pocaloc
Junior Member
I only mean, what would be the best known or iconic electric Guild? Like the Strat or tele or maybe Jazzmaster, or the Les Paul, SG, 335, or the Gretsch 6120' Country Gentleman, etc.
What is THE Guild electric?
- Thread starter pocaloc
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My vote!
coastie99
Enlightened Member
Default said:My vote!
Ain't that a MAN !!
Add Zal Yanovsky to the S200 contenders.
marcellis
Senior Member
pocaloc said:
The Duane Eddy models or the Johnny Smith/Artist Award.
NEONMOONY
Member
I don't think ANY Guild electric ever reached iconic levels. Ask a non musician and he would probably know that a "Gibson Les Paul" or a "Fender Stratocaster" were guitars. Guild? You would likely have to include the word "guitar" in the question and he still might not have a clue. A game? An organization? A tv show?
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That's what you get when you don't pay your endorsers. :?
If you are talking about what a non-musician would recognize, you aren't going to come up with anything but a Strat or LP. I don't think Guild is alone in that. If you are talking musicians, I'd say the 12 strings are closest to being an icon.
If you are talking about what a non-musician would recognize, you aren't going to come up with anything but a Strat or LP. I don't think Guild is alone in that. If you are talking musicians, I'd say the 12 strings are closest to being an icon.
Not sure that I'd say Guild 12-strings are the iconic Guild electric guitar. Leave that to the Rics. Maybe something in the jazz guitar category, but I think I'd go along with NEONMOONY, and agree that there probably isn't one, once you move away from musicians who are familiar with Guild guitars.
Dave
Dave
jte
Member
Among the general guitar public, Guilds are a blip (and it's got a LOT less to do with paying endorsers- that's a jaundiced view of endorsements than it does with Guild continual inability to have effective marketing- no matter who's owned them, they've never been marketed well at all- they couldn't even really cash in on John Denver's considerable presence to get the line recognized beyond acoustic 12 strings). So any Guild is going to be pretty far from "THE" electric.
The S-100, the Starfire IV, and the various Blusebird incarnations simply looked too much like Gibson (SG, ES-335, and Les Paul) to be recognizable icons. If ANY Guild electric has anything resembling iconic status, I'd submit the Starfire Bass. Among bassist, Phil Lesh and Jack Cassady were highly influential, and the SF bass was the springboard for the Alembic. But that's still pretty far removed from the recognition the general public has for the Strat, Tele, Les Paul, SG, etc. Heck, even the Jazzmaster, Jaguar, and Mustang are probably better known than Guilds.
So, if we dispense with the general guitar public, and ask "What is THE Guild electric among Guild folks", I'm gonna go with the M-75.
John
The S-100, the Starfire IV, and the various Blusebird incarnations simply looked too much like Gibson (SG, ES-335, and Les Paul) to be recognizable icons. If ANY Guild electric has anything resembling iconic status, I'd submit the Starfire Bass. Among bassist, Phil Lesh and Jack Cassady were highly influential, and the SF bass was the springboard for the Alembic. But that's still pretty far removed from the recognition the general public has for the Strat, Tele, Les Paul, SG, etc. Heck, even the Jazzmaster, Jaguar, and Mustang are probably better known than Guilds.
So, if we dispense with the general guitar public, and ask "What is THE Guild electric among Guild folks", I'm gonna go with the M-75.
John
fronobulax
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+1 for the Starfire bass.
I think the points about no Guild electric reaching iconic status outside of the world of guitarists is probably true. However I have run across a few aging hippies or Deadheads who recognize that they have seen a bass like mine in real old pictures of their favorite band.
I think the points about no Guild electric reaching iconic status outside of the world of guitarists is probably true. However I have run across a few aging hippies or Deadheads who recognize that they have seen a bass like mine in real old pictures of their favorite band.
Thunderface
Senior Member
Q: What is THE Guild electric?
A: That'd be this one, IMO!
A: That'd be this one, IMO!
pocaloc
Junior Member
Not being in the know about Guild electrics, but knowing more about them than the average guitarist, it seems like a Starfire model is the one I recognize and hear the most about.
NEONMOONY
Member
Among players, I think the acoustics, (especially among bluegrass types) like the jumbo 12 strings or the the Dreads like the D-55 are symbolic Guilds but that does not address the electric question. As a young fella growing up and just starting to play guitar, I thought Guilds were big fat jazzbox type guitars used in tv type orchestras, like on Lawrence Welk or the Tonight Show.
How 'bout my '59?
Walter B. would surely agree! 8)
Walter B. would surely agree! 8)
Qvart
Senior Member
Thunderface said:Q: What is THE Guild electric?
A: That'd be this one, IMO!
Well, there's absolutely no doubt who my biggest cheerleader is. Thanks! :lol:
IMO, there aren't really any Guilds that have an iconic status like models made by other brands, and too many models are based on the shapes of other brands. That being said, many brands have unique shapes and models and none come near the level of LP's, SG's, Strats, Teles, etc. so it's no big deal to me if Guild doesn't either.
Gumby definitely stands out as unique though.
Bobo
Member
Off the top of my head, I'd say the best known ones to the average semi-informed guitarist are:
S-200 Thunderbird
M-75 Aristocrat
Starfire III
X-175
X-500
Johnny Smith/Artist Award
DE-400/DE-500
In more recent years, to a lesser extent:
X-170
X-79
Brian May model
S-200 Thunderbird
M-75 Aristocrat
Starfire III
X-175
X-500
Johnny Smith/Artist Award
DE-400/DE-500
In more recent years, to a lesser extent:
X-170
X-79
Brian May model
Jack FFR1846
Member
Boris_B said:
I think you overestimate an average person's focus on guitars. I've been playing since 1966 and got my first Guild in 1967 and could only definately identify a Starfire out of your list if you put pictures in front of me.
pocaloc
Junior Member
Love your guitar. I see Walter Broes posting on the Gretsch site frequently.
eastcoastbuzz
Member
My vote is a Westerly D40 with a K&K pickup! :lol: