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Guild M-20 c. 1965 Vintage "Nick Drake" Acoustic Guitar - $2,500 (mill valley)
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In excellent original condition, it's the nicest example I've seen and has been stored for many years. Suitable for collector, player or studio work. Bridge has been reglued, a new bone saddle carved with the correct radius (left slightly tall for player preference) and includes the original saddle. The pickguard is lifting very slightly (millimeters, not heavy lifting and has been left as-is) in a couple spots; apart from that, the guitar appears crack-free and without any repair work. Original bridge pins in excellent shape suggest this guitar was played lightly and put into storage. Rare to find these not in need of a neck reset. Currently setup with 11-52 gauge strings.
Similar in size to a Martin O (Martin 0-15), with a solid mahogany top, back, sides and neck. Gorgeous rosewood fingerboard. There are only a few slight blemishes observed and as photographed. Most notable is the very light but numerous strumming pick marks -- they were not attempted to be buffed out.
Good examples of the often very fine sounding Guild flat-tops of the 1960s can be surprisingly hard to find these days. The M-20 was Guild's least expensive guitar in the 1950s and '60s, and while not a rare model perse has become one of the company's most sought-after vintage instruments in recent years. The highly influential English singer/songwriter Nick Drake is thought to have played the M-20 extensively and is featured on the album cover of Bryter Layter, and so the model is linked in the popular imagination to his legend.
Even apart from this connection, the instrument itself has much to recommend it. A small-body all-mahogany guitar with an X-braced top, the M-20 has a different tonal character from any other Guild and excels particularly as a fingerpicking instrument. The neck is slim and comfortable, somewhat in between typical Martin and Gibson spec, and the M-20 is arguably a better guitar of this type than either company was producing in the late 1960s.
Overall length is 39 1/4 in. (99.7 cm.), 13 7/8 in. (35.2 cm.) wide at lower bout, and 4 1/8 in. (10.5 cm.) in depth at side, taken at the end block. Scale length is 24 1/2 in. (622 mm.). Width of nut is 1 11/16 in. (43 mm.). Comes with modern Guild case made by TKL in Canada. Case is in overall excellent condition, with one very small piece of tolex repaired on the back as pictured.
You don’t have to be a Nick Drake fan to love this instrument. It’s a beautiful guitar, small and comfortable, bright and balanced.