Bluesbird Pickups.....

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Hey, I'm new and just joined and looking forward to dicussing all things Guild. I have an older D40 that's phenomal and it has lead me to my alliance with everything Guild. So...after watching ebay and everywhere else for the past year and a half for a goldtop bluesbird, I've finally tracked one down. I'm picking it up this weekend but I have to drive almost 4 hours to get (roadtrip!). My question is : Did the goldtop bluesbirds ever come standard with humbuckers without the pickup covers. I use to have a LP classic but thought the open pickups just didn't make it look right. In the end, it really only matters how it sounds but it's just one of the things I get picky about. The one I'm picking could possibly have the pickups switched out from a previous owner but they told me it looks great and is completey original.
 

hansmoust

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Lebowski said:
My question is : Did the goldtop bluesbirds ever come standard with humbuckers without the pickup covers.

Hello Lebowki,

Welcome!

To the best of my knowledge the Bluesbird was never offered with humbuckers without the covers.
However, if the covers were removed at a later date, you could always put some covers back on. Not really a reason for not buying the instrument!

Good luck!

Sincerely,

Hans Moust
 

Dirt123

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Darryl Hattenhauer said:
I've heard that leaving covers off invites damage, like dust intrusion. True?

It depends on the pickups. If they are old & originally had covers on them it can be hazardous to leave them unprotected, usually there is just a bit of black tape protecting the coil wires.
Replacement pickups like Dimarzios or Duncans are designed to not have covers, and are more durable.
 

Dirt123

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Darryl:
Back in the old days, (the 60’s & 70’s) we used to take the covers off because we though we'd get more highs out of the pickup. That’s why when Dimarzio's & Duncans came out, they were initially offered without covers, because that was what we, the buying guitaritsas, wanted. Its come back into fashion to have covers on pickups. Theoretically, the cover offers better shielding in addition to protecting the coil, and attenuating the highs (just the tinniest bit).

I did ruin a perfectly good Gibson humbucker by removing the cover. The high e-string got caught under the lip of the coil & severed some of the windings. I haven't had this happen with the newer Duncan’s I use. They have heavy black tape protecting the coils. This same tape can make it difficult to put a cover on a pickup.

More information than you wanted, huh? ;)

Dirt
 

Darryl Hattenhauer

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Dirty One,

In wrecking that humbucker, you invented coil splitting!

I had forgottem that PU covers were taken off as early as the 60s. (I
really was there.)

Why were some single coils covered and some not? And on a tele, there was one of each.

Dee Eightsch
 

Squawk

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Darryl Hattenhauer said:
Why were some single coils covered and some not? And on a tele, there was one of each.

Actually, Telecasters of the 50s and 60s (maybe early 70s too) had ashtray bridge covers that also covered the uncovered bridge pickup. This provided protection and negated the need for a second lipstick pickup.
 
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update on this guitar;

just picked it up this weekend and love it! Unfortuanately it didn't come with a case and opted for a gig bag instead of the "coffin" case they were going to give me. had to say no due to the cheese factor. the # is CL001072 so I'm thinking it's either a 97 or 98. came pretty clean with only a little scratch here and there on the back but nothing major through the finish. I'll need to take to my local guitar guy for a setup but boy is this thing sweet!!!
 
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I bought a natural-finish Bluesbird in '97 (GL000088) - it had black pickup surrounds and knobs, a black "Guild" scratchplate and factory uncovered Duncan '59 pickups. It's the only one I ever saw without covers.
 
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