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This superb X-700 is a
Guild Custom Shop Special made in 1999.
It
is superb in every way. It
has a massive acoustic voice and a majestic, mellow rich
amplified tone.
It is of outstanding quality and in fine, fine condition.
It is quite a departure from
a standard Rhode Island
X-700.
- It has a
Benedetto Scale, neck and so has model designation X-700 LS on the
label to denote "Long Scale"
- The floating Johnny
Smith pickup is mounted on a Johnny Smith style pickguard
and takes its design cues equally from early 70's guild
shapes and from current Benedetto models.
- The pickguard is
bound with black/white binding which I have not seen
before on a Guild.
- The pickup
appears to be a true Johnny Smith mini humbucker, not
the normal Guild floating pickup.
When I first saw this
guitar I thought it was a customer special order for a X-700 with
Johnny Smith electrics. But the Custom Shop
records show this guitar to have been made as one of a pair
(the other is Sunburst) and I understand that a
further two guitars were made later. So it is
one of just four examples. Certainly it is a beautiful, hand
crafted guitar with massive voice and great tone.
It was sent new to
Europe.
Bearing in mind that this
guitar was
made in June 1999, has the Benedetto
scale, and has a bound pickguard that looks rather like
a Benedetto Fratello with a pickup, might it perhaps
have been a pre-Benedetto
model showing what a Benedetto X-700 might look like.
There are distinct similarities.
Either way its a great
guitar. It has an enormous acoustic voice, just the
way a good hand made archtop should be, which when
amplified really comes alive.
All
original and in fine condition. A
delight to play and highly collectable.
I was fortunate to have
acquired it from the original owner who has cared for it
meticulously since 1999 and he vouched that nothing has been
changed. Looking at the guitar I can go along with that. It is
absolutely pristine except for two tiny surface
bruises on the top. The case, however, is
for a flat top not an archtop. Perhaps this was
the only case the Custom Shop had that would take the
Benedetto scale neck!! |
