Guild Bluesbird Information

Good evening everyone. I'm new to the forum as I just found you in searching for information about my Guild guitar. I'm hoping that someone here can help with that endeavor. Back in 2002, I purchased a very nice Guild Bluesbird from a guitar shop in Scottsdale, AZ. I was told by the purveyor of the shop that the guitar was made in 2000 and was one of the last guitars made in Guild's Rhode Island shop. The guitar has a serial number of CL001933 but the only information that I have found goes to 1999 and the last serial number listed is CL001013. I've attached a photo of the guitar along with a photo of the back of the headstock that shows the guitar's serial number. Thanks for the help everyone. Looking forward to spending time on the forum.

Cary

coparblitz75 said:

Back in 2002, I purchased a very nice Guild Bluesbird from a guitar shop in Scottsdale, AZ. I was told by the purveyor of the shop that the guitar was made in 2000 and was one of the last guitars made in Guild's Rhode Island shop.

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Hello Cary,

Welcome! Your Guild, which is a Blues 90 and not a Bluesbird, was indeed made during the year 2000, but it is definitely not one of the last guitars that were made in the Westerly, RI location.

By the way, did you add that pickguard yourself?

Sincerely,

Hans Moust
www.guitarsgalore.nl

Welcome to LTG! Your Blues 90 with transparent red finish and flame maple top is a classic combination. Very pretty!

Welcome Cary To a wonderful and informative guitar forum. Hans, in previous post, is the author of "The Guild Guitar Book" and recognized as the leading authority on Guild guitars in the World--even more than any existing executives in the Guild guitar industry.
You have your answer.

Wellcome and nice guitar! I have one just like it (sand guard) in my review pile and was just taking pictures if it yesterday.

Sweet! Love that finish color with the P90's!

walrus

Thank you all for the warm welcome and the comments. Hans, as for your question regarding the pickguard, no I didn't add that. It was on the guitar when I purchased it. I'm not the original owner. That guitar had come into the shop as a trade. Unfortunately, I don't know if the original owner had someone put on, put it on himself, or if he purchased it that way. But it is interesting that you mention that as, now that I think about it, I can't recall seeing pictures of similar models with a pickguard.

Hans, you made the comment "...{that guitar} was indeed made during the year 2000, but it is definitely not one of the last guitars that were made in the Westerly, RI location." That said, do you think that it still was manufactured in Westerly (just not one of the last) or, by then, would Fender have taken manufacturing to California?

Thanks, Walrus! Yeah, that finish, and the flame was what caught my eye. To be honest, back then I didn't know what a P90 was. I just knew that it was bigger than the single-coil pickups on my Strat so I assumed they were humbuckers. I was taking guitar lessons at that shop back then and my instructor set me straight.

Cary

coparblitz75 said:

That said, do you think that it still was manufactured in Westerly (just not one of the last) or, by then, would Fender have taken manufacturing to California?

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Hello Cary,

No, during the year 2000 they were still making 'm in Westerly, RI.

Sincerely,

Hans Moust
www.guitarsgalore.nl

Cool. Thanks, Hans!

Cary

Serial numbers for Bluesbirds etc. made in Corona California have serial numbers starting with "CM" and Westerly RI have serial numbers starting with "CL".

Guildocaster: That's good information. Thanks! I wasn't aware of that.

Cary

Also I think the Blues-90 was a Westerly thing and the Bluesbird-90 was a Corona thing, but I'm happy to be proven wrong with that one.

GAD said:

Also I think the Blues-90 was a Westerly thing and the Bluesbird-90 was a Corona thing, but I'm happy to be proven wrong with that one.

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I said the same thing recently, then was reminded that there were a small number of Custom Shop Blues90s from Corona.

Guildocaster said:

Serial numbers for Bluesbirds etc. made in Corona California have serial numbers starting with "CM" and Westerly RI have serial numbers starting with "CL".

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GAD said:

Also I think the Blues-90 was a Westerly thing and the Bluesbird-90 was a Corona thing, but I'm happy to be proven wrong with that one.

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Can confirm. CM serial on mine.

Hammer said:

Can confirm. CM serial on mine.

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Oh my, look at that beautiful top!

I must say the Corona Bluesbird 90's are really nice guitars with some beautiful and different tops. My guitar has the matched top done at an angular "V" which you don't see very often. I had a Westerly Blues 90 and I always wondered why Guild would have "cheaped" out on them by using less binding, dot inlays and cheaper tuners.
Here is my Bluesbird 90

Guildocaster said:

I must say the Corona Bluesbird 90's are really nice guitars with some beautiful and different tops. My guitar has the matched top done at an angular "V" which you don't see very often. I had a Westerly Blues 90 and I always wondered why Guild would have "cheaped" out on them by using less binding, dot inlays and cheaper tuners.
Here is my Bluesbird 90

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Beautiful guitar! Not only is the grain pattern great, I don't recall seeing many of that model in cherry sunburst, either!

I don't know that Guild "cheaped out" with the Blues-90s; they may have just wanted a guitar model that fit into a certain price point.

Guildocaster said:

My guitar has the matched top done at an angular "V" which you don't see very often.

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And upside down, the "V" becomes a chevron (which I have on my Bluesbird) and is equally cool.

Beautiful!

walrus

Can also confirm the CM serial number is a Corona thing. Beautiful guitars posted here! I love mine. This is my 2003 Bluesbird 90: