70's M-75 vs 2000 Bluesbird?

dougdnh

Member
Joined
Jun 28, 2011
Messages
427
Reaction score
32
Location
New Hampshire
Hey guys - I own a 2000 Bluesbird, love it, but I have a chance to pick up a 70's M-75 with Guild HB-1's for about wha the Bluesbird is worth. I would use it for vintage rock, blues, jazz. If you had to choose, which one would it be?
 

JohnW63

Enlightened Member
Joined
Dec 11, 2012
Messages
6,293
Reaction score
2,217
Location
Southern California
Guild Total
4
That will probably come down to neck preferences. The 70s necks were on the thin side. 1-5/8 nut and such. Many would prefer the HB-1 pickup over the Fender version they could have used on the 2000 Bluesbird, but someone with more knowledge ( GAD for instance ) would have to chime in on what pickups you have.
 

GAD

Reverential Morlock
Über-Morlock
Joined
Feb 11, 2009
Messages
22,582
Reaction score
17,799
Location
NJ (The nice part)
Guild Total
112
Pretty spot on assessment by JohnW63.

The M75 is a tone machine. Lightweight, killer tone, super fun to play, and an absolute keeper in every way - provided you're OK with the 1 5/8" neck. Note that this will feel like a vintage guitar with mojo galore.

The 2000 Bluesbird is a more modern guitar, doesn't have the phase switch, has pickups with more punch and less character (IMO), and feels and plays more like a Les Paul. It also has a 1 11/16" neck. If it's stock it likely has SD pickups in it. This will feel more like a modern guitar.

They're both chambered but my M75 was much lighter than my Bluesbird.

They're really very different guitars.

My review of a '70s M-75: http://www.gad.net/Blog/2016/10/31/guild-1974-bluesbird-m75/

My review of a '97 Bluesbird (essentially the same, just made in Westerly): http://www.gad.net/Blog/2016/07/17/1997-guild-bluesbird-guitar/

You can see how they compared in my bakeoff, too: http://www.gad.net/Blog/2017/01/27/guild-bluesbird-bake-off/
 

Ross

Senior Member
Joined
Jan 2, 2008
Messages
1,093
Reaction score
98
Location
Toronto
Guild Total
2
Good advice from John & GAD.

After reading this thread I pulled out my 1975 M75 and measured the nut width. As John said, it is 1 5/8". I was surprised, because I have never noticed the difference between it and my acoustic D25, which has the 1 11/16" nut. My aging stumpy fingers are able to transition between the two necks with no problem.

My M75 has the master volume & phase switch, and the body is completely solid; no cavities other than for the controls & pickups.

I've had this M75 since the early 80s, and it's my only electric guitar. These days I don't play out with it, but use it only for home recording projects. Every time I play it, I'm reminded of how happy I am to own it!
 

dougdnh

Member
Joined
Jun 28, 2011
Messages
427
Reaction score
32
Location
New Hampshire
Guys thanks for all the feedback. GAD, your bluesbird comparison is awsome, just what i was looking for. The thing i like the best about my 2000 Bird (westerly) is the neck. That neck is the most comfortable one I've ever played! I had a Blues 90 for a while, but I finally sold it due to the chunky neck. I do have another electric with a 1 5/8 neck, a Cort Matt Guitar Murphy, which is a great gigging guitar, but I feel like the strings are just a mite too close together. Anyhow I just found out the M-75 in question is pretty dinged up, so I'll probably keep my current bird. I did do some mods on it - i replaced the stock SH-1's with Rose California Alnico II's. These give it a somewhat fatter, silkier tone.
The M-75 with the Guild pickups, master volume and phase switch sounded very interesting however.
 

jp

Senior Member
Joined
Apr 21, 2006
Messages
4,849
Reaction score
1,762
Location
Pacific Northwest US
Guild Total
4
They're both chambered but my M75 was much lighter than my Bluesbird.
I may be wrong about this, GAD, but I thought that all M-75s CSs from about 1971 and forward were solid body. Were any of them chambered? There were, of course, the hollow models from about '68-70 with the harp tailpieces.
 

GAD

Reverential Morlock
Über-Morlock
Joined
Feb 11, 2009
Messages
22,582
Reaction score
17,799
Location
NJ (The nice part)
Guild Total
112
I may be wrong about this, GAD, but I thought that all M-75s CSs from about 1971 and forward were solid body. Were any of them chambered? There were, of course, the hollow models from about '68-70 with the harp tailpieces.

Yeah I think I may have confused that. I've had a cold for three days and I feel like my head is stuffed full of fiberglass insulation.

Hollow or not, my M75 was something like 6 pounds. It was crazy light.
 

DThomasC

Senior Member
Joined
Oct 10, 2014
Messages
1,283
Reaction score
187
Location
Finger Lakes, New York, USA
As far as I'm concerned, pickups are like strings; if you don't like 'em then replace them with something you do like!

It seems that once they stopped making the HB-1, Guild lost all sense of what makes a good pickup - or even what makes one appropriate to the style of instrument.
 

jp

Senior Member
Joined
Apr 21, 2006
Messages
4,849
Reaction score
1,762
Location
Pacific Northwest US
Guild Total
4
Yeah I think I may have confused that. I've had a cold for three days and I feel like my head is stuffed full of fiberglass insulation.

Hollow or not, my M75 was something like 6 pounds. It was crazy light.
Ahh. No worries. I thought maybe there was something I should know about my M-75CS :C) Hope you're feeling better!
 
Top