Guild F-20NT Model Flat Top Acoustic Guitar (1964), made in Hoboken, NJ, serial # 30667, natural lacquer finish, mahogany back, sides and neck, spruce top; rosewood fingerboard, original brown chipboard case.
The often very fine-sounding Guild flat tops of the 1960s have gained a lot of respect in the last decade or so, and can be surprisingly hard to find these days in fine original condition. This is a 1964 natural-top F-20, the smallest body size in the company's line up. The F-20 was the next model up from the all-mahogany M-20 (famously regarded as the "Nick Drake" guitar) and is the same size and shape but with a spruce top. The neck is slim and comfortable and this 1964 example has the then-new "center peak" shaped headstock design mounting the older style Waverly strip tuners.
This is an extremely well-built little guitar, much lighter in construction than the more common 1970s Guilds and easily a match in sound for similar Martin and Gibson offerings from the same era. These 1960's Guilds were traditionally under-appreciated compared to these other period flat-tops. It is a smooth little finger-or-flatpicking guitar with a vibrant and surprisingly powerful sound, and also works very well as a strummed chord machine. This 1964 F-20 is one of the nicest we have had; it would make an extremely nice recording, songwriting or gigging guitar today and stands as a superb example of one of the best small body flat tops of the 1960s.
Overall length is 39 1/4 in. (99.7 cm.), 13 5/8 in. (34.6 cm.) wide at lower bout, and 4 1/16 in. (10.3 cm.) in depth at side, taken at the end block. Scale length is 24 3/4 in. (629 mm.). Width of nut is 1 5/8 in. (41 mm.).
This beautifully original guitar has survived the last nearly 60 years very well with typical minor play wear and some well-executed maintenance repairs. Overall the all-original finish is very clean with small dings, dents and some light pick marks overall and a spot of wear into the wood on the lower lip of the soundhole. There is one feelable ding on the back of the neck behind the 6th fret and a smapp patched dink into the back of the headstock. There are no cracks to the instrument; the forward lower edge of the soundhole has distorted slightly but is fully solid.
The original rosewood bridge has been reglued and lowered slightly long ago, but still has plenty of height. The original frets are in excellent shape with virtually no wear. The neck has been very neatly reset (a somewhat complex procedure on these) with a new bone saddle and the guitar is a truly excellent player with a big sound for a small post-war instrument! We love these small-body Guilds from the 1960's and this is one of the nicest we have had, including the very clean and solid original chipboard case with some folk-era accoutrements in the pocket. Overall Excellent Condition.
