(Click on any image above to see full size photos.)
Update (4/19/17): The Guild Prestige has been SOLD!
This is another one of those extremely rare guitars (only 172 ever made) that makes you wonder, “why did they stop manufacturing these?” It’s got the “classic Guild” jumbo acoustic sound and built-in electronics for amplification, and (due to its thinline body design) is extremely lightweight and comfortable to play (see details below). And it looks pretty sweet too, with its gloss black finish.
Here’s a run-down of the basics:
- Jumbo thinline body design with single cutaway
- Gloss black finish
- Maple body
- Sitka spruce top
- Maple neck with rosewood fingerboard
- 24.75-inch (“short scale”) neck
- 1 5/8-inch nut
- 20 frets
- Super-smooth Grover tuners (chrome)
- Built-in pickup
- Separate volume and tone controls (side-mounted)
What makes this guitar special is the fact that it has a full-size, jumbo body but is only 2.5 inches deep at the rim. That’s right: only TWO-AND-A-HALF INCHES deep! This “thinline” design makes it extremely comfortable to play (especially for women) and very lightweight — only 5.5 pounds! That means you can carry it around and play it onstage for hours without the strain on your back that’s common to many, much heavier acoustics.
One item of note: this guitar’s thinline body design makes it quieter in volume than full-depth guitars of similar size, so if you’re looking for that big, LOUD, commanding (some might say dominating) dreadnought or jumbo sound in a room or small, non-amplified venue setting, I wouldn’t recommend this guitar. However, the flip size is that it still has that “classic Guild acoustic” sound but with a very even, clear tone (i.e., not big and boomy in the low frequencies), so it’s ideally suited for recording (with the right mics, of course) or plugging in for live work. Here’s a little video I shot of me playing this guitar to illustrate its clear sound… It’s only recorded by the cell phone’s mic, but you can still hear the guitar’s tone:
One additional thing I liked about this guitar’s playability is its relatively smaller neck compared to many other brands of acoustics. The neck is fairly narrow, and the nut is only 1 and 5/8 inches. So if you have smaller hands, you’ll find this guitar eminently easier to play than some other acoustics. Again, women will especially appreciate this design feature.
I also have to mention that the super-quality Grover tuning pegs are “like butter” — some of the best I’ve seen on a guitar in this price range. A nice touch.
This guitar is in excellent condition. It comes with its original, Guild OHSC deluxe hardshell case, which is in good condition (with a little typical “road wear” on it).
And here’s the amazing news: we’re asking only $499 for it, and we’ll include free shipping in the continental U.S. If you’re interested, please email us.
