Guild / Aristocrat M-75 / 1959 / Sunburst / Guitar For Sale
Single cutaway 'hollow' body. One of a very few Carved Spruce-Top hollow body semi-solid sunburst M-75 Aristocrats shipped in 1959. This 13 1/2-inch-wide featherweight guitar weighs just 4.90 lbs. and has a nut width of just over 1 5/8 inches, a scale length of 24 3/4 inches and a wonderful medium-to-thick neck profile. Two and a quarter inch thick Honduras mahogany body and sides, body with triple binding on the top edge, carved spruce top, three-piece mahogany/maple/mahogany neck, and bound rosewood fretboard with 22 original medium frets and inlaid pearl block position markers. Headstock with Inlaid pearl "Guild" logo, pearl "Chesterfield" inlay and four layer black/white/black/white plastic truss rod cover. Individual single-line Kluson Deluxe tuners with oval Keystone buttons (with "D-169400 / Patent No." stamped on the underside). Two white plastic single-coil P-90 style pickups with outputs of 6.19k and 6.01k. Original black "Lucite" four layer black/white/black/white rounded pickguard. Four controls (two volume, two tone) plus three-way selector switch on bass bout. Transparent plastic 'gold-painted' barrel knobs with grub screws. Rosewood bridge with pre-set compensating saddle with two separate feet. Guild 'Harp' tailpiece. This near mint example is by far the finest 'Aristocrat' that we have ever seen. There are just a few very miniscule surface marks on the back and some very fine finish checking on the top. The original frets and Brazilian rosewood fretboard show virtually no signs of playing wear whatsoever. Complete with it's original 'hang-tag' with matching serial number and also the original Guild cream guitar cord. Housed in the original Guild imitation brown leather soft-shell case with crimson plush lining (9.00).
"Unlike most of the other models in the early Guild line, the Aristocrat M-75 was not a mere descendant of the earlier Epiphone line. What as first sight looks like a solid body instrument, styled after a Gibson "Les Paul" model, is really a scaled-down version of a hollow body guitar. The following is an excerpt from the '54-catalog: "the use of an exclusively developed lighter semi-solid body construction gives the Guild Aristocrat a magnificence of tone never before achieved in a guitar of this size. And for ease of handling and playing, this light weight, semi-solid midget model is in a class by itself".
It is quite obvious that Guild was going for the players who were attracted by the compact size of the Gibson Les Paul but who did not like it's weight. Also, the sound of the M-75 was not anywhere near the sound of a Gibson Les Paul. It was a hollow body instrument and it sounded like one. Because of its smaller size and the absence of the traditional f-holes, the instrument was somewhat less prone to feedback than most of the hollow body instruments available at the time. It was also the only instrument in the early range to be offered with the shorter 24 3/4" scale length." (Hans Moust, The Guild Guitar Book, p. 56).
"Most Guild guitars from the fifties and early sixties were equipped with single-coil pickups that look similar to the
P-90s, that were used on the majority of electric guitars made by the Gibson company during the same period… According to Gilbert Diaz, who has been with Guild since 1957, these pickups were made by Franz, a company based in Astoria, N.Y. A typical, and often overseen, feature of these early single-coils is the difference in polepiece spacing between the bridge and fingerboard pickups. This practice lasted until approximately 1958, after which all pickups had the narrow (fingerboard type) polepiece spacing." (Hans Moust, The Guild Guitar Book, p. 30).
Fretted Americana , USA 
We specialize in acquiring and offering the finest specimens of American vintage electric guitars with particular attention to those in their complete, original state. We are the only dealer to embrace a written code of ethics (in Terms & Conditions). We encourage you to read it.
HOW WE WORK
We want to inspire and win your trust and confidence. You don't want to have any negative surprises upon receipt of an instrument that you've invested yourself as well as your money into. Nor do you want any untoward surprises should you decide to sell it in the future.
To that end, every guitar that we offer is catalogued to a degree and depth of detail that is fast becoming the standard in the trade. When we declare an instrument to be completely original, it is. If it is not, we tell you exactly in what manner it has been altered.
We photograph each guitar at many angles to provide you with the broadest, clearest sense of its appearance. We will, upon request, provide you with images of all electronic components, inside and out.
Each guitar we acquire is skillfully and painstakingly dissected by David Brass, who is a trained luthier as well as a dealer and collector. All parts, no matter how small, are meticulously examined. We have an enviable reference library of wide breadth and scope that we refer to when necessary for crucial facts. The instrument is put under a black-light: original finish or refin? Even the most skillfully masked ding is uncovered. David then fastidiously reassembles the instrument. It is then cleaned with the finest products available for wood and metal.
An inspection certificate of authenticity signed by David is provided with every guitar you purchase.
We keep our inventory relatively small and highly select. We choose our guitars with extreme care so we can offer you the finest examples of the finest rare guitars in the world.
We are client focused to an extraordinary degree. If you expect or would like to be surprised by courteous, professional client service, we will pleased to accommodate that desire.
It is our fervent wish to establish a long-term relationship with you.
CODE OF ETHICS
We wish to establish an ongoing relationship with you based upon your trust in our knowledge and judgment.
To that end:
We meticulously inspect in detail every guitar that we offer. We check the finish, all of the electrical components, serial numbers, etc. With over thirty years of experience collecting and handling vintage guitars and our enormous reference library, we bring to bear all that is known about guitar manufacturers, models, and annual production.
We provide full, detailed descriptions and specs to each guitar.
We openly disclose any and all flaws we discover in writing. If the instrument is not completely “straight,” we will tell you so and why.
We endeavor to conduct ourselves to the highest standard of professional behavior.
We will deal fairly and ethically; no surprises, flim-flam, dubious business practices or shenanigans.
We value your sense of privacy and uphold the highest standards of discretion and respect
We allow a full 48 hour honeymoon period when you buy a guitar from us. If you are not 100% satisfied with it we will refund the purchase price in full, less shipping, upon return of the guitar in the same condition as sold. Please call us before returning the instrument.
Please inspect your new guitar immediately upon receiving it. If any guitar we offer is found to be not as described, we will happily refund the full purchase price, less shipping, upon return of the guitar in the same condition as sold. Please call us before returning the instrument.
