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An incredible value in a USA made archtop! Guild is well known for offering players excellent instruments at unbelievable prices. This X-500 is no exception. Made in Westerly, Rhode Island to the highest standards of quality, the X-500 was Guild's top of the line electric archtop. The hollow body features a spruce top with figured maple back and sides. The laminated maple neck features a bound ebony fingerboard with fancy abalone inlays. Guild's very own humbucking pickups deliver smooth tone. Guild's gorgeous harp tailpiece, a rosewood bridge and sealed tuners keep it rock solid. The finish is a gorgeous vintage sunburst and is set off by gold hardware. A very nice guitar. Many players would take a Guild over a Gibson or Gretsch citing better quality and tone. I'm a huge Guild fan. There's no better value in a USA made archtop!
This Guild plays great and has excellent tone. The neck is straight, the frets are good and action is low. Set up with flatwounds, it has nice feel. The pickups sound warm and do great for jazz, blues or rock. Everything works as it should. This example has seen some use and is more for a player than a collector. It looks like it's seen several smoky bar gigs. It shows dents, dings, scratches, checking and wear. Minor cracking at the jack. Nothing major. Normal playwear on a solid guitar. Comes in a beat Gibson Super 400 hardshell case with one missing latch.
Guild no longer offers any electric archtops. A real shame really as they were one of the last bargains out there. Many players have discovered the merits of this great company. If this were a Gibson guitar, the price would roughly be double and this one easily matches or exceeds Gibson quality. A great deal in my opinion.
