AcornHouse
Venerated Member
Just picked up a NS M-75 Aristocrat. I’d been thinking about what Guild I could convert to stereo output to go with my 200-S amp. I didn’t want to alter a vintage Guild, so I thought the Aristocrat would be the best candidate: no worries about feedback when it got loud, and no chance of affording a vintage one. So, found a minty sunburst one at the lowest price I’d seen on GC used.
It arrived last night, and looked pretty much unplayed, just a few fingerprints. Still had the protective film on the TRC, and the OHSC still had the inventory tag from Guild. (In the accessory compartment, found the checklist card from Sweetwater, so I know where it started.) Playing it for a bit, I found the high strings going out of tune. So I dressed the nut slots and now it’s nice and stable, even with bending. Have two Korean Guilds and both had crappy nut slots; the frets, however, are great, far better than Gibson.
Ran it through the paces at rehearsal today on a Tom Petty show and it sounded and felt great! (Now I’m wondering do I want to limit it to one amp.)
Only a couple of minuses. One: the numbers on the gold translucent vintage-style knobs on the burst top are impossible to read with older eyes while playing. Two: the bridge pup is much closer to the strings making the two seriously out of balance at equal volumes. Since it can’t be lowered, I’ll have to see about raising the neck pup.
No pics yet, but you’ve seen ‘em. It looks like the stock pics.
It arrived last night, and looked pretty much unplayed, just a few fingerprints. Still had the protective film on the TRC, and the OHSC still had the inventory tag from Guild. (In the accessory compartment, found the checklist card from Sweetwater, so I know where it started.) Playing it for a bit, I found the high strings going out of tune. So I dressed the nut slots and now it’s nice and stable, even with bending. Have two Korean Guilds and both had crappy nut slots; the frets, however, are great, far better than Gibson.
Ran it through the paces at rehearsal today on a Tom Petty show and it sounded and felt great! (Now I’m wondering do I want to limit it to one amp.)
Only a couple of minuses. One: the numbers on the gold translucent vintage-style knobs on the burst top are impossible to read with older eyes while playing. Two: the bridge pup is much closer to the strings making the two seriously out of balance at equal volumes. Since it can’t be lowered, I’ll have to see about raising the neck pup.
No pics yet, but you’ve seen ‘em. It looks like the stock pics.
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