Strats, Les Pauls, compared to a Bluesbird

Metalman · Jan 30, 2007

I have gone the route of Strats, and once had a '57 Gold-top Les Paul (yes, the real deal) and sold it back in 1986.

I am thinking of unloading my Strats, and looking into a Bluesbird. The type with the chambered body interests me, as well as one with the soap-bar pickups. Is there such a model?

Also, how does the M-75 measure up? This is new ground for me,as I have always gone with a Les Paul, or more recently, Fender Stratocasters.

Any suggestions out there?

guildzilla · Jan 30, 2007

I've been messing around with a lot of solid body Guilds, mostly acquired in the last six months. To finance this GAS attack, I sold a very nice 1978 Les Paul.

While I really like the 80's Guild guitars listed below, especially the Aviator, the Blues 90 (with the soapbar Duncan P-90's) was the trump card. It easily replaced the void left by the Les Paul.

In fact, I was sufficiently blown away by this initial Bluesbird experience to buy a '97 Bluesbird last Saturday. Can't wait to get it. Buying it may force me to sell the Blues 90, but we'll see which one I like better. It could be a tough call, and I hope it is.

I am not any kind of expert, just a hack player discovering that the Bluesbird buzz on this forum has a lot of validity. And I'm having fun with the musical exploration of the instrument. Lots of fun.

That said, I see it as a counterpoint for a Strat, not really a replacement. It's very different.

Kap'n · Jan 30, 2007

OK, I'm going offf my memory of my old spruce topped Nightbird vs. a Les Paul and a 6120, so make some adjustments accordingly.

The Nightbird was a very warm and hollow sounding guitar. Audibly, you could have easily convinced somebody that it was an ES-175 or other jazz guitar when recording. Not quite as hollow, but there was definately the vibe.

OTOH, the attack was much more subdued. If you had to put a vocal sound to it, the Nightbird would go "MMMmmmmm" rather than the "Unhnnnh" of a LP. However, while there was less attack, the sustain was still there, and controlled feedback was much more possible, and controllable than in a full-hollowbodied instrument.

A very, very nice instrument, but ultimately not the correct instrument for me, unless it was part of a stable of a dozen.

I envision the 90's Bluesbird as being considerably brighter and sustain-ier with less "plonk" and depth of tone as the Nightbirdl

coastie99 · Jan 30, 2007

Zilla.

Your "hack player" status pretty much matches mine.

I'd love to hear your report on Bluesbird vs Blues 90 when you get your 'birdie.
I have the hots for a Blues 90, but will never get the chance to hear one here. I'm actually sorely tempted to drop some humbucker-sized P90's into my 'birdie, but in the end, I'm always reluctant to modify it in any way.
It just wouldn't seem RIGHT !

So I spend some of my spare time modding Danelectros, instead !

Bing k · Jan 31, 2007

The strat is a different breed of cat so I think having some in the mix is good along with a tele or 2. The Bluesbird covers all the bases of the Les Paul and then some.
I'm using a P-90 BB and I'm kicking myself for letting the last humbucker model sell from the store and not keeping it also.

Metalman · Jan 31, 2007

Solid/Chambered

I know the basic difference between P-90 pickups and humbuckers. A BB with P-90's apeals to me, as opposed to the warmer, richer sound of humbucker pickups.
Thing is, I've never played or even seen either guitar, only in pictures. Where can I find one of these, other than waiting for one to appear on Ebay.
There is one there now, a humbucker model, cherry red finish. Looks nice.
Now, what about the M-75? what is that all about? Isn't that an earlier Bluesbird?
And what is a Blues 90?
Help!

coastie99 · Jan 31, 2007

Ferrous-fella.

The Blues 90 was made by Guild before The Corporation took over.
Same body as a Bluesbird, but P90 pickups.
Had simple dot fingerboard inlays, and apparently, a chunkier neck.

Discontinued when the afore-mentioned people took over and replaced by the Bluesbird P90, which is simply a Bluesbird with P90's.

If you're in the market for a 'birdie of any sort, don't be dissuaded by a "made in Corona" label; opinion has it that build-quality didn't suffer with the takeover.

guildzilla · Jan 31, 2007

This has pretty good info, from the horse's mouth anyway.

http://keyword.netscape.com/ns/boomfram ... ues90.html

Twangman · Feb 1, 2007

Hi - I've owned several Bluesbirds. I hate to say it, cause I really want to love them, but I've never a newer one that had that "magic." It seems that they are neither fish nor fowel - the newer ones have a very thick maple top with hollow sound chambers (mahogany back). The top won't resonate, and seems the hollow chambers decrease the thckness in the midrange. IMHO, the designer (George Gruhn), should have either made the top thin like the old spruce top Bluesbirds, or just made it all solid like a Les Paul. I personaly prefer a lightwight solid body to a chambered body, but that's just me.

ave del noche · Feb 1, 2007

That's an interesting take on it, Twangman, and it does make some sense. The only correction I'd make is that Gruhn didn't design the 90's BB, but rather they were derived from his Nightbird design. Not sure if the chambers are exactly the same as I've never owned a later BB, but most Nightbirds had spruce tops vs. maple.

Twangman · Feb 1, 2007

Interesting - I didn't know Grugn designed the Nightbird, not the later Bluesbird.

I have an old Kay 300 body (1962) that I put a 24-3/4 scale USA Custom Tele neck on (mahogany) and 2 Duncan Phat Cats iw/Bigsby. The body is kinda Jazzmaster-shaped, but completely hollow and thin liker and archtop (not chambered) with the exception of a solid wood block in the back under the bridge and taipiece. It's a beautiful flame maple body, and to me, it's what the later Bluesbird was trying to be. It's got a really cool, almost archtop-like resonance, but sustain and punch more like a sold body.

Darryl Hattenhauer · Feb 1, 2007

"Ferrous-fella"! Oh, the irony. Especially from he who dislikes steel guitar.

Is there any dealer who posts sound files of electrics the way Folk of the Wood does with acoustics?

I'd say you just have to play them all. My heroes all played _artins, Gibbons, Retsches, splatocasters, smellycasters, Les Appals, etc. So I tried all of those and liked them, but I was surprised to find that I liked Guilds better. And I was really stunned to find that I like starchtops more than stolidbodies.

coastie99 · Feb 2, 2007

Metalman.

Here's the prettiest Bluesbird P90 you're ever likely to see............

california · Feb 2, 2007

coastie99 said:
Metalman.

Here's the prettiest Bluesbird P90 you're ever likely to see............

[IMG:800:600]http://i37.photobucket.com/albums/e82/coastie99/bluesbird-1.jpg[/img]

Wow!

Mr. P ~ · Feb 2, 2007

What a Beauty!!!

Guildmark · Feb 3, 2007

Brother, it looks like you need to keep a fire extinuisher next to that one! Stunning!

cmsjr · Feb 4, 2007

I've had my Bluesbird for a couple years now. The P90's on it are very hot! But they clean up when you back off the volume controls. Mine is made in Corona and the build quality is excellent. It's truly a fine guitar and light at just over 7 lbs. I really like how lively it is with the chambered body. Anyway, I like it better than any LP I've ever played.

Here's mine.

[img:800:600]http://i54.photobucket.com/albums/g120/teleclarkster/Guitars/Guild%20Bluesbird/BB001-1.jpg[/img]

JimmyR · Feb 22, 2007

I have two Bluesbirds now - I love 'em! I prefer them over historic Les Pauls I've had. In one I have used Lindy Fralin's P90s that he makes in a HB-sized cover and they sound perfect for this guitar. Buth then Lindy came out with his "P92", which is HB sized and is two single coils offset to be humbucking, but still sound like a SC pickup. They work incredibly well in a Bluesbird. Clear, piano-like bass strings and fat, biting trebles. Just beautiful!

Strats, Les Pauls, compared to a Bluesbird

Metalman

Member

guildzilla

Senior Member

Kap'n

Member

coastie99

Enlightened Member

Bing k

Senior Member

Metalman

Member

coastie99

Enlightened Member

guildzilla

Senior Member

Twangman

Junior Member

ave del noche

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Twangman

Junior Member

Darryl Hattenhauer

Venerated Member

coastie99

Enlightened Member

california

Gone But Not Forgotten

Mr. P ~

Gone But Not Forgotten

Guildmark

Gone But Not Forgotten

cmsjr

Junior Member

JimmyR