Guild Bluesbird versus.....

[hillbillyjazz]

Everything else.

I'm soliciting opinions and, er, feedback about Guild Bluesbirds.

I've been shopping for a set-neck, maple/mahogany, dual-hum guitar for quite some time.
I've tried Baker, Gibson, PRS, McInturff, Hamer, et. al.

Through this experimentation, I find I'm drawn to chambered instruments.

Guild BB's are rare here in the SF Bay Area.
For anyone who owns one, or has played em, what do you think?

How's the neck carve? Acoustic tone?

Any "dog" years to be leary of? Pre or post Fender make any difference?

 

[GeraldCleveland]

I used to own one....sold it to finance Soldano amp. The guitar was really nice. It felt and played like a Les Paul with a chunky neck. The workmanship on the one I had could have been a little better, but it wasn't any worse than some Gibson's I've seen lately. Mine had SD pickups and tone chambers. The one thing that struck me more than anything else on this guitar was the range of tone. It could get an astounding range of tone out of a typical Les Paul configuration. If you were to flick the tone knob quickly, it was almost like having a wah. It went from very woman like tones to very sharp treble tones and all in between. The tone knobs were also very sensitive to the touch. The other thing that I liked was how much warmth and character the chambers added. It was really easy to get and control good musical feedback and supernice over tones. I remember the guitar sounding very thick and full. I don't recall it being extremely heavy. Come to think of it, I don't remember much that I didn't like about the guitar....especially for the price.

 

[Tag]

Originally posted by hillbillyjazz
Everything else.

I'm soliciting opinions and, er, feedback about Guild Bluesbirds.

I've been shopping for a set-neck, maple/mahogany, dual-hum guitar for quite some time.
I've tried Baker, Gibson, PRS, McInturff, Hamer, et. al.

Through this experimentation, I find I'm drawn to chambered instruments.

Guild BB's are rare here in the SF Bay Area.
For anyone who owns one, or has played em, what do you think?

How's the neck carve? Acoustic tone?

Any "dog" years to be leary of? Pre or post Fender make any difference?

Just got this one. INCREDIBLE quilt top!! Beautiful tones. The pups may be a bit high output for me, so Im not sure if it will be a good match for me yet or not. I just sold my 59 Historic Brazilian LP because I just never play it. Same reason, pups are just to hot for my style. Great guitar with a huge variety of tones though!

 

[Marty s Horne]

Never had a Bluesbird but had a Nightbird also a chambered Les Paulish Guild. Beautiful guitar with a flamed honeyburst finish, gold hardware and an ebony board. Excellent workmanship and comfortable neck. The only thing I didn't like were the EMG pickups.

 

[jimmyj]

Originally posted by GeraldCleveland
I used to own one....sold it to finance Soldano amp. The guitar was really nice. It felt and played like a Les Paul with a chunky neck. The workmanship on the one I had could have been a little better, but it wasn't any worse than some Gibson's I've seen lately. Mine had SD pickups and tone chambers. The one thing that struck me more than anything else on this guitar was the range of tone. It could get an astounding range of tone out of a typical Les Paul configuration. If you were to flick the tone knob quickly, it was almost like having a wah. It went from very woman like tones to very sharp treble tones and all in between. The tone knobs were also very sensitive to the touch. The other thing that I liked was how much warmth and character the chambers added. It was really easy to get and control good musical feedback and supernice over tones. I remember the guitar sounding very thick and full. I don't recall it being extremely heavy. Come to think of it, I don't remember much that I didn't like about the guitar....especially for the price.

I had one, too. The workmanship on mine was great. My feelings on the tone are exactly the same as Gerald. Big, smooth, with a nice crisp neck pickup tone. On of the best humbucker neck pickup tones I've played. The bridge pickup tone was very bright. Worked pretty well in the middle switch position and mixing the volumes to get a crisp but full sound.
It was nice and light. Bigger dimensions than a LP, but much lighter because it was pretty much hollow. I looked in the control cavity and pickup cavities with a flashlight and it's all hollow except a block under bridge and a couple other places.
I did sell it because I didn't like the small frets and the big neck was a little more awkward for me than a Les Paul or a PRS.

Overall, a very nice guitar especially if you like to play on the neck pickup with a humbucker a lot.

BTW, Tag, I know what you mean about the pickups seeming kind of hot. On this guitar the Duncan '59s have a real in-your-face quality to them. I bet Seth Lovers would be just about right.

 

[bluegrif]

I lusted after a beautiful quilt top example they used have at the local Guitar Center for quite a while. Played it just about every time I went in but just couldn't afford it at the the time. So, what did I think of it? I think I'll own one someday! Really liked the neck. Chunkier than the typical Gibson neck. Perfect fret size. Very reasonable weight. And, played great right off the rack. In fact, I've thought seriously about selling my beautiful PRS Singlecut and buying and shopping for the right Bluesbird. I think it might suit me better and I would have about an extra grand to fool around with.

 

[jreardon]

I had one until last week. Mine was a tobbaco burst AAA. Finish was excellent and it played great acoustically. Just could never get on with it at gigs, so sold it on. Found the pups a bit too muddy for my taste.

 

[mrfjones]

wow all this talk about the bluesbird, i love mine for all the great reasons listed above, but something i don't understand is why you guys would sell a guitar because you didn't like the stock pickups. I changed mine to duncan antiquities and it sounds better than almost every other guitar i have ever played. Not to mention the fact that it also plays better than any gibson i have ever had my hands on.

 

[A440]

I tried a few recently and some were nice. for me, they do have a pretty chunky neck profile, and were avg in weight. One of the models I tried had Duncans as stock pickups(either 59's or Seths, I forget).

I believe this is a discontinued model, so many dealers may be marking them down to blow them out.

may also want to look at the USA Hamers like the Artist Semi Hollows. I have an Artist Mahogany and am really liking it.

 

[mrfjones]

they do come stock with 59's. which are great pickups but sometimes a guitar with a nice thick maple top can get a little bright. Seths would be killer pickups in a BB

 

[Tag]

Sorry for the spam, but I just put mine up on ebay. Just not a good match for me, but a GREAT guitar. It has one of the most incredible quilt Maple tops I have EVER seen.

 

[hillbillyjazz]

Hey Tag...
What is driving you to sell the guitar?
Frets, pups, neck carve?

Just curious...

 

[Tag]

Originally posted by hillbillyjazz
Hey Tag...
What is driving you to sell the guitar?
Frets, pups, neck carve?

Just curious...

Pups are to hot, and it does not sound as hollow as I had hoped for. My PRS with trem has a more hollowbody tone. I never ever use a trem, but like them in the PRS because it sounds like a hollowbody! The Guild is a killer guitar. My favorite jazz guitars are Guilds. I have 4 of them! X500, Benedetto\Guild Staurt and Johnny Smith, and an Artist award.

 

[bluegrif]

Originally posted by Tag
Sorry for the spam, but I just put mine up on ebay. Just not a good match for me, but a GREAT guitar. It has one of the most incredible quilt Maple tops I have EVER seen.

Tag,
I sincerely wish I had the cash for that. It's nearly identical to the one that hung at the local GC which I lusted over for months before someone else finally snagged it. I've thought of selling my PRS Singlecut and buying a Bluesbird, which I think would actually suit me better. The PRS is a wonderful guitar but I think it would suit a rock player more than it does me. In any event, if your Bluesbird doesn't sell, stay in touch, maybe...

Grif

 

[Boogie92801]

I really like the BB. I think they sound and play great!

How much for the blond?

 

[JingleJungle]

Hamer Monaco Superpro. I sold one which was just amazing. Beautiful acoustic tones with tone knob on 11 , nice solid 'lectric tone w/ tone @ 5.
Light as a feather, rang like a bell. 25 1/2" scale which yields a nice note and string-to-string definition.
Mine was stock, and apparently they just sound even mo'better w/ Seth Lovers or Lollar Imperials.

JingleJungle

 

[Gitarrmongot]

Got a blond AAA flame top. Like some here I think the treble pup is a little to hot. But on the other hand the one in neck position is perfect for jazz/blues and with the switch in middle position it's got a nice soul tone for funk rythm playing. The neck is quite thick but very fast. The woodwork on mine is
perfect. Love the guitar would not sell it. Use this one and a Fender Stratocaster 62' reissue on gigs.

 

[jspax7]

I love mine. Great neck pickup tone, and with the bridge tone rolled off a bit, the balance is perfect for me. Lots of great tones with different pickup combinations. Light weight Les Paul/335 vibe. My current favorite guitar.

My only complaint is with the smallish frets. This too, can be remedied.

 

[Boogie92801]

I love Blues Birds. The necks are fat but not overly huge and all of the ones I have played were pretty good sounding and playing guitars. The neck pup is a great tone.

I bought a Starfire IV instead. They are both fantastic guitars though. I had the starfire "Buzz Feitenised" and I never liked after that so I sold it. I will never do that to a guitar again.

I currently have an X-500 and agree with tag that guild makes great Jazz guitars. I also had a late 60's Starfire III that was a great guitar that I will always miss.

 

[deluxemeat]

used to be the gmp roxie for me.
i like the 25.5" scale mixed w/ chambered mahogany.
have you checked out the heritage h155?