M-75 Cherry

hansmoust

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Has anyone seen an Aristocrat like this one? I've searched the web for years but have never found a Guild that's similar. It's a 1962 model, judging by the serial number, the last year the original M-75s were made. What's unusual about it is its color -- Starfire red instead of sunburst -- and its pickups -- humbuckers instead of P-90s. I got it in 1970 in a pawn shop in Central Square in Cambridge (traded a lame Les Paul Professional for it) and have had it ever since. The Bigsby was added by the previous owner, and three of the original knobs were lost when the guitar was lent to a friend. But otherwise it's all original. Does anyone on the Forum have one like it?

1962_aristocrat_web.jpg

Hello bloomsdisco,

Welcome! What you have is a Guild M-75 C or M-75 Cherry, which was a color and body wood option that was introduced during 1961. Several batches of these Cherry finished instruments were made at that time and most of them had cream covered soapbars or DeArmond pickups. However, the M-75 was not successful enough and was discontinued after 1962. Your guitar is from a relatively small batch that was started during 1962, but not all the instruments from that batch were completed right away. You guitar was completed shortly after the introduction of the small Guild humbuckers and the stairstep pickguard, which both had not been used on an M-75 before that. The transpararent G-shield knobs and the Kluson Deluxe tuners with pearloid buttons also point to a ca. 1963 completion date.

That's pretty much what I can tell you in a nutshell.

Sincerely,

Hans Moust
www.guitarsgalore.nl
 
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Wow! Thanks, Hans. Great info. I imagine there were very few of these finished, because I've never seen another like it. And I've been looking for the past 45 years. As I said in my replies to other Forum members, the guitar had been roughly handled before I got it, with deep scratches in the finish on the back and other cosmetic defects. But it still plays beautifully and is especially sweet at mid-level volume on the rhythm pick-up. Thanks again!
 

shihan

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Yeah, I could definitely see Sammy Lawhorn playing that guitar. What a beauty!
 
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