Guild F-212 12 String Flat Top Acoustic Guitar (1964)
LOADING IMAGES
This item is currently on hold.
Item # 10187
Prices subject to change without notice.
Guild F-212 Model 12 String Flat Top Acoustic Guitar (1964), made in Hoboken, NJ, serial # 29687, natural lacquer finish, mahogany back and sides, spruce top; laminated mahogany neck with rosewood fingerboard, black tolex hard shell case.
The Hoboken-built Guild F-212 is generally considered to be one of the best of all postwar 12-strings made, and certainly a standout of its era. This first generation one has had a bit of a checkered past with an old headstock repair but is still a very good player and truly excellent sounding, one of the best we have heard.
The F-212's not-quite 16" mahogany body and X-braced spruce top combine to produce a big, warm yet crisp sound with plenty of ring. The big, wide mahogany neck with a center maple strip lamination and unbound rosewood fingerboard had a fairly flat profile and is quite comfortable. The neck is built with an unusual double truss rod system that works quite well.
This is a very early example of the model, one of the first ones made in early 1964. These first F-212's have a flat radius fingerboard like an old Stella and no position markers; it does have small side dots. The top and back are triple bound in white/black celluloid; later examples added a couple of more layers. The pickguard has a subtly different shape than the later version, with more of a 'bump" on the forward edge. The headstock is faced in plastic with the Guild logo inlaid and carries Waverly strip tuners with plastic buttons.
The F-212 was an immediate success, quickly becoming a world standard acoustic 12-string in the 1960s, and it remains so today. It was one of Guild's signature instruments of the decade, associated with many artists of the era (Tim Buckley in particular) and has been considered a classic ever since. This early example has some wear and repairs but plays well with a HUGE deep and powerful but still transparent sound, pretty much the best sounding one we have ever heard.
Overall length is 43 in. (109.2 cm.), 15 3/4 in. (40 cm.) wide at lower bout, and 4 7/8 in. (12.4 cm.) in depth at side, taken at the end block. Scale length is 25 1/2 in. (648 mm.). Width of nut is 1 15/16 in. (49 mm.).
This classic 12-string shows some repairs over the years but not too much in the way of play wear. The original finish has dings, scratches and dents overall but nothing too serious; there are isolated areas of pickwear into the wood around the bottom and back edges of the pickguard. The back of the neck has some wear down to the wood but no notable dings or dents; the neck appears to have had a thin clear overspray that has since partially worn through again.
The most notable repair is two sealed cracks on the rear of the headstock, one on either side of the center laminate strip which was not broken through. These both run from the outside edge to the center laminate, the neck was not split through either to the center or through to the face. The old thin overspray on the back of the neck was apparently done before these repairs as does not run over them. This area is solidly repaired and not overly conspicuous, but visible.
There are also two sealed spruce grain cracks to the top related to shrinkage of the celluloid pickguard. One is just below the forward edge of the pickguard and another off the lower rear edge. Both are well sealed and lightly touched up and so visible. The area behind the bridge and the back and sides are crack-free. There is an oversize endpin fitted, likely a jack was previously installed through the tailblock
The neck had been reset, a notoriously difficult procedure on these. The angle is good, there is some topical touch up visible. The bridge was reglued and lowered slightly at some point, possibly before the neck set was done. The tuners are the original open back Waverly strips. The original frets show only very light wear and play perfectly.
Overall this is a fine-playing and sounding example of this often-requested model. As found today they nearly always either need or have had a neckset to be playable to a modern standard. This is cleanest F-212 we have seen but is solid and a very playable great sounding 1960s 12 string. Overall Very Good + Condition.
The Hoboken-built Guild F-212 is generally considered to be one of the best of all postwar 12-strings made, and certainly a standout of its era. This first generation one has had a bit of a checkered past with an old headstock repair but is still a very good player and truly excellent sounding, one of the best we have heard.
The F-212's not-quite 16" mahogany body and X-braced spruce top combine to produce a big, warm yet crisp sound with plenty of ring. The big, wide mahogany neck with a center maple strip lamination and unbound rosewood fingerboard had a fairly flat profile and is quite comfortable. The neck is built with an unusual double truss rod system that works quite well.
This is a very early example of the model, one of the first ones made in early 1964. These first F-212's have a flat radius fingerboard like an old Stella and no position markers; it does have small side dots. The top and back are triple bound in white/black celluloid; later examples added a couple of more layers. The pickguard has a subtly different shape than the later version, with more of a 'bump" on the forward edge. The headstock is faced in plastic with the Guild logo inlaid and carries Waverly strip tuners with plastic buttons.
The F-212 was an immediate success, quickly becoming a world standard acoustic 12-string in the 1960s, and it remains so today. It was one of Guild's signature instruments of the decade, associated with many artists of the era (Tim Buckley in particular) and has been considered a classic ever since. This early example has some wear and repairs but plays well with a HUGE deep and powerful but still transparent sound, pretty much the best sounding one we have ever heard.
Overall length is 43 in. (109.2 cm.), 15 3/4 in. (40 cm.) wide at lower bout, and 4 7/8 in. (12.4 cm.) in depth at side, taken at the end block. Scale length is 25 1/2 in. (648 mm.). Width of nut is 1 15/16 in. (49 mm.).
This classic 12-string shows some repairs over the years but not too much in the way of play wear. The original finish has dings, scratches and dents overall but nothing too serious; there are isolated areas of pickwear into the wood around the bottom and back edges of the pickguard. The back of the neck has some wear down to the wood but no notable dings or dents; the neck appears to have had a thin clear overspray that has since partially worn through again.
The most notable repair is two sealed cracks on the rear of the headstock, one on either side of the center laminate strip which was not broken through. These both run from the outside edge to the center laminate, the neck was not split through either to the center or through to the face. The old thin overspray on the back of the neck was apparently done before these repairs as does not run over them. This area is solidly repaired and not overly conspicuous, but visible.
There are also two sealed spruce grain cracks to the top related to shrinkage of the celluloid pickguard. One is just below the forward edge of the pickguard and another off the lower rear edge. Both are well sealed and lightly touched up and so visible. The area behind the bridge and the back and sides are crack-free. There is an oversize endpin fitted, likely a jack was previously installed through the tailblock
The neck had been reset, a notoriously difficult procedure on these. The angle is good, there is some topical touch up visible. The bridge was reglued and lowered slightly at some point, possibly before the neck set was done. The tuners are the original open back Waverly strips. The original frets show only very light wear and play perfectly.
Overall this is a fine-playing and sounding example of this often-requested model. As found today they nearly always either need or have had a neckset to be playable to a modern standard. This is cleanest F-212 we have seen but is solid and a very playable great sounding 1960s 12 string. Overall Very Good + Condition.