Guild Artist Award 1995 Archtop Electric Guitar

This is a Guild Artist Award archtop electric guitar in a Gloss Natural finish. Made in 1995 in the USA Westerly Rhode Island factory shortly before Fender took over operations, this guitar was one of 1600 units made, making for a sought after piece for any budding jazz musician. A set neck construction is employed which comprises a Solid Spruce top with beautifully figured Flamed Maple back and sides, a Flamed Maple neck and a 20 fret Ebony fingerboard adorned with Mother Of Pearl block markers/Abalone inserts. A set of Grover Super Rotomatic tuning machines are featured along with a Bone nut, Ebony adjustable bridge and a Guild Harp tailpiece.

The Flamed Maple neck plays very well, with a profile which could be described as a ’D’ filling the hand comfortably without being at all cumbersome. This promotes ergonomic thumb positioning and easy reach across the register, perfect for a wide range of playing styles and techniques. The Gloss finish to the rear of the neck assists with smooth navigation of the 25 5/8” scale length, whilst the Ebony fingerboard adds a touch of luxury to the already opulent playing experience with the addition of the Mother Of Pearl block markers/Abalone inserts. The single-cutaway hollow-body shape and smooth lines make for an extremely easy playing experience, providing comfort in both standing and seated positions.

The DeArmond single-coil provides a warm and full-bodied tone that is ideal for jazz and other clean styles of music. The pickup is responsive to picking dynamics, which allows for expressive playing, whilst the independent volume control offers a simple ‘plug-in-and-play’ instrument. The Ebony bridge and Harp tailpiece contribute to good intonation and sustain. The acoustic voice of the Artist Award is balanced and rich, providing great projection and good volume. The Solid Spruce top offers tonalities such as bright, articulate high end, with a good attack and a slightly focused mid-range, the Flamed Maple back and sides enhance the character of the tone, producing a smooth mid range and responsive and strong bass that is complemented well with the brightness of the Spruce top. Furthermore the Spruce top projects beautifully, delivering ample volume and dynamic range whilst retaining clarity throughout.

Luthier Report

Our ID: 1091125152198

Weight: 6.8lbs

Serial Number: AA000041

Aesthetic Condition:

Headstock: Overall excellent condition, the top rear edge demonstrates a light indentation causing a small spot of delamination.

Neck: Overall excellent condition, it is difficult to discern any markings to the neck and fingerboard.

Body: Overall excellent condition, the treble side waist demonstrates a light indentation, piercing the finish slightly. Very fine lacquer cracking is present to the treble side of the neck pocket where the neck meets the body.

Condition of Frets:

The frets demonstrate light signs of use, not affecting playability. There is considerable material remaining for future fret work.

Current Set Up:

Truss Rod: Fully functional. Truss rod tool (7mm hex) not included.

Hardware: Fully functional, some tarnishing of the gold hardware is apparent.

Structural: No concerns or issues to note.

Strings on Guitar - 10-46

Height of string from 12th Fret- Treble 1.5mm - Bass 2mm

Please be aware that the action on a guitar may move slightly in transit and this measurement is the current height.

Electrics:

Fully functional. A previous owner has replaced the original pickup and scratchplate with a DeArmond single-coil, the original pickup and scratchplate included.

Case & Accessories:

Original Guild hard case

Overall very good condition and fully functional. All aspects of the case display light signs of past use.

Original Guild owners manual and hangtag included.

Original pickup/scratchplate included.