1971 Bluesbird with maple top

[Pheogui]

Did Guild create any solid body Bluesbirds in the early 70s with mahogany bodies and 3/4 inch maple top construction, like a Les Paul? I seem to have found one.

 

[mavuser]

yes. it may be chambered though

see post #6 of this thread: https://letstalkguild.com/ltg/index.php?threads/guild-nightbird-and-bleusbird.205498/

 

[The Guilds of Grot]

Did Guild create any solid body Bluesbirds in the early 70s with mahogany bodies and 3/4 inch maple top construction, like a Les Paul? I seem to have found one.

You don't really mean 3/4" do you? [EDITED: Answer below!]

This is the guitar mavuser is referring to in post #6.

It's my M-75C:

While yes it has a maple top it is not a cap.

It's all maple!

The only maple capped Guild I'm aware of is the third generation M-80.

Here is mine:

This is a maple cap on a mahogany body.

 

[SFIV1967]

You don't really mean 3/4" do you?

That's not uncommon for some vintage Les Pauls I think.

Less for the Les Paul reissues as it looks:

Ralf

 

[The Guilds of Grot]

That's not uncommon for some vintage Les Pauls I think.
Ralf

Ah, I see, total thickness at the "arched" section.

 

[SFIV1967]

Ah, I see, total thickness at the "arched" section.

That's what I assumed at least.

Just a question about your M-75C: Is it really a one piece body? Or a maple cap on a maple body?

Ralf

 

[matsickma]

I have a Blond solid body M75 from the mid to later '70's (i.e., diagonal hard stop position closer to the bridge).

I believe the top is maple but not fancy maple as became more common on Guild guitars starting in the later '80's. Kind of the maple you might see on a T100 or even a mid '60's M65 Freshman. From what I have seen the fancy maple tops with flame or wavey patterns were reserved for the high end guitars like a SF6.
M

 

[The Guilds of Grot]

That's what I assumed at least.

Just a question about your M-75C: Is it really a one piece body? Or a maple cap on a maple body?

Ralf

I have no idea! Hell the back and sides could be a maple veneer on a mahogany body!

 

[mavuser]

so i was wrong, it is a maple back and sides.

Just a question about your M-75C: Is it really a one piece body? Or a maple cap on a maple body?

Ralf

with no back door and no F-holes, it pretty much has to be a maple top on a maple body. however, it is a one-piece maple top and a one-piece maple back, like a Starfire. the 90's reissue of Grot's Bluesbird has book-matched maple tops...and mahogany back and sides.

 

[cupric]

I have seen a solid body Stray Cats type Bluesbird that was solid figured maple. But those guitars are much different than the other Bluesbird type guitars.

 

[The Guilds of Grot]

I have seen a solid body Stray Cats type Bluesbird that was solid figured maple. But those guitars are much different than the other Bluesbird type guitars.

You mean like this?

I can assure you that this is one solid block of maple!

 

[cupric]

You mean like this?

I can assure you that this is one solid block of maple!

That is the one! I saw a amber colored one. You don't see many of these guitars anymore. I had a few painted ones.

 

[matsickma]

Looks like Grots Maple M75 is the last of the M75 "Bluesbird" archtops that attempted to achieve solid body performance with a "Aristocratish" fabricated body filled with blocks of wood to fill the body from just above the bridge down through the lower bout of the body. It's all maple laminated with binding on the front and back of the body. I think the last of these were made in the '71/'73 time frame. I also think this "Bluesbird" used to be referred to as "semi-solid". Not sure if Guild used this terminology but the former "Guild Guy" from Fayettsville, NC off of I95 in the southern side of the state used to reference these models as "semi-solid".
M

 

[matsickma]

Hey Grot,
Is the 2nd version of the M80 the model that has that same "Starfire4" type shape as the maple cap guitar you posted but with the rounded edges in lieu of the binding?

A red one of that style that I owned years back also had a maple cap with the edge of of cap thick enough to have the rounded edge cap in too of the mahogany slab. That is one of the guitars I wish I didn't sell!
M

 

[fronobulax]

Not sure if Guild used this terminology but the former "Guild Guy" from Fayettsville, NC off of I95 in the southern side of the state used to reference these models as "semi-solid".
M

Jay Pilzner? I was thinking he was in Tennessee back in the day. Google suggests he is in Nova Scotia now but not in the business of buying and selling.

 

[The Guilds of Grot]

Looks like Grots Maple M75 is the last of the M75 "Bluesbird" archtops that attempted to achieve solid body performance with a "Aristocratish" fabricated body filled with blocks of wood to fill the body from just above the bridge down through the lower bout of the body. It's all maple laminated with binding on the front and back of the body. I think the last of these were made in the '71/'73 time frame. I also think this "Bluesbird" used to be referred to as "semi-solid". Not sure if Guild used this terminology but the former "Guild Guy" from Fayettsville, NC off of I95 in the southern side of the state used to reference these models as "semi-solid".
M

Yes, Guild used "Semi-Solid". It would have to be to wire it!

Hey Grot,
Is the 2nd version of the M80 the model that has that same "Starfire4" type shape as the maple cap guitar you posted but with the rounded edges in lieu of the binding?

A red one of that style that I owned years back also had a maple cap with the edge of of cap thick enough to have the rounded edge cap in too of the mahogany slab. That is one of the guitars I wish I didn't sell!
M

Here are the three generations:

Couldn't tell you if the generation II is a cap or not. Hard to see with the black edge of the sunbust.

Here's another look:

 

[Pheogui]

That's what I assumed at least.

Just a question about your M-75C: Is it really a one piece body? Or a maple cap on a maple body?

Ralf

Mine is a maple cap on a mahogany body, all solid. Phil

 

[F44:876]

Yes, Guild used "Semi-Solid". It would have to be to wire it!



Here are the three generations:

Couldn't tell you if the generation II is a cap or not. Hard to see with the black edge of the sunbust.

Here's another look:

WOW unrelated to discussion - but I had no idea this shape existed. My new mission is to find this exact guitar in lefty. So perfect looking! What's the exact model of this? M80?

 

[GAD]

I know you asked about '70s models, but the '90s and '00s Bluesbirds have a big 'ol maple top and to me are the most "Les Paulish" of the bunch:

My 1997:

The mahogany is mostly hollow, though. Here's my Corona Bluesbird-90's slightly out of focus top:

 

[GAD]

WOW unrelated to discussion - but I had no idea this shape existed. My new mission is to find this exact guitar in lefty. So perfect looking! What's the exact model of this? M80?

Yup. Note that they can be crazy heavy.

'75 M80:

Guild 1975 M-80 CS | GAD's Ramblings

This odd-looking guitar came to me at the right price so I couldn’t pass up the chance to own, play, and write about the seemingly not very popular Guild M-80-CS. This example is from 1975, and is in pretty darn good condition for an almost 40-year-old guitar. Let’s take a close-up look at this...

www.gad.net

'81 M80:

Guild 1981 M-80 | GAD's Ramblings

After buying, playing, and testing a 1975 M-80 CS, I decided to see about scoring an early ’80s model to see how it differed. I managed to score this tobacco burst beauty for a great price and sat down to play it, eagerly anticipating my first outing with not only a 1980’s Guild, but my …

www.gad.net

I have not owned the one on the right of Grot's fabulous pic, but if memory served they're the heaviest of them all.