Russian Guy
Member
Hello, guys! Phew I'm back. For the past two weeks I've been having some issues with the access to the Internet but now I'm back.
Back with a new Guild! Behold my newly acquired 1974 M-75 Bluesbird. The pictures below are the ones that came with the Ebay auction in August. The story of its acquisition is pretty interesting itself.
When this particular guitar was on sale on Ebay I was hellbent on buying it but unfortunately the auction ended prematurely which has a lot to do with LTG and you'll see why.
So in the middle of November I followed a link from LTG thread about Guilds that were on sale in a TGP Guitar Emporium. It turned out the seller (pj29 - a simply great guy, I'd recommend him any day of the week) bought it from none other than our own MojoTooth (I know he is ex-member but still I think his contribution was great and his posts speak for themselves).
After several exchanged emails with MojoTooth I found out that he bought it of off the Ebay seller so that's why the auction ended at a $500 bid. What's even more fascinating is the price that he paid for M-75 in that condition (I'd say Exc+/Near Mint) - $1200 shipped. That blew my mind and he's gotta have sone superhuman charms.
Anyway, pj29 was cautios at first about shipping a setneck guitar to Russia at wintertime. And I'm sure this was his first time. But as I told him my S-300AD made it here just fine plus I gathered shipping tips from MojoTooth himself as well as Olivia's Vintage. It took 3 weeks for M-75 to get here via USPS Express Mail International (the fastest the guitar shipped to me was supersonic 2 weeks and it was black Urelite Ovation Viper). But it's winter and I'm sure Post offices are quite busy this time of year.
When I got it I followed the basic rules that apply to winter-time guitar purchasing process. I gave it 24 hours to acclimatize. Then I took the case out of the shipping box filled up with packing peanuts (the case itself was taped with 3 rolls of thick bubblewrap) and set out to give it a cursory glance I sort of screwed up. Being so eager to look at I accidentally locked the case (so stupid). I even thought about asking Hans about the key purchase but thankfully my dad opened it with a bent metal wire with one gentle motion. Phew!
Now for the guitar itself. The pictures simply don't do it justice. I'll make new ones in a couple of days once I clean the fretboard and restring it (Saturday-Sunday). Now I didn't buy it of off pj29 for good crazy $1200 but I got it for $1575 shipped to Russia which I think is really, really good anyway considering that we saw one with gold hardware and a bit beat-up to sell for outrageous ~$2800. I know I'm on the hunt for 70's S-100 but I just could walk past this beauty which happens to be my first in many ways: first mahogany guitar, first Guild eqipped with HB1s, first US-made LP-shaped electric.
I dig that grain so bad it's silly. Condition-wise it is great: shipping in cold temperatures didn't affect it I think. It has a hair-thick crack on the ebony fingerboard from 5th to 9th fret but it's not that big of a deal. As the 3-4 1,5 inch long finish checking lines on the back of the headstock - you can't even make them out from the pictures, the camera won't even pick them up.
I guess y'all waiting to hear what I think about the sound. After I tuned it and plugged it in I played some Zeppelin riffs and, oh boy, I almost rolled a tear. Now I know what you all were talking about. The thick vintage sound yet very clear.
I'm a happy camper but S-100 is next for sure. Just gotta find the right one.
Vadim
Back with a new Guild! Behold my newly acquired 1974 M-75 Bluesbird. The pictures below are the ones that came with the Ebay auction in August. The story of its acquisition is pretty interesting itself.
When this particular guitar was on sale on Ebay I was hellbent on buying it but unfortunately the auction ended prematurely which has a lot to do with LTG and you'll see why.
So in the middle of November I followed a link from LTG thread about Guilds that were on sale in a TGP Guitar Emporium. It turned out the seller (pj29 - a simply great guy, I'd recommend him any day of the week) bought it from none other than our own MojoTooth (I know he is ex-member but still I think his contribution was great and his posts speak for themselves).
After several exchanged emails with MojoTooth I found out that he bought it of off the Ebay seller so that's why the auction ended at a $500 bid. What's even more fascinating is the price that he paid for M-75 in that condition (I'd say Exc+/Near Mint) - $1200 shipped. That blew my mind and he's gotta have sone superhuman charms.
Anyway, pj29 was cautios at first about shipping a setneck guitar to Russia at wintertime. And I'm sure this was his first time. But as I told him my S-300AD made it here just fine plus I gathered shipping tips from MojoTooth himself as well as Olivia's Vintage. It took 3 weeks for M-75 to get here via USPS Express Mail International (the fastest the guitar shipped to me was supersonic 2 weeks and it was black Urelite Ovation Viper). But it's winter and I'm sure Post offices are quite busy this time of year.
When I got it I followed the basic rules that apply to winter-time guitar purchasing process. I gave it 24 hours to acclimatize. Then I took the case out of the shipping box filled up with packing peanuts (the case itself was taped with 3 rolls of thick bubblewrap) and set out to give it a cursory glance I sort of screwed up. Being so eager to look at I accidentally locked the case (so stupid). I even thought about asking Hans about the key purchase but thankfully my dad opened it with a bent metal wire with one gentle motion. Phew!
Now for the guitar itself. The pictures simply don't do it justice. I'll make new ones in a couple of days once I clean the fretboard and restring it (Saturday-Sunday). Now I didn't buy it of off pj29 for good crazy $1200 but I got it for $1575 shipped to Russia which I think is really, really good anyway considering that we saw one with gold hardware and a bit beat-up to sell for outrageous ~$2800. I know I'm on the hunt for 70's S-100 but I just could walk past this beauty which happens to be my first in many ways: first mahogany guitar, first Guild eqipped with HB1s, first US-made LP-shaped electric.
I dig that grain so bad it's silly. Condition-wise it is great: shipping in cold temperatures didn't affect it I think. It has a hair-thick crack on the ebony fingerboard from 5th to 9th fret but it's not that big of a deal. As the 3-4 1,5 inch long finish checking lines on the back of the headstock - you can't even make them out from the pictures, the camera won't even pick them up.
I guess y'all waiting to hear what I think about the sound. After I tuned it and plugged it in I played some Zeppelin riffs and, oh boy, I almost rolled a tear. Now I know what you all were talking about. The thick vintage sound yet very clear.
I'm a happy camper but S-100 is next for sure. Just gotta find the right one.
Vadim
