Bluesbird specs... does anyone have anything helpful?

[FunkyKikuchiyo]

Hello all... yes, this is my first post here!

I'll preface by saying that I'm still kicking myself ten years later for not grabbing a Corona Blues 90 when one was available to me nice and cheap. I thought nothing of it because I hadn't played many Gibsons at that point and erroneously assumed that a Gibson must be a superior version (oh how wrong I was) and that the Guild would remain in production (oh how wrong I was... again).

I'm a guitar tech and contemplating doing some from-scratch builds inspired by the Bluesbird. I'm wondering if anyone has any information on them, specifically, measurements of neck profiles (especially the aforementioned model) or of the chambering pattern. Were the bodies routed to a pattern and the flat top glued on then carved, or were both sides of the top carved before being glued on? Were all of these a 1.75" nut width?

Thanks in advance... I know it is asking a bit, but I figured it would be worth making a post.

 

[FunkyKikuchiyo]

Nada? Oh well...... can't blame a guy for trying!

 

[StanBlues]

Funky,
the neck from the Blues 90 is a little different than the Bluesbirds......
For the run of Bluesbirds from '97 to about '02, the scale is 24 - 3/4" and the nut was 1 - 11/16", rosewood fretboard, mahogany body and neck.....
From the '02 catalog there is a picture of the chambering configuration, but no specs....(these pics are posted on the bluesbird owners thread)
the necks are bound, so for a luthier that means a little harder time swapping out the frets ....
i will look around for some more information about the neck profiles.... i am sure that information is around....
I did not post earlier, because i figured there are a lot of guys with way more knowledge on this subject than me.....
sorry could't be of more help.... give it some time.....someone is bound to post something of more value than me....lol!!

rock on
d

 

[FunkyKikuchiyo]

Thanks Stan!

Interesting that the Blues 90 and Bluesbird had different neck profiles. I guess the Blues 90 is the one I have in my head.

I'll check out the owner's thread. I found a tiny picture of the chambering on another site, I wonder if it is the same one.

 

[StanBlues]

Funky,
I don't have time to dig into this right now, but check out this bluesbird restoration project.
This guy might have some specs for you or at least lead you in the right direction.
In any case, let me know what you find and share any of you findings with me.
Hope this helps.
rock on!
dennis
http://williamyoungguitars.com/guildrestoration02.htm

 

[FunkyKikuchiyo]

That is very cool!

 

[adorshki]

Funky,
the neck from the Blues 90 is a little different than the Bluesbirds......
For the run of Bluesbirds from '97 to about '02, the scale is 24 - 3/4" and the nut was 1 - 11/16", rosewood fretboard, mahogany body and neck.....

Also during that period the change of manufacturing from Westerly to Corona occurred and here's the critical issue:
In Westerly necks were finished by hand individually on a wheel so there is simply much more variablity of profiles on Westerlys.
They started making Bluesbirds in Corona in '01 before Westerly was closed.
Here's whereI'm not 100% certain, but I think I recall that in Corona the necks were much more consistent because they were finished on numeric controlled machines.
I'm pretty sure I remember somebody mentioning once (like, a couple of years ago) that their Blues 90 had a chunkier neck than their Bluesbird. And I think Blues 90's were Corona only.
On my acoustics at least, the 2 Westerlys definitely have what's called a modern flat oval neck profile, pretty skinny, like a "D" with a flattened and shallower curve.
My Corona D40 is definitely a "D" almost a "C" , but that all seems to confirm what Stan is saying about neck profiles, and would seem to confirm the "chunky neck" on a Blues 90.
So that'll give you some insight as to why the "hard specs" may not be all that "hard", on necks anyway, even though I'm not a " 'leccie guy."

 

[gilded]

I was going to stay out of this because you wanted Blues 90 specs and I don't have one, etc., but I can tell you that my '02 Bluesbird has the biggest widest neck I have found on a Guild Electric. The width at the nut with a good micrometer is 1.751" and the neck is very full feeling and chunky all the way down.
My serial no is CM000476. I'm thinking Hans told me it was an '02, but I wouldn't know if that is an early serial number or a late '02 serial number. Good guitar, though.

 

[mad dog]

Every bluesbird neck I've felt has been different. Ranging from quite slim front to back on one, massive on a few others. The BB I owned had a just right neck. 1 11/16 wide, not shallow at all front to back, somewhere between a C and D shape, with a little more shoulder than I typically like, but if felt so right in the hand.
MD

 

[FunkyKikuchiyo]

Thanks so much guys! I found the page on the owners thread you mentioned: http://www.letstalkguild.com/ltgvB/...rds-Owners-amp-Long-Time-Borrowers-List/page9

I had a smaller version of the picture, but this is the first I've seen the full page since... well... 2002! If I dug through my closet, I'd probably find the original catalog, but that sounds too much like work. I'm trying to see where the bridge lies in that picture, because there is that one long rout - maybe that sits between the bridge and tailpiece?

I'm intrigued by chambering, and I can't help but wonder if the top is carved on the underside like an archtop, or if it is just a shaped slab. Every source seems to be mum on this. Part of what got me thinking about this was that Bob Benedetto at his new Savannah, GA based company is making chambered electric "Benny" that seems awfully similar to stuff from the Guild history. He typically doesn't have them with any holes, but when he does it seems to imply that the top is shaped, like here: http://benedettoguitars.com/wp-cont...nyoneoffsweetteafinishs1918-bobs-boutique.jpg

Also, what's up with the spruce top models? Those are the Aristocrats? Why spruce is used so rarely in electrics I have no idea, but it sounds amazing every time I hear it, albeit perhaps not best suited for high gain.

 

[SFIV1967]

http://williamyoungguitars.com/guildrestoration02.htm

But he was wrong with the assumption that the top was a carved Spruce top! It was a laminated Spruce top on the Aristocrats, not carved! There is an older thread where Hans explained it why a laminated top was much better compared to a carved top (laminated has less feedback).
Ralf

 

[FunkyKikuchiyo]

But he was wrong with the assumption that the top was a carved Spruce top! It was a laminated Spruce top on the Aristocrats, not carved! There is an older thread where Hans explained it why a laminated top was much better compared to a carved top (laminated has less feedback).
Ralf

If it is laminated then it must be arched on the bottom. Otherwise there'd be no point in laminating it. For a slab, anything except carved (except maybe veneer) seems pointless. Were the maple tops always carved? The Frontline catalog says carved.

 

[SFIV1967]

If it is laminated then it must be arched on the bottom. Otherwise there'd be no point in laminating it. For a slab, anything except carved (except maybe veneer) seems pointless. Were the maple tops always carved? The Frontline catalog says carved.

The Aristocrats had laminated Spruce tops. Sure they are arched, same like the bottoms of the laminated arched Acoustic Guilds. But my year 2000 Bluesbird spec also shows "Carved AAA Quilted Maple". The early M-75 Bluesbirds had "spruce, maple or mahogany tops", see Hans book page 57. But he does not say "solid", so I assume also laminated. At what time after 1977 the Bluesbirds got a carved top will be written in Hans second book, but it is not yet available.
Ralf

 

[workedinwesterly]

1990's bluesbirds and blues 90's were slabs of mahogany, routed out, a bookmatched slab of maple glued on, then arched, then shaped and neckpocket and holes put it.

 

[FunkyKikuchiyo]

1990's bluesbirds and blues 90's were slabs of mahogany, routed out, a bookmatched slab of maple glued on, then arched, then shaped and neckpocket and holes put it.

Thanks!