NAMM 2013: New Custom Shop American Patriarch™ Series

SFIV1967

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NAMM 2013: New Custom Shop American Patriarch™ Series

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In celebration of Guild’s 60th Anniversary, the iconic American company has officially opened the GUILD® CUSTOM SHOP in New Hartford, Connecticut.
The GUILD® CUSTOM SHOP in New Hartford not only introduced a whole new series of acoustic guitars (ORPHEUM) but also introduced a Custom Shop "Build to Order" electric line, the American Patriarch™ Series.

Following 3 new electric archtop guitars were shown at NAMM 2013:

American Patriarch™ Artist Award™ (part no 382 9100 837) - EDIT 2022: Guild webpage link no longer working...Replaced with Reverb.
American Patriarch™ X-500 Stuart™ (part no 382 8100 801)
American Patriarch™ M-75 Aristocrat™ (part no 382 7100 837)

"Handcrafted in the United States to exacting vintage detail by Guild's most skilled guitar makers, the new American Patriarch™ series pays homage not only to the Guild legacy, but also to the birth of the modern electric guitar and the timeless music that ensued.
Guild American Patriarch™ models are hand-built to order at the Guild Custom Shop in New Hartford, Conn. Premium features include select woods and inlay materials; precise late-1950s body shapes, arch radii and neck profiles; meticulous recreations of original pickups and parts; and more.
"

FMIC/Guild purchased original guitars on ebay or from other sources and the factory in New Hartford exactly reverse engineered them.
The task was to recreate the originals as good as possible.
However Mike said it is important to understand, that they are not re-issues of the old models, but the 2013 version of them. They are very close copies but not 100% "copy exactly" copies and some small adjustments were made to accompany modern players.

Here is one interesting example how far Guild went to find original parts:
As many already know, and as you can read in Hans' book, the original harp tailpieces in the 50ties were made for Guild by a company called "Johann Müller & Sohn" in Erlangen/Germany.
Now "Müller u. Sohn KG" still does exist today, but the guitar parts company is now called ABM-Müller and the factory is in Berlin/Germany.
Mike Lewis explained that Guild contacted ABM-Müller to ask if they still have the original templates of the Guild harp tailpieces! Obviously it was a challenge for ABM-Müller after so many years to restart production, especially the engraved gold plated tailpiece was a challenge, but they did it! And you see the result today on the American Patriarch™ Series!

The pictures below are my pictures from NAMM. First the Custom Shop American Patriarch™ Series wall:

1669758765617.jpeg

This video shows Mike Lewis introducing the American Patriarch series at minute 5:38:


It's a good first overview.

Now lets have a look into the 3 new models:

1) Artist Award™ (EDIT: Guild webpage link dead, now replaced by a Reverb link)

Mike said they used a 1957 Johnny Smith Award model from 1957 as the baseline of the new 2013 version. Guild bought an original.
In 1957 the model would have used a DeArmond® Model 1000 Rythm Chief, but Guild decided to use the DeArmond® Model 1100 Super Chief (or Adjustable Rhythm Chief), which is a more elegant unit with six adjustable poles. They are made by a FMIC supplier in Korea (BHK=Booheung Precision Machinery Co Ltd, Korea).

Kim Keller said regarding the pickups: "FMIC owns the DeArmond designs, and they did a dead-nuts repro of the Rhythm Chief (used in the Newark St. series A-150 Savoy™) and Super Chief pickups. They sound just like the old DeArmonds, and that's a very good thing."

The American Patriarch™ Artist Award™ features:
- Carved Solid Spruce Top
- Carved Solid Flame Maple Back
- Laminated Figured Maple Sides
- Nitrocellulose Lacquer
- Body Depth: 3-1/8" (80 mm)
- Body Length: 21" (53.34 cm)
- Body Width Lower Bout: 17" (43.2 cm)
- Neck Shape: Vintage Soft "U"
- Fret Size: Vintage-Style
- Position Inlays: Vintage Two-Tone Mother-Of-Pearl/Abalone Block
- Fingerboard Radius: 10" (254 mm)
- Fretboard: Ebony
- Neck Material: 5-Piece Maple/Walnut/Maple/Walnut/Maple
- Nut Width: 1.627" (41.32 mm)
- Scale Length: 24.75" (628 mm)
- Neck Pickup: DeArmond® 1100 "Rhythm Chief" Floating Archtop
- Control Knobs: Clear Amber Volume (Mounted to Pickguard)
- Pickguard: 5-Ply B/W/B/W/B (the prototype used 7-ply, not sure what the real spec will be)
- Bridge: Compensated Ebony with Ebony Base
- Strings: D'Addario® ECG25 Chromes Flat Wound, Light, 12-52

