1954 Guild X-175 Manhattan
$3,695.00 CAD
(USD $2,697.35)
For more details contact us at info@folkwaymusic.com or 855-772-0424.
Guild Guitars was formed in 1952 by musical instrument retailer Alfred Dronge and George Mann, an ex-Vice President at Epiphone. Many of Guild’s early workforce had previously been employed at Epiphone but left due to the severe labour disputes at that company in the early 1950s, which ultimately resulted in a four month factory shutdown and a subsequent move to Pennsylvania that was designed to be unpopular with the unionized workforce. As such, it’s no coincidence that early Guild models share many design similarities with Epiphone models of the late 1940s and early 1950s.
The Guild X-175 Manhattan is one of Guild’s first models. It was likely introduced in 1954 and was one step up in pricing from the single pickup X-150. This particular example most likely dates quite early in 1954, as it has a very low serial number and a collection of early features including black pickup covers, Waverly tuning machines, a Kluson tailpiece, and the very first iteration of the new Guild label. It is among the earliest Guild guitars we’ve ever had through the store.
Apart from new frets that we’ve installed, this Guild X-175 is completely original. Similar to just about every Guild from this period, the guitar’s binding has shrunken in places and has been reglued somewhat sloppily. It has had a neck reset in years past and shows a small, repaired side crack in the cut-away that surely happened during neck removal. Beyond that, it’s in excellent structural condition and plays like a new guitar, thanks to the fretwork and set-up completed in our shop. Its original Franz pickups and wiring are also in perfect working order.
The X-175 is a 17” fully-hollow guitar with a 3.25” depth and a 25.5” scale. The Franz single coil pickups look a lot like Gibson-made P-90s, but sound brighter, clearer, breathier, and less compressed than P-90s; in truth, they sound more like Fender single-coils than anything else, and with the tone controlled rolled back 25% they really shine for jazz and blues. We’re quite enamoured with this guitar’s tone.
The neck has a medium C carve with comfortably rolled edges, 1-11/16” nut width, and a 1st fret neck depth of .835”. We’ve refretted at a 9.5” radius with 90/47 wire. The guitar is set up with 11-49 strings and a current action of 5-5.5/64ths, with adjustment room on the bridge to raise or lower to player preferences. The truss rod is functioning properly as well.
A fun and easy guitar to play that offers a fairly unique and lovely tone and great vintage looks. It’s one of the first 600 guitars ever made by Guild in their then-brand-new Hoboken factory.
With hardshell case.
The Guild X-175 Manhattan is one of Guild’s first models. It was likely introduced in 1954 and was one step up in pricing from the single pickup X-150. This particular example most likely dates quite early in 1954, as it has a very low serial number and a collection of early features including black pickup covers, Waverly tuning machines, a Kluson tailpiece, and the very first iteration of the new Guild label. It is among the earliest Guild guitars we’ve ever had through the store.
Apart from new frets that we’ve installed, this Guild X-175 is completely original. Similar to just about every Guild from this period, the guitar’s binding has shrunken in places and has been reglued somewhat sloppily. It has had a neck reset in years past and shows a small, repaired side crack in the cut-away that surely happened during neck removal. Beyond that, it’s in excellent structural condition and plays like a new guitar, thanks to the fretwork and set-up completed in our shop. Its original Franz pickups and wiring are also in perfect working order.
The X-175 is a 17” fully-hollow guitar with a 3.25” depth and a 25.5” scale. The Franz single coil pickups look a lot like Gibson-made P-90s, but sound brighter, clearer, breathier, and less compressed than P-90s; in truth, they sound more like Fender single-coils than anything else, and with the tone controlled rolled back 25% they really shine for jazz and blues. We’re quite enamoured with this guitar’s tone.
The neck has a medium C carve with comfortably rolled edges, 1-11/16” nut width, and a 1st fret neck depth of .835”. We’ve refretted at a 9.5” radius with 90/47 wire. The guitar is set up with 11-49 strings and a current action of 5-5.5/64ths, with adjustment room on the bridge to raise or lower to player preferences. The truss rod is functioning properly as well.
A fun and easy guitar to play that offers a fairly unique and lovely tone and great vintage looks. It’s one of the first 600 guitars ever made by Guild in their then-brand-new Hoboken factory.
With hardshell case.