S200 Thunderbird

Down Under

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Hi everyone, I've just become a member

Who else has an S200? and what's your story?

I was given this crazy electric a year ago and have been reseaching as much as I can find about it ever since. I totally love the guitar. There's not a lot of info out there because they stopped making them? A great article in the Vintage Guitar mag Nov 06 issue talks about only 150 were ever made and they est that only 90 are still around. I have the early humbucker model which only 30-40 were made.

My guitar was sold here in New Zealand by Brian Jones after he finished on the Rolling Stones touri n the 60's. I was given it after a young chap had scratched it up a bit and the owner said he'd rather give it to someone who would look after it. It wasn't until I went to a local music dealer who had been selling Gats for 50 years that the truth about the Stone's came to light. The words from the 70 year guy was "Oh my God that's the F#$&N Stone's Gat. He was the guy who bruoght it off Brian Jones as well as a fender Strat and then sold it in his music shop. He hadn't seen the Guild for 40 years. I guess it just went thru people hands and poeple didn't how good it was and who it came from. Let's face it if you are not into guitars then you would think it was a bit strange. Anyway I love it and would never sell it.

So what’s your story? What do you have? Anyone know of parts available....
 

Down Under

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Hey from over the hill

You should know Charlie Jammet From CJ's Music here is Christchurch. He sold his company after 30 odd years to Music Works but he still works there. He was saying he sold the Guild and a Strat but later really regretted selling both. I said to him how does he know for sure that this is the Guild he sold. He said since he sold it he has never seen one since and that they are so rare he would be surprised if there was another in the country especially this one having humbuckers and they only made about 30 of them.

It needs a little fixing the body great but it's missing 2 chrome cradles that the strings sit on the bridge and the kick stand is long gone. other than that it's still fine.

To be really honest I don't care about the possible Rolling Stones contact you can't prove it and besides the guy (Brian Jones) is now dead. The only thing would be if Guild keep serial numbers of guitars they gave out to famous musican but I very much doubt it. For me I love the rarety of it and just want to look after it and play it again. But would love to know how many are still out there.
 

guildzilla

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I could be wrong, but I think someone is offering a Thunderbird on e-bay right now for about $6,000. Not a guitar I know much about but very interesting.

The Brian Jones connection with your guitar is sure cool to me. Brian is the forgotten original Stone, a tortured but wickedly talented musician, according to what I've read and heard on my speakers. And his ability to make music is as important as Jagger/Richard in establishing the Stones' unique sound way back at the beginning. He just couldn't handle success, fame and drugs.
 

Down Under

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Yeah I don't know much about the guy it was before my time. I read an article that guitar makers would give the main bands of the day gear for free. I'm guessing Guild was hoping that someone like him would like it, keep using it then the public would get into it. Him selling it then stuffed it for Guild. Only Muddy Waters ran with it but he's wasn't really the in thing of the day. It's a pitty because for sound alone it's as good as any Gibson Styling? not sure on that one but its grown on me.
 

Down Under

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Just seen the ebay sale $6,000 yep that's right. That one has a strange chrome crown thingy on the headstock behind the pegs? I've now seen 3 examples of the S-200 and not seen that before.

Does anyone on here own a S-200??????
 

coastie99

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Charlie was my main suspect !

I agree with Guildzilla re. his comments about Brian Jones.
You could make a very good case for Brian being, at the very least, the second-most important original Stone.

Bought my first guitar (a Maton) off Charlie about three years ago.
An acquaintance here in Runanga bought an old Kalamazoo, of all things, off him a while back.
 

hansmoust

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Thunderbird S-200

Hello everybody,

Sorry for coming in this late and for (maybe) spoiling the party.
Somebody scanned the 'Vintage Guitar' article for me after posting about it on the FDP.

http://www.fenderforum.com/forum.html?d ... 1709:10:56

Well, I hate to say it but this article is a load of crap. People who read my posts on this forum might notice that this is not the kind of language they usually get from me. I'm really disappointed (for various reasons) that an article like that makes it to the pages of a 'vintage guitar' magazine.
Apart from the social commentary, the article is full of mistakes. Almost all the factual information is wrong and as a result we've already seen an eBay auction popping up, using that information to try and sell a (non-original) Guild Thunderbird for $ 6000.00.

Original Thunderbirds in good original condition have been going for $ 3500.00 to $ 4000.00 over the last few years. They're not fast sellers but they seem to get that kind of money. I'm OK with that. They're certainly rare guitars. Now if somebody tries to get $ 6000.00 (for which I cannot blame him) on the basis of that article, I feel I have to say something.
You can write anything you want on the internet and get away with it but people who write articles for magazines have a responsibility towards the reader. As far as I'm concerned 'guitar journalism' is not different from any other kind of journalism. Rule # 1 is and always should be:

CHECK YOUR SOURCES

I will try to put a polite 'Letter to the Editor' together and when I've done that I will post it here too.

Sincerely,

Hans Moust
http://www.guitarsgalore.nl
 

matsickma

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Hi Down Under and Hans,

I have had a great admiration for the Thunderbird ever since I was a kid playing a new 1966 Jetstar S-50 in Junior High and watched a High School guy that dated my cousin play his Thunderbird in a band. I am certaintly among the twisted folk who find the Thunderbird shape and style to be cool, elegant and beautiful.

I currently own a 1963 Tbird with assymetrical headstock that I am in the process of returning to stock electronics (someone poorly refinshed what I think was origionally a sunburst finish and carved out the pickguard and replaced the mini humbuckers with full size humbucker). I also own a mint 1967 TBird with "mickey mouse" single coils and a blond symmetrical headstock. Prior to owning a TBird I always speculated on the functions of the controls which I now find to be identical to a Fender Jaguar. My 1963 TBird has a lot of fret wear up and down the neck indicating it had a very active musical life by some serious lead guitar players - I like that feature on the '63. The '67 was likely kept in its case for most of its years.

Two years ago I was talking with the "Guild Guy" Jay Pilzer of New Hope Guitar and asked him about the price of TBirds. He told me he had seen TBirds sell for around $3000 but that he never sold one at that price. Last year I saw a humbucker model go for around $5500 on ebay and another for around $5200. A few others have sold over $4000 but typically they are in the $3000 range. Interesting these guitars, even when poorly refinshed, now can sell for close to $2000! It is amazing how the price of TBirds has shot up over the last few years. There are many a stories of guys picking them up for a few hundred $ and for almost nothing at yard sales!

Guild Thunderbirds and Aristocrats seem to have a cult following that is now reflected in the $ they demand.

I am not sure how many Thunderbirds have been made but I have seen many and now wish I kept records. From the published data on models and S/N it looks like Guild made around 16,000 guitars between 1963 and 1964. I wouldn't be suprised if between 400 to 500 TBirds were made in that period but that is just my guesstimate. I know when I was a kid Guild has a strong presence in the NE states of the USA and most people I knew or saw playing guitar had a Guild.

Anyway, that is my story.

matsickma
 

Down Under

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This is my whole point the info out there about these guitars is so small if not made up!!!! Hans Thank you for your reply. If what you are saying is true then how the hell does a guy write an article like that with out any proof. He must come up with an answer to his article so please post the reply Hans when you get it. I don't care about the money, I mean its nice to know what things are worth but I'm more interested in finding other who own them. Thanks matsickma nice to hear you own 2. I thought the current ebay Tbird looked a bit strange.

Hans I'll email you some pics of my guitar in the next few days.

Anyone else own a Thunderbird?
 

coastie99

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You're probably a little young to know The Lovin' Spoonful, the only band I know of who used a Thunderbird. Apart from Muddy - I'd like to know what specifically he plays his 'bird on.
If you like, I'll burn you a couple of CD's and send them to you -apart from T'bird spotting, it's glorious '60s pop..

PM me with an address if you're agreeable.
 
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S-200 Thunderbird

Hi All,
I'm a newbie on this board but I've owned my Guild F-212 for 30 years and will hand it down to my son in a few years. I've had my red S-200 for about 20 years but it spent most of that time in the closet because the wiring was bad and I was afraid to let just anyone work on it. About 3 years ago I met a luthier who used to work at Guild in the late 60's and 70's in NJ and he dug out the wiring diagram and fixed it up for me. I'm not sure what year it is and not being an expert I can't say whether it's 100% original or not. Not that I would sell it but it would be nice to know. For you Lovin Spoonful fans, of which I am a big one, I read that Zal played it on the intro of "Did you ever have to make up your mind?" and searching YouTube, you can find a bunch of Spoonful appearences and see him playing it so I'm sure he played it on many of their tunes.
I'm happy to be here and hope I can contribute a bit!
 

The Guilds of Grot

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Hey Santos23,

You wouldn't be talking about "The Guitar Guy" in Toms River would you.
He's the best luthier in the state! I take all my stuff there that's beyond my skill level. When you get a guitar back from him it plays like butter. You just have to leave yourself a lot of time as he likes to chat if he's not real busy :lol:

Kurt
 

Jeff

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Santos,

Thanks for posting up the Lovin Sponful link. I had forgotten.

How many of you actually watched the video, the fella playing the T Bird wearing the Top Hat is crazier 'n a loon, is that a rubber chicken or a rubber frog hanging from the headstock?

He's having some fun. :roll: 8)

Lead singer kind of reminds me of pictures I've seen of Mark in his youth.

Here's a video of the Spoonful doing "Darling Be Home Soon" where you'll see Zal Yanovsky playing one.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EmbWhZ-c9-M
 
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Hi Kurt & Jeff,
No, it was Dr Bob's Guitar & Stringed Instrument Repair in Ewing, NJ. I have heard good things about The Guitar Guy though so I'm glad to hear that from you.

As for the lead singer, here is an article with John Sebastian where he talks about how the Lovin Spoonful got certain sounds and "that Gumby-ish looking guitar", the Guild Thunderbird if anyone is interested.

http://www.guitarsam.com/interviews/john-sebastian.htm
 

coastie99

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Spotted Lovin' Spoonful stuff on Youtube before- didn't post cos I thought Zal was just too damn' rock-star posey/goofey, BUT, I have a recollection that John Sebastian had a Les Paul that passed from him into another pair of famous hands.

Can anybody help ?
 

jerrymac

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coastie99 said:
Spotted Lovin' Spoonful stuff on Youtube before- didn't post cos I thought Zal was just too damn' rock-star posey/goofey, BUT, I have a recollection that John Sebastian had a Les Paul that passed from him into another pair of famous hands.

Can anybody help ?

John Sebastian owned a 1957 LP Goldtop. Around 1966, Rick Derringer obtained the guitar which had a Bigsby on it by that time and was extremely beat up. Derringer's father convinced Rick to have it refinished, which he had done in red (like an SG) by Gibson in Kalamazoo. After he got it back, Derringer felt it didn't play as well so he traded it in at Dan Armstrong's in NYC. Some guy named Clapton saw it, bought it, and eventually gave it to some guy he knew named Harrison. Harrison named it Lucy, and used it in his band, a moderately successful '60s band. In return, Harrison gave Clapton Patti.

Harrison can be seen playing it in the promo film of Revolution. Clapton's friend Harrison, who had been playing an SG at the time, gave the now obsolete SG to his friend Peter Hamm who was in the band Badfinger.

None of my friends ever gave me a guitar.

Anyway, about a month after Clapton gave Harrison Lucy, Harrison asks Clapton to do a solo on some song about a weeping guitar. So Clapton shows up at the studio, and uses Lucy to play the solo.

But that's not the end of the story. In the early '70s, Lucy was stolen from Harrison's home in Beverly Hills, and ended up in a Guitar Center in Hollywood. GC sold it for $650 to Miguel Ochoa from Guadalajara Mexico. Ochoa bought it because the only other LP he ever saw in that color was in a photo on the inside cover of the Let It Be Album. Ochoa said, "Hey man, that looks just like Harrison's guitar!!! I'll take it!!!" Ochoa puts his friend's name, address & telephone # on the receipt because his friend lived in LA. Soon afterwards, George tracks the guitar to the Guitar Center who calls the friend and says, "You know that LP that looks like Harrison's guitar, well it is Harrison's guitar and he wants it back." So the friend calls up Ochoa and tells him the story. After some negotiating, Harrison agrees to buy the guy a 1958 Sunburst LP and a bass in exchange for Lucy.

Sebastian - Derringer - Clapton - Harrison - Ochoa - Harrison

Quite a history!!!
 
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