Hopping on the Guild Bluesbird train

[dougdnh]

Very nice guitar - I picked up a very similar 2000 in natural last fall, love it. I did swap out the SH-1's for Rose California's which gave it an even sweeter, rounder tone. I also did a coil tap on them which gives me a few more sounds to play around with.

 

[hideglue]

Not sure what these stock p/us are, Seymour Duncans?

Unless my memory has really started to fail me. . . .

They're indeed both Duncans: '59 at the neck, and a JB at the bridge.

 

[mad dog]

The pickups are actually rather good in this bluesbird, but I'll probably never shake my curiosity about how others would sound.

Tom Short's minihumbuckers in a full size case (undercover mini) are top of the list. I have one of these in the neck of a deluxe type tele partscaster and it pleases in any number of ways. IMO, one of the best p/us ever. Another logical choice would be the Ian Anderson HBs I put in a LP. At least in the LP, it would be very hard to do better.

Deciding soon.
MD

 

[coastie99]

The pickups are actually rather good in this bluesbird, but I'll probably never shake my curiosity about how others would sound.

Tom Short's minihumbuckers in a full size case (undercover mini) are top of the list. I have one of these in the neck of a deluxe type tele partscaster and it pleases in any number of ways. IMO, one of the best p/us ever. Another logical choice would be the Ian Anderson HBs I put in a LP. At least in the LP, it would be very hard to do better.

Deciding soon.
MD

Doggie, I'm assuming that you've viewed this at sometime ............... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cUsK2-Ie ... ature=plcp

That guitar is disassembled on my bench at the moment and, to my surprise I've found that the bridge p/u is not original ! The previous owner has swapped in a SD Duncan Distortion SH-6.

http://www.seymourduncan.com/products/e ... ncan_dist/

Now, not in my wildest dreams would I have ever thought of putting such a p/u in a BB and, I have no idea of your taste in music. But, to me, that p/u sounds pretty damn' good ! 8)

If you do "go inside" there's more that you might like to do. Firstly, sling some vintage taper volume pots in there.
You don't have to spend a fortune and the taper's much more effective than the modern one.

And, at very little cost, you could experiment with tone caps. What this guy sez, and I've seen his opinions echoed elsewhere, makes very good sense ................

http://www.premierguitar.com/Magazine/I ... itors.aspx

You don't have to spend moon-money on tone caps. Mallory's sound very sweet and I cannot perceive anything in mega-money PIO caps. that would have me springing for the extra expense.

http://www.premierguitar.com/Magazine/I ... rt_II.aspx

 

[coastie99]

And further, regarding pots.

Most pots. that you'll purchase, including CTS, are built to 20% tolerance.

In other words a nominal 500K pot. may have an actual value around 450K or less, or 600K.

Just yesterday, I received an order of 10 CTS 500K pots. I've matched these and will use them for tone pots.
These ranged in real value from a low of 472K to a high of 586K. I've had the odd pot. before, way down at 413K !

 

[mad dog]

Coastie:

So that beauty is yours ... it sure explains the hot sound in bluespicky's video. Very fine tone I might add. Probably a little hotter than I like, but these are personal tastes.

My initial take on the BB is the pots are fine. They work well up and down, do exactly what they're supposed to do. And the tonal balance is just right. Either someday tuned this guitar up to get it that way, or it was that way from the factory. According to the previous owner, that's the way it came to him from the store.

So I probably won't mess with the wiring. In terms of p/us, I could definitely live with these SDs. But there's something so fine in a few other sets. Spent hours today listening:

- Bluesbird, SD 59s
- '66 ES 335, stock patent sticker p/us
- Epiphone LQ Les Paul, Ian Anderson p/us
- Epiphone Riviera, MIK, stock HBs
- partscaster tele with Tom Short p/us, undercover mini neck

Very different flavors. All more to the older, PAF sort of sound. Some louder, fatter than others. The SDs have great balance, a little spare sounding next to some of these other, warmer choices. The TS undercover mini in particular has a unique sort of overdrive sound ... this is the one I want to hear in the chambered bluesbird body. Also thinking maybe lightning could strike twice in the minihum dept. The Soloway Swan I got last year has Lollar Firebird minis, and is chambered with maple top ... one of the best sounding guitars I've heard yet.

So it looks like I'm mini bound for this BB.
MD

 

[coastie99]

Good on ya Dog.

I'm actually faced with a dilemma here; I don't now, have a BB with stock p/u's, which I'd really like to have. I put a set of HB-1's in my sunburst BB and love them ! Got them from my wife's nephew who didn't like them in his '76 Starfire 4 ! :shock: :roll:

So, I guess I'm going to have to put the ex - sunburst bridge p/u into the baccy - burst one.

But, I'd love to try a "fatter" style humbucker in a BB. And I just ran out of BB's to retro-fit.

Oh well, guess I'll be shopping sometime for another BB !! I'll sling the SD SH-6 into the ersatz S-100 that I have taking shape.

 

[fearless]

Nice looking guitar, Mad Dog - Congratulations! The spitting image of mine (1998). I'll be interested to hear how you go with the pickup changes.

 

[Russian Guy]

Man that photo just screams American at least for me. Two-storied houses and what looks to be a sound. Ah it brings memories. IF only I was into guitars back then :roll:

 

[fearless]

Funny - it is actually Australia!

 

[mad dog]

Australia, Long Beach Island NJ (which that location does look like) ... who cares where it is when there's such a pretty guitar in front???

It does look the very image of my red one Fearless. We're Guild twins! Coastie: For that warmer PAF kind of sound, I've never heard any better in modern p/us than Ian Anderson's. He builds the guitars and winds the p/us, sells the p/us alone too. Here's Lance Keltner demoing both:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8NIWc8avR70

Heard that, immediately grabbed a set for my LP. They are so fine, especially the bridge. Think I have some clips, if you care to hear them.

MD

 

[Thunderface]

Man that photo just screams American at least for me. Two-storied houses and what looks to be a sound.

There were houses and water in that photo? :?

 

[coastie99]

Australia, Long Beach Island NJ (which that location does look like) ... who cares where it is when there's such a pretty guitar in front???

It does look the very image of my red one Fearless. We're Guild twins! Coastie: For that warmer PAF kind of sound, I've never heard any better in modern p/us than Ian Anderson's. He builds the guitars and winds the p/us, sells the p/us alone too. Here's Lance Keltner demoing both:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8NIWc8avR70

Heard that, immediately grabbed a set for my LP. They are so fine, especially the bridge. Think I have some clips, if you care to hear them.

MD

Thanks for that. 8)

It would be no hardship at all to listen to any clips that you might have, thank you.

 

[Russian Guy]

Man that photo just screams American at least for me. Two-storied houses and what looks to be a sound.

There were houses and water in that photo? :?

Ya-huh. And here's what I was talking about.

For you it might seem strange that the combination of water and houses looks fascinating to me but if you look at those photos the whole environment looks very homey and it is. Especially compared to this "view".

I'd choose the first two any day of the week.

 

[mad dog]

It would be no hardship at all to listen to any clips that you might have, thank you.

Respond in haste, repent at leisure!!

First, Epi LP with Ian Anderson p/us, bridge position. Second, both p/us:
http://soundclick.com/share.cfm?id=11260363
http://soundclick.com/share.cfm?id=11260362

Blond partscaster tele with the Tom Short Undercover mini in the neck. First, neck only, tone half rolled off;
http://soundclick.com/share.cfm?id=10864771
Both p/us;
http://soundclick.com/share.cfm?id=10007316

MD

 

[Csquare4]

I'd choose the first two any day of the week.

Agreed Russian Guy - but I bet you have better beer!

 

[fearless]

I'd choose the first two any day of the week.

Agreed Russian Guy - but I bet you have better beer!

:lol: :lol: No country is perfect!