Guild GSR X180 Archtop Electric Blonde, 2013 (No Longer Available)

Here’s a wonderful rarity and a natural blonde, a Guild GSR x180 archtop electric with a Spruce laminate top, dating to 2013. GSR stands for Guild Special Run, and this example is number 11 of 20 built.

Originally, acoustic archtop guitars used solid, carved Spruce tops paired with solid, Maple for the sides and hand carved back. However, once pickups and amplifiers became more available and standard equipment, it was discovered that the tonal subtleties of the solid Spruce top could be overwhelmed by feedback. About the same time, it was also discovered that using Laminate woods – usually Maple – for the top and back helped to reduce feedback simply through being less acoustically responsive. Laminates have been used on almost all but the highest quality archtop electrics since then.

The Guild GSR X180 was built in a run of 20 guitars for 2013, and this is number 11. Built as a working jazz player’s guitar, it features a Laminate Spruce top for a ‘woodier’ tone, and Laminate Figured Maple for the sides and back. The neck is Mahogany, built of two outer sections with a center Maple strip. There are also two other small Mahogany sections on the headstock, the ‘wings’ that allow the headstock shape without excess waste. The bridge base and bound fingerboard are Indian Rosewood, with Mother of Pearl for the block position markers and Guild logo and crest. For hardware – it’s all gold plated. It sports a pair of Seymour Duncan ’59 model humbuckers, the Guild harp tailpiece, Gotoh tuners and a Graph Tech ResoMax bridge. The finish is gloss nitrocellulose lacquer.

Guild has had a long history building archtop electrics. This is not surprising as the company was founded by ex-Epiphone employees who did not wish to follow the company out of New York following a strike in 1951. Since their founding, Guild has offered high quality instruments.

This Guild GSR x180 is in overall good shape, with its major wear being some finish checking on the top at the bass side of the bridge pickup. It plays well, and has a lovely, warm woody tone.

The original Guild hard shell case is included.