New Guild Delivery: Bluesbird

Wife goes to work in a bit. Details and impressions later today.

Very sweet top ;-) If tone and playability match the looks, it's a surefire winner!

I have, first, to say that I think the Newark Street line is great. I genuinely wish these were US made. But we're they so, I'd be admiring them from afar instead of owning and playing five with plans to buy two more in the near future. So, that's my prejudice revealed up front. Now, to the review.

Love the look of this guitar. The figuring is excellent, though probably a veneer, (Anyone know for sure on that?). There is also just the hint of a bit of figuring in the mahogany on the back. The shading of the 'burst is pure Guild and quite to my taste. Fit and finish are first rate (OK, not AP first rate, but, definitely a well made guitar.) as have been ALL of my NS guitars. The top is carved, but, the dish is not so deep as some Les Paul guitars with which this guitar will inevitably be compared. The first thing I noticed when picking up the guitar is how light it is. How light is it? Sorry, I don't have scale upon which I can weigh it. But, you know that when you look at a guitar your mind forms an impression of what you expect the guitar to feel like when you pick it up. Sometimes they surprise you with their heft or lack thereof. This one surprised me. A couple of strums and some noodling before I plugged it in. The guitar is very resonant and has unexpected volume acoustically. This is probably due to the chambered body and the fact the tailpiece and bridge are Tonepros. Sustain for days. The guitar certainly passes the 10 second test.
I plugged the guitar into a '65 PRRI with a Celestion Gold sans effects. The guitar is bright! Not really unpleasantly so, but, certainly enough so that I backed off the amp treble a bit. I have to say I was somewhat uncertain about the pickups when I saw the specs. Especially the 16k in the bridge. But, I appreciate the way the guitar drives all of my dirt pedals. That, and the middle position sound with both pickups is just great. I can see that this guitar will probably cut through the mix in a band setting. I'll withhold final judgement on the pickups until I've played in a live setting with the band. I'd be surprised if it would be very difficult to put some HB1's in this.
There are a couple of things I didn't care for and one that is a home run. First the niggling did not care fors. I prefer a hard case over a bag. It's a good bag, I just prefer a case. Luckily the M75 case will probably fit and I have others in which the guitar fits great as well. The next is that the switch tip is an unpleasant mustard color which is, somehow, more objectionable than the cream I've seen on my other NS guitars. Finally, the cream pickguard...yeccch!!! IF I use a PG it will be the black one that comes on the black version of the guitar. The home run is the relocation of the strap button in relation to the neck. I can finally get my strap on the guitar without rubbing on the neck.

Pictures follow.

That sure is pretty! Glad you are happy, nice review - this may end up being an excellent selling model for Guild...

walrus

Beautiful guitar! Butt ugly pickguard?

Yeccch!

Good bag! Better in a case!

Nice! Show us pics of the bag if you can.

Good Lord, that pickguard is awful!

Bag is very well padded on the front and back. Less so on the sides.

Here's the strap button on my X175. Its proximity to the neck creates a problem in attaching MOST of my straps.



ALL of my straps fit the Bluesbird without the leather rubbing the side of the neck. Thank you thank you!

But, I think someone puked in the plastic that made that switch tip.

Tonepros...bridge and tailpiece.

GAD said:

Good Lord, that pickguard is awful!

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The picture doesn't really do it justice. It looks much worse than that in person!

guitarslinger said:

The picture doesn't really do it justice. It looks much worse than that in person!

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And on such a pretty guitar!

Looks like the same bag Guild is using for the Thunderbird. That pickguard does look pretty uuggcchh! with that finish.

-Dave-

Quantum Strummer said:

Looks like the same bag Guild is using for the Thunderbird. That pickguard does look pretty uuggcchh! with that finish.

-Dave-

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Even all by itself I considered donning a hazmat suit before taking it out of the wrapper.

That switch tip I'm guessing is "amber". I would agree a cream or white one would be better, but I don't mind it that much.

I've always taken pickguard off of any electric I've had, but boy, this one is ugly. Personally, I would not cover that nice looking finish with any color pickguard.

I'll say it again- congratulations, that is really nice!

Question - did they drill the holes for the pickguard bracket, or not?

walrus

That is a damn fine good-looking guitar. How's it sound?

walrus said:

That switch tip I'm guessing is "amber". I would agree a cream or white one would be better, but I don't mind it that much.

I've always taken pickguard off of any electric I've had, but boy, this one is ugly. Personally, I would not cover that nice looking finish with any color pickguard.

I'll say it again- congratulations, that is really nice!

Question - did they drill the holes for the pickguard bracket, or not?

walrus

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Wisely, no holes drilled.

GAD said:

That is a damn fine good-looking guitar. How's it sound?

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It's bright. Lots of upper mids. Should cut through the mix well. I'll know more about that when I rehearse next week. Best cleans are neck pickup and neck and bridge combined. That 16k in the bridge position really sings with the dirt pedals.



The big rig. Bridge pickup really loves the OCD and Ethos.



The small rig. Guitar sounds delightful with the Deco giving a nasty, grinding, dirty clean.