The best Guild with P90s

[vates]

Hi! I'm new to this forum.
However, I remember registering on a Guild-related forum 17 or 18 years ago...
Maybe this one. But maybe the name was different.
Anyway, I digress.

I don't really play the electric guitar much these days. Mostly bass (same nickname @TB forum) and occasionally acoustic guitar (same for the related forums).
However currently I would like to get a nice electric guitar with P90 pickups. I have a good Fender and an even better Gibson. So why not Guild?
After all, I've been craving for a '90s-'00s Bluesbird since 2006 or 2007, before switching to playing the bass almost exclusively.

So, the question to you, dear Forum members, is:

Which Guild model equipped with P90s is the best? Either new or vintage.

I'm posting it here, in Solid/Chambered section but semis and thinlines are fine as well. Except the larger jazz-boxes.

Opinions welcome.

 

[JohnW63]

Sp, you're open to any P-90 instrument that isn't a big hollow body model, then?

I think the Blues 90 is a Bluesbird with P-90s. I don't know if that's an official name or nickname. Other here will know.

 

[matsickma]

Blues90 is a Westerly made "downgraded" Bluesbird with P90's and a neck with less aesticic feature of unbound neck and dot in lieu of block fret markers.
Hardware other than pickups is the same.
The Bluesbird 90 is a Corona CA made guitar with all the fancy neck features of the Bluesbird with P90 pickups. Some would likely say the wood finish of the Blues 90 is less ornamental than the Bluesbird or Bluesbird 90.

 

[vates]

Thank you, @JohnW63 and @matsickma!
Frankly, Bluesbird 90 or Blues 90 (green!) are those I've been mostly gas'ing for.
Hard to find though, esp. the former.
Other P90 models (like M90) are even rarer, I assume.

 

[SFIV1967]

There was also the ultra rare (only 12 made in the Nashville Custom Shop) M-95!
Just as example, one from year 2001 (wrongly marked as M-90):

USA Custom Shop M90 Singlecut Figured Top Electric Guitar, 11 of 12

These are exceptionally difficult to come across...We're actually really struggling to find any trace of another on the market! From the Guild USA Custom Shop, this is a M90 Custom Shop model which we are selling on behalf of one of our customers who has put an incredible collection of rarities...

www.soundaffects.com

Ralf

 

[vates]

Thanks! I've seen that. Looks gorgeous. It's out of stock though.

 

[SFIV1967]

think the Blues 90 is a Bluesbird with P-90s. I don't know if that's an official name or nickname. Other here will know.

"Blues 90" was the official name during the Westerly factory times till 2001:



And Corona made the "Bluesbird P90" (with the added P) in 1992 and 1993:



Ralf

 

[vates]

Thanks, noted!

 

[GGJaguar]

I have a Blues 90 and Bluesbird P90. Be aware these models have chunky necks so if you prefer thinner neck profiles, these might not work for you. There is also the Aristocrat P90 which is a current model that is made in China. It has a chambered mahogany body with spruce top and a single cutaway. Of course, it will cost much less than the American-made Blues 90 or Bluesbird P90. Since you don't play electric guitar much, that may be an option. Good luck with your hunt!

 

[vates]

I have a Blues 90 and Bluesbird P90. Be aware these models have chunky necks so if you prefer thinner neck profiles, these might not work for you. There is also the Aristocrat P90 which is a current model that is made in China. It has a chambered mahogany body with spruce top and a single cutaway. Of course, it will cost much less than the American-made Blues 90 or Bluesbird P90. Since you don't play electric guitar much, that may be an option. Good luck with your hunt!

Thanks for the info! I would like to purchase an American-made Guild.

 

[GAD]

Starfire III-P90

Guild Starfire III-90 | GAD's Ramblings

I have thing for Bigsby-equipped guitars, owing in large part to my obsession with Brian Setzer’s music. In my quest to capture Brian Setzer’s Tone, I’ve owned far too many such guitars. After buying and selling my fair share, one of my favorites is the Guild Starfire-III with P90s. After about...

www.gad.net

I also have a Blues-90 (two actually: red and green) and a Bluesbird-P90. They are awesome, but the pickups in them are way too hot. The SFIII-P90 has what appears to be SD Antiquities in it and they are fabulous.

Note that in my Bluesbird-P90 which IIRC is a custom shop model, I swapped out the pickups for Antiquities and it’s SO much better.

 

[GGJaguar]

Starfire III-P90

A great guitar, but very hard to find. There always seems to be a Blues 90 for sale at any given time.

 

[GGJaguar]

The SFIII-P90 has what appears to be SD Antiquities in it and they are fabulous.

They are definitely SD Antiquity P-90s. Antiquities were also used in the the X-500T (another hard to find model).

 

[vates]

Starfire III-P90

Guild Starfire III-90 | GAD's Ramblings

I have thing for Bigsby-equipped guitars, owing in large part to my obsession with Brian Setzer’s music. In my quest to capture Brian Setzer’s Tone, I’ve owned far too many such guitars. After buying and selling my fair share, one of my favorites is the Guild Starfire-III with P90s. After about...

www.gad.net

I also have a Blues-90 (two actually: red and green) and a Bluesbird-P90. They are awesome, but the pickups in them are way too hot. The SFIII-P90 has what appears to be SD Antiquities in it and they are fabulous.

Note that in my Bluesbird-P90 which IIRC is a custom shop model, I swapped out the pickups for Antiquities and it’s SO much better.

That's a very nice guitar! I understand it's fully hollow, without center block.

 

[matsickma]

I have to check the model pickups on this Nashville Custom shop model. I never popped the covers and pulled the pups.

 

[chazmo]

I have to check the model pickups on this Nashville Custom shop model. I never popped the covers and pulled the pups.

Boy, that's a beautiful mahogany top, mat. Is it a sunburst or is that just the lighting / reflections?

 

[GGJaguar]

I never popped the covers and pulled the pups.

You're not a gearhead?

 

[matsickma]

I always have too many projects so some simple things never get done like popping the covers on that Walnut colored SF4 Custom Shop guitar. The lighting is deceptive as the finish is not a burst.

 

[vates]

I have to check the model pickups on this Nashville Custom shop model. I never popped the covers and pulled the pups.

Wow! That's nice

 

[chazmo]

@vates I'm not sure if I'm adding anything valuable here, but there was some recent purchases of Gabojo pickups here on LTG that I think were well-liked. I don't know if these P-90-ish models have been tried, but maybe you could mate them with a Newark Street Aristocrat model and build something great. I don't know. Just a thought.

Pickups - P90 - Gabojo

www.gabojo.com