Awesome Guild Sunburst

[Woody Sound]

I always thought Guild had some of the nicest archtop sunbursts around. I had one just like this.

[Doctor Jeff]

That looks very similar to my Peerless, which I sold last year. Was the Guild made in the Peerless factory? I’ve not seen any red bursts any nicer than my Peerless’.

Edit: After posting I realized that your burst has a smaller center than mine, but the color scheme and many design elements look similar.

[Woody Sound]

Was the Guild made in the Peerless factory?

No it was from the 80s.

[powerwagonjohn]

My 1991 Guild X-170 has a very similar burst. I receive comments every time I pull it out. It looks a bit lighter in the sun.
Thanks John

[vinnyv1k]

I always loved USA Guilds. I wish they made them again.
I had high hopes with the New Hartford factory and Ren Ferguson.

[ESCC]

I've always liked the sunburst on my AR910.

[Doctor Jeff]

I like big bursts and I cannot lie.

[Jimmy Mack]

Same with my '68 Guild ST 302. Most beautiful burst. No pictures available, but a sweet memory!

[Realshotz]

That looks very similar to my Peerless, which I sold last year. Was the Guild made in the Peerless factory? I’ve not seen any red bursts any nicer than my Peerless’.

Edit: After posting I realized that your burst has a smaller center than mine, but the color scheme and many design elements look similar.

That is a nice looking guitar.

[2bornot2bop]

I always thought Guild had some of the nicest archtop sunbursts around. I had one just like this.

The Artist Award is one of the finest archtop’s I’ve ever owned. Mine was boring blonde. But man that guitar could swing! I enjoyed the extra 1/3 inch of depth of the AA, rather than the 3” depth of a Golden Eagle. That extra depth on the AA gave it a bottom end which I felt balanced the tone.

I preferred the AA to the GBAA, which I later owned as well. You know you should have kept that guitar?

[burchyk]

My Korean T-50 Slim has a bit of a "clownburst". Great guitar though, the neck / fretwork is better than some CS Gibsons

[Sleeko]

My entry level Savoy has a pretty burst as well. I think Guild has some of the most graceful f holes too.

[nevershouldhavesoldit]

Mine was boring blonde.

In the olden days, blonde was beautiful, so it cost more. In 1960, a new Super 400 CES was $750 in SB but $775 as a blonde. A blonde L-5 CESN was $665, but a SB was $650. I always heard and believed that “better” wood was used for blondes, because SB could hide flaws that natural finish revealed. Truth be told, I never heard any consistent difference in tone, projection, or other sound quality between SB and natural versions of the same guitars. But I figured I just wasn’t sensitive or knowledgeable enough to be able to tell.

After decades of reflection and several SB guitars whose grain was not only beautiful but made more so by artful finishing, it’s hard to imagine that the wood used in blondes is / was really any better for tone or beauty than the wood in high quality darker instruments. I got a 175DN in 1961 and an L5CN in 1970 just because. But when I started looking with my ears, I never bought another blonde (except for a used Stuart X500 back in the ‘80s because it played & sounded great and the deal was too good to pass up).

Today, all 3 of my archtops have darker finishes (2 sunburst and one Eastman “classic”).