Harpymorgan
Member
Did I not read you post before I replied Ralf
LMG IV report for the M-75 lovers
- Thread starter Aristera
- Start date
SFIV1967
Venerated Member
No, the AP has a laminated spruce top as well. See my previous post!
Oh, now I responded to quickly as well ;-)
Ralf
Harpymorgan
Member
Now I can see the confusion. If you compare the Newark St and AP materials on the guild site, the Newarks st lists the top material as "Laminated Spruce", but the AP material is "Arched select spruce ", however on the top list of materials they both list laminated spruce for the top.
SFIV1967
Venerated Member
Ah, I see where you looked! Yes I agree, that is confusing. I didn't even notice that. On the other hand I regard anything not listed as "solid" is laminated. "Select" most probably just refers to the top laminate sheet which is special selected to look very nice.
Ralf
Harpymorgan
Member
They are lovely guitars, however a little spoiled in my opinion by that horrible lower pickgaurd bracket.
SFIV1967
Venerated Member
Ah! That's the second one seen now. That new Cherry Sunburst is especially done for that GSR model.
The bracket would have not even been necessary looking at the original way how that type of pickguard was installed by Guild in the 50ies...But it's not an exact copy of a late 60ies model anyway with that pickguard, so that's obviously what Guild in NH decided to do as 2013/14 GSR model.
Ralf
Harpymorgan
Member
Have a look at the photos on the ebay listing. The pole pieces are way out of line with the strings
Zelja
Senior Member
Oh, my! According to the specs the nut width is 43mm (1 11/16"). From memory the APs are 41mm (1 5/8") & the NS are 42mm. Big selling point, for me at least.
Harpymorgan
Member
Here is a picture of thr difference between the strings and the pole pieces. Cant believe thats camera angle.
![mdlj.jpg](http://[URL="http://imageshack.com/i/5emdljj"][IMG]http://imageshack.com/a/img194/5196/mdlj.jpg)
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Harpymorgan
Member
Harpymorgan
Member
Btw I know I have the pickups upside down. I'm just experimenting with that at the moment, as it seems to calm the bridge pickup down a little. Anyone else tried that?
I'm a bit confused regarding what this guitar actually is. I own a 1960 Aristocrat so I can look at this guitar having played it for many years and understand what a great Guild my late '60's Aristocrat is. I have seen a few of the new Newark St. Guilds such as the new M-75, the A-150 and the X-175 and am amazed at what superb instruments these new Guilds are especially for the money. What I don't get exactly is what these GSR new Guilds actually are meant to be exactly? These new GSR Aristocrats are just under $4000 out the door which is not cheap especially in our current economy. I love the cherry sunburst finish but why can't that same finish be ordered on one of the new Patriarch Aristocrats? Also why is Guild not putting the old pickups on this guitar such as what are on my 1960 Aristocrat? I guess what I am confused about is what exactly this guitar is supposed to be? It is not a 1950's Aristocrat and is not an early 1960's M-75. Input please? Thanks, jim in Maine
Harpymorgan
Member
Perhaps it just fits in with the general confusion of the re issue m75s with the humbuckers. They never really did settle down to be a standard build which may be why they did not sell so well. I thinks Hans has or knows of a cherry sunburst m75 from the late 60s which is close to this one.
guildman63
Senior Member
On page 134 of the electronic version of Hans' book is a description of the Bluesbird M75, which appeared on the price list in 1967 as M-75 (the name Aristocrat had been dropped). The following year the name BluesBird was added. There were several variations mentioned, but from 1967 through 1970 they were typically offered with the mini buckers. By the end of 1970 the large HB-1's with tilt-adjustment were used. In the later years some with white-faced DeArmonds were made. Production of this model ceased in 1972.
The pickups on your 1960 Aristocrat can be had on the American Patriarch Aristocrat M-75, while this GSR version is more of a 1967-1970 version. The AP version will run you around $4200, give or take, while this GSR version will be a bit less.
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SFIV1967
Venerated Member
Jim: guildman already mentioned the reference to Hans book in the post before. Just to also point to the paper version: Have a look on pages 57 and 71 (the small pictures) to see such models. The Aristocrat name is misleading, they should have called it either just a GSR M-75 or a GSR M-75 Bluesbird to be more vintage correct. But Guild had mentioned a few times that they don't intent to offer vintage correct re-issues of any of the old models. If one wants a vintage one he should buy used. Those new models are the 2013 or 2014 versions of such models. Similar to what Fender does when they issue new Teles and Strats all the time. They all come with different features from the vintage correct versions. I think the model version would have been also a bit clearer if they would have used a stair step pickguard but they decided for the rounded pickguard. We can like it or not. It seems to be a nice guitar, price is a different topic, but they market it as GSR model.
Ralf
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guildman63
Senior Member
Ralf,
I saw your reference, but two posts before mine Jim in Maine expressed some confusion, so I just tried to clarify it a bit more. Besides, it is always fun to read through the book again, no matter how many times I have already read it.
I saw your reference, but two posts before mine Jim in Maine expressed some confusion, so I just tried to clarify it a bit more. Besides, it is always fun to read through the book again, no matter how many times I have already read it.
Walter Broes
Enlightened Member
I think New Hartford needs to get a little nerdier with the specs on the GSR guitars. A different set of tuners and a stair-step pickguard would have made this one more attractive to the true Guild aficionado IMO. Especially if you can get the real thing cheaper if you're patient.
Thanks guys for the information on this new GSR M-75 model guitar. I guess to me what I am thinking is that I know the 1950's era Guilds as I have quite a few of them. In regards to the 1960's model Guilds I remember my father getting me a Starfire IV in 1964 which to be honest I had absolutely no idea what a neat guitar it actually was as all of the other 'kids' at that time all wanted a Gibson! Anyways I put one heck of a deep belt buckle scratch in the back of the guitar when I was 14 and sold it when I was 16 being the stupid,naive kid that I was.............anyways my love affair with the old Guild jazzers really is held to the 50's Guild jazz guitars with the exception of my '63 17" George Barnes Acousti-Lectric which is my pride and joy. Maybe you guys who know more about these reissue GSR Guilds can explain to me what exactly Guild is trying to do with the GSR model guitars as they don't look to my eyes to be close reproductions of the famous Guild models that I remember as a young kid especially for the price that Guild wants for them in our current economy...............jim in Maine
guildman63
Senior Member
At least looking at the first GSR electric (Starfire VI) it was clearly not intended to be a reproduction, just simply a great guitar! Perhaps we are thinking too much and the only purpose is to get rid of some whitewood that has been laying around, and to do it with a little style. Perhaps Guild is testing the market for certain guitars. Maybe each GSR is designed after 2am on a Saturday night after many beers and shots, and the Guild folks don't even remember where the designs came from or why. I have it! They are just trying to mess with our heads and generate fodder for more threads on LTG. Ultimately, it doesn't matter to me what the purpose behind any guitar is. I own two GSR's, and they are both excellent guitars! While I am trying to sell my T500 because it isn't the pure jazz 17" archtop that I love so much, it is still a great guitar, whatever the reason behind its design is. Who's in for a double neck S-100?