workedinwesterly said:
Hi Guildfs4612ce
i know the model well. Early 80's guild answer to the gibson chet atkins
If your guitar has a mag pickup, it was most likely not done at the factory.
that guitar probably had an early barcus berry transducer with a japanese preamp. Or it could have an early fishman preamp and transducer.
depending on the time frame it has the single or 3 piece piezo pickup in a u'shaped metal channel. the saddle is 1/4" wide.
Best bet for your luthier is to throw away the transducer and preamp, fill the slot in the bridge, recut it for a new saddle and replace everything with a modern pickup of your choice. That technology has come a long way since that guitar was built.
send a pic when you can.
Thanks for the info WIW. I've already told him I want to start from scratch. As the guitar already has the dual system, even though it's basically a solid body, the existing wiring can be used to pull through the new wiring...at least that's my opinion as a lady who doesn't know how to do that kind of men's work... :lol: ...wish I did, though...but boy's clubs don't like us ladies hanging around.
The existing set up is apparently a modified Fishman AGP-2 where the stacked controls are gain/volume for the PU and Transducer and the single control is a tone. The old preamp is a 9 volt. The PU, set in the fake 'soundhole' might be an EMG, haven't had it apart to check. The saddle in the bridge is a compensated wood, appears rosewood, like you would find in a jazz guitar. Don't know what's under it. Bridge also rosewood. It's supposed to have been ordered that way from the factory and doesn't appear to have been molested. The serial number is a low one. Color Black, by the way.
I've had it for a few years and there's always been a problem with the sound. Very unbalanced, bass heavy. Luthier tried in the past to come up with something compatible with the PU but the transducer always overpowered it. The PU only functioned when the gain was maxed out...essential on or off. Now it's completely off. The transducer still works. But pretty much almost bass feedback. The tone control does work but even maxed to treble it's still bass heavy. I'm just a fingerpicker so it's not the attack. The luthier said on those fishman set-ups the controls are pre-set and attached directly to the pc board so there wasn't that much he could do. Now he wants to see what is new on the market since last he checked. He came up with a solution for one of the old AGP-2 set-ups for someone else to repair the thing. But, like you, I want the modern improved sound. She's such a nice old guitar.
Now that I'm trying to modernize it, it's a case of what will fit in the existing compartments. I really want balanced sound...string to string, overall, and the ability to control the mix of PU/transducer. And I hate piezo QUACK. Since he's so busy, I'm trying to do some research on my own. So far I've noticed that Bartolini has some kind of preamp/pot/blender set up, Baggs has something, maybe it's Ctrl-x that with active piezo and passive mag, and d-tar has something besides that endpin setup, that uses the 18 volt system supposedly to increase the headroom and avoid the quacking, and has a blender control of some kind. One thing I've learned visiting winter NAMM alot and rummaging around down in Hall E checking out all the new smaller stuff is that advertising is one thing, reality is another. And everyone has a different opinion of everyone else's gear.
So, in your opinion, what of the newer electronics would work on this guitar? I could pass that on to the luthier. He won't be offended. He just doesn't have the time to do all the research. That's what happens when you're good. I'm willing to do some of the legwork here and then he can check it out and see what he thinks will fit the situation best. IF you can point me in the right direction, I'll collect the info and write it down.
Since it's basically a solidbody, the popular arguments here about transducers and how they contact the soundboard won't be as much of an issue. I just want good clean controllable no feedback no hum tone and I don't want to be the 'ground' when I'm playing. :mrgreen: And I use mostly the PU with a bit of transducer blended in for color and body.
I'll be checking in on her Friday or Saturday and I'll bring my little digi camera along and take her out back to take some pictures for you.
Thanks for any help or advice you can give.
PS: Kenny, thanks for the kind offer. The shop is climate controlled, so she's happier there than in my room.
But I do have that nice Bluesbird Setzer model available to a nice home...she's in FS/FT. :lol:
