Guild Bluesbird

Everything of a Les Paul Standard.Plus two Seymour Duncan humbuckers,chambered solid mahogany body,grover tuners that always stay in tune,also like the pickup selector switch big and chrome not cheap plastic.Comes with very nice hardshell case.Has it all

Don't let the name fool you it's not just for blues.I play everything from jazz to metal and it's perfect for all.I play it through a JCM 2000 DSL half stack they go together perfectly.put it on the bridge pickup add some distortion and you have the recipe to a thick killer sound.The neck pickup is one of the best I've ever heard.It's so warm and rich perfect for any clean or softer stuff.

set up perfect no complaints about anything.

built like a rock all hardware is solid and has a nice finish.it was said before about the rear strap button does not come off .just have to buy new strap locks.Like I said before this thing never comes out of tune so I could depend on it at a gig.

Haven't had it long enough for any problems but has life time warranty

I've been playing for over 3 years,I also own a Gibson Les Paul Special P100s,Gibson Flying V with Floyd Rose,Fender Acoustic.I Played A few Les Pauls before buying this and it was the best of them all.The chambered body gives a great tone and the neck pickup I can't put into words.If your wanting to be a shredder like Steve Vai obvisously this ain't the guitar for you,but if you want greay versatile guitar this is it

1998 U.S.A. made $1100.00
Standard Red Blues Bird. Red transparent beautiful quilted maple (I guess). Bought new in Oct. 2000. I think that it is really beautiful.
Grovers are the best. The neck is a little thick, but I am getting used to it.

I play blues based rock and Chicago blues on it. It is really quiet.
The amps that I play it through are a 60's Ampeg and a new Marshall.
Not a very bright sound, but it is really full!.
For really bright I've got a Tele and a Strat.
THe Blues Bird is more versatile .Again it is really quiet no buzz
or hum at all. Sounds great with Ampeg on loud.

The set up is fine. Action is nice. The bridge pickup was loose on low E side and flopped around at first. All the rest of the fit and finish
is beautilul

I've only had it 2 months. I agree about the press fit strap button, but haven't changed mine yet. It feels like a very dependable workhorse.

N/A

I am 47 and have been playing scince I was 12 or 13 mostly play alone but have done the odd gig over the years . If it was stolen I would but another. I sold an ES340 TD to buy the Guild. The guild has a nicer neck it also sounds better to my ear.
If I need a Fender I have a Strat and an 60's Tele.
I love my Strat and Tele, the B.B. has much more gain and more sound.
It is to my mind as nice or nicer than a Les Paul, some are great but cost an arm and a leg, and aren't really any better. This guitar is a slepper best bang for the buck in my book

The basic upper end features for USA MADE Guitar. Very Much like a Les Paul but much more inexpensive, sleek look, light weight, and no pickguard(at least on mine) which I prefer.

Maple Top, rosewood finger board, Seymore Duncan Pickups (SH1 Classic 59's), Grover Tuners, slim neck very easy to play, and beatiful finish.

The best sounding guitar I ever played. I love playing Zeppelin, Rush, Neil Young, as well as hard and heavy stuff like Black Sabbath, Judas Priest and Iron Maiden. I play through a half stack with a carvin tube head, and Zoom 505 multi-effects pedal.

The finish was slightly scratched when I purchased from people playing it (no pickguard). Also some tarinishing was apperent on the pick-up covers. Although beacuse of these minor cometics faults which were very slight I only paid $750 which turned to be a blessing in disguise. The guitar was setup excellenet from the factory!!! Although I recently had it setup for 9 gauge strings instead of 10's. The action is low and intonation is perfect. However I do recommend to get the guitar set-up at least every 6-12 months.The guitar is beatiful!!!!

I have had the guitar for about a 8 months, no problems, and had it set-up once. Rarely goes out of tune. I even do some drop tuning stuff like 1 and half steps and still the guitar amazingly stays in tune.

