New Guild T-50 Slim

[tefan]

I have no idea what it sounds like, but that is one beautiful guitar!


http://www.premierguitar.com/articles/21898-guild-releases-the-t-50-slim-and-starfire-series

 

[tjmangum]

Very cool!

 

[dhdfoster]

Wow, didn't see that coming.

 

[cc_mac]

Interesting choice and I like it! Very tempting indeed. I like the black cover on the Franz with that finish.

 

[xilef regnu]

Me likey ! Is that street price ($979.) going to be accurate ?

 

[JohnW63]

Are the pickups correct on these humbucker equipped guitars ?

I didn't think they would be doing ANYTHING new for some time. I wonder if these were already in the pipe line before the sale ?

 

[zizala]

All hail the mighty T-50!

Quite a surprise to see a repro of this particular model. Can the X-50 be far behind?

I love my '60.....

 

[fronobulax]

I didn't think they would be doing ANYTHING new for some time. I wonder if these were already in the pipe line before the sale ?

Based upon what I know I am reasonably certain this was initiated by Cordoba. There is one obvious step on the path towards success and Cordoba took it. That tells me that Fender/Guild either didn't start the project or that they missed the obvious. Maybe someone else knows more ;-)

 

[The Guilds of Grot]

Pretty sure this is what it's all about:





I was consulted on my opinion of the Micky Mouse pick-up, but I guess they decided to go with the "Franz".

 

[matsickma]

I'm sure it is to much to ask for but I would really like if the early '60's chrome soap bar pickups as used on the Polsras, Jetstars, M-65, T-50 and T-100's were reissued. I love the tone of those pickups. A T-50 I own really sounds great with that pickup.

 

[Walter Broes]

what Grot said - if it wasn't for that, I'd find a T-50 reissue a bit of an odd choice. But then, who knows what's next?

 

[The Guilds of Grot]

But then, who knows what's next?

I do.

 

[Walter Broes]

Guild rep over here told me there's a good chance there's going to be a Thunderbird, and he also mentioned a center-block Aristocrat. Is that what you heard too?

 

[matsickma]

Looks like the value of vintage Thunderbirds may be dropping. That seemed to be the case for Aristocrats. Not many semisolid M75 Bluesbirds around so a center block type model would be a good addition to the line. Need the HB1's for that model.

 

[S100]

I'd be on a RI Thunderbird like white on rice in a glass of milk on a paper plate in a snow storm.

 

[jazzman]

Seeing as how the t-50 will be joining the marketplace already dominated by the godin 5th avenue, and with the general guitar buying public having NO idea what the Mickey Mouse pickup is, I'd say Guild was wise to use the Franz pickup.
It is p-90ish and people that don't know much about guild will recognize the pickup and won't need to be educated.
As silly as it sounds, for them to recreate the Mickey Mouse pickup they'd also have to educate the public as to what it is any why they should care.
Franz is like p-90 so people "get it" immediately.
Guild humbuckers are humbuckers so people "get it".

 

[Default]

The Franz is also "paid for". You don't incure tooling costs for a pickup that only Mojo Nixon uses.

 

[jazzman]

Exactly! you'd have tooling to stamp the metal covers, injection molding tooling to make the plastic housing for the pickup AND the pickup ring. Also probably specially shaped bobbins.
That's a lot of hassle and setup cost to make a pickup that 1) was used for only a few years on low end models that even a lot of Guild lovers don't highly regard. 2) as mentioned the general public has no idea what it is and what do you say?! "We've recreated a pickup used on low end guilds that people don't seem to care about"?!

We think it's cool as it does have sort of a unique sound and we love seeing history repeated by having these cool old things recreated.
But for Guild to be able to actually sell guitars it just makes sense to use the franz ESPECIALLY, as mentioned, when they already have all of the tooling and parts in place.

 

[jazzman]

One more thought: since Guild/Cordoba bought the DeArmond trademark from fmic it would make more sense, to me anyway, for them to recreate the Dearmond pickups used for a couple years where the polenpieces were either non-adjustable or where the poles were threaded into the coil former.
There are those pickups that the public would have a frame of reference for that would be more worth the investment in tooling than the mickey mouse.

 

[xilef regnu]

Premier put a demo of the new T-50 up:

http://www.premierguitar.com/articles/22025-namm-15---guild-t-50-slim-demo