NGD - Aristocrat HH
- Thread starter GGJaguar
- Start date
An-ti-ci-pay-ay-shun is making me wait.... 
GGJaguar
Reverential Member
Thanks to an early Black Friday sale, I’m giving a slightly used Newark Street Aristocrat HH a whirl. This model is a relative newcomer to the Guild catalog having been introduced in 2020. It is currently available in Transparent Blackburst over a flame maple top with a mahogany body and no pickguard. It was also available in Snowcrest White with a mahogany top, a pickguard, and gold hardware, but that version was discontinued in 2022. The mahogany neck has a pau ferro fingerboard with pearloid block inlays.
Guild had a similar model in the DeArmond M-75 so they haven’t exactly broken new ground.
There has been some discussion of the Aristocrat HH previously and you can check out these threads:
letstalkguild.com
letstalkguild.com
Fit and finish is very good. This is my second Guild made at the Yako Musical Instruments factory in China, the other being a Jetstar. The Jetstar does not feel as refined as the Aristocrat HH. The factory specs say the body is chambered. Peeking through the switch and control cavities, it appears that body is more or less a center block design.
Tuning stability is very good, but the tuners have a bit of play in them and don’t feel precise. These are the same Guild-labeled 18:1 Sta-Tite clones as fitted to the Indonesian-made S-100 Deluxe. Unfortunately, 18:1 Grover Sta-Tites (V97-18) are not a drop-in fit.
I liked the Korean HB-1 pickups in the S-100 Deluxe and the GSR X-150D. The Aristocrat HH has Korean HB-2s. The factory specs say the Korean HB-2 pickups have Alnico II magnets and are wound to 7.0K (neck) and 7.1K (bridge) which is the same as the Korean HB-1s. The HB-1s are the same size as the original US-made HB-1s while the HB-2s are the usual PAF size (meaning you can have Guild tone in just about any humbucking guitar you like). Also, the HB-1s have 3 height adjusting screws just like the originals, whereas the HB-2s have 2 screws like a standard PAF-type pickup. And let’s face it, the pickup covers look right and scream “I’m a Guild”!
Guild had a similar model in the DeArmond M-75 so they haven’t exactly broken new ground.
There has been some discussion of the Aristocrat HH previously and you can check out these threads:
NGD - 2020 Aristocrat HH (trans black)
I hope to post some pics (I didn't see how to do that from the mobile site?) and a mini review. It's not perfect, but this ones a keeper...
letstalkguild.com
Stuart Day's Review of the Aristocrat HH (Trans Black)
Stuart Day, acclaimed luthier from New Galilee, PA, reviews the Guild Aristocrat HH (Trans Black) Spoiler alert -- he likes it, saying "This is a great guitar, man, for the price point I don't think you're going to find a better fit and finish, to be honest..." And, yes, this is my...
letstalkguild.com
Fit and finish is very good. This is my second Guild made at the Yako Musical Instruments factory in China, the other being a Jetstar. The Jetstar does not feel as refined as the Aristocrat HH. The factory specs say the body is chambered. Peeking through the switch and control cavities, it appears that body is more or less a center block design.
Tuning stability is very good, but the tuners have a bit of play in them and don’t feel precise. These are the same Guild-labeled 18:1 Sta-Tite clones as fitted to the Indonesian-made S-100 Deluxe. Unfortunately, 18:1 Grover Sta-Tites (V97-18) are not a drop-in fit.
I liked the Korean HB-1 pickups in the S-100 Deluxe and the GSR X-150D. The Aristocrat HH has Korean HB-2s. The factory specs say the Korean HB-2 pickups have Alnico II magnets and are wound to 7.0K (neck) and 7.1K (bridge) which is the same as the Korean HB-1s. The HB-1s are the same size as the original US-made HB-1s while the HB-2s are the usual PAF size (meaning you can have Guild tone in just about any humbucking guitar you like). Also, the HB-1s have 3 height adjusting screws just like the originals, whereas the HB-2s have 2 screws like a standard PAF-type pickup. And let’s face it, the pickup covers look right and scream “I’m a Guild”!
GGJaguar
Reverential Member
Popping the control cavity cover reveals spaghetti-like wiring, but at least the inside is free from sawdust and debris. The pickup selector toggle is crap and will probably need to be replaced sooner than later. The tone pots are full-size while the volume controls get mini push-pull pots. The cavity has shielding paint applied, but it’s not done very thoroughly. There is shielding foil on the cavity cover which also has a rendition of the famous Guild “ghost” label. The label info is typewritten whereas the label info on the Korean NS models is handwritten.
The controls are typical of many low budget guitars. There is almost no taper so they are either on or off. The volume control is useable down to 7, but below that, the sound is effectively turned off. The tone controls have no effect from 9 down to 3 on the dial. All the magic happens between 1 and 3 which is a little frustrating. The volume pots are push-pull units that allow each pickup to be coil-split.
The neck profile is very comfortable and feels about the same as the Jetstar and a little bigger than my other Newark Street guitars. The heel is completely squared off and not rounded as on most guitars. It looks like it would feel awkward when venturing above the 12th fret, but it’s actually quite comfortable.
The guitar is resonant and has good acoustic volume. I’ll even throw in that the Guild harp tail, besides looking cool, has a small effect on the overall tone of the guitar. Plugged in, the guitar sounds pretty good, if not a bit generic. The tone leans on the brighter side of the humbucker spectrum, although there is plenty of humbucker midrange on tap. The push-pull volume pots are used to split the coils, but the single coil sound is anemic and, for me, useless. I’d call it “pocket transistor radio tone”. Nevertheless, this guitar is versatile and can cover a lot of musical ground. The only nit to pick is I find that the Korean HB-2s are not quite as clear as the Korean HB-1s.
I’m really impressed with the bang for the buck for this guitar. If I didn’t have it in hand to see for myself, I would have likely ignored it for all eternity. I think this bodes well for aspiring young players or those who are on a tight budget. Thankfully, the days of crappy cheap guitars are mostly gone. The quality of the guitar will allow folks to concentrate on playing rather than wishing they had something better to play. Be aware it doesn’t come with a case, but it’s an easy fit for any gig bag and fits perfectly in the Newark Street Aristocrat HSC.
The controls are typical of many low budget guitars. There is almost no taper so they are either on or off. The volume control is useable down to 7, but below that, the sound is effectively turned off. The tone controls have no effect from 9 down to 3 on the dial. All the magic happens between 1 and 3 which is a little frustrating. The volume pots are push-pull units that allow each pickup to be coil-split.
The neck profile is very comfortable and feels about the same as the Jetstar and a little bigger than my other Newark Street guitars. The heel is completely squared off and not rounded as on most guitars. It looks like it would feel awkward when venturing above the 12th fret, but it’s actually quite comfortable.
The guitar is resonant and has good acoustic volume. I’ll even throw in that the Guild harp tail, besides looking cool, has a small effect on the overall tone of the guitar. Plugged in, the guitar sounds pretty good, if not a bit generic. The tone leans on the brighter side of the humbucker spectrum, although there is plenty of humbucker midrange on tap. The push-pull volume pots are used to split the coils, but the single coil sound is anemic and, for me, useless. I’d call it “pocket transistor radio tone”. Nevertheless, this guitar is versatile and can cover a lot of musical ground. The only nit to pick is I find that the Korean HB-2s are not quite as clear as the Korean HB-1s.
I’m really impressed with the bang for the buck for this guitar. If I didn’t have it in hand to see for myself, I would have likely ignored it for all eternity. I think this bodes well for aspiring young players or those who are on a tight budget. Thankfully, the days of crappy cheap guitars are mostly gone. The quality of the guitar will allow folks to concentrate on playing rather than wishing they had something better to play. Be aware it doesn’t come with a case, but it’s an easy fit for any gig bag and fits perfectly in the Newark Street Aristocrat HSC.
That's a good looking guitar!
I like that. Really great looking in trans Black.
Congrats on the new guitar.
Congrats on the new guitar.
