When it rains it pours ;] '66 S-50 x 2 Beauty and the Beast

[fronobulax]

How odd is it that these student guitars sold with really good hard cases?

I grew up around band and orchestra instruments and a hard case was expected even for student quality instruments. Might have been a defensive move for a market where a lot of student instruments were rentals. The big ones - cellos, upright basses, tubas and sousaphones - generally had a canvas case or none at all. The cover was more about helping carry it around than protecting in. I can't recall encountering a chipboard case for anything other than a guitar. I can imagine a music store that did a lot of rental business wanting a hard case for a guitar even if they expected to sell it since I don't recall guitar rentals as being a big market.

The Mood Ring is reading ambiguously.

 

[Guildedagain]

Yes, rental equipment here consisted of lots of blackline, and of course, violins and other stringed instruments for the school programs.

 

[Groundwire]

A little or a lot ;]

I've never seen corrosion on the headstock like that. It's absent where the G string was missing, so that string was broken for decades, By looking at the grime level on the fretboard, somebody played the dog out of it, but then they quit, why?

Vietnam?

Anyway, it's loud and proud, acoustically. With those big strings - not totally sold on those - it's very loud acoustically, it's a bit like an acoustic guitar, but with a trem.

It is inspirational. A bunch of cool riffs poured out of it last night, but then I started getting that "it's 10 o clock" kinda thing that means pay me some attention...

Sucky thing about the big strings is that I can't do an honest comparison between the two, so the other stays in it's case.

Interesting thing about Tremar equipped guitars is that when you lower the case lid, the guitar goes flat by a semitone, probably not enough to hurt the spring even long term.

The upside of this is that it keeps the guitar from bouncing up and down in the case, or at least it's cushioned by the trem arm & spring.

How odd is it that these student guitars sold with really good hard cases?

I have a feeling they came from the same Guild dealer, as both guitars were within 3 hours of each other with Bakersfield in the middle, and maybe this dealer was good at upselling a good case, wise investment.

The northern guitar from Clovis is checked throughout, more temp variations?

The southern guitar from Arcadia, 13 miles northeast of LA, only 27 miles from the ocean at the foot of the San Gabriel mountains, accounting for the rust and corrosion.

GA, this has been such a great story and I love the way you approach it. You should be on a Guitar Detective TV show. Seriously.
Also, great restoration work. That red Rocker is a stunner for sure. Everything except those heavy strings... you can get such better vibrato on thewound strings when they are lighter. Better balance too. Less boomy. Slap a set of 10-42 on there and hear that bird sing!

 

[Guildedagain]

Who makes 10-42 sets? All my .10 sets are .10-.46, I agree on the lighter bass strings.

Shame to pitch a set of those Monels a couple days after install, but that's what I do ;]

Something a bit strange about the Monels, and this could be a balance thing too, but I'm having trouble hearing the high E.

More strings to buy ;]

Reading my History of Japanese Guitars book yesterday I noticed a few at the beginning of the book with obvious Tremar copies, interesting. Also a bewildering variety of other Trems, most big and ugly.

It made me want to write a book about Trems, the history of, models, etc. Maybe it's already been written?

The Tremar for its simplicity is unequaled I think. The Bigsby weighs too much and takes too much room, the Strat Synchronized tremolo a bit complicated as well, and requiring a giant hole in the guitar.

Is the Tremar really unequaled?

Edit; After looking around for factory made .10-.42 string sets in the brands I like, I see that it will be very easy to just split up .009 ad .010 sets and make my own.

 

[Groundwire]

Who makes 10-42 sets? All my .10 sets are .10-.46, I agree on the lighter bass strings.

Edit; After looking around for factory made .10-.42 string sets in the brands I like, I see that it will be very easy to just split up .009 ad .010 sets and make my own.

Yes, exactly. I also like a light 3rd string, so I can do pedal steel type bends easier, so basically it’s a set of 9’s but with a 10 and a 13 for the top 2 strings.

 

[Guildedagain]

Good tip, easy set to make.

 

[Groundwire]

Good tip, easy set to make.

Hey, if Billy Gibbons can use 8’s and get that tone, the rest of us have no excuses...

 

[Guildedagain]

So now it's the "Battle of the S-50's" ;]

The Cherry burst '66 is heavier, the Mahogany guitar is substantially heavier at 7lb 1oz to the '65 Sunburst featherweight 6lb 6oz. It's instantly noticeable when you pick it up. Why a half pound makes so much difference, I don't know, but it does.

