My NS Bluesbird Review

GAD · Aug 30, 2016

It's here! Sorry it took longer than an hour to write.

As always, please let me know if you find any errors or typos.

Bottom line: I like it!

http://www.gad.net/Blog/2016/08/27/2016-guild-newark-street-bluesbird-guitar/

I'm adding it to gadsguilds.com now.

Walter Broes · Aug 30, 2016

Nice review. The little brads next to the knobs are a 1950's thing, but that doesn't matter any. Glad to hear it's another NS guitar that doesn't dissappoint. I'm still wondering why they didn't put the HB-1's in it.

GAD · Aug 30, 2016

Walter Broes said:
Nice review. The little brads next to the knobs are a 1950's thing, but that doesn't matter any. Glad to hear it's another NS guitar that doesn't dissappoint. I'm still wondering why they didn't put the HB-1's in it.

Thanks! My point about the indicators was that they're seen on the 1970s models, but not on the 1990s models and that the guitar isn't really absolutely like any of them, but a little bit like all of them.

Walter Broes · Aug 30, 2016

I get it. Sorry for picking nits!

dbirchett · Aug 30, 2016

Another great review. I would have no problems with buying a Newark Street model after reading your and other people's reviews of them. Guild ought to link your reviews from their site.

My favorite tuners are the Kluson style with the slotted shafts. Any chance those would fit on this without alteration?

FNG · Aug 30, 2016

Thanks, GAD!

GAD · Aug 30, 2016

Walter Broes said:
I get it. Sorry for picking nits!

Hey man, if there are nits, they gotta be picked!

Otherwise you gotta sit with your head soaked in mayonnaise.

guitarslinger · Aug 30, 2016

Outstanding review.

Questions: Will the rings of an HB1 COMPLETELY cover any evidence of the previous mounting holes?
Do the stock pickups in the NS Bluesbird have the plastic plug connectors we see on other NS guitars?

GAD · Aug 30, 2016

guitarslinger said:
Outstanding review.

Questions: Will the rings of an HB1 COMPLETELY cover any evidence of the previous mounting holes?
Do the stock pickups in the NS Bluesbird have the plastic plug connectors we see on other NS guitars?

The guitar is back together, so I can't say 100%, but I'd say with 95% certainly yes based on looking at the pictures. In some cases, though, the holes may be close enough that you'll make things worse if you don't plug and redrill.

I do not see any quick-connects in this guitar, and that makes sense since the pickups are Seymour Duncans that wouldn't come from the factory with them. The SD pickups in this guitar are 4-wire pickups, though, which means that they could be altered to use a push/pull coil split setup and/or phase inversion.

Quantum Strummer · Aug 31, 2016

Great review. The bridge slots thing must be a slip-up that got through…the TonePros TOMs I have come with those starter slots.

In the interest of completeness you may want to mention this Bluesbird variant:

:untroubled:

-Dave-

kakerlak · Aug 31, 2016

I've crammed HB-1s into something that was set up w/ Gibson-dimension rings and was able to cheat screws into two of the four existing screw holes and then drill two new ones in the other two spots that fell just outside the existing ones. I didn't need to fill anything. And definitely no evidence of the stock screw holes, since the HB-1 bezels are bigger -- in fact, I think there's zero chance of that. What I do think there's a chance of is seeing a hint of the extra screw holes from the HB-1 rings if you ever revert to Gibson ones. Mine just barely concealed them, but did so 100%. I also think, if the HB-1s are on there a long time you'll likely see a footprint of them if you revert to factory, either in finish fading or actual indentations.

DThomasC · Sep 1, 2016

Fortunate are those with extra HB-1 mounting rings that they can leave on the guitar. Westerly put Dimarzios and Duncans in HB-1 rings for decades.

I wonder what it would take to get Cordoba to sell HB-1 mounting rings in the Guild store. It wouldn't generate enough revenue to please the penny counters, but it would be a gesture of the kind that grows brand loyalty.

Guildadelphia · Sep 1, 2016

A new set of HB1's from Guild come with mounting rings (as long as you don't mind black).

adorshki · Sep 1, 2016

GAD said:
Otherwise you gotta sit with your head soaked in mayonnaise.

MMMM.
Head cheese sandwich.

Sandspur · Sep 26, 2016

Bridge slots

Quantum Strummer said:
Great review. The bridge slots thing must be a slip-up that got through…the TonePros TOMs I have come with those starter slots.

In the interest of completeness you may want to mention this Bluesbird variant:

:untroubled:

-Dave-

My new NS Bluesbird didn't have the slots either. I don't think this is a one-off. I'm going to bet there is a large run of these. While it is easy enough to fix I wonder what the thinking was on this?

Quantum Strummer · Sep 26, 2016

My thinking on this is that multiple someones screwed up.

Slotting your bridge saddles is basic stuff. Not doing it and then shipping guitars with those unfinished bridges is a double QC fail.

-Dave-

GAD · Sep 26, 2016

The answer from Guild on the ticket I opened re: the slotless bridge:

I'll be sure to forward this over to our QI Manager, to see if his has any insight in regards to the bridge
notches!

My NS Bluesbird Review

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