Guild Guitars F-512E Maple

The Twelve-String Heard 'Round the World

Wildwoodians, if you hear a twelve-string acoustic guitar on a record, there's a better-than-good chance it's a Guild, and none are more iconic than the F-512. Originally available as a custom version of a six-string jumbo in 1968, it debuted as a part of Guild's official line and promptly set the acoustic world on fire. All sorts of players fell in love with its sweet, harp-like sparkle and shimmer and its considerable projecting power. Some players who considered their F-512 a favorite include Stevie Ray Vaughan, Jimmy Page, Pete Townshend, Brian May, John Denver, Tim Buckley, and Dan Fogelberg, to name a few.

As a result, the sound of the Guild F-512 is woven into the fabric of American popular music, and its timeless tone still makes heartstrings resonate. This modern Guild F-512E Maple captures the magical tone of the Guilds of yore in an unbelievably stylish package. Let's dive deeper and see what makes it so special!

(Twelve) String Theory

The secret behind the Guild F-512's enduring popularity lies in its innovative design. A huge body equals huge sound, and the F-512E is plenty big with its 17 1/4" wide, 4 3/4" deep lower bout, but it's actually a rather light build. The bridges are scalloped, which makes the F-512E as responsive as a much smaller guitar. So, though it sounds absolutely massive and will cause noise complaints from several counties over, it's also unbelievably dynamic. Few guitars have this much power while retaining such a high level of touch sensitivity!

Another integral part of the formula is the tonewoods. This model has a Sitka spruce top, Adirondack spruce braces, and maple back and sides, and those ingredients make for an intoxicating sonic cocktail. If you've ever wanted sparkle, chime, jangle, or shimmer from your twelve-string, the F-512E maple is the steed for you. It's also supremely articulate and has a beautiful pure clarity that we find utterly addictive. When you sit down with it, it feels like you're hearing things in high definition!

Basically, it's a perfect example of everything we love about maple. But, the Sitka top balances things out, bringing a warm midrange and round low end to fill out the sound. The Adirondack bracing also gives it plenty of headroom, which means it still sounds open and three-dimensional even at max volume.

These premium tonewoods also come finished with a nitrocellulose lacquer that allows the wood to breathe and resonate just like an example from the seventies. All in all, the Guild F-512E Maple's tone places it firmly in the pantheon of twelve-string greatness.

Supreme Playability

We would be remiss if we didn't mention just how easily the Guild F-512E plays, too. For some players, the phrase "twelve-string" brings forth memories of cramped fingers, strings accidentally muted, and general discomfort. However, the F-512E plays like an absolute dream! The 1 7/8" nut width and 2 3/8" bridge string spacing give the neck a perfect roomy feel without being too wide. It also comes set up with 10-46 strings, and it plays like butter-coated lightning as a result. It feels absolutely effortless to run up and down the F-512E's neck, and that makes for an awesome playing experience.

Guild-y as Charged

We are so, so sorry for the above pun, Wildwoodians, but guitars as fantastic as the Guild 5-12E Maple put us in a giddy mood. These guitars are just so much fun to play! The way they fill the room with their sweet, chiming tone almost makes you feel like you're in your own musical bubble, far removed from the cares of the world. Whether you're playing solo or adding some jangle to a full band mix, the Guild F-512E will tickle your eardrums and delight your listeners!