Pots and caps on mid 90s Bluesbird

[GAD]

Hello everybody! Here are some pictures and a link ( https://www.adkguitar.com/pages/dating-a-guild-guitar )
that says CL000091 serial number makes this Bluesbird a 1994 to 1996 built guitar.
In the truss rod slot there's an ink date: 10/10/96, I don't know about the initial 3. So, 1996 should be the year.
Please, also note the quality of the wiring - though I'll probably change the ceramic caps with Jensen PIOs - and the gap between the SD 59s and their frames, making me think they were ready to wear an HB-1 style cover.

Some notes:

• The page you linked is a ripoff of this one: http://support.guildguitars.com/downloads/datingyourguild.pdf
• Looking at that page, the guitar is likely a 1996 though they don't specifically list a range for '96 because:
• That page is often wrong.
• Hans knows all and is the only absolute truth when it comes to serial numbers and dates
• Ralf's not to be dismissed, either
• Bluesbird were reintroduced in the 1997 catalog. My guess is they made some in late '96 for the reintroduction.

Snippet from Guild SN page:

 

[fronobulax]

• The page you linked is a ripoff of this one: http://support.guildguitars.com/downloads/datingyourguild.pdf

I'm going to ask that we give Adirondack Guitars a pass. About a decade ago they were one of the few online sources for Guild serial numbers and they were posting something when Guild itself was not. In 2020 I'd send people to Guild, Hans, or Han's book but in 2010 it would have been Adirondack because it was accessible and better than nothing.

 

[GAD]

I'm going to ask that we give Adirondack Guitars a pass. About a decade ago they were one of the few online sources for Guild serial numbers and they were posting something when Guild itself was not. In 2020 I'd send people to Guild, Hans, or Han's book but in 2010 it would have been Adirondack because it was accessible and better than nothing.

Does that mean that Guild ripped off Adirondack Guitars? I might need to adjust my worldview...

 

[fronobulax]

Does that mean that Guild ripped off Adirondack Guitars? I might need to adjust my worldview...

I don't see either as a rip off. Multiple sources of the same information perhaps with a common source?

It would be an interesting project to see when Guild serial number lists appeared online and whether the earliest sources were hand compiled or assembled from paper or what. (Bookmarks Wayback machine). I expect in the traditional copyright sense Hans's book may be the earliest source and we know his published charts include personal research.

 

[GGJaguar]

I think the Guild serial number info was originally found on the now defunct, mrgearhead.net, which was maintained by FMIC.

 

[fronobulax]

From www.guildguitars.com circa 1998

https://web.archive.org/web/19980415143533fw_/http://www.guildguitars.com/dating.html

Quick glance says it is basically the chart/data we are used to seeing although it isn't a PDF

 

[SFIV1967]

In the truss rod slot there's an ink date: 10/10/96, I don't know about the initial 3. So, 1996 should be the year.

Thanks for the info! Interesting to see the date there. In my year 2000 one it is in the chamber where the pots are.
No idea about the "3" either. Maybe a number for the neck fitter (the person who worked on the neck)?

Ralf

 

[GGJaguar]

Here is the link to FMIC's mrgearhead.net site with the Guild serial number table:

http://www.mrgearhead.com/guild/dating.html

 

[GGJaguar]

Thanks for the info! Interesting to see the date there.

My Artist Award is dated in the same location.

 

[mavuser]

there is a "3" written inside the truss rod cavity of my 1980 G-312

nice bird!

 

[GAD]

there is a "3" written inside the truss rod cavity of my 1980 G-312

nice bird!

So it was built in the year 3. That's gotta be worth a premium!

 

[fronobulax]

Here is the link to FMIC's mrgearhead.net site with the Guild serial number table:

http://www.mrgearhead.com/guild/dating.html

I go there and it asks me to log in with my FMIC employee ID after redirecting to https://fenderbackstage.com/

 

[GGJaguar]

I go there and it asks me to log in with my FMIC employee ID after redirecting to https://fenderbackstage.com/

Oops! Let's try THIS LINK instead.

 

[fronobulax]

Oops! Let's try THIS LINK instead.

That's the 2005 version of the 1998 version I linked to above Let's see if I get motivated enough to find the differences

 

[fabdad]

Something I discovered recently: after measuring original volume pots on my '96 Bluesbird are 220 kOhm, while tone pots are 330 kOhm. No good in my opinion. I am going to put 500 kOhm pots soon.