666 LOL ;]

The neck on the '66 is chunkier. I can't get an exact measurement with strings on, but there is a difference, the Sunburst is a flat C shape, The Cherry burst is slightly more round C shape. Putting an old slide caliper over the strings down on the 7th fret on the Cherry, the caliper floats on the Sunburst, about a 32nd difference. Slight, but it's there.

The neck angle on the Cherry is more pronounced, the volute thicker.

It's just chunkier.

The pickup readings are almost identical, again, the Cherry a touch higher reading than the Burst.

Cherry slightly hotter than Burst. The vintage BOSS Japan pedal patchcord measures an impressively low .01Ω.

Tonally, there's quite a difference, identical strings on both guitars -

Unplugged;

The Sunburst is super resonant and bright, this is the Alder. The Cherry - Mahogany - is darker, not quite as bright or as resonant but has that typical Mahogany midrangy growl.

Plugged in, the same. The Sunburst is livelier, the Mahogany a little darker, more muted on the high end.

I did a couple recorded tone tests, probably not worth uploading/posting, but I like to listen to these later when I'm more objective.

This is the Sunburst the other night after a couple Martinis ;] It's got some zing to the tone.



I like this one pickup guitar thing, less fooling [around with knobs] and more playing.

'65 Guild S-50 played through a '66 Ampeg Reverberocket made in Linden NJ. The S-50 was made in Hoboken NJ - only 30 minutes from each other - and other recent acquisition '64 Silvertone "Amp in Case" 1448 was made in Neptune NJ, 44 minutes from Linden and 1hr from Hoboken. Was it something in the water?

Jersey seems to be the Holy Ground for some of my favorite things ;]

 

[GGJaguar]

It's like Thunderdome - two S-50s enter, only one S-50 leaves. Which will win?

 

[Groundwire]

So now it's the "Battle of the S-50's" ;]

The Cherry burst '66 is heavier, the Mahogany guitar is substantially heavier at 7lb 1oz to the '65 Sunburst featherweight 6lb 6oz. It's instantly noticeable when you pick it up. Why a half pound makes so much difference, I don't know, but it does.

666 LOL ;]

The neck on the '66 is chunkier. I can't get an exact measurement with strings on, but there is a difference, the Sunburst is a flat C shape, The Cherry burst is slightly more round C shape. Putting an old slide caliper over the strings down on the 7th fret on the Cherry, the caliper floats on the Sunburst, about a 32nd difference. Slight, but it's there.

The neck angle on the Cherry is more pronounced, the volute thicker.

It's just chunkier.

The pickup readings are almost identical, again, the Cherry a touch higher reading than the Burst.

Cherry slightly hotter than Burst. The vintage BOSS Japan pedal patchcord measures an impressively low .01Ω.

Tonally, there's quite a difference, identical strings on both guitars -

Unplugged;

The Sunburst is super resonant and bright, this is the Alder. The Cherry - Mahogany - is darker, not quite as bright or as resonant but has that typical Mahogany midrangy growl.

Plugged in, the same. The Sunburst is livelier, the Mahogany a little darker, more muted on the high end.

I did a couple recorded tone tests, probably not worth uploading/posting, but I like to listen to these later when I'm more objective.

This is the Sunburst the other night after a couple Martinis ;] It's got some zing to the tone.



I like this one pickup guitar thing, less fooling [around with knobs] and more playing.

'65 Guild S-50 played through a '66 Ampeg Reverberocket made in Linden NJ. The S-50 was made in Hoboken NJ - only 30 minutes from each other - and other recent acquisition '64 Silvertone "Amp in Case" 1448 was made in Neptune NJ, 44 minutes from Linden and 1hr from Hoboken. Was it something in the water?

Jersey seems to be the Holy Ground for some of my favorite things ;]

Now there’s a trio that would make Dan Auerbach proud. Also, dig the swampy vibe of your playing.

 

[mavuser]

oh man u are having some fun! u sound great. i'm going to have to unearth my stash and make some enemies, and show mine off a little. that will be more into the summer, for me.

Hoboken S-50s are total sleepers. the Mahohgany slab and east coast silver single/single soapbar are pure magic. the alder and headstock variants add extra secret weapons to choose from. no kickstands, no switches, and no denying, they are the best solid bodies out there. I have similarly fallen for other birds (S-100, Les Paul Jr), some may be equal, but none are better, than a Hoboken S-50

 

[Guildedagain]

Maybe the best prices on a vintage guitar as well.