7-ply pickguard:
1669760928502.png 1669760973392.png

Details of the Headstock and the nice 5-ply Truss Rod Cover:

1669761080994.png 1669761126334.png

Grover® Imperial™ Tuning Machines:

1669761223822.png


2) American Patriarch X-500 Stuart™

The 2013 version is based on a 1956 guitar which Guild aquired.
Mike sent originals Franz pickups to a FMIC contracted company in Korea (BHK=Booheung Precision Machinery Co Ltd, Korea). They got the task to exactly re-create the original provided pickups. No change in material, magnets, wires, windings and so on was allowed. So the pickups should be an almost identical recreation of the original Franz pickups. Those pickups are the same as used in the Newark St. series X-175 model.

The American Patriarch™ X-500 Stuart™ features:
- Arched Laminated Select Spruce Top
- Arched Laminated Figured Maple Back and Sides
- Nitrocellulose Lacquer
- Body Depth: 3-1/8" (80 mm)
- Body Length: 21" (53.34 cm)
- Body Width Lower Bout: 17" (43.2 cm)
- Neck Shape: Vintage Soft "U"
- Fret Size: Vintage-Style
- Position Inlays: Vintage Two-Tone Mother-Of-Pearl/Abalone Block
- Fingerboard Radius: 10" (254 mm)
- Fretboard: Rosewood
- Neck Material: 5-Piece Maple/Walnut/Maple/Walnut/Maple
- Nut Width: 1.627" (41.32 mm)
- Scale Length: 24.75" (628 mm)
- Bridge Pickup: Guild® "Frequency Tested" Single-Coil
- Neck Pickup: Guild® "Frequency Tested" Single-Coil
- Bridge: Compensated Rosewood with Rosewood Base
- Strings: D'Addario® EXL115 Nickel Wound, Medium/Blues-Jazz Rock, 11-49

Pickguard: 5-Ply B/W/B/W/B:
1669760179453.png 1669760255598.png

Nice 5-ply Truss Rod Cover and Deluxe Enclosed Gotoh SD510 tuning machines with Cream Buttons:

1669759793766.png 1669759832621.png

John Spicer playing the American Patriarch X-500 Stuart™ and Doyle Dykes playing the Newark Street X-175B Manhattan:




3) American Patriarch™ M-75 Aristocrat™

The 2013 version is based on a 1956 model, which Guild aquired.
I think I am a bit qualified to compare the 2013 model M-75 to my original 1956 Aristocrat. In terms of look, feel and weight I was almost fooled to hold my original in the hands! Sure also due to the used nitro lacquer. Amazing workmanship! Feels better in the hand than the Newark St. M-75 (which has a urethane finish), but the Newark St. M-75 is actually even lighter! That could be due to the density of the used wood. Mike said both use 5mm thick backs, but tapping the back wood the Custom Shop American Patriarch™ M-75 Aristocrat™ was feeling more solid, exactly how my original 56 model is. I can't say anything about the sound of the pickups as I have not been able to plug her in at NAMM. The pickups are made by BHK=Booheung Precision Machinery Co Ltd, Korea.

The American Patriarch™ M-75 Aristocrat™ features:
- Arched Laminated Selected Spruce Top (better top wood compared to the Newark St. M-75)
- Solid Mahogany Back
- Solid (?) bended Mahogany Sides according to Mike Lewis (either Mike was wrong with "solid bended sides" or the spec sheet has an error, which shows Laminated Mahogany Sides (which would be historically correct), that's something to clarify, not that it matters too much...)
- Nitrocellulose Lacquer (original '56 tobacco sunburst)
- Body Depth: 2" (50.8 mm)
- Body Length: 17.25" (438mm)
- Body Width Lower Bout: 13.5" (343mm)
- Neck Shape: Vintage Soft "U"
- Fret Size: Vintage-Style
- Position Inlays: Vintage Pearloid Blocks
- Fingerboard Radius: 10" (254 mm)
- Fretboard: Rosewood
- Neck Material: 3-Piece Mahogany/Maple/Mahogany
- Nut Width: 1.627" (41.32 mm)
- Scale Length: 24.75" (628 mm)
- Bridge Pickup: Guild® "Frequency Tested" Single-Coil
- Neck Pickup: Guild® "Frequency Tested" Single-Coil
- Bridge: Floating Compensated Rosewood
- Pickguard: 5-Ply B/W/B/W/B
- Strings: D'Addario® EXL115 Nickel Wound, Medium/Blues-Jazz Rock, 11-49

