pickup and neck differences on bluesbird models

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Hello,

I just joined this great forum, as I 'm looking for a bluesbird (1990's model).
Hence my question: is there any neck differences between the various bluesbird 90's models (standard, AAA, p90) ?
And for the humbucker series, depending on the production years, I would like to know if there has been any changes in the pickups that were installed by default.

Thanks a lot,
P.
 

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fafnir said:
Hello,

I just joined this great forum, as I 'm looking for a bluesbird (1990's model).
Hence my question: is there any neck differences between the various bluesbird 90's models (standard, AAA, p90) ?
And for the humbucker series, depending on the production years, I would like to know if there has been any changes in the pickups that were installed by default.

Thanks a lot,
P.

:shock:
 

dklsplace

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fafnir said:
Hello,

I just joined this great forum, as I 'm looking for a bluesbird (1990's model).
Hence my question: is there any neck differences between the various bluesbird 90's models (standard, AAA, p90) ?
And for the humbucker series, depending on the production years, I would like to know if there has been any changes in the pickups that were installed by default.

Thanks a lot,
P.

Yes :mrgreen:

Oh, & Welcome aboard!
 

Dreamlander

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fafnir said:
Hello,

I just joined this great forum, as I 'm looking for a bluesbird (1990's model).
Hence my question: is there any neck differences between the various bluesbird 90's models (standard, AAA, p90) ?P.
I would think that the bluesbirds's from that time period would have very similar if not identical necks regardless of pickup arrangement.

fafnir said:
And for the humbucker series, depending on the production years, I would like to know if there has been any changes in the pickups that were installed by default.P.
A lot of the bluesbirds in the 90's have seymour duncan pickups instead of the Guild made HB-1's, and if they were made after fender took over and they have guild pickups in them I think they are probably guild pups made by fender which are different then the origianal HB-1. Hans would probably know for sure though. I have a set of the fender made ones in my 98' S-100 and i like them alot, but not as much as the 70's HB-1's. :wink:

Thanks a lot,
 
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Thanks for your answers.

In my rush for questions, I believe I forgot to introduce myself and my first beloved bluesbird. My apologies.
I'm a very average guitar player (playing since... well a long time ago, but very lazy). My guitar heroes are David Gilmour and Billy Gibbons... No speeding ticket on the neck for me I guess.
I have owned a number of different guitars. When you get older you know better what you really like. I only kept an epiphone dobro (for the look), an LP and... an old bluesbird that I found in NY ten years ago. It was in a back of a music store, nobody would pay attention to it. I immediatly loved it. It sounds (it's a full hollow body) and plays really great...But now she is asking for a little sister :!:

bluesbird

You will notice that one component has been changed.
The serial number is DD 219 , I think it's a '67 model, but I am not sure, any hint ?

The neck is thinner than a standard LP, 12" radius, and this is why I'm wondering whether it's the case for newer models.

Regarding the pickups, the one I saw had SD pickups installed, and I was wondering if that was the factory default.


Regards,
P.
 

hansmoust

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fafnir said:
You will notice that one component has been changed.

Hello fafnir,

Welcome! The changed component should be the bridge but I'm also wondering about the finish. A natural top finish on a BluesBird from that period would be very unusual.

The serial number is DD 219 , I think it's a '67 model, but I am not sure, any hint ?

The guitar is from 1968. Can't see the back since it's in the case but I assume it has binding on the back of the body.

The neck is thinner than a standard LP, 12" radius, and this is why I'm wondering whether it's the case for newer models.

Sixties BluesBird necks can be a little different from one to the next since there was a little more hand sanding involved but in general the feel of the neck would not feel all that different from a '90s Bluesbird. The regular '90s Bluesbird ( humbuckers and block inlays) will probably have a slightly less deep neck than your 'old' BluesBird. The neck on the Blues 90 (P-90s and dot inlays) will have a little more mass than the humbucker equipped one making it slightly deeper than your 'old' BluesBird. The difference in depth of the neck between the regular Bluesbird and the Blues 90 would be about 2 mm ( a little more than 1/16th") measured at the 5th fret. Personally I feel that they both feel comfortable and I have no problems going from one to the other. Keep in mind that I'm talking about '90s Bluesbirds.

Regarding the pickups, the one I saw had SD pickups installed, and I was wondering if that was the factory default.

The standard pickups on the '90s Bluesbirds should be Seymour Duncans.

Hope this helps!

Sincerely,

Hans Moust
http://www.guitarsgalore.nl
 

matsickma

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Hi Hans,

In regards to the 1967-68 era rareness of a blond Bluesbird...for a short while I owned a blond maple top BB with gold mini humbuckers. If I remember correctly the may have been on of the left overs from an Aristoctat. You may have it in you data base. I purchased it from "Diamond Strings" 6 or 7 years ago. I didn't care for the minibuckers tone with this guitar so got rid of it.

I haven't seen many spruce top BB from that era though. My 1971 BB is a Sunburst Maple top model.

M
 

hansmoust

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matsickma said:
Hi Hans,

In regards to the 1967-68 era rareness of a blond Bluesbird...for a short while I owned a blond maple top BB with gold mini humbuckers.

There are a few more in my database but 'natural top' was not a standard finish for that particular period, so that makes them unusual. By the way, 'blonde' is only used for entirely natural finished instruments on light colored woods, like for instance: maple back & sides with a spruce or maple top.

If I remember correctly the may have been on of the left overs from an Aristoctat.

The leftovers from the Aristocrat don't have binding on the back of the body, so you can easily tell them apart.

I haven't seen many spruce top BB from that era though. My 1971 BB is a Sunburst Maple top model.

Most of the early ones were spruce-topped. During 1968 you will see more maple-topped ones and by 1970 the majority of them were maple-topped.

Lots of different combinations if you count the models with 16 and 18 fret neck joints, bound and unbound backs, mahogany back and maple back guitars, all-mahogany guitars, spruce-topped and maple-topped; not to speak of small humbuckers and DeArmond equipped ones. Together they would make a nice collection by themselves.

Actually, we're getting sidetracked; this part of the thread belongs in the Archtops/Hollowbodies section!

Sincerely,

Hans Moust
http://www.guitarsgalore.nl
 
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Here are more pictures. It has a binding on the back. I think top and back are made of spruce, sides are maple:

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