1986 Guild F-46

This wonderful Guild F-46 guitar was made in the fabled Westerly, Rhode Island, plant in 1986, judging from its serial number (KJ100109) and the Guild website. This is a George Gruhn designed Guild F-46 built from 1983 to 1986, with a total of only 121 produced. This particular guitar has been dominating lesser instruments for 33 years, and the resonance of its aged woods will continue to improve with its new generation of players. Its classic good looks and flashy inlay make it stand out in a crowd, but it’s the huge sound that will make other musicians turn around to check it out.

Here's what the designer, George Gruhn, said:
“I designed the Gruhn series models for Guild in 1984. At that time the line consisted of the F-42, F-44, and F-46 as well as the dreadnought size D-62, D-64, and D-66.These guitars feature scalloped bracing, ivoroid and wood bindings, a narrow peghead, and different neck contour from standard line previous Guilds. It was my intention to combine some of the best features of vintage Martin and Gibson guitars in these designs. The F-46 model features a 16 inch wide body with spruce top and Indian rosewood back and sides. In my opinion, this is one of the best sounding guitars that Guild ever made.”

The Guild F-46 has a "folk" or mini-jumbo body style, with a full 16" lower bout but a slightly more pinched waist than a dreadnought, making it easier to handle for many players. The sound is sweet and loud without the boomy overtones of a comparable dreadnought or jumbo. As Mr. Gruhn said, it is constructed of solid East Indian rosewood back and sides, with a solid spruce top, scalloped bracing, and a somewhat narrower peghead.

It is adorned with an ebony bridge, a 3-ply neck (mahogany/maple/mahogany) which is 1 11/16” wide at the nut, bound fingerboard and headstock, 10- ply top binding, and herringbone back seam and sound hole purfling. The bound 14/20-fret ebony fingerboard with six pearl notched-diamond inlay position markers ends in a blackface headstock with three-per-side closed butterbean tuners and the Guild Chesterfield and logo inlaid in pearl. This is one fine-looking guitar!

Considering its 36 years of seasoning, it’s not surprising that there are a few cosmetic items to report: there is of course some finish “crazing,” especially on the top of the lower bout, as well as some dings barely visible in the pictures. There was considerable fret wear, especially in the first three frets, so all the frets have been professionally replaced. There are several small professionally repaired cracks at the bottom edge of the back, and where the working Fishman pickup and built-in tuner was installed there are a couple of hairline cracks which have been glued and cleated. The bridge is authentic but has apparently been re-set, the chipped binding on the neck has been replaced, and the original Guild tuners have been superseded by sealed chrome Grovers. The guitar plays great with very fast and comfortable string action of 3/32” at the 12th fret low E.

This is not a museum piece. While it is a truly attractive instrument, it is a real Guild, “Made to be Played,” and it has been making music and turning heads for a generation. It has now been thoroughly checked out and set up, and it’s ready to beat up on some banjo and fiddle players. Any hesitation you might feel about playing such a rare instrument should be more than overcome when you hear the huge sound and resonance released from its solid woods by those years of experience. Lord willing and the creek don’t rise, it will pass into the hands of a player able to make music and turn heads for a generation or two to come.

The included non-original jumbo hard shell case is obviously in very good condition, but it does have a slight scuffing on the top. Naturally, the latches work perfectly (the key is included), the plush lining is soft and odor-free, and structurally it is solid as a rock. It fits perfectly, offers outstanding protection, and is an excellent complement for this vintage guitar.

Buyer pays a flat rate of $55 for insurance and shipping to the lower 48 states; shipping costs elsewhere will be negotiated as necessary. Payment by Paypal is preferred; cashier’s checks are acceptable, but checks must clear before the guitar will be shipped.

I have made every effort to describe and illustrate this guitar and case with scrupulous accuracy. Please check out the pictures and ask any questions you might have before offering to purchase it. Its return will not be accepted unless it can be shown that it was egregiously misrepresented in this listing.

Thank you for your interest in this rare and beautiful Guild guitar.