1669759295340.png 1669760389202.png

The older transparent knobs that are painted on the bottom in gold and the floating bridge:

1669759197328.png

The simple plain G inlayed, as used in 1956. Deluxe Enclosed Gotoh SD510 tuning machines with Cream Buttons:

1669758923426.png 1669759013403.png

Since it has no label (no f-holes), the headstock should show the serial number. The prototype had no S/N or prototype marking at all.

1669759136106.png


EDIT: One of the more known players of the American Patriarch M-75 Aristocrat:




Ralf
 
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The Guilds of Grot

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Re: NAMM 2013: New Custom Shop American Patriarch™ Series

Ralf, we are all indebted to your spectacular posts from your NAMM show visit! I know how much time it takes to assembly a post like this.

Just out of curiosity, would you care to tell us how you are connected in the industry to get to go to the NAMM show?
 

SFIV1967

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Re: NAMM 2013: New Custom Shop American Patriarch™ Series

The Guilds of Grot said:
Ralf, we are all indebted to your spectacular posts from your NAMM show visit! I know how much time it takes to assembly a post like this.

Just out of curiosity, would you care to tell us how you are connected in the industry to get to go to the NAMM show?
I know now, it's time consuming...I thought I just could post them last week already, but didn't expect it to take so long. But I started, so I can't stop! :lol: It's fun, we have not seen so many new models for a long time! I still need to post about the complete Newark St. series (minus the bass which I did already). As well a post about the new Guild strings (!) and the new Guild leather strap (!).

A friend of mine is the owner of a musical instruments and professional studio equipment shop, he has a booth at NAMM, hence I was there in the name of his company. I was more by chance and at the right time in the area, I had other business to do in California. But I had two afternoons time off, since I had only morning meetings.
Ralf
 

jimmyl51

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Re: NAMM 2013: New Custom Shop American Patriarch™ Series

Ralf,

I have a question for you. I own a 1963 17" George Barnes Acousti-Lectric sunburst finish in basically mint condition. Do you think that the new Guild people would have any interest in possibly thinking about making this guitar since all of their new Patriarch models are custom shop productions? Also own originals in the 1956 X-550, 1960 A-500, 1960 Aristocrat and 1960 X-150. It looks like Guild has at least some people working for them who really do appreciate the incredibly great history of these guitars from the pictures that you have posted! The only thing that kind of bugs me is that the pickups are being made in Korea however the way the world is today I would guess that from a financial standpoint the economics kind of calls for them to be made in Asia these days...........if there is any interest let me know. Thanks, jim hahn at Tinker AFB Oklahoma City, Oklahoma who will be moving back to New England (Maine) in two weeks or so due to the sequestration moves in Congress
 

SFIV1967

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Re: NAMM 2013: New Custom Shop American Patriarch™ Series

jimmyl51 said:
Ralf,
I have a question for you. I own a 1963 17" George Barnes Acousti-Lectric sunburst finish in basically mint condition. Do you think that the new Guild people would have any interest in possibly thinking about making this guitar since all of their new Patriarch models are custom shop productions? Also own originals in the 1956 X-550, 1960 A-500, 1960 Aristocrat and 1960 X-150. It looks like Guild has at least some people working for them who really do appreciate the incredibly great history of these guitars from the pictures that you have posted! The only thing that kind of bugs me is that the pickups are being made in Korea however the way the world is today I would guess that from a financial standpoint the economics kind of calls for them to be made in Asia these days...........if there is any interest let me know. Thanks, jim hahn at Tinker AFB Oklahoma City, Oklahoma who will be moving back to New England (Maine) in two weeks or so due to the sequestration moves in Congress
Hi Jim,
I really have zero insight into model planning but you can be sure that people like Mike Lewis (who is a member here at LTG and who is a Fender Vice President) and other Guild and Fender employees (who are also members here) read our comments / inputs.
Regarding the "Korea made" pickups. Actually as you see in the specs Guild calls them Guild pickups. They didn't want to promote the fact that the pickups are not manufactured in USA, however they are manufactured against FMIC/Guild specs, same like a Apple iPhone is manufactured by Foxconn in China. I don't want to start that discussion here, but Mike Lewis told me that nobody can better reverse engineer the metal parts and pickups than that specific FMIC supplier in Korea. And always looked from a manufacturing point of view and a cost point of view. I am sure there are absolute experts like Seymour Duncan in Santa Barbara or Fender in Corona or all the little pickup makers that can also do the same or better job, but it is always am economic question as you also said. So I think only after some people tested them and were able to compare them we will better know. From the YouTube videos so far it is hard to tell. Also a 1950ies pickup already lost some magneticity, I read somewhere that after about 150 years the magnets will be not longer magnetic at all, so you would need to re-magnetize the magnets. Hence to compare a production new pickup with a 1950ies pickup is already unfair.
But those are exciting times! When I asked Mike for other colors of the Newark St. series he replied: "Give us a chance to ship some of the current models first, you can be sure that we will look into more options and models in the future". We got so many new 2013 Guild models now and now people need to invest buying them before we can request different options and different new models. Also the custom shop in New Hartford is pretty busy now! They have to build the full Guild Orpheum acoustic line and also the real Fender acoustic custom shop is now located in New Hartford, so they are busy there! Good for New Hartford!
Ralf
 

jimmyl51

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Re: NAMM 2013: New Custom Shop American Patriarch™ Series

Ralf,

Would you have an e-mail for Mike Lewis by chance? I'm going to be leaving Oklahoma City and driving back to Maine in a week or two and would really like to stop by the Guild facility in New Hartford and speak to somebody in person there if that would be possible? It is absolutely incredible that one will be able to order an A-150b for approximately $1000 in today's world! I can't do it at the moment but will definitely be ordering one of the new Artist Awards out of the custom shop. I have seen and played one of the original late 50's Johnny Smith Award Models and from the pictures that you posted on this site it really looks like these fellows under Mike Lewis have done their due diligence and have really gotten it right Ralf! I firmly believe that everybody on this site should be very happy that this is happening especially in today's economy. jim
 

SFIV1967

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Re: NAMM 2013: New Custom Shop American Patriarch™ Series

Jim, I send you a PM.
Ralf
 

chazmo

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Re: NAMM 2013: New Custom Shop American Patriarch™ Series

So, carved back and top for the AA.... Wow! I wonder if they've set up some CNC for this or they're doing it all by hand. Can't wait for the next factory visit to see what kind of tooling they've developed for all this!

I'll bet the thing is pretty resonant as an acoustic! I've seen some carved Hamers, but I don't know if they were built in New Hartford or not.

Anyway, THANKS Ralf for showing us these. This might seem a bit anti-climatic in the wake of to the Newark Street introduction, but these Patriarch models are terrific!
 

walrus

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Re: NAMM 2013: New Custom Shop American Patriarch™ Series

Much thanks, Ralf, this post was very informative! Great photos and discussion!

walrus
 

coastie99

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Re: NAMM 2013: New Custom Shop American Patriarch™ Series

Your posts have been of huge interest Ralf.

Thank you for all of the trouble that you've obviously gone to. 8)
 

jimmyl51

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Re: NAMM 2013: New Custom Shop American Patriarch™ Series

You know guys I was just thinking about Ted Greene a few minutes ago and am thinking that Ted is really smiling right now regarding these beautiful instruments that Guild is finally going to be producing shortly. It is just too bad that Ted is not here with the rest of us to enjoy their impending release. I am sure that Ted is smiling down from heaven however as he was one of the true lovers of Guild Archtop jazz guitars! Long live Ted Greene and Guild Archtop Jazz Guitars. jim in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
 

SFIV1967

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Re: NAMM 2013: New Custom Shop American Patriarch™ Series

Guild showed some nice new pictures from the New Hartford factory regarding the Custom Shop American Patriarch™ models on Facebook:

EDIT 2014:

1) The original 1957 Johnny Smith Artist Award which was purchased by Guild and used to develop the American Patriarch™ Artist Award™ model:

1669801252564.png

2) A finished American Patriarch™ X-500 Stuart™:

1669801328069.png

3) A finished American Patriarch™ M-75 Aristocrat™ with some rims on the table:

1669801372700.png

Ralf
 
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Re: NAMM 2013: New Custom Shop American Patriarch™ Series

You aren't helping me, Ralf! :lol:
 

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