Bluesbirds: Owners & Long Time Borrowers List

jp

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Hello good people!
Got myself a Bluesbird this Sunday. Had to get rid of some guitars (have 13) so I wanted to sell my Zerberus Hydra for cash, but this guy with braids in his beard insisted on a trade off, for a Guild Bluesbird... and who am I to resist something named Bluesbird. I still have 13 guitars... But what gem of a guitar this is! I changed strings and tried it out on amplifier. Honestly, I didn't think it would be this good.
Now, some questions:
* #CL001720. 1998, Westerly?
* For how long did they make guitars in the Westerly plant?
* The serial numbers suggest there were not many BB:s made every year. Somebody knows?

I'm sorry if someone answered these questions before. I will read all 30 pages of this thread later :)

Saludos from Sweden
//Erik

IMG_3387.JPG

Hej Erik -

Det verkar som du aldrig fick svar! Apologies for the late reply. Congrats on a the sweet Bluesbird. They are truly are undiscovered gems in the American guitar market. As far as the serial number, it's hard to say.

1) Your Guild falls right in the pocket between Westerly and Corona, although I'd hazard a guess that it is Westerly. I'm sure that more knowledge members who own this generation of Bluesbird may have a better idea, esp. Hans Moust.
2) Check out a brief overview of Guild history at their site, or buy Hans' book which is excellent reading!
3) Again, this is a Hans question. He has actual production numbers on many periods.

I apologize that I'm only good for a hearty welcome and not so much with information about your Bluesbird.

Welcome to the LTG!
 
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1976 White M-80 anyone ever seen one?

Hey everyone forum newbie here… I just bought a 1976 M-80 on reverb… But it is white & doesn't have inlay on headstock just guild logo. The seller is very reputable & says is sure not a refine & is all original. I haven't received yet but hoping to gain some insight.
I'm a huge fan of bluebirds & m-75's too. I tried to attach pics but I'm kinda a knucklehead & reasonably sure their not gonna show up but if anyone has seen or any info on this type of M80 please lmk
/Users/name/Desktop/bb7vkxwqmrmwnaqrb3kp.jpg
 

Quantum Strummer

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Oooh, that's a handsome M80 (looked it up on Reverb). I'm a total sucker for white-gone-cream finishes. If this one is a refin (looks legit to me) it's expertly done.

-Dave-
 

adorshki

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Hello good people!
Got myself a Bluesbird this Sunday. Had to get rid of some guitars (have 13) so I wanted to sell my Zerberus Hydra for cash, but this guy with braids in his beard insisted on a trade off, for a Guild Bluesbird... and who am I to resist something named Bluesbird. I still have 13 guitars... But what gem of a guitar this is! I changed strings and tried it out on amplifier. Honestly, I didn't think it would be this good.
Now, some questions:
* #CL001720. 1998, Westerly?
Wow how'd I miss this first post, welcome aboard!
Yes the "CL" prefix means definitely made in Westerly, but s/n charts don't actually cover '98 even though the header implies they do:
http://guildguitars.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/history_of_your_guild.pdf.
Our member Hans Moust can likely tell you exactly when that guitar was made if you really want to be sure.
Because he gets so much mail here, he prefers to be contacted at his website:
http://www.guitarchives.nl/guitarsgalore/
* For how long did they make guitars in the Westerly plant?
From 1967 until mid 2001, and were closing plant down through end of '01 while production was being started in Corona.
Corona was actually making electrics before acoustics, but they used a different alpha prefix for s/n's.
* The serial numbers suggest there were not many BB:s made every year. Somebody knows?
Hans, if anybody, but you're' probably correct, and Guild production was very small compared to Fender and Gibson in any case.
 

adorshki

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Oooh, that's a handsome M80 (looked it up on Reverb). I'm a total sucker for white-gone-cream finishes. If this one is a refin (looks legit to me) it's expertly done.

-Dave-

I like white too.
It's possible it was a special order, Guild was pretty flexible about that kind of stuff.
Ah, I see it now too, looks totally legit to me.
https://reverb.com/item/8262876-guild-m-80-series-1976-yellowed-white
One reason being binding, don't usually see that being preserved on a re-fin.
Suspect chesterfield was left off simply because it wouldn't have been very visible anyway.
Might have even looked weird with the black "Guild" logo.
 

walrus

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If that's original as suspected, isn't that a very good price? That is very cool in "yellowed" white!

walrus
 

Guildocaster

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After much searching i finally found a 1997 transparent red Guild Bluesbird on December 2nd. I previously owned a tobacco sunburst Bluesbird that I sold to purchase another guitar. I have regretted selling that guitar and have been on the lookout for another. Anyway, my good friend comes over to play some blues which we do once a week. So I ask if he would like to try out the Bluesbird. Well he falls in love with the guitar! I mean he couldn't put it down. I own a number of guitars and he has tried them all. He usually plays it for a few minutes and says it is nice and that is it. The next week he phones and asks if he can play the Bluesbird. I have never seen him so enthralled about a guitar. Now I really like the guitar, but to see him play it and say how perfect the guitar is to him I just had to ask if he wanted to buy it. He did buy the guitar and he is thrilled to own it. So now the search is on to find another Bluesbird.
 

Smitch

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After much searching i finally found a 1997 transparent red Guild Bluesbird on December 2nd. I previously owned a tobacco sunburst Bluesbird that I sold to purchase another guitar. I have regretted selling that guitar and have been on the lookout for another. Anyway, my good friend comes over to play some blues which we do once a week. So I ask if he would like to try out the Bluesbird. Well he falls in love with the guitar! I mean he couldn't put it down. I own a number of guitars and he has tried them all. He usually plays it for a few minutes and says it is nice and that is it. The next week he phones and asks if he can play the Bluesbird. I have never seen him so enthralled about a guitar. Now I really like the guitar, but to see him play it and say how perfect the guitar is to him I just had to ask if he wanted to buy it. He did buy the guitar and he is thrilled to own it. So now the search is on to find another Bluesbird.

Great story. The fender era Bluesbirds are truly undiscovered gems, heck, the entire M75/Bluesbird lineage is woefully under appreciated! I’ve gigged with these beauties for years and I’m not surprised your buddy dug it like he did. Do yourself a favor and try and lay your ears on an order solid body m75 with HB 1 pickups. I recently scored one on The Bay and had no clue how sweet those pups were, amazing. LTG member GAD, gad.net, does an incredible job of comparing the historical BB/M75 historical line and is worth checking out while you pursue a new one. Good luck!
 

SFIV1967

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Now, some questions:
* #CL001720. 1998, Westerly?
* The serial numbers suggest there were not many BB:s made every year. Somebody knows?
Welcome to LTG and a Happy New Year 2018!

CL001720 was made in Westerly in year 1999.

I think the first year for that model was 1996 and the last year in Westerly was 2001 and around 2750 serial numbers do exist with the CL prefix. I had seen a serial number CL002769 from 2001, but don't know how many more were made after that one.
In 2001 the Fender factory in Corona started building first Guild Bluesbirds with the CM prefix (Corona serial numbers in 2001 were for instance CM000009) and they were at least produced until 2003, I have seen for instance a CM000694 serial number from 2003 but don't know how many more were made in Corona in 2003 and if there were a few made in 2004. I also saw a CM000809 and don't know if that is 2003 or 2004.
Ralf
 
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Hobbesickles

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Here is my second AAA Amber Bluesbird I picked up some months back. This one is from 1998 while my other is from 2002. There are quite a few differences between ones from Westerly and ones from Corona based off my experience. Both of mine are killer guitars!

uoOwCFL.jpg


DuzKbE3.jpg


BqZB6MB.jpg


t7WCgnt.jpg
 

GAD

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Here is my second AAA Amber Bluesbird I picked up some months back. This one is from 1998 while my other is from 2002. There are quite a few differences between ones from Westerly and ones from Corona based off my experience. Both of mine are killer guitars!



DuzKbE3.jpg

Very nice!

What would you say those differences are?
 

Hobbesickles

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Very nice!

What would you say those differences are?

Here's a few I noticed:
- The binding around the body and finger board are different thicknesses and color
- The control cover on the back are different shapes
- The neck on the Westerly is a different profile (thinner, close to my '74 Starfire VI)
- The toggle switch uses a different thread size compared to my 2002 Corona Bluesbird
- The finishes are slightly different in feel
- Black pickup rings and control knobs on the Westerly versus cream rings and clear knobs on the Corona
- Strap pins are different
 

adorshki

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and they were at least produced until 2003, I have seen for instance a CM000665 serial number from 2003 but don't know how many more were made in Corona in 2003 and if there were a few made in 2004.
Ralf

Looks like even January of '04 might have been iffy if Bing K's statement from the FDP was correct back in February of '04:

"think the last of the Bluesbirds available are being shipped.
There is a few still in stores but they seem to be few in number."

From here:
http://www.fenderforum.com/forum.html?db=&topic_number=396248&lastpost=2004-03-0221:22:39
And the last note from Jan 15th '04, in this thread:
http://www.fenderforum.com/forum.html?db=&topic_number=385220&offset=20
 

Guildocaster

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Well my search has ended. I found a tobacco burst for sale in Montreal. It arrived yesterday, the only damage in transit was one of the clear volume knobs cracked to pieces. So if anyone has a spare they can part with I would be a buyer.
He said it is a 1999, but I think a CL001458 serial number would be for a 1998? Maybe someone here can verify for me. I will try and post pictures of this guitar as well as my cherry burst BB with P90 pickups.
 
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