bluesbird mods and other such questions

Gabby84

Junior Member
Joined
Dec 4, 2018
Messages
72
Reaction score
14
Location
New England
Hello all, I now own a 2017 Guild Bluesbird. The jack is loose, even after following stewmac's suggestions on tightening it.

Regardless, I am now thinking of upgrading the pots, the switch and the jack to CTL and switchmaster.

Anyone else modify their Bluesbird? If so, what have you done?

Thank you!
 

SFIV1967

Venerated Member
Joined
Nov 20, 2010
Messages
18,442
Reaction score
8,956
Location
Bavaria / Germany
Guild Total
8
Sure, a good Switchcraft toggle switch and Switchcraft jack and CTS pots never hurt. And new capacitors. I changed the pots and caps in my year 2000 Bluesbird as the original pots were completely dead and unrepairable (WD Music pots made by CGE in Mexico). I used CTS made Toneshaper P/N CT-450S3507 with 10% tolerance, 10% audio. The long shaft version was required for the year 2000 Bluesbird, I used different washers to exactly fit them to the different thickness of the top wood. Not sure what size the Newark St. version requires. I also changed the very cheap disk capacitors (both 0.02mfd) to axial Mullard mustard caps (0.022mfd).
Toneshaper also offers various complete kits: https://toneshapers.com/toneshapers-wiring-kit-gibson-les-paul-modern-wiring.html.html

Ralf
 

DThomasC

Senior Member
Joined
Oct 10, 2014
Messages
1,283
Reaction score
187
Location
Finger Lakes, New York, USA
Anyone else modify their Bluesbird? If so, what have you done?

I put black Fender amp knobs on my Westerly Bluesbird. (Not the amp knobs with numbers; the smaller ones with just an indicator line found on the brownface amps.) I think they look great, but there are probably a lot of people in this forum that feel I've defaced the instrument. Point being, it's more common on LTG to respect the way an instrument came from the factory than to talk about hot rodding them. You might need to find another forum for that.

Having said that, I think that a new wiring harness for a Newark St instrument isn't a bad idea. Look for a complete harness made for an LP. eg: https://www.ebay.com/itm/920D-Custom-Shop-Les-Paul-Pre-Wired-Long-Shaft-CTS-Switchcraft-Orange-Drop/111643255295?hash=item19fe74e1ff:g:0T4AAOSwpkFY5qOi

Be aware that your knobs will not fit on CTS pots. Technically, they're metric pots and have a course knurl. The CTS pots are almost exactly the same size and will probably fit on your guitar (worst case, you need to open up the hole very slightly), but the knurl on the shaft is different. You can find Alpha brand pots in metric that your knobs will fit, but I'm not sure they're an upgrade from what's already in your guitar.
 

Gabby84

Junior Member
Joined
Dec 4, 2018
Messages
72
Reaction score
14
Location
New England
do you have a photo? Curious how the fender knobs look.
thank you for the link, too!

I'm trying to keep the bluesbird pretty stock as far as humbuckers, etc. Since the jack was loose, I figured I may as well look into upgrading the pots, etc.
 

GAD

Reverential Morlock
Über-Morlock
Joined
Feb 11, 2009
Messages
22,585
Reaction score
17,803
Location
NJ (The nice part)
Guild Total
112
If you want to upgrade pots I can’t recommend The Art of Tone enough.
 

DThomasC

Senior Member
Joined
Oct 10, 2014
Messages
1,283
Reaction score
187
Location
Finger Lakes, New York, USA
do you have a photo? Curious how the fender knobs look.

I got the idea for Fender amp knobs from a custom Bluesbird made by Chris Fleming in the Fender Custom Shop. There are photos of that guitar in this thread: http://www.letstalkguild.com/ltg/showthread.php?170907-New-Guitar-Day-2002-Guild-Blues-90-Prototype

Mine is translucent red with a quilted top. The pickup covers and knobs are black, but the photos in the other link give you an idea. The amp knobs are a little smaller than the clear Guild knobs, but (a) I think the clear Guild knobs are ugly no matter what guitar they're on (don't taze me bro!), and (b) I prefer an indicator line over numbers; they're way easier for me to read quickly, in the dark, with a drink in one hand, ... All but one of the knobs on the guitar were busted anyway.
 

SFIV1967

Venerated Member
Joined
Nov 20, 2010
Messages
18,442
Reaction score
8,956
Location
Bavaria / Germany
Guild Total
8
I got the idea for Fender amp knobs from a custom Bluesbird made by Chris Fleming in the Fender Custom Shop.
Oh yes, they look very nice in that combination with the soapbars and the color of the top.

B90a.jpg


Ralf
 

Gabby84

Junior Member
Joined
Dec 4, 2018
Messages
72
Reaction score
14
Location
New England
thank you for posting the pics, I like the look of the fender amp knobs on the bluesbird.
 

Quantum Strummer

Senior Member
Joined
May 26, 2015
Messages
2,382
Reaction score
118
Location
Michigan
One of the semi-hollow Ibanezes I tried out a couple years ago had a partially cracked knob that gave way completely after I'd set it up & played it a few times. When I tried replacing it with a "correct" one from my stash I found out why it had cracked in the first place: it had been forced onto an imperial-spec replacement pot. This particular guitar, an AS-50, is the best-sounding 335 type instrument I've ever owned, so that pot ain't goin' nowhere. Instead I've got a '50s style gold Gibson-y knob on it, and might get metric versions of this knob for the other three pots if the stylistic mismatch ever gets annoying. :)

BTW, I really like those cream brownface-style knobs!

-Dave-
 

Gabby84

Junior Member
Joined
Dec 4, 2018
Messages
72
Reaction score
14
Location
New England
the fender knobs look great on both of those guitars! I am going to upgrade the electronics with CTS pots as a start. Looking at 24 spline knobs as well.
 
Top