txbumper57
Enlightened Member
Well I have actually had this guitar for a few months now but wanted to get it just how I wanted it before the big reveal. Between being Super Busy with the pups and life along with my Luthier having a bit of a waiting list I finally got it back today!
This is a 2014 Made in New Hartford Guild GSR X500D. As you can see from the pics it has a lovely Laminated Spruce top and some of the most beautiful Laminated Flamed Maple back and sides I have ever laid eyes on. I have been dreaming for a few years now about building a X500 to my liking and finally got the opportunity t do so with this one. The original Gold Korean Made HB1's have been replaced with a set of Black and Gold Seymour Duncan Custom Shop Phat Staples pickups (my favorite pickups on the market today). Also I happened to have a few Gold New Hartford and Westerly era Guildsby's on the parts shelf that I acquired over the years so this New Hartford Guild of course got one of the New Hartford models. The action is low and fast while the Guildsby operates perfectly with the slightest touch while returning to proper tuning even when dive bombed.
The Phat Staple pickups give off a tone that I can only describe as the perfect mix of an Original Franz style P90 with an Original Dearmond Dynasonic. The neck position is Deep, Fat, Thick, and Clear which makes for a Great Blues or Jazz tone clean. It also gets nice a syrupy when you add a little overdrive to it which my Fulltone OCD does nicely. The Bridge pickup delivers that wonderful Twang that we all know and love. I can get everything from Duane Eddy to Dwight Yoakam out of it clean but when you throw the drive to it it is full on Rock your face off! The middle position is a nice mix of the two while still retaining that clear tone and a great position for finger picking clean. I have these same pickups in a Starfire V and while they sound great in a Semi Hollow body they really shine in the Full Hollow construction of the X500D.
Like I mentioned earlier this has been something I have wanted to do for a long time building a X500 up like this one and I have to say I couldn't be happier! It is a Jazz Fiend, Blues King, Country Queen, Rockabilly Dream, and a Rock and Roll Machine all rolled into one.
Enough with all the talk and on to the photos! Any smudges are due to the puppy noses that wee checking it out between photos, LOL! What can I say, they are Guild Dogs.
TX
This is a 2014 Made in New Hartford Guild GSR X500D. As you can see from the pics it has a lovely Laminated Spruce top and some of the most beautiful Laminated Flamed Maple back and sides I have ever laid eyes on. I have been dreaming for a few years now about building a X500 to my liking and finally got the opportunity t do so with this one. The original Gold Korean Made HB1's have been replaced with a set of Black and Gold Seymour Duncan Custom Shop Phat Staples pickups (my favorite pickups on the market today). Also I happened to have a few Gold New Hartford and Westerly era Guildsby's on the parts shelf that I acquired over the years so this New Hartford Guild of course got one of the New Hartford models. The action is low and fast while the Guildsby operates perfectly with the slightest touch while returning to proper tuning even when dive bombed.
The Phat Staple pickups give off a tone that I can only describe as the perfect mix of an Original Franz style P90 with an Original Dearmond Dynasonic. The neck position is Deep, Fat, Thick, and Clear which makes for a Great Blues or Jazz tone clean. It also gets nice a syrupy when you add a little overdrive to it which my Fulltone OCD does nicely. The Bridge pickup delivers that wonderful Twang that we all know and love. I can get everything from Duane Eddy to Dwight Yoakam out of it clean but when you throw the drive to it it is full on Rock your face off! The middle position is a nice mix of the two while still retaining that clear tone and a great position for finger picking clean. I have these same pickups in a Starfire V and while they sound great in a Semi Hollow body they really shine in the Full Hollow construction of the X500D.
Like I mentioned earlier this has been something I have wanted to do for a long time building a X500 up like this one and I have to say I couldn't be happier! It is a Jazz Fiend, Blues King, Country Queen, Rockabilly Dream, and a Rock and Roll Machine all rolled into one.
Enough with all the talk and on to the photos! Any smudges are due to the puppy noses that wee checking it out between photos, LOL! What can I say, they are Guild Dogs.
TX
