1967 Guild X-50 On ShopGoodWill -- Closes 05/14

[Sam Sherry]

Hanging on ShopGoodWill.com is this 1967 Guild X-50.
Laminated archtop with a neck single coil pickup.
Listed as 16x3, probably actually 16 3/8" x 2 7/8".
Brazilian RW fingerboard and bridge should be onboard but as Fats Waller said, "One never knows, do one?"
Obvious finish issues on the back of the body and peghead. You might be able to get that masking tape off with naptha and patience.
No case.

If you're looking at beater ES-125s here's a chance at a bahgain and some of your money goes to help people.

[AllanAllen]

Very cool, it's at $385 now. I would take the gamble at that price.

[Mick-7]

What is this? The bidding suggests it's valuable -- Vintage Henry L. Mason Archtop Acoustic Guitar | ShopGoodwill.com

Just bought a nice hard case for my Tele on Good Will, got a bonus Korg guitar tuner not mentioned in the listing. It was in the case compartment, they hadn't looked inside it.

P.S. - To answer my own question: "The Henry L Mason brand guitars were produced by various makers including Gibson in the late 1930s (1936-1939) - Source: Gruhn’s Guide To Vintage Guitars. Mandolins were also made under this brand name. Some sites suggest that they were made as far back as the late nineteenth century."

[Sam Sherry]

The top bid on the Guild X-50 was $426. Nice price on a perfect beater!

What is this? The bidding suggests it's valuable -- Vintage Henry L. Mason Archtop Acoustic Guitar | ShopGoodwill.com

P.S. - To answer my own question: "The Henry L Mason brand guitars were produced by various makers including Gibson in the late 1930s (1936-1939) - Source: Gruhn’s Guide To Vintage Guitars. Mandolins were also made under this brand name. Some sites suggest that they were made as far back as the late nineteenth century."

Almost all Gibson low-line archtops had pressed tops, not carved.**
Some later Cromwell G-4, G-5 and G-6s had carved tops. As far as I can tell, if you're looking at a Cromwell with WBW-line top binding it might have a carved top.
The only way to tell for sure is to use a mirror or borescope: If the bracing is a modified fan it's pressed; if it's standard straight braced it's carved.

The SGW "Henry L. Mason" has that binding and G-5+ fretboard inlay. It might be carved but the only way to find out is to buy it and see.


FWIW I recently bought a "Kalamazoo" that is a Cromwell G-4+ except no fingerboard center-stripe and the peghead says "Kalamazoo."
It went straight from GC to the repair shop to fix a center-seam split so I haven't had a chance to look inside yet.
It sounded great and it is LOUD.
Here's the outside:





**We're talking about Gibson. Anything is possible.

[Mick-7]

What is this? The bidding suggests it's valuable -- Vintage Henry L. Mason Archtop Acoustic Guitar | ShopGoodwill.com

P.S. - To answer my own question: "The Henry L Mason brand guitars were produced by various makers including Gibson in the late 1930s (1936-1939) - Source: Gruhn’s Guide To Vintage Guitars. Mandolins were also made under this brand name. Some sites suggest that they were made as far back as the late nineteenth century."

I see that someone we know sold one of these, looks similar:
SOLD - 1936 Henry L Mason by Gibson CW-4 Sunburst | thatrhythmman