Talk me through what I eventually want please.

[mojo]

Disclaimer - this is my first post here.
Disclaimer #2 - I don't currently own anything Guild.

Here's how I got here - I've had an interest in Les Pauls for a while and own several. I love 'em, but they tend to be heavy. I'm also a fan of Jim Hall, and figured out that his D'Aquisto probably had a Guild HB-1 on it, so I got interested in those. In pursuing that, I've recently become aware of the early Bluesbirds and Aristocrats. I have played a redone Aristocrat, which I liked quite a bit. So now I'm really thinking seriously about someday tracking down a vintage Guild - probably a '67 or '68 Bluesbird, but also maybe an Aristocrat. I play a mix of stuff - some classic rock, some jazz, some blues.

I'm thinking maybe the wood and craftsmanship might be superior on the Aristocrats, but I'd like the HB-1s. I'm planning to look only at '67 or '68 for Bluesbirds, since I really want to stick with mahogany. I kinda prefer a metal bridge, but okay with wood.

I still love my Les Pauls, and have considered just holding off on the Guild idea for now and instead sending my Historic off to Historic Makeovers for a redo.

Any advice or things I should know?

 

[Default]

I'm thinking maybe the wood and craftsmanship might be superior on the Aristocrats, but I'd like the HB-1s. I'm planning to look only at '67 or '68 for Bluesbirds, since I really want to stick with mahogany. I kinda prefer a metal bridge, but okay with wood.

Any advice or things I should know?

That you shoulden't expect me to be your voice of reason? :lol:

Anyway, if you are looking at 67-68, you're looking at mini-buckers, not HB-1's.

 

[hansmoust]

Here's how I got here - I've had an interest in Les Pauls for a while and own several. I love 'em, but they tend to be heavy. I'm also a fan of Jim Hall, and figured out that his D'Aquisto probably had a Guild HB-1 on it, so I got interested in those. In pursuing that, I've recently become aware of the early Bluesbirds and Aristocrats. I have played a redone Aristocrat, which I liked quite a bit. So now I'm really thinking seriously about someday tracking down a vintage Guild - probably a '67 or '68 Bluesbird, but also maybe an Aristocrat. I play a mix of stuff - some classic rock, some jazz, some blues.

I'm thinking maybe the wood and craftsmanship might be superior on the Aristocrats, but I'd like the HB-1s. I'm planning to look only at '67 or '68 for Bluesbirds, since I really want to stick with mahogany. I kinda prefer a metal bridge, but okay with wood.

Hello mojo,

Welcome! After reading all you've written above, there's only one advice I can give you:

Buy a Guild Nightbird with a spruce top and get yourself some Guild HB-1 humbuckers. You may be able to find a Nightbird that is equipped with HB-1s, but those are kind of rare. It will be less money than an Aristocrat and if you set it up with coil taps, you will be able to use it for all the music styles you mentioned.

Sincerely,

Hans Moust
http://www.guitarsgalore.nl

 

[killdeer43]

Welcome to LTG, mojo! You'll get plenty of advice here so stay tuned. :wink:

Joe

 

[Ravon]

Welcome mojo . I like Les Pauls (and Guilds :wink: ) too!

 

[southernGuild]

:wink: Welcome Mojo. Looks like you're getting some great advice already.
Let us know which direction you take....and how it works out for you.
Good to have you onboard at LTG.

 

[SFIV1967]

Welcome to LTG! Have a look here: http://nightbirdpages.home.comcast.net/~nightbirdpages/
Otherwise, for older Guilds until 1977 you might want to get that excellent book here: http://www.amazon.com/Guild-Guitar-Book ... 0634009664
Ralf

 

[mojo]

Thanks for all the advice. I'm curious why you'd steer me to the Nightbird and away from the vintage Bluesbirds/Aristocrats.

 

[Russian Guy]

Thanks for all the advice. I'm curious why you'd steer me to the Nightbird and away from the vintage Bluesbirds/Aristocrats.

Welcome. I think it's because of this:

I've had an interest in Les Pauls for a while and own several. I love 'em, but they tend to be heavy.

Since Nightbird is chambered it's not as heavy as a Les Paul.

 

[SFIV1967]

I'm curious why you'd steer me to the Nightbird and away from the vintage Bluesbirds/Aristocrats.

What Vadim said, and because you wanted to have Guild HB-1 humbuckers, as Hans said, a 1967/68 Bluesbird has no HB-1, it has Guild mini humbuckers.
Also you wanted to have Mahogany, I think 1967/68 might have had all-maple bodies (?) and only a few spruce tops and all-mahogany bodies. I am not sure about that as I don't have Hans book near me right now to check on that.

A good read is also GAD's guide to pickups here: http://www.gad.net/Blog/2011/11/25/guil ... ariations/

Ralf

 

[mojo]

Well, I finally took the plunge. I just bought an early model Bluesbird on Ebay - looks to be a somewhat "reliced" '67. Hopefully it will have the mahogany body and spruce top (most apparently did that early), and the HB-1s will work ok. If it gets here in good shape I guess I'll be an official member of this club, and pretty much my dream Guild. I'll post again after it gets here.

 

[AcornHouse]

Well, I finally took the plunge. I just bought an early model Bluesbird on Ebay - looks to be a somewhat "reliced" '67. Hopefully it will have the mahogany body and spruce top (most apparently did that early), and the HB-1s will work ok. If it gets here in good shape I guess I'll be an official member of this club, and pretty much my dream Guild. I'll post again after it gets here.

"One of us, one of us, one of us..." :twisted:

 

[mojo]

Hey Chris, just checked your site out - you make some cool stuff! Love the Butternut!

Anybody replace the wood bridge with a tune-o-matic style (just a direct drop in, completely reversible mod) on an old Bluesbird or Aristocrat? What model bridges fit without any modification?

 

[SFIV1967]

Well, I finally took the plunge. I just bought an early model Bluesbird on Ebay - looks to be a somewhat "reliced" '67. Hopefully it will have the mahogany body and spruce top (most apparently did that early), and the HB-1s will work ok. If it gets here in good shape I guess I'll be an official member of this club, and pretty much my dream Guild. I'll post again after it gets here.

Congratulations! That is a nice and well used M-75 that I assume you got. (In 1967 it neither used the name Aristocrat nor Bluesbird as I understood, it was simply called M-75, only with the 1968 catalog they started calling it Bluesbird). Yes, it seems to be a Mahogany body and "natural" Spruce top. It is actually a leftover body from the earlier Aristocrat as it does not have binding on the back of the body yet. (Hans had mentioned that earlier in a different discussion). What I can see, the only modification are the new and incorrect 4 tone and volume knobs. But mind that those are not the HB-1 humbuckers (which did not exist in the 60ties yet), these are the Guild mini humbuckers that were used in the 60ties. (I think they are even "better" than HB-1s.)
Hope you post some nice pictures when she arrived!
Ralf

 

[mojo]

Thanks!