Thoughts on Guild's 1960's "P90/soapbar" pickups.

[guildguy516]

Hey everyone! Looking at a '61 T-100D out of state and I'm wondering how the soapbar pickups on these models sound? Close to a standard P90? Early Gibson clones?

I do play a lot of rockabilly and blues, love guys like Scotty Moore and Johnny Burnette. Are they worth trading in a '64 Nashville for?
Also play lots of rock too, are they diverse?

Thanks everyone in advance!

 

[Default]

if you do a search for Franzes, there should be a bunch of impressions for you to peruse.

http://letstalkguild.com/ltg/search.php?searchid=353549

 

[Jeff Haddad]

Early Scotty Moore was played on a P90-equipped Gibson, Paul Burlison (Johnny Burnette's guitarist) played an Esquire or Telecaster (I don't recall which). The Franz pickup on a Guild is a great pickup but not as mid-rangy nor powerful as a P90. They can 'twang' somewhat like a Tele pickup. They work great for rockabilly.

I love Guilds, and the T-100D would be a great choice but value-wise your 6120 is probably significantly higher depending on condition. T100 might be in the $1500 - 2000 range while the Gretsch might be valued between $2500 - $3500.

Of course in an ideal world, you'd buy the Guild and keep the Gretsch too! Let us know.

 

[Walter Broes]

Paul Burlison (Johnny Burnette's guitarist) played an Esquire or Telecaster (I don't recall which).

Jeff, do a google search on "Grady Martin - Johnny Burnette", Paul B. hardly played on the famous Rock and Roll Trio recordings. And Grady played a Bigsby double neck guitar.

Guildguy, the P90 style pickups that you see on archtop guitars (and Les Paul Juniors) are usually referred to as "dogears", and "soapbars" are the ones you see in goldtop 50's Les Pauls, or 50's Guild bluesbirds. But that's not the point.

A Franz-equipped guitar is great for Rockabilly for sure - but like Jeff said, if your Gretsch is in good condition, it's probably worth more money. Not necessarily a better guitar - but worth more to most people.

 

[Jeff Haddad]

"Jeff, do a google search on "Grady Martin - Johnny Burnette", Paul B. hardly played on the famous Rock and Roll Trio recordings. And Grady played a Bigsby double neck guitar."

I had forgotten about that - I do recall reading that somewhere. I will have to listen to some of those songs again - it's been too long.

 

[Kapten Kork]

I have them in a CE100D from about the same year. They are less powerful than a Gibson P90 sort of scooped in the mids compared to the G alternative. A good sound but different.

M