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1953 Guild X-350
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Serial #: 1345, New York label
Body size at lower bout:17" Scale length: 25 1/2" Nut width: 1 10/16"
Materials: Spruce top; tiger flame maple back, sides and neck; rosewood fingerboard with block inlays; G-logo peghead inlay; 3-ply body and headstock binding, bound fingerboard and f-holes, bone nut.
Hardware: Original hardware includes gold Kluson tuners; three adjustable single coil pickups with black covers; 9-ply beveled pickguard; six button selector panel; gold speed knobs; compensated Brazilian rosewood bridge and Guild harp tailpiece.
Notes: When Guild Guitars was founded in 1952, a number of former Epiphone employees joined founder Alfred Dronge in establishing the new company in Manhattan. Along with them, they brought some signature Epi designs, including this fretted marvel of the push-button era. Introduced just a year after the company's birth, the Guild X-350 was modeled after the Epiphone Emperor Zephyr Regent, with its highly flamed Venetian cutaway body, triple pickup electronics, and remarkable six button pickup selector panel. This guitar, with serial number #1345, is certainly one of the earliest examples of the model, as Guild's numbers started with #1000 and included all models in production. The instrument exhibits the single-piece triangle logo, unbound peghead, and black pickup covers, all features only seen in the very first year only. Other desirable early features include the long scale neck and laminated spruce top, both of which were replaced when the short scale all maple version succeded it in 1958.
This example is in superb original condition, with all original electronics and deep cherry sunburst finish. The tiger flame body is remarkably free of pick or buckle wear. An immaculately resealed crack is barely visible on the neck heel, the neck has had some light overspray, and one polepiece has been replaced in the middle pickup. The astounding six button selector panel switches the three pickups in a variety of configurations, and is controlled by the master volume and tone knobs, whose pots have been recently replaced, with the originals included the case. The neck is slim and inviting, and the action is properly low and fast, as befits a rockabilly machine of such extravagant design. A rare opportunity to own a true space age wonder, as amazing today as it was when it was created, while the Dodgers still played at Ebbets Field.
Setup: The frets have been precision leveled, crowned and polished as required; trussrod tension and neck relief adjusted; bridge height adjusted; bridge compensation set; string slots at nut and bridge inspected and recut as necessary; bridge foot contour inspected and fit to top as necessary; bridge radius inspected and recurved as necessary; bridge wheels and tuners lubricated; fingerboard and bridge oiled; body and neck cleaned and hand polished.
This instrument is strung with medium gauge nickel strings (.012-.054). The guitar will accommodate lighter or heavier gauge strings, according to preference. String action is set at 5/64" to 6/64" at the 12th fret, with moderate relief for acoustic playing with medium strings. The action may be lowered or raised to your requirements with the adjustable bridge.
Case: Original Guild brown alligator plush lined hardshell case.
