NGD...the X160 Rockabilly has finally arrived!

[dhdfoster]

Yes, although they changed. The Westerly ones had a bigger body : 17" lower bout, in Corona they went to a 16" lower bout.

Interesting. Do you know if they were the same depth? Mine was a pretty big guitar.

 

[Walter Broes]

No, I don't know about the depth. Having spent as much time as I have with my old 175, I think I'd prefer the Westerly size - the bigger body.

 

[The Retro Rocker]

I'm no expert...yet...LOL...but I believe there was an earlier version of the X160, made in Westerly R.I. It had the HB-1 humbuckers, with a volume and tone knob for each pickup...but it wasn't a X160 Rockabilly. The X160 Rockabilly just has one volume and one tone knob, and these DeArmond 2000 pickups. Mine was made in Corona 2002 according to Hans. And I've not seen one in pictures that matches this color. I can see why the seller thought it was "Fiesta Red". In person it actually looks a lot more red than the orange that we are used to. And like TXBumper says...the Tennessee Orange is the only one that has the see-through finish.

 

[Walter Broes]

Yep, it looks like a pretty unique color. Maybe the person at the Corona factory spraying Guilds that day didn't quite have the formula for that Gretschy orange down yet, but the result is beautiful! It's almost like a Gibson cherry red, I like it a lot more than that pumpkin color.

The earlier X160 was a lot more like the X170 than the X160 Rockabilly. I wouldn't be surprised if whoever was running things at Guild when they came out wanted to cash in on the 90's Swing/Rockabilly revival that was going on. I thought it was a breath of fresh air that Guild was doing a single-coil archtop again that obviously wasn't aimed at Jazz players.

 

[dhdfoster]

Original ad copy:

"The essence of Swing/Rockabilly is captured in the X160 Rockabilly. These are the first production instruments to have the original DeArmond Model 2000 pickup in over twenty years. The body of the X150 Savoy is used to re-create an American Classic. The laminated maple body has a mahogany neck with a block inlayed rosewood fretboard. The high gloss urethane finish comes in the amazingly cool colors of Tennessee Orange, Fiesta Red, Cantina Blue and the always cool Black."

 

[The Retro Rocker]

Lack of oomph is what initially drove the popularity of the Klon Centaur. It (along with the best of its many clones) provides a healthy mid kick without muting attack or cutting bass. Very handy for mid-scoopy guitars & pickups that otherwise sound fine.

-Dave-

And I'm lucky to have found a great amp that is PLENTY LOUD! I have the Quilter MP200 8"...with the additional 12" cab. 2 channel (one for acoustic and one for electric) with 100 watts per channel. MORE than enough to keep up with a full band and still have plenty of clean headroom.

http://www.quilterlabs.com/index.php/products/micropro-200http://

 

[The Retro Rocker]

Yours is definitely a deeper orange than mine was. Mine was made in Westerly, but I think they continued to make them in Corona after they moved. Maybe they changed the orange a bit, if your was made there.

Although I like those pickups, I’m also of the opinion that they are tad anemic. However, I think they sound great for recording. Having owned guitars with those 2000s, the DeArmond 2Ks, original DeArmonds, and Gretsch’s reissue DeArmonds, the originals are my favorite by far. I have no experience with Duncans or TV Jones.

I found the blue one you mentioned on Reverb. I didn’t like the blue at the time, but seeing it now gives me a warm fuzzy feeling. It’s probably a little nostalgia from the Guitar Player review that came out in the early 2000s. I must have read that review 100 times. Somehow I just knew that a Guild with single-coils was where I wanted to go.

Would LOVE to find a copy of that review!

 

[dhdfoster]

I would scan and post it, but I gave all my magazines away years ago Sorry.