Guild Bluesbird By Fender

[GuitarSlinger]

I have an opportunity to pick up a Guild Bluesbird AAA or with P90's. I know they're much lighter than the Gibson Les Paul does anyone have any input or experience with this model? Thanks! :music-smi

[jamstrat]

Only played it in the store once. Buy that guitar. You wont be sorry.

[GuitarSlinger]

Thanks Jamstrat! It'll be here Thursday! :music-smi

[dowg]

I have had a Bluesbird w. '59s in it for about 18 months or so. Wide at the nut, narrow neck, relatively small frets, LIGHT weight - the most appreciated feature perhaps. The body is chambered, and this seems to add some really nice mystery to the sound. the finish is superb. Mine is trans-red with a little flame in it. Intonation is excellent. the case fits like a glove.

Mine was made in '97. I have had some trouble with the switch, but spraying it with "Tuner cleaner" cured that. Quite a few owners have resorted to replacing the switch, but this isn't necessary, or at least this is my experience.

The Grover tuners are very good. When I got it it wasn't staying in tune very well. But when I replaced the strings I used the "over-under" method of locking the strings and this solved the problem. I think the previous owner sold it because it wouldn't hold tune very well. I am very fussy with tuning, but rarely need to tune it now! So I got a really good deal on it!

Let me know your impressions when you receive yours,

Doug

[Bytor1975]

Anyone heard from GuitarSlinger? Haven't seen or heard from her in several weeks? I know she got the Guild and was waiting on the Fender Zone bass...

[x-180]

these are great guitars... i bought mine for around $800 used on the bay last spring... it's nice but the pickups had some tarnish on the chrome that I attribute to it being a 'Florida' guitar... i don't know if humidity, salty air, or both caused the issue, but i've been wanting to replace the pickups solely because of the tarnish - which is pretty stupid considering they sound perfectly fine... anyway, i saw the same guitar at a GC in Toledo this past weekend and it was flawless... I don't want to mention the price for fear of violating any bylaws that I've failed to bone up on, but I liked it so much I contemplated trading in a bunch of low-end guitars to acquire it... even trading my BB toward it... they really need to be considered in their own right, they aren't a 'LP CLONE'...

[dowg]

...mine has a little tarnish on the pickups as well. I used guitar polish without any real success. And this is certainly not a "Florida Guitar" - very dry air here (Western Canada). I traded my DeArmond X155 and $200 for it. I think I got the best deal by far!!

db

[x-180]

...mine has a little tarnish on the pickups as well. I used guitar polish without any real success. And this is certainly not a "Florida Guitar" - very dry air here (Western Canada). I traded my DeArmond X155 and $200 for it. I think I got the best deal by far!!

db

...as follow-up, I decided I'd try a little chrome polish after I realized how nuts I would be to go to the trouble of trading for it's identical (untarnished) replacement... obviously, it couldn't replace the damaged chrome, but it DID shine it up a lot better than the Gibson metal cleaner I used... (cleaner isn't necessarily 'shinier' so I don't know what I was thinking the first time I tried)... overall it looks pretty spiffy and the tarnish is now visible only on close (i.e. while holding the guitar) inspection... I traded MY DeArmond X155 (along with a D/A Starfire and X135) toward a Guild Manhattan X-170... and I still had to cough up considerable 'bridge' money to cover the difference... of course I was trading with Elderly Instruments and they aren't exactly in it to make ME money so I shouldn't be too jealous of the deal that you got for your B-Bird... (HECK of a deal, I must say... I still miss my DeArmonds, though, they were sweet!)

[SecretMonkey]

I'm going to try the 'tuner cleaner' suggestion. The switch has been a problem since the first day. Very, very common from all I have read about this. I was
going to replace the switch with a Gibson switch but the Gibson 3 way switch will not fit without modification (top is not thin enough at the mounting area).
Very well made guitar. Not to be compared, confused or substituted for a Les Paul. Does not sound like a Les Paul. The pickups are 'crunchier' and dirtier. I think I do prefer the Gibson humbucker pickups for versatility. That being said, the guitar is made much better than most Gibson guitars. A good comparision to this quality would be to look at the Gibson 'mother of toilet seat' inlay compared to the Guild inlays. Guild is much better and finely detailed. The overall finish of the Guild was more finely detailed and without any flaws. The weight of the Guild is light. I wish the Guild had been available WITHOUT the chambers in the body! Again, an excellent guitar that is no longer commercially available but widely available on the secondary markets at slightly less cost than when new. Excellent intonation with very accurate notes and very, very even sound in any position. This guitar is a 'sleeper' and an excellent overall value. I really DO think the Gibson Humbuckers or another upgrade could improve the 'voice' of this beautiful instrument. Guild has gone through many hands over the years and this was a moment of clarity and quality under the Guild banner that is rarely seen. I predict this guitar will only increase in value over the next few years.