This would be my only complaint. Since Fender bought Guild you can't directly talk to the Guild Folks. However I did mangage to find a forum devoted to Guild/DeArmond Guitars.
http://www.fenderforum.com/fdp.html?message_area_number=9&lastpost=2000-08-2812:24:41

I been playing on/off for about 20 years. Been in some bands but nothing real serious. However ever since I bought the BB it has inspired to play everyday and my playing has drastically improved because of it. The guitar is beautifull and sounds and feels great!!!

New US made quasi-Les Paul shaped goldtop; semi-hollow interior construction, no f holes (solid top); standard 2X2 tone and volume controls, dual Seymour Duncun HBs; chrome hardware, Grover tuners; 22 frets; medium neck and frets

Totally awesome tone for blues/rock. Bright and full without being shrill (Fender) or dull (Gibson). Sustains forever. This guitar positively wails.

Great low action, fast neck. However, the 1st string tends to pop off the neck a little in certain positions during hard pull-offs and hammer-ons, requiring a slight adjustment of technique.
The finish is flawless.

No problemo.

Good warranty, no experience with the company.

I have been playing for over 30 years and owned over 30 guitars. I presently own 6. I used to favor Gibsons, having had ES-335s, a Les Paul, ES-175, etc. I now find them way overpriced and a little dull sounding. The Guild is a terrific value for an American made guitar and has HANDS DOWN the best blues/rock sound of any guitar I have ever had, period. It is surprisingly crisp sounding, but shoved through a tube amp with attitude, it sings like a passionate woman.

1998 model Chambered Mahogany Body, Carved Maple arched Top, Transparent Red, two volume and two tone controls, 2-Seymour Duncan? SH-1 Humbucking Pickups - passive electronics. Guild Adjust-o-matic Bridge, Stop Tailpiece, Transparent Red. Body style is similar to Les Paul only bigger. Standard guild tuners, no tremolo, no locking bridge. 1-Piece Mahogany Neck 24 3/4" Scale Length, medium frets, Rosewood Fretboard with mother of pearl inlays. Deluxe Hard-shell Case. I bought this Guitar new in March 1999. I believe Fender had already taken over Guild by then, which makes no difference to me.

The BB suites about half of my musical style; Blues, Soul, Rock & Roll, Funk, depending on the song. I was looking for a guitar that had a warm tone, Humbucking PU's and semi-hollow body with high output. I play through a 95' Fender Blues Deluxe (Tweed) all tube 40W single 12" combo (see my 06/20/99 entry under amps), using very little effects. I add a very small amount of compression from an old DOD Compressor/Sustainer to increase the output of the guitar into the amp. The sound is rich and warm, not bright like a tele or strat. Not unusually noisy. With the two volume controls you can mix the two pick ups and get very nice sounds. With the amp turned up enough the sustain rings out almost indefinitely, yet remains controllable. The semi-hollow body allows for this control with out the weird feedback that you can sometimes get from a full hollow body at high volumes. The Blues Bird has high output, yet is very warm and overdrives the normal channel just enough to deliver a beautiful classic blues tone. The sound is not extremely versatile as the lower wound strings can sometimes sound dull compared to a strat. I love the tone for blues, soul and some rock. Also, sounds great through the OD channel, Great for Santana leads. Using a whah pedal for rhythm or leads sounds great too! With both PU's selected, rhythm guitar is rich and full, leads beautiful and singing with the sound only delivered by Humbucking PU's.

The guitar was set up with 9's. I had the shop put 10's on it and redo the set up. Because I'm so picky, I don't ever expect a guitar to be set up to my satisfaction. The action was way too low and the PU's were not high enough nor balanced to my needs. I give this category a 5 since it wasn't really bad, just not to my needs. Once I adjusted things to my satisfaction, I'd say this guitar plays very nicely. The neck is really nice, however the highest notes are very hard to reach because the neck is too thick where it attaches to the body. The finish was beautiful, perfectly bookmatched top, intonation perfect, etc. No flaws were noticed except it had pick scratches, as it does not have a pick guard. I had them buffed out by the shop and a transparent plastic laminate pickguard installed, free of charge. One problem I have had is the 1st & 2nd strings break. My playing style may have a lot to do with it but, it seems that the bridge develops burrs too easily. Fine sand paper in the groove takes care of this for 1 or 2 gigs and then it happens all over again.

I have gig with it in public several weekends a month and practices weekly for 6 months now. So far it seems reliable. Finish seems fairly durable, some pick scratches, etc. Dependable, with solid hardware. I would use it on a gig with out back up, except I like the versatility of having my G&L ASAT for certain single coil sounds.

I have never had to deal with Guild, although it has a life time guarantee.

I have been playing for 20+ years. I own a G&L ASAT, which was my primary guitar before the Blues Bird. It plays so nicely and sounds so good, I end up playing it more than the G&L at gigs. If it were stolen, I'd consider purchasing it again. I compared it to PRS and Gretch, for semi-hollow bodies. The Gretch's filtertron PU's were cool, but it did not play very nice, had too many knobs and switches and was too expensive. The PRS played nice and the coil tapping was cool, but it did not allow you to mix the two PU's (only one vol. knob), was way too expensive and also had to many position selections. When you're playing a gig, unless you only use one PU setting all the time, it's not practical to have so many selections. I guess I'm old fashioned, but just keep it simple, stupid! For the money, the Blues Bird had what I wanted and was a great value. This is the nicest instrument I have ever owned in 20 years of playing. I am very pleased with it.

I bought my Bluesbird new about 3 months ago. Mine is a 1997 model. I paid extra for what they call a "AAA Top." The top is gorgeous quilted maple. I opted for natural, or amber, finish. They also have solid colors, tobacco- and sun-bursts. The Bluesbird is solid mahogany down the center, with "tone chambers" routed into the sides, under the top, kind of like an ES-335. The Bluesbird, however has a solid top (no f-holes). Mahogany neck and Les Paul type bridge-tailpiece setup. I read a review that calls the body "like a Les Paul on steroids," and that is pretty accurate. It has the LP shape, but bigger in every direction. I like its size, cause I am a big fellow, and my LP always seems kinda small. It is still lighter than most LPs however, because of the tone chambers. It has 22 frets. I am very impressed with the crafting and appointments. It comes with Seymore Duncan Humbuckers and Grover Rotomatic tuning machines. I like those touches. All Guilds are still built in their factory in New Jersey. It came with a nice Guild Hardshell case. The neck is very thin and the frets are widish and flattish. The neck is almost too thin for my tastes, but I am learning to love it. The guitar may deserve a higher rating for features; it has everything I want or need, but I like 'em simple. I have one complaint, and though small, it is aggravating. I like strap locks, and the rear strap button was installed the old fashioned way: it is a metal plug that is fittied, instead of screwed. That meant filling the hole and redrilling for a screwhole. The old style button is neat, but not very pragmatic for a modern guitar; that is how I see it.

I play rock music, from countryish to full out hard rock, and the BB bridges these styles well. It has a very bright sound at first, but rolling back the tone knob a little compensates well. I can get a nice humbucker Les Paul/rock and blues vibe, or a Gretchy jangle by switching pickups and adjusting the tone knobs. I play it through a Music Man Twin or a Fender Super 60. For warmer stuff, I like a Blue Tube; it gives the BB a fuller, deeper tone. The guitar is very quiet, even though the cavity isn't shielded. Again, I like things simple; this guitar doesn't have a gazillion sounds or coil splitters, but it does what I need.

This category is where this guitar really amazes me. I am picky about these kind of ponts. If everything isn't just right, I notice, and it bugs me. I read a review that said the reviewr saw some epoxy around some of the block inlays. