1995 Guild F-5CE Natural
This cool Guild F-5CE guitar was the first of this model made in the fabled Westerly, Rhode Island, plant in 1995, judging from its serial number (AF050354) and the Guild website. The Guild F-5CE has a Guild Valencia body style, with a full 16" lower bout but a more pinched waist than a dreadnought, which combine with the three-inch deep thinline body to make it easier to handle for many players.
It has a custom cutaway solid spruce X-braced top and rosewood back and sides, an oval sound hole, a fully bound body (top and back), and a rosewood bridge. The bound 14/20-fret rosewood fingerboard (25 5/8” scale) tops a mahogany neck, while the headstock features a 1 5/8” bone nut and an inlaid Guild logo and Chesterfield, backed by three-per-side gold Grover tuners. The gloss nitro finish sets off the multi-striped inlaid rosette and the tortoise pick guard. This is one fine-looking guitar!
While the thinline body doesn’t independently produce a booming jumbo bass sound, the F-5CE incorporates a Fishman Prefix Pro System with volume/4 Band EQ, built-in phase reversal, and a transducer pickup. This combination has been dominating lesser instruments for 25 years, and the resonance of its aged woods will continue to improve with its new generation of players. Its classic good looks make it stand out in a crowd, but it’s the huge, clear sound that will make other musicians turn around to check it out.
Considering its 25 years of music-making, it’s not surprising that there are a few cosmetic items to report: there is some finish “crazing,” and there are a few small dings and bruises, including a ½” dent in the treble side. There is a bit of chipping along the binding at the waist, and I suspect that the binding may have been re-glued. There is some slight fret wear, especially in the first three frets, but nowhere near enough wear to necessitate replacement or even dressing. The action is set up at a comfortable 4/32” at the 12th fret low E, the electronics are original and have been thoroughly checked out by a professional technician, and it’s ready to beat up on some banjo and fiddle players. 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 hard shell case is also in good condition, with one of the four latches missing its hasp. The other latches work perfectly, the lining is soft and odor-free, and structurally it is solid. It fits the guitar perfectly, offers outstanding protection, and is a cool vintage complement for this beautiful 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 before you bid. 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 vintage Guild guitar.
Payments by Paypal, cashier’s checks, money orders, or personal checks are acceptable, but all payments must clear my bank before the guitar will be shipped. I will CONSIDER reasonable offers, even including installment payments and trade-ins, but generally since I already attempt to price my guitars very competitively, unusual deals must be unusually sweet.
From henceforth [that's how retired English teachers talk], insurance and shipping to the lower 48 states is $55 due to constantly rising shipping costs unless a specific listing says otherwise; shipping costs elsewhere will be negotiated as necessary. I have sold guitars to Russia, Japan, Australia, and over 50 other countries, as well as almost every state in the USA. Since some of my guitars travel thousands of miles, I take care to use lots of packing materials, protect the neck inside the case, and of course de-tune the strings.
I make every effort to describe and illustrate each guitar and case with scrupulous accuracy. However, many of my instruments are well-played vintage items which are many years old, and I am not a luthier. One should assume that any guitar will require some set-up to satisfy your personal requirements, and that not every flaw or ding will be seen/recognized/described in the listing. Thus the return of an instrument will not be accepted unless it can be shown that it was egregiously misrepresented in this listing. Please read the listing carefully, check out the pictures, and ask any questions you might have before offering to buy.