Guild Model designations

Bill Ashton

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Can someone post...hope this has not been done before...a listing of model designations that makes some sense of all the numbers?

66-J 98 RVT 99-J etc, etc

I probably have those wrong, but you get the drift...is there some logic to the models...?

Or is it like Vox guitar serial numbers :lol:
 

matsickma

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I think it goes something like this:

Early 1950's:
Masteramp w/12 (Model designation unknown for all Masteramps)
Masteramp w/ 15
Masteramp w/12 +2-tweaters

Starting in Mid 1950 are the non-MasterAmps. However a Masteramp label may be on the some of the earlier amps but the control panel will show the amp model. Guild also changed the physical style of the amps at least 3 times between mid 1950's and mid 1960's. The styles were 1) Front Trapezoid grill, 2) Black tolex with paint drops, 3) Grey tolex. In the early 1960's some of the amp control panels were accentuated with red or blue paint details.

40-T
50-J
66-J
98RT
99-J
100-J
200-S
RC-20

In the mid 1960's Guild moved to the new circuit tube amps:

1965ish:
T1-12 (BLACK)
T1 RVT (BLACK)
Late 1966ish:
T1-12 2ND STYLE (BEIGE)
T1RVT 2ND STYLE (BEIGE)
THUNDERBASS (BEIGE) W/8417
QUANTUM THUNDERBASS W/8417'S (BEIGE)
THUNDERBIRD (1-12 + 1-8) W/7591A (BEIGE)
SUPER THUNDERBIRD (2-12) W/8417'S (BEIGE)
SLAVE W/8417'S (BEIGE)

1968ish:
T1-TWIN "BABY BASS" (2-10) BLACK
THUNDERBIRD 2ND STYLE (2-12) W/7591'S (BLACK)
SUPERBIRD I (2-12) & II (2-15) W/8417'S (BLACK)
THUNDERBASS W/8417'S (BLACK)
QUANTUM THUNDERBASS W/8417'S (BLACK)

mid 1969ish:
T1-12 (3RD STYLE) BLACK
THUNDERSTAR (1-12) (BLACK) W/7591A'S (BLACK)
SUPERSTAR (1-15) (BLACK) W/6L6'S
THUNDERBIRD 3RD STYLE (2-12) (BLACK) W/6L6'S
THUNDERSTAR BASS (BLACK) W/6L6'S
THUNDERBASS 1A (BLACK) W/6L6'S
QUANTUM THUNDERBASS (BLACK) W/6550'S
MAVERICK (2-10) (BLACK) W/7591A
MAVERICK BASS (1-15) W/7591A
747 (never released) speculated to be Guild most powerful guitar amp. A piggy back model with 2-power amp sections Top w 2-10's and bottom with 2-12's or 2-15's.

Guild cancels the tube amp line in the early 1970's . Late 1970 or early 1971. (Wish I would have been able to run down to NJ a pick up parts. I was a Junior in HS.)

Early 1970's Guild releases a new line of Solidstate amps (I don't know much about these but i'll take a crack at it.) GoG may have better info here.

Model 1 (1-12)
Model 2 (1-10 sealed + 1-10 open back)
Model 3 (bass amp with 1-15 I think)
Model 4 (small practice amp I think)
Model 5 (another small practice amp I think)
Model 6 (yet another small practice amp ?)
Model 7 (possibly another small practice amp)

I suspect Guild SS amps faded by the mid to late 1970's

In the early 1980's I believe Randall began to make the Acoustic Amps like the Aspen and the Stool amps for Guild. Not sure how long this lasted.


There are a lot of subtle differences in the cosmetics of the Guild amps from mid 1950 thru late 1960's. It looks like Guild didn't change amp circuit design much between 1955 and 1965. However they did change the cosmetic's at least 3 times in this 10 year period. It is actually quite amazing to see how prolific Guild was between 1965 and 1970 in their tube amp designs. A lot of different models, changes and upgrades occured in this narrow 5 to 6 year period. This is the period of time I am most interested in the Guild amps.

M
 

The Guilds of Grot

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matsickma said:
Early 1970's Guild releases a new line of Solidstate amps (I don't know much about these but i'll take a crack at it.) GoG may have better info here.
Got ya covered matsickma;

Amp-One.jpg


Amp-Two.jpg


Amp-Three.jpg


Amps4-7.jpg


Bill, if you want to see photos of the actual amps above just go to my web site listed in my sig.
 

Bill Ashton

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Wow, that is fanststic info, thank you gentlemen! To continue with the thought of my original question, do the model numbers in the post Master amps have any correlation to anything, or are they just random? I can make "RT" reverb-tremolo, "RVT" reverb-vibrato-tremolo, and maybe "S" for stereo, but what does a "J" represent...uh, "Jazz?"
 

matsickma

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I think your code suggestions are on the mark. I always wondered what a "J" would stand for. Jazz makes sense. The T-40 name represents a sTudent amp.

There are some other oddball amps that were made by Univox that pop up once in a while. I don't have much experiance with those.

UPDATE: Guild used RVT on the T1 amps to denote ReVerb and Tremelo and not Reverb, Vibrato, Tremelo.

M
 

Bill Ashton

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Thanks, Matsickma, probably never would have worked out sTudent! :lol: Funny you mention the Univox, for years ago I stumbled across a Guild amp that for all the world looked like something LaFayette Radio would have marketed...thought it had to be a fake that someone had rebadged. Mostly what I remember is a tinny pressed steel chassis...

GoG, your collection is most impressive. Glad to see the images start off with a 66-J.

Just one question, what IS Guild doing with Motley Crue ???? :lol:

Probably abou the same they tried to do with Roy Buchannon no doubt...
 

matsickma

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I suspect that had Guild tried to capatilize on their Blues heritatige instead of the Jazz connection and more agressively tried to sign up Rock-n-Roll artist in the early 1960's their future would have been brighter. The Aristocrat was marketed as a Jazz guitar yet Keith Richards played a M65 on Satisfaction. Guild should have been all over Keith Richard for endorcement. Can you imagine how immortal the M65 would be today if we all knew what Keith played on that song! (Think of all the Maestro Fuzz box's that were sold after Satisfaction came out!) The famous picture of John Lennon being handed a custom SFXII while George Harrison sat on the sidelines was a mistake. They should have walked in with the SFXII for John and a DE500 for George-both with the DeArmonds.

Now that might have changed Guild history especially if George played the DE on Ed Sullivan #2 or at Shea.

There is a lot of what could have been. I don't think Guild made a mistake in the 1980 Hair Band endorcements. They just needed to do it more often and sooner. I don't think the John Fogerty CCR and Guild connection was widely known. That is another example of a missed opportunity. CCR was incredibly popular and having both Fogerty's endorcing Guild during their prime would have been a major item. Heck we were all play CCR stuff back then.

What about Neil Young and Stephen Stills; another opportunity lost.


The Guild Management had high values and built outstanding instruments. Unfortunatly they marketed to an older, and from rock-n-roll teenager POV, boring musicians.

The situation is good for us LTG geezers but unfortunatly didn't give Guild the reputation and popularity they deserved.

M
 

jp

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Wow matsickma. I wouldn't doubt if you are probably the leading (or one of the leading) Guild amp experts in the world. Something to digest, huh. Thanks for posting that info. Perhaps you need to write the Guild amplifier book or the section in Hans' new book, eh? :wink:
 

matsickma

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Hi jp,

Thanks for the complement. However my knowledge is only skin deep as I never mastered the technical understanding of the amps. I am a Electrical Engineer by training but tube amps were already off the curriculum when I went to college. Some day I may get around to understanding the inner workings but thats along way off. I would phrase my situation a little differently as "I may have spent more money on Guild amps than anyone else in the world. " :oops:

M
 

Bill Ashton

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Wow, we must have gone to school at the same time...no tubes, very little digital, all transistors! Perhaps the only thing applicable today is "Circuit Theory 101" :lol:

I am sure that yours is also a collection to see!

Thanks for all the info, its really great.

Best regards,

Bill
 
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