NGD: 1970 M-75 Bluesbird

garyfanclub

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Hello LTG!

After weeks (months?) of lurking and researching here, I finally pulled the trigger on a 1970 M-75 Bluesbird. This particular example is fully hollow, and has the rare-in-this-format HB1s.

So far I’m loving! Tone is excellent, despite the thunky sounding flatwounds currently on the guitar. The HB1s are actually much brighter than I expected, sounding very close to the earlier 1970 M-75 I demo’d against.

Feel-wise the instrument is broken-in but not abused. The neck is narrow but not overly thin at either end. Frets are the glorious flatish frets you see on most 70s guitars.

I did make a couple adjustments upon receipt...

The neck angle is extremely low, which means it’s easy to bottom out the adjustment screws on the stock rosewood (?) bridge. Anyway, was very difficult to get slinky action with the original, especially with flats. Just a call out here for anyone exploring these, you may want to think about a different bridge if you’re into lowish action.

To keep things “period correct” and perhaps stay in the vein of a mod that might have happened 40 years ago, I tracked down an early 70s Muller bridge, which dropped right into the place. Still need to adjust the intonation, but works great! Slightly brighter unplugged tone, but action was immediately better given the lower profile compared to the stock bridge.

Here’s a picture with the 65 Ampeg Reverberocket I’m using it through.

GnZaMH0_d.jpg
 

walrus

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Welcome to LTG!

Very cool - love that in black! Congratulations!

walrus
 

GGJaguar

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Wow, awesome guitar and awesome amp!!
 

swiveltung

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Wow, just like my '69 I bought new back then. Except mine had gold hardware and "Bluesbird" on the truss rod cover. All black like that though. Light as a feather. Same pickups as that. I think mine had a rosewood or ebony bridge though.. can't remember for sure...

In the early 2000's I bought a '70 black/chrome one like that with a Guildsby on it. Not a perfect guitar but good. Paid $600 on Ebay. Shoulda kept it.
 
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sailingshoes72

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Welcome to LTG. Congratulations on your M-75 Bluesbird! That axe looks cool with the all black finish and the block inlays on the fretboard. I'm glad you were able to get the action dialed in to the way you like it. Nice photo with the blue-check Ampeg Reverberocket!
 

Quantum Strummer

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Cool! Also a very suitable amp to pair it up with.

My Bluesbird is a '70 but with (5K variant) anti hums. The early HB-1s, in my experience anyway, are indeed bright pickups. No less bright than anti hums…but with more midrange oomph.

-Dave-
 

garyfanclub

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Hey all, appreciate the warm welcome!

Nice to hear these aren’t as uncommon as I previously though (though still rare compared to the solid versions).

These really are great instruments, but you only need to play one for a little bit to understand why Guild decided to pivot to something more in line with the times in the early 70s. These guitars growl, for sure, but it’s more of a 60s garage rock tone than a 70s sound. That said, this is a great “roots” or Americana instrument, especially if you’re going for a CSNY, Burds, early Neil Young vibe. Really love the “air” in the tone, which you have to hear to believe.

Quantum Strummer, 100% agree on the pickups. Not a tremendous discernible difference when compared to the Anti Hums that directly preceded these - maybe slightly more low fi? Both are exceptionally articulate and “wide range”, I’ll have a better frame of reference when I swap out the flats, but for now I’m not feeling starved for brightness, even in the neck position.

Are you using the stock bridge or have you upgraded? Not sure I’m sold on the utility of the stock bridge in a modern context. Seems a bit archaic unless you’re a wound G type of dude
 

shihan

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Welcome and congratulations on getting such a beauty! As o hers have said, that Ampeg is a perfect amp for that guitar. Enjoy it in good health.
 

Quantum Strummer

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Are you using the stock bridge or have you upgraded? Not sure I’m sold on the utility of the stock bridge in a modern context. Seems a bit archaic unless you’re a wound G type of dude

I am using the stock (rosewood) bridge…and I am a wound G type of dude. :victorious: In fact I've currently got flatwounds on my Bluesbird: Thomastik Jazz/Swings.

-Dave-
 
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