1969 Honey Orange M-75 Bluesbird on GBase

matsickma

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Hi All,

This likely a question for Hans but I welcome input for all. I just noticed a new listing on GBase for a 1969 Honey Orange M-75 hollow-body Bluesbird. The guitar is being offered by Southside Guitars. My question is about the color. Is Honey Orange a likely color to have come directly from the Guild factory?

Thanks,

matsickma
 

hansmoust

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matsickma said:
I just noticed a new listing on GBase for a 1969 Honey Orange M-75 hollow-body Bluesbird. The guitar is being offered by Southside Guitars. My question is about the color. Is Honey Orange a likely color to have come directly from the Guild factory?

Thanks,

matsickma

Hello Mike,

Personally I have never heard of that color. That doesn't mean that the color doesn't exist. Since the M-75 doesn't have a label I would think that the seller just made up the name of the color. Guild has offered 'Honey Amber' as an optional color since the early '60s. By the time this M-75 was made the color was simply called 'Amber', which can be quite 'orange'. Take a look at the Custom 7 on page 101 of the Guild Book; that's an 'Amber' finished guitar and so is this Starfire VI:

http://www.guitarchives.nl/guitarsgalor ... .php?id=77

The 'Amber' on the Custom 7 looks quite different from the 'Amber" on the Starfire VI ; just like you would expect on different Gretsches from the '60s.

So I would think we're looking at an Amber finished M-75, unless they come up with that 'hang tag' that says "Honey Orange'.

Sincerely,

Hans Moust
http://www.guitarsgalore.nl
 

matsickma

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Hi Hans,

Thanks for the reply. The amber finish on the Starfire you referenced is transparent and shows the wood grain. The finish on the M75 looks solid. I don't see any sign of the maple top grain typically seen on the sunburst model of this type of guitar. It also looks like the bridge was changed and I notice the pickguard is chipped.

Interesting color for a Guild but it seems to be pricey.

matiskma
 

hansmoust

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matsickma said:
Hi Hans,

Thanks for the reply. The amber finish on the Starfire you referenced is transparent and shows the wood grain. The finish on the M75 looks solid. I don't see any sign of the maple top grain typically seen on the sunburst model of this type of guitar. It also looks like the bridge was changed and I notice the pickguard is chipped.

Interesting color for a Guild but it seems to be pricey.

matiskma

Hello Mike,

Yes, (Honey) Amber was always a translucent finish. It will usually show the grain nicely. I'm almost 100% sure that the finish on that M-75 is translucent as well. There's probably not a whole lot of figuring in that piece of maple veneer. Maybe a photo with a higher resolution would show the grain a little better.

Here's another photo of a Custom 7 in an Amber finish.

[img:533:589]http://www.guitarchives.nl/fotos/Custom7.jpg[/img]





It's from the same period as the M-75, which (by the way) looks more like a 1970 model.













The bridge on the M-75 is changed for a regular tune-o-matic but it's still on the original bridge posts, so no damage done there. The pickguard could be replaced. I agree that the asking price is somewhat high but pretty much in line of what is usually asked in New York.

All in all a cool guitar!

Sincerely,

Hans Moust
http://www.guitarsgalore.nl
 

hansmoust

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Amber finished M-75

matsickma said:
The amber finish on the Starfire you referenced is transparent and shows the wood grain. The finish on the M75 looks solid. I don't see any sign of the maple top grain typically seen on the sunburst model of this type of guitar. matiskma

Hello Mike,

Here's another M-75 in 'Amber' and you can clearly see the maple grain.

[img:689:513]http://www.guitarchives.nl/fotos/M75AmberBack.jpg[/img]



Hans Moust
http://www.guitarsgalore.nl
 
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