Rich Cohen
Senior Member
I need some advice. I'm thinking of making an offer an a 2013 M-75 Aristocrat Patriarch. I'd appreciate opinions about this re-issue model.
Thinking of Getting a M-75 Aristocrat Patriarch
- Thread starter Rich Cohen
- Start date
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- Feb 11, 2009
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- NJ (The nice part)
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That's supposed to be the good one. Here's a thread where I got it wrong. 
- Joined
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- 13,648
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- Philly, or thereabouts
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- 11
It should be absolutely fabulous. They didn't make many at all.
Good luck, Rich! Those were sure yummy.
Harp Tail
Senior Member
Guild Newark St. Collection M-75 Aristocrat | Reverb
The Guild M-75 Aristocrat resurrects the company's classic guitars in a modern build. Find new and used models on Reverb.
reverb.com
Apparently still up for sale, Rich Cohen
Love to compare that to the regular production model I had a few years back.
The extra attention to detail, wood selection, and extra time hands on tweeking sometimes can really pay off
I bet this model is a phenominal Guild.
The extra attention to detail, wood selection, and extra time hands on tweeking sometimes can really pay off
I bet this model is a phenominal Guild.
SFIV1967
Venerated Member
They are amazing! I have a 1956 one and was at NAMM when they introduced the AP models in 2013. The new one feels exactly like the vintage one just like it was when new in the 50's. The best Aristocrat one can get I'd say. And not many exist.
Ralf
HeyMikey
Enlightened Member
The Reverb seller’s shop is called Guildman’s Gear. Looking at past sales he’s had a few Guilds. It appears he’s done business with a Richard P, perhaps our own Richard P? From those comments his name may be David. I wonder if he is a member or past member here?
Also, I see he is a couple towns over from me - maybe 30 or so minutes. If anyone is serious I may be able to help in some fashion.
Also, I see he is a couple towns over from me - maybe 30 or so minutes. If anyone is serious I may be able to help in some fashion.
Harp Tail
Senior Member
Noble soul
GGJaguar
Reverential Member
Ralf, did the Patriarch model use P-90s, custom made Franz clones or Newark Street reissue Franz pickups?
GG, the specs said Guild® “Frequency Tested” Single-Coil pickups. That probably doesn't answer the question though. I can't remember if I/we ever asked the guys at the shop what these pickups actually are/were.
Walter Broes
Enlightened Member
Pretty sure the AP M75 and X500 had off-the-shelf Newark street Franz pickups, which struck me as a little odd too back then.
SFIV1967
Venerated Member
It was all written here:
NAMM 2013: New Custom Shop American Patriarch™ Series
NAMM 2013: New Custom Shop American Patriarch™ Series In celebration of Guild’s 60th Anniversary, the iconic American company has officially opened the GUILD® CUSTOM SHOP in New Hartford, Connecticut. The GUILD® CUSTOM SHOP in New Hartford not only introduced a whole new series of acoustic...
letstalkguild.com
The pickups were made by BHK=Booheung Precision Machinery Co Ltd, Korea, same as for the normal Newark St. models. Original Franz pickups were provided by Mike Lewis to BHK initially and Mike told me they got the task to exactly re-create the original provided pickups. No change in material, magnets, wires, windings and so on was allowed. So the pickups should be an almost identical recreation of the original Franz pickups provided. With the wide variation of Franz specs that was an interesting aproach (and obvioulsy failed for the Mini-humbuckers when a defective one was provided and the Koreans copied that defect as far as I understood from Steve...and Guild called that a feature...).
Unrelated to the American Patriach models, the only other Franz pickups made for Guild were the Seymour Duncan Custom Shop Franz pickups for the earlier Guild GSR T-500. Guild had asked SD around 2011/12 to re-create Franz pickups. And Kevin Beller did exactly that. Maricela "MJ" Juarez, who is the queen of pickups in Seymour Duncan's Custom Shop, handwound the 25 pairs of pickups used in the Guild GSR T-500 model. For some years one could ask MJ to build some more, pricing was reasonable in the $100 plus shipping range. But one of our members ask them back in 2019 for a pair and SD replied back to him and stated they are no longer making those Franz pickups.
Ralf
mavuser
Enlightened Member
Bluesbird 90 or Blues 90 for u instead.
Not sure of the nut width variations on Nightbirds or Bluesbirds. I know that many or most Bluesbirds do have a wider and deeper neck (particularly Corona, but also Westerly). The original 1989/1990 Songbirds i've played also had the huge neck (only mentioned as made alongside the Nightbird).
I would love one with a 1 5/8" nut! is that what all of the vintage Aristocrats have? That AP seems priced very high. But I know they are very limited.
HeyMikey
Enlightened Member
I think Nightbirds and later BBs have a
1-11/16 neck, which I like. I play so very little electric that going from my acoustic 1-3/4 necks to 1-5/8 would mess me up big time. When I was younger with narrower, more agile fingers and no arthritis I wouldn’t have cared. I was probably playing 1-5/8 necks and had no idea. Now is a different story.
1-11/16 neck, which I like. I play so very little electric that going from my acoustic 1-3/4 necks to 1-5/8 would mess me up big time. When I was younger with narrower, more agile fingers and no arthritis I wouldn’t have cared. I was probably playing 1-5/8 necks and had no idea. Now is a different story.
jp
Senior Member
Are you even considering an original, Rich? There seems to suddenly be an awful lot of vintage M-75 Aristocrats for sale right now, mostly in the same price range. I currently count 14 on Reverb, and there's another nice example that just posted on my local CL today.
fuman
Member
Go for it, Rich!