitar too.
Last edited by AlohaJoe; 01-10-2016 at 11:46 PM.
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Convertible? Convertible!? Get outa here!
Just off supermarket shopping with the wife.......... in the rain..........no wait, its stopped - for an hour or so, if we're lucky.
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