Elusive Bluesbird

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About three years ago I was on holiday in Byron Bay and came across a guitar shop that had a BB... flame top (beige brown).

This is the first time I played a BB.

It was without doubt one of the best guitars Ive ever played... just felt like pure quality. The assistant told me that it was a rare one out of the Fender custom shop.

Advance a couple of years...now I have the cash... I bought a BB in from the states. I like it lots but it is different to that one in Byron Bay. That guitar had a much thicker neck for starters... and totally different tone even acoustically. But thats the only specifics I remember. Was much heavier too I think.

I know Im a bit vague on this but anyone know about BB's coming out of the Fender custom shop?

Regards, Guy

S-100 Re-Issue Black 90's?
Bluesbird AAA Flame Maple Cap 2000?
 

guildzilla

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A couple possibilities and all speculation, presuming that the BB you now own is a '96-'02 reissue BB from Westerly or Corona.

The heavier BB could have been a Blues 90 (fatter neck, different balance point).

The Fender Custom Shop BB could also have been more of a 50's/60's replica.
 

Darryl Hattenhauer

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GZ,

So a blues 90 has a balance point closer to the neck? If so, how much closer? Does the guitar weigh more than a Bluesbird?

Hatted Frau
 

guildzilla

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It didn't feel like all that big a difference to me, D, but the Blues 90 I had was neck-heavier than a Bluesbird. Subtle, though, a small matter of ounces. I no longer have the Blues 90 so I can't be specific about the difference in the balance point, one guitar to the other. Good question, though.
 
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My mate has a Blues 90... he's restoring it at the mo... when he gets the elctronics in and the frest on Ill do the comparison and lt you know hat the differences are re. weight and balance point.
 

BluesDan

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OK. I have a question I'm sure the board can answer. I am basically a Guild acoustic guy and a Gibson Electric guy (don't shoot me, I'm half good). I've always admired the Guild Bluesbird and may end up checking one out. You refer to a BB Blues 90, does that refer to the Blues 90 single coil pick-ups like the ones on my Gibby Blues Hawk?? How does the Bluesbird stack up against lets say a Les Paul Standard or Studio? Gibson Blues Hawk (one of my absolute favorites, its a tone monster)??? I know I'm asking a group that may be Guild biased, but this board has certainly peaked my interest in the Blues Birds.
Thanks in advance for any rants or opinions on the subject.
BD
 

guildzilla

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I sold a '78 Les Paul Custom last December that I had for 13 years in order to fund my Guild GAS.

After buying a Bluesbird, I have never looked back or been sorry. The first one was a Blues 90. The Duncan soapbar P-90's may have been my all-time favorite sounding pickups. Great growl. But I sold that one and kept a '97 Bluesbird with a transparent red top, slimmer neck, more elaborate appointments, and perfectly excellent Duncan SH-1 humbuckers. I've kept that one while buying and selling several other Bluesbirds since, and they have all been consistently excellent, IMO. Hard to go wrong.
 

BluesDan

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guildzilla said:
I sold a '78 Les Paul Custom last December that I had for 13 years in order to fund my Guild GAS.

After buying a Bluesbird, I have never looked back or been sorry. The first one was a Blues 90. The Duncan soapbar P-90's may have been my all-time favorite sounding pickups. Great growl. But I sold that one and kept a '97 Bluesbird with a transparent red top, slimmer neck, more elaborate appointments, and perfectly excellent Duncan SH-1 humbuckers. I've kept that one while buying and selling several other Bluesbirds since, and they have all been consistently excellent, IMO. Hard to go wrong.

Thanks Zilla......I appreciate the input....and the info on the pups
 

hitchcockblonde

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Interesting you should ask... I just came back to this board after a long absence 'cos last night I got my second Bluesbird.

Number One was one of the 35 Holoflake 'birds made for the Summer 2002 NAMM... made in the Fender Custom Shop. Interestingly, the letter I got from Fender says they only made 35 due to the special neck (?) on them. Anyway, it is flawless in finish, has a big honkin' round neck, SH-1 Duncans and sonically has a huge beefy low-mid grunt.

