Guild 66-J

Soul Tramp

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How would you say it compares to a deluxe?


I didn't answer this question correctly the first time. When I answered above I was comparing it to a tweed Deluxe, and my answer stands.

However, when compared to a Deluxe Reverb it is quite similar in circuit design. The obvious differences being lack of reverb, and the Fender is fixed bias while the Guild is cathode bias.
 

Bill Ashton

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I'll raise my hand (oooh! oooh!) as I have had one since early 1968...

As Steve (default) and I have discussed, the "J" in the moniker may be for "Jazz." Definately NOT Fender tweed
Deluxe sounding, very very clean up to almost full blast, only one half of one preamp tube used for each channel's
gain. Think more like a non-reverb SF Fender Princeton. Trem is very nice, alas mine has been repaired twice (second time by Steve) and its wonky again, probably because I do not use her anywhere near enough now.

Pot date-coding mine makes it a '63 (even though it has an older Jensen blue); based on the covering, the handle and
the switches (not ball end), I would guess yours newer. Do not know if your vintage still had the frosted green pilot light lens.

Nice job on the recap! Just make sure to do something about that nasty death-cap in there ;)

Oh, and NICE mono-blocks you got there! Wow!
 

Soul Tramp

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I'll raise my hand (oooh! oooh!) as I have had one since early 1968...

As Steve (default) and I have discussed, the "J" in the moniker may be for "Jazz." Definately NOT Fender tweed
Deluxe sounding, very very clean up to almost full blast, only one half of one preamp tube used for each channel's
gain. Think more like a non-reverb SF Fender Princeton. Trem is very nice, alas mine has been repaired twice (second time by Steve) and its wonky again, probably because I do not use her anywhere near enough now.

Pot date-coding mine makes it a '63 (even though it has an older Jensen blue); based on the covering, the handle and
the switches (not ball end), I would guess yours newer. Do not know if your vintage still had the frosted green pilot light lens.

Nice job on the recap! Just make sure to do something about that nasty death-cap in there ;)

Oh, and NICE mono-blocks you got there! Wow!


The mono-blocks were a fun, costly, and time consuming build. Definitely a project I was happy to complete.

Yeah, I forgot to unhook the death cap. Thanks for the reminder!

The Princeton has NFB and a completely different phase inverter both of which would contribute to a different voicing than the 66-J.

Below is the build tag from inside the Guild. Can it be dated from the serial number?


Build_Tag.jpg
 

AcornHouse

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The Princeton has NFB and a completely different phase inverter both of which would contribute to a different voicing than the 66-J.

Well, it is a unique design, but it’s characteristics will be more blackface than tweed. I know my 99J is a warm jazz voiced and, considering their target market, this will be too.

Below is the build tag from inside the Guild. Can it be dated from the serial number?


Build_Tag.jpg

Nope. And Hans has said that he really doesn’t have as much interest in the amp side of things, so there is no chart. Anywhere.

Given that label, and the style, I would put it at ‘61 or later. (Not too much later, I don’t think they made these too far into the 60s.)
My 99J is a little easier because it has a ghost label. But you can use the date codes on the pots and speaker to get in the ballpark.
 

AcornHouse

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Checking back to your speaker pic, its from the third week of ‘63. So, assuming it’s original to the amp, places it at the earliest it could be. If you look on the pots, you should see a 6 digit code on the side or top. That will further narrow it down.
 

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Just to throw a couple of pfennigs in...
This amp is intended to have a very bright single coil plugged into it and have the fifties style jazz come out. You could imagine the audience sitting quietly and listening to a trio playing Caravan.
A Deluxe is trying to get as much volume out as possible at the barn dance.
 

Shakeylee

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Just to throw a couple of pfennigs in...
This amp is intended to have a very bright single coil plugged into it and have the fifties style jazz come out. You could imagine the audience sitting quietly and listening to a trio playing Caravan.
A Deluxe is trying to get as much volume out as possible at the barn dance.

well,that statement probably hits the mark :D

if you are a Philly amp tech, LMK!!
 

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I would humbly suggest looking at the EIA date codes on the potentiometers, very easy to see if they are original with the amp or not. Prolly the transformers as well? Gives you a "can't be older than date," which is about as good as we get. Might look at some old catalogs, but even that might not be accurate if they used "last year's" images.

BTW, did you get a schematic, stapled inside the upper back of the cabinet?
 

SFIV1967

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6143 datecode on the caps. But that week 03 1963 date from the speaker is probably much closer.

1598913597691.png


Another 66-J speaker had a week 37 1963 datecode, can't see the S/N on the label.:

1598914654032.png


And S/N 753 had a week 25 1962 speaker:

1598914934887.png
1598914973098.png


A 1961 one (J-66) had a label with a guitar serial number from 1961. Also a week 02 1961 speaker and pot codes 6109:

1598915315472.png
1598915356253.png
1598915390281.png


Ralf
 
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Bill Ashton

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Nice Ralf!

I cannot find my own images of my 66-J, but for some reason I got flagged on this old post on the TDPRI and thought there
might be some info/ interest for you, @Soul Tramp. Years and years ago I think we had a discussion here on the finer points of mine, i.e. whether the stars were from an Oldsmobile or Pontiac :p

 

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FWIW, depending on the amp, the parts dates can vary widely. My Model 40-T has a lower chassis that is obviously surplus of some kind, and the filter cap has 1955 stamped on it in orange ink. They also ought a large amount of Jensen P12Ps in 1956 that show up various mid to late fifties amps. The J series seems to be assembled using standard parts.
 

Soul Tramp

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Here's a breakdown of component dating:

Speaker - 1963 - "220303"
PT - 1961 - "926108"
OT - 1961 - "926134"
Cap Can - 1963 - "6307"
6V6 Cathode Cap - 1961 - "6143"
Vol Pot - 1962 - "1346232"

Safe to say it's a '63 amp.
 

Soul Tramp

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Nice Ralf!

I cannot find my own images of my 66-J, but for some reason I got flagged on this old post on the TDPRI and thought there
might be some info/ interest for you, @Soul Tramp. Years and years ago I think we had a discussion here on the finer points of mine, i.e. whether the stars were from an Oldsmobile or Pontiac :p



No stars on mine, and no sign of there ever having been a "Guild" badge on the front of the cabinet. No screw holes and no discoloration.
 

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It also doesn't have the trapzoidal speaker cutout. That started maybe in 57, definately by 1958.
 

Soul Tramp

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Trem circuit is giving me trouble. I thought it would be and easy fix, but no. Two resistors had drifted in excess of 100%. Once replaced, no improvement. Has to be a bad cap. Will check them out next.
 

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The Guild name badge was original on mine, the "starz" were added by some previous owner. On the 99-J that I traded to Steve, I think that had a blank front with no indication of any brads to hold on the name badge...can you confirm, Steve?
 
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