USED - Guild X170 - 1994

Guild archtop guitars, like this 1985 X-170 Amber ‘Mini Manhattan’ built in Westerly Rhode Island, have been popular with jazz and blues players for decades. The X-170 was introduced in 1985, and produced until 2002. This model has been dated to early 1994.

The roots of Guild archtop guitars go back to a labour conflict at Epiphone during 1951. Unable or unwilling to come to terms with the workers, management moved production from New York to Philadelphia. Many of the New York craftsmen moved to the new Guild company founded by Alfred Dronge, a music store owner and George Mann, a former Epiphone executive. The company naturally focused on archtop models, but by the 1960s electric and flat top acoustic guitars were the higher-selling items. The Guild F-412 and F-512 jumbo 12-string models are still some of the best built 12-string guitars.

The model seems to have gained the name ‘Mini-Manhattan’ shortly after this one was labelled. Original Guild pickups, instantly recognisable with a three-screw adjustment system and two raised areas on the covers. All the metal parts are gold plated, and the original etched Guild harp tailpiece is in good shape.

The X-170 uses maple laminates for the body to reduce feedback, and this example has a very nicely flamed set for the top, back and sides. The neck is maple with a typical Guild walnut center strip, and bound rosewood fingerboard with block, mother of pearl position markers.