The Guild Guitars - 1963 Guild M-20

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The Guilds - 1963 Guild M-20

While visiting friends at at their cabin on an island in Lake Winnipesackee in NH one weekend, I took my 1965 Guild M-20 along to play and pass the time. Another of their friends came up to the lake and while sitting around playing and singing old folk songs, she said, "You know, I have a guitar just like that at home. I never play it - are you interested in having another one?". Is the Pope Catholic? Does a bear ... well, you get the picture. In the end, I came up with the older sister of my M-20, a 1963 Guild M-20 that had spend probably its last 20 or so years in the attic of her home in Massachusetts.

The tone produced by this "parlor-sized" guitar is surprisingly big. It has a fairly bright tone due to the all-mahogany construction (in addition to the small size) and great clarity and separation of the individual notes. I have read where this was the "guitar of choice" for recording by many of the early fingerstyle players like Renbourne, Jansch, Drake, etc. and I can see why.

This particular model could use a professional setup to be put back into top playing condition. I believe the neck is still straight but could do with a slight truss-rod adjustment. The higher frets (12-14) need to be reset/replaced and dressed as they have become raised ever so slightly on the treble side causing a few sharp edges to become exposed. This may have been caused by wide changes in the humidity during its stay in the attic. In all, it is in good condition with the old style headstock shape (very much a Gibson shape) and the old, plastic tip tuners. There is no binding on either the neck or body, rendering this a very "plain jane" instrument with the possible exception of the wonderful figuring in the rosewood fretboard in the upper fret region.

And now for the pictures (click to enlarge):

1963 Guild M-20 Front 1963 Guild M-20 Headstock 1963 Guild M-20 Back 1963 Guild M-20 Tuners 1963 Guild M-20 Back & Neck Joint 1963 Guild M-20 Back & Neck Joint 1963 Guild M-20 Neck - Bass Side 1963 Guild M-20 Neck - Treble Side 1963 Guild M-20 Bridge 1963 Guild M-20 Bridge 1963 Guild M-20 Neck Capo Rash 1963 Guild M-20 Back Wear, Lower Bout, Treble Side 1963 Guild M-20 Back Wear, Upper Bout, Bass Side 1963 Guild M-20 Back Wear, Lower Bout, Bass Side 1963 Guild M-20 Bridge Front 1963 Guild M-20 Bridge Front 1963 Guild M-20 Bridge Back 1963 Guild M-20 Bridge Back 1963 Guild M-20 Bridge Back

And even more detailed pictures...

1963 Guild M-20 Fret ends 14-11, treble side 1963 Guild M-20 Fret ends 14-11, treble side 1963 Guild M-20 Fretboard at nut - bass side 1963 Guild M-20 Fretboard at nut - treble side 1963 Guild M-20 Fretboard at nut - treble side, B string moved 1963 Guild M-20 Fretboard at nut - treble side, E string moved 1963 Guild M-20 Front body - bass side 1963 Guild M-20 Front body - treble side 1963 Guild M-20 Inside label 1963 Guild M-20 Inside bracing 1963 Guild M-20 Saddle - bass side 1963 Guild M-20 Saddle - treble side 1963 Guild M-20 Saddle - sound hole side 1963 Guild M-20 Saddle - lower bout side 1963 Guild M-20 String height at 12th fret - 4mm


SOLD

So concludes the presentation of my 1963 Guild M-20 guitar. Feel free to contact me with any questions and/or comments. *8o)

Send comments to: nobozos@citcom.net
Changes last made on: Saturday, August 31, 2013 at 9:03am