Last night I bought serial no. CL000405, a pretty early '97 from Rhode Island. Also a fantastic instrument but SO different. Shallower neck, MUCH lighter, much more resonant, and it stays in tune better -- as the NAMM guitar has a bit of stickiness in the nut. Sonically it is more even, a bit airer and brighter, though still full. At rehearsal we A-Bd them and it was unanimous that the NAMM guitar is the most thunderous, mighty, beefy, huge-sounding guitar any of us have heard... but the '97 is nice, too in its way. Also it has normal strap buttons instead of that crazy massive spike thing in the '02.

They both blow away my Hamer Studio Custom.

But anyway, I guess they can vary a lot... good guitars but very different beasts!
 

matsickma

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Hi hitchcockblond,

The special neck you refer to has a good chance of being a limited run of the hollowflake sparkle Bluesbirds (quantity = 35) that used a Blues90 type of neck. The Blues90 had a unadorned neck that used DOT instead of BLOCK fret markers and NO neck binding. The Blues90 necks are a little chunkier than a Bluesbird. It appears that the Corona Bluesbird 90 guitars were made with a chunkier neck like a Blues90 but the Bluesbird 90 had fret BLOCK markers and Binding.

All versions of the Bluesbirds, Westerly or Corona, are great instruments.

M
 

hitchcockblonde

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I have not pulled the 'pups but was told they're the SH-1s. They have the same nickel tarnish as on the Corona guitar, at least and the overall sound is really similar enough that I'm guessing a thicker maple cap on the Corona and the big neck make for the different sound. Unplugged or tapping the tops, the Westerly guitar is MUCH more resonant and lively, lighter in weight, and bright. Seems "more hollow" in a way.
 
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And keep in mind that "Bluesbird" refers to any of a number of radicaly different guitars depending on the time frame, from fully hollow archtop, to solid body with a cap, to a solid slab body or to a chambered body. All quite nice in their own ways, but drastically different.
 

Punkybub

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I had a Blueshawk for a few years, now have a Blues90. Bought the Blueshawk new, and the Blues90 used.

I liked the Blueshawk's controls - lots of tones to play with, and that hidden middle pickup/humbucking coil was a great idea, but the feel of the neck always bugged me - just that much too small for my hands. It never had much sustain either, but it sounded pretty good acoustically - the P90s sounded good too.The Blueshawk I had showed some sloppy construction, especially the neck where some of the frets up toward the body were poorly dressed - file marks here and there, etc.

The Blues90 IMHO is at least half-again better than the Blueshawk - bigger, chunkier neck, taller frets (easier string bending), and a fuller acoustic tone. Not as versatile as the Blueshawk tone-wise, but the tones the Blues90 put out are very satisfying. I usually play a Tele, and the Blues90 sort of takes the Tele thing a step or two further - not as much string/twang but much more meat to the tone and sweet as you please. It feels better to me too - acoustically richer with great sustain, and not too heavy (though heavier than the Blueshawk for sure - it's a bigger guitar).

Overall, the Blues90 seemed much better made and designed than the Blueshawk. I tried for a couple of years to get used to the Blueshawk's tone/neck/feel, but in the end sold it with regret that such a cool design could be messed up by lack of attention to detail in the making of it.

One man's story... :mrgreen: Hope it helps!
 

Bing k

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:twisted: hee, hee, hee

Ever since I started playing that one I've had no desire to add to my electric stable for heavy blues or rock.
 

sgmypod

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l_16931ba0ce6a6d6231fd77b22cfe6c90.jpg
gotta love bluesbirds..here's mine
 

Darryl Hattenhauer

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sgmypod,

That's the pinnacle.



Coastie,

"Pinnacle" isn't a card game. It's literal meaning is the highest point of a mountain, or tower, or roof, etc. Hatted Frau has created a witty wordplay here to say that this Bluesbird's top is tops in tops. And I'd like to see Graham try to top that.
 
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