Anybody interested in sharing info about these great guitars? I am thinking about buying one and the prices are high...Edward Sparks
http://mysite.verizon.net/emsparks/index.htm
http://mysite.verizon.net/emsparks/index.htm
Guild Songbirds
- Thread starter sparks
- Start date
Graham
Venerated Member
That is a great song, always liked it, especially the way Stevie Winwood sang it.
On the guitars, though. They sound like any acoustic guitar with a USP (under-saddle-pickup). Maybe with the solid chambered body, you can get a little more volume with less feedback, but the sound is the same. Not that inspiring. Can get you through the night, I suppose.
Others may disagree, that's alright.
Dennis
On the guitars, though. They sound like any acoustic guitar with a USP (under-saddle-pickup). Maybe with the solid chambered body, you can get a little more volume with less feedback, but the sound is the same. Not that inspiring. Can get you through the night, I suppose.
Others may disagree, that's alright.
Dennis
The Guilds of Grot
Enlightened Member
They "quack".
sparks said:
Welcome,
Never having held a songbird I'll defer to others for tone opinion.
I've seen a couple come thru Craigslist here, if I remember accurately they sell in the $600 to $800 range.
Here's one listed in Bethesda for $700.
http://washingtondc.craigslist.org/mld/ ... 96620.html
............
This came up here last week, soundhole is oval & I suspect it isn't a Songbird, , something similar?? Listed for $275, didn't last long & likely never happen again. Seller didn't responded to my inquiries.
http://seattle.craigslist.org/tac/msg/977606442.html
The Guilds of Grot
Enlightened Member
Jeff said:
Isn't that the "cheap" version of an F65CE?
Either an F4CE or an F5CE. (Satin finish)
It's much larger then a Songbird.
sitka_spruce
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Speaking of Sonbirds, didn't Eva Cassidy also swing the Guild Songbird? Could this be it? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sYyQcQSqpbI
sitka_spruce said:
I watched a few of her videos, and in them she is using a Guild Songbird, the same model as is Clapton and Winwood. Hers sounds so much better, how come?
The answer is, that she is probably playing it through a different amp, and not strumming so hard, and the dynamics of what she is doing is producing a much sweeter, mellower tone than the afore-mentioned guitar players.
It all goes to show you, that the sound any acoustic electric guitar gets comes from a number of sources. It is not just the guitar, or the crummy pickup (in this case, the USP). You have the amp, or PA, the different effects you put the guitar through, any processing (delay, chorus, echo, compression) they all affect the sound.
Then you have the attack of the players' fingers - strumming, as opposed to hard picking, etc.
So I sort of take it back what I said about these little guitars after hearing Eva Cassidy playing one. With a little processing, the right amp combination, and even a USP can be made to sound good.
So there you go . . .
Jeff said:
quote]
These guitars are made from a solid piece of mahogany, carved out, and topped with a spruce top. So they are much smaller, and a different beast. Not nearly as much acoustic sound, as the F65 family. And they are made, or rather, were made much like a Bluesbird electric, but made more like a quasi-electric.
In the 1999 Guild Gallery magazine, it is called the S4CE Acoustic-Electric.
I'm not sure, but the cheaper version of the F65Ce would be the F45CE. Also there were the F4CE and the F5CE. They are more like the F65CE.
Hi sparks - if you are still looking for a Songbird, here's one that just went up on eBay. Don't know if you like black guitars, but this one is a beauty!
http://cgi.ebay.com/Rare-Guild-S4CE-Son ... 240%3A1318
walrus
http://cgi.ebay.com/Rare-Guild-S4CE-Son ... 240%3A1318
walrus
The Songbird used the same profile as the Bluesbird, it even shared the same case.
The earliest versions were thinner with a 2 knob system preamp on the side...part of the brace had to be cut away to install it. It also had a chunk of lead fastened to the 'tailblock' area to help it balance.
Barry Gibbs didn't have the lead, he was more concerned with weight than balance.
The body became deeper once the Fishman slider preamp was used.
There was a limited run of S4CEBG guitars...same metallic blue as Barrys with his signature silk- screened on the truss rod cover.
A unique guitar.
The earliest versions were thinner with a 2 knob system preamp on the side...part of the brace had to be cut away to install it. It also had a chunk of lead fastened to the 'tailblock' area to help it balance.
Barry Gibbs didn't have the lead, he was more concerned with weight than balance.
The body became deeper once the Fishman slider preamp was used.
There was a limited run of S4CEBG guitars...same metallic blue as Barrys with his signature silk- screened on the truss rod cover.
A unique guitar.
hideglue
Senior Member
workedinwesterly said:
Similar to this...
The Guilds of Grot
Enlightened Member
So let me get this straight.
The difference between a Songbird and an S4CE is that the S4CE was thicker and has a different pick-up system?
Just out of curiosity do you know how much thicker?
The difference between a Songbird and an S4CE is that the S4CE was thicker and has a different pick-up system?
Just out of curiosity do you know how much thicker?
hansmoust
Enlightened Member
The Guilds of Grot said:
Hello Grot,
No that's not correct. The S4CE and the Songbird were exactly the same size with the same pickup system. The S4CE however, was the satin finished version of the Songbird. Both models went to the slightly thicker, about 2-1/2" deep, body around 1995.
Sincerely,
Hans Moust
http://www.guitarsgalore.nl
High Mileage
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I had one for a brief time. It was a beautifully built guitar, and good looking. It had a chunky neck, as I recall.
I didn't keep it long enough to give it a fair shake; seems I let it go to finance something else I **had** to have; probably don't have whatever that was anymore, either.
I was running it through an Acoustasonic amp, and it was rather "quacky," that's the perfect word. Wish I had it back to run it through the PA I've got now. Maybe I'll pick up another one and try again.
Funny thing: I bought it off of eBay from some guy in Arkansas. I then sold it on eBay to someone else in Arkansas who lived within 50 miles of the first guy.
I didn't keep it long enough to give it a fair shake; seems I let it go to finance something else I **had** to have; probably don't have whatever that was anymore, either.
I was running it through an Acoustasonic amp, and it was rather "quacky," that's the perfect word. Wish I had it back to run it through the PA I've got now. Maybe I'll pick up another one and try again.
Funny thing: I bought it off of eBay from some guy in Arkansas. I then sold it on eBay to someone else in Arkansas who lived within 50 miles of the first guy.
Hey Hideglue,
That's the lead chunk, I'll bet that was a healthy thing to work with.
Seems you've got pictures of everything !
That's the lead chunk, I'll bet that was a healthy thing to work with.
Seems you've got pictures of everything !
The Guilds of Grot
Enlightened Member
Thanks Hans!hansmoust said:
I knew about the finish difference but forgot about it when the thickness thing came up.
As usual, thanks for straighting me out!