Guild Songbird

[adorshki]

Very cool! I've never seen one that color before.

Yep, it's highly unusual, I can't ever recall seeing a cream pickguard on a Guild acoustic, but it "looks right" like it was actually done at factory.
Makes me wonder if it was a "special order" or "custom" like Clapton's.
NUuska: what's the model number on the label, is there an "SP" after it?

 

[Nuuska]

Howdy

My gitfiddle looks so great on that pic, that I decided to get along with "the monkey business" and signed in photobucket - let´s see if I manage to insert the picture with about all my guitars in it...

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Well - it looks as if I mde it..

Front - Schecter Strat with EMG pickups and stereo output - each pickup switchable 1-OFF-2
Guild Songbird and Gibson L2-3/4 ca 1957 - notice the trussrod cover ... tuners and pickups are not original
F212SBC and F512
F50R & B30 Fretless

Gibson and 12 & 6-string Guild have Bridge pickup & soundhole pickup wired in "stereo" - that is separate output into two amp channels to provide semi-decent acoustic sound when amplified.

Normally they are positioned around my living room, but I collected them in "familyportrait" for you guys and gals...

Photo was made with iPhone - as was previous Songbird pictures kindly inserted by Bill Ashton.

Thanks Bill - you pushed me over the edge into photobucket...


Nuuska

 

[hansmoust]

Here is Nuuska's Songbird...

That's a Songbird Custom; usually written up on the label as a 'Songbird C', sometimes followed by the optional color.

Sincerely,

Hans Moust
www.guitarsgalore.nl

 

[adorshki]

That's a Songbird Custom; usually written up on the label as a 'Songbird C', sometimes followed by the optional color.

Sincerely,

Hans Moust
www.guitarsgalore.nl

Thank you sir! I was kinda hopin' you'd see that one.

 

[Nuuska]

Hello

MODEL SONGBIRD C
SERIAL KK000661

And yes - the pickguard looks like it is original.

 

[adorshki]

Hello

MODEL SONGBIRD C
SERIAL KK000661

And yes - the pickguard looks like it is original.

Thanks, and also welcome aboard!
I don't know if you know Hans' reputation as the author of "The Guild Guitar Book", but we take his input as being the most expert available, so I'm pretty sure if that if that pickguard wasn't original he would have mentioned it when he answered my question.
And I realize you might have been busy composing that family pic (NICE, by the way!) before you saw my question.
I was testing my eye for what "looks correct", even if it's not "normal" for them.
It was partly the shape (but that's very easily duplicated) but more important that it's actually up to their aesthetic standard, even if unusual. It's not a stark white and is complemented by the binding.
(Even if they started off as a lighter shade, they've remained color-matched under the lacquer as it yellowed with age)
There were some things they wouldn't do even for special order, because it is their name on the headstock after all, and they had a brand quality image to maintain.
It's funny how artistic excellence can grow on you even if you don't especially care for it at first, isn't it?
The top looks like the same Crimson Transparent that was available on the Barry Gibbs, a little darker than the Red Transparent, but that could just be lighting or my old monitor.

 

[walrus]

Great post and photo, Nuuska! Welcome! The color of your Songbird is very cool!

walrus

 

[mavuser]

OK I'll take a stab at it.

Of the original series of both, the Songbird has a high gloss finish and the S4-CE has a satin finish?

not sure if this has been discussed before, but according to this website:

http://westerlyguildguitars.com/guitars/songbird.html

the songbird is shortscale, and the S4CE is long scale. Anyone know if this is correct?

 

[hansmoust]

not sure if this has been discussed before, but according to this website:

http://westerlyguildguitars.com/guitars/songbird.html

the songbird is shortscale, and the S4CE is long scale. Anyone know if this is correct?

No way!

Sincerely,

Hans Moust
www.guitarsgalore.nl

 

[jeffcoop]

Hans is the authority, of course. But I can add that mine, which I call a Songbird, is an S4CE, and it's definitely short scale.

 

[jp]

Bill Frisell playing a gorgeous version of Dylan's "Just Like a Woman" on what I think is a Songbird.

 

[davismanLV]

Welcome to LTG Nuuska!! Thanks for sharing the photo of your Songbird! It's beautiful. Very unique!! :encouragement:

 

[jp]

Oh yeah! How very rude of me.

Tervetuloa LTG, Nuuska! We do appreciate when folks share their fine pics. I've just recently started to lust after a Songbird, and yours is a beautiful example!

 

[adorshki]

Hans is the authority, of course. But I can add that mine, which I call a Songbird, is an S4CE, and it's definitely short scale.

I suspect what's going on is that the guitars on WesterlyGuildGuitars are from two different eras, but can't be confirmed because spec sheets aren't dated.
I'm guessing they changed just like the "Fxxce"'s , from short scale to long-scale.
My '96 catalog still shows S4ce at 24-3/4"; the '97 shows it at 25-5/8", with no separate listing for Songbird in either one.
I'm now recalling that was another reason I thought they were all "S4CE Songbirds" because I was getting interested in shortscale guitars and that was the only candidate besides an F30 at the time.

 

[mavuser]

I suspect what's going on is that the guitars on WesterlyGuildGuitars are from two different eras, but can't be confirmed because spec sheets aren't dated.
I'm guessing they changed just like the "Fxxce"'s , from short scale to long-scale.
My '96 catalog still shows S4ce at 24-3/4"; the '97 shows it at 25-5/8", with no separate listing for Songbird in either one.
I'm now recalling that was another reason I thought they were all "S4CE Songbirds" because I was getting interested in shortscale guitars and that was the only candidate besides an F30 at the time.

Al, I believe we are all on the same page, i think...based on Hans' previous reply, my interpretaion is that "all songbirds and S4CE's are short scale (and 1 11/16" nut)"

Is the GX long scale and 1 5/8" nut as advertised on the Westerly page? Hans? anyone?
The GX looks similar to the Songbird, but bolt on neck and 6-on a side headstock.

i have also seen a "Pilot GX" 6 string guitar (not bass)

 

[mavuser]

I've just recently started to lust after a Songbird, and yours is a beautiful example!

theres one on ebay right now with no reserve, in case u missed that. interesting that the seller refers to "S4CE" but the label only says "Songbird." also looks like the "Songbird" and serial number were both "double written" (was too light the first time). my guess is that was done at the factory, because it looks pretty clean. but either way, very small detail. the case the guy has for the thing though, is ridiculous http://m.ebay.com/itm/282222801846

 

[adorshki]

Al, I believe we are all on the same page, i think...based on Hans' previous reply, my interpretaion is that "all songbirds and S4CE's are short scale (and 1 11/16" nut)"

Then you think the '97 catalog showing 'em at 25-5/8" scale is in error? (It's possible, I already know of one other error in that '97 catalog)
But I was saying I think they came both ways and Hans was simply saying that "One's long and one's short" was definitely not correct.

Is the GX long scale and 1 5/8" nut as advertised on the Westerly page? Hans? anyone?
The GX looks similar to the Songbird, but bolt on neck and 6-on a side headstock.

It's possible because they did make the 25-5/8" necks with both 1-11/16 AND 1-5/8 nuts.
That's got me curious about the accuracy of the WGG S4CE spec sheets again, because I would have expected the long scale version to have the narrow nut like their Fxxce cousins, and indeed it is spec'd that way in the '97 catalog (Guild Gallery #1)

 

[JohnW63]

Checked out the Songbird on eBay. Sort of dinging up, but what I would want to see more of is the center seam down from the bridge. Looks like a crack. Could just be very dried out, I suppose.

 

[DThomasC]

I see them listed fairly often. Here's one on San Francisco Craigslist that looks a lot cleaner than the one on ebay. The original case is good to have as they don't really fit well into most common cases. http://sfbay.craigslist.org/nby/msg/5831936289.html

EDIT: I just noticed that it's also on Reverb, but marked as sold. Oh well, there'll be others.

 

[Nuuska]

Hello

It is still in Ebay ...