Want to build a Thunderbird!

airplane

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Here you go:

1965-guild-thunderbird-electric_1_083c5f0812ba769a5535a19f941578de.jpg


Ralf

Thanks a lot! Is that your own photograph or from another forum?
 

SFIV1967

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Thanks a lot! Is that your own photograph or from another forum?
No, this was from an old ebay listing. It was at "https://www.worthpoint.com/worthopedia/1965-guild-thunderbird-electric-25959026"
Ralf
 
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airplane

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what do you guys think about using a actual guild headstock inlay for my build? i don’t exactly want to fake a guild guitar, but 99% of the headstocks private luthiers design look kind of weird to me..

i guess it won’t be illegal if i don’t plan to sell the guitar, right?
 

adorshki

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what do you guys think about using a actual guild headstock inlay for my build? i don’t exactly want to fake a guild guitar, but 99% of the headstocks private luthiers design look kind of weird to me..
Unless you've already got one or have a source in mind I think it'd be about as hard to find as an old beater as you mentioned earlier.
We've seen the question come up before when folks just want to do a restoration, although we did see some original NOS overlays on EBAY within about the last 6 months.

i guess it won’t be illegal if i don’t plan to sell the guitar, right?
Think that'll depend on Switzerland's trademark copyright laws, whether or not they recognize Guild's trademark copyright.
I'd like to think it'd be ok, having "no intent to sell", but that may not be the defining issue.
And as Krysh said, it wouldn't really be a Guild...might leave a bad taste in some people's mouths no matter how honorable the intentions.
 

airplane

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In the Gibson Les Paul world it’s fairly common to use the original headstock design including the brand logo. Since the guitars built by these brands today are vastly different from back and the day and are hardly comparable, i think this actually makes sense. you’re not copying the today’s guitar, but the ones from the good old days which are no longer made today.
 
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airplane

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to the people who played a vintage one. how is that tremolo? does it stay in tune?

actually i was planning to use a bigsby b-5. but i kinda think the bisby looks too big and heavy and doesn’t really suit the body design.
 

DrumBob

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Are you sure this is the girl for you?

adhorski was joking. I'm not. Are you sure this is the right girl for you? One who would limit you? It's your life and your decision, of course. Apologies if I'm out of line.

Also, the original and reissue Hagstrom tremolos stink. They knock the guitars right out of tune. My friend has a Newark St. reissue T-Bird, and he had his tech remove the trem and install a Bigsby.
 
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airplane

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adhorski was joking. I'm not. Are you sure this is the right girl for you? One who would limit you? It's your life and your decision, of course. Apologies if I'm out of line.

Also, the original and reissue Hagstrom tremolos stink. They knock the guitars right out of tune. My friend has a Newark St. reissue T-Bird, and he had his tech remove the trem and install a Bigsby.

i was just joking... she wouldn’t be very happy but it’s my decision of course. she couldn’t stop my from buying one if i really wanted to. but i actually don’t want to buy a reissue.

yeah i’m going to go with a bigsby b-5. i found a new old stock tremolo from the 60‘s guild s-200s which would be really cool for the looks and authenticity. but it’s probably wiser to go with a bigsby.
 

adorshki

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is anyone interested in a build thread? i have a lot of material already and i‘m getting started very soon

OH yeah we love 'em!!
NO joke!
:friendly_wink:
Just be careful if you ask for opinions about things like what color or what kind of knobs.
We tend to drift off topic on that stuff......
:highly_amused:
 

adorshki

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i will just post updates here i guess..
That'll work, thread title's already right on topic too....
:friendly_wink:

no no i‘m pretty sure about the knobs and all. i was totally sure about a cherry red dye, but over the last few weeks i‘ve fallen in love with the finish this very old one:
https://shop.guitarpoint.de/de/Guild/1964-Guild-Thunderbird-Sunburst-rare-

OH yeah, I remember that listing from another thread about an S200 with no 'bird on the headstock.
Link's a little wonky for me for some reason so allow me, in case it helps others:
GuildS-200Thunderbird-1.jpg

And yes that yellow-to-red fade's my favorite 'burst too.
How're your spraying skills?
We've heard that requires a pretty skilled sprayer.
 

airplane

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That'll work, thread title's already right on topic too....
:friendly_wink:



OH yeah, I remember that listing from another thread about an S200 with no 'bird on the headstock.
Link's a little wonky for me for some reason so allow me, in case it helps others:
GuildS-200Thunderbird-1.jpg

And yes that yellow-to-red fade's my favorite 'burst too.
How're your spraying skills?
We've heard that requires a pretty skilled sprayer.

yeah that’s the perfect one, i‘ve seen this too. a little less faded on the edges than the one i postet..

as a taxidermist (no trophies tho!) i‘m pretty good with airbrush but i have zero experience with lacquer! i will try and see what i can do on some spare mahagony. but i‘ll probably have to get a luthier to do it. although i can’t really afford it..
 

adorshki

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yeah that’s the perfect one, i‘ve seen this too. a little less faded on the edges than the one i posted..
I was running off memory that it was the same one, thought I recognized the address when I tried to get there.
What happens when I try your link, is an endless "no connect" and then my IE shuts it down, but I saw it when I simply looked in Google Images when I was posting in that other thread.
Yeah the other guitar was even more faded, redder around the rim.
as a taxidermist (no trophies tho!) i‘m pretty good with airbrush but i have zero experience with lacquer! i will try and see what i can do on some spare mahagony. but i‘ll probably have to get a luthier to do it. although i can’t really afford it..
Well traditionally Cherry has been my absolute favorite finish color....... :biggrin-new:
 

kakerlak

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Just a quick note -- I have a feeling that these don't in fact, have a full-width tenon. I'm pretty sure there's a fretboard extension glued to the bottom of the fretboard, past the body joint and I'm not sure what the tenon/dovetail looks like. You can see that seam in the pic that was posted earlier in the thread and I remember it on my old '71 S-100. That having been said, I don't think there'd be anything wrong or visually anomalous with building one that has a full-width heel/tenon, like a LP junior.
 

airplane

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Just a quick note -- I have a feeling that these don't in fact, have a full-width tenon. I'm pretty sure there's a fretboard extension glued to the bottom of the fretboard, past the body joint and I'm not sure what the tenon/dovetail looks like. You can see that seam in the pic that was posted earlier in the thread and I remember it on my old '71 S-100. That having been said, I don't think there'd be anything wrong or visually anomalous with building one that has a full-width heel/tenon, like a LP junior.

i was trying to see this from the requested photos on the first page. but i can’t really see it. but i‘m going for a les paul style neck tenon. i don’t understand a full width neck tenon anyway! i mean, the fretboard is getting wider towards the end. so, does the route in the body get woder too?
 

airplane

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Link's a little wonky for me for some reason so allow me, in case it helps others:

The link works with my phone and computer but here is a pic of the guitar i was talking about:
Guild64Thunder29669_17.jpg


So i had some time to start working on it last friday. that's the template i made (i actually rounded the two pointy horns a bit later):
45322091371_606840431a_b.jpg


and that's the beautiful chunk of mahagony roughly cut with a bandsaw:
31447912688_5acf9de62a_b.jpg


44599275254_b4c9c383d7_b.jpg


i got the pickguard made by pickguardplanet. pretty good quality and the made and shipped it very quickly.

i now have to wait for our carpenter at the museum i work to show me how to use the router so i can go on.
 

airplane

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Any opinions on the original Hagström Adjustomatic bridge that came with the original Thinderbird and other vintage Guilds? I was lucky enough to find a set of original Anti-Hums and knobs, and the seller also has the original bridge. i‘m tempted to buy it for vintage accuracy and i guess it adds to the original tone of the old Thunderbirds. But the construction looks a little weird to me! Is that thing stable? Note that i‘m going to put a Bigsby B5 on mine.
 
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kakerlak

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Any opinions on the original Hagström Adjustomatic bridge that came with the original Thinderbird and other vintage Guilds? I was lucky enough to find a set of original Anti-Hums and knobs, and the seller also has the original bridge. i‘m tempted to buy it for vintage accuracy and i guess it adds to the original tone of the old Thunderbirds. But the construction looks a little weird to me! Is that thing stable? Note that i‘m going to put a Bigsby B5 on mine.

It's fine, stability-wise, and, by nature of its design, the saddles are locked rigidly in place. That having been said, there's not a ton of range of adjustment for intonation and it's kind of a sharp thing to rest your hand on -- that outer corner of the saddle is kind of pokey! Basically, the bridge itself has a central ridge/spine that the U-shaped saddles straddle and the screws on either side of the saddle lock it in place by pressing against each side of that center spine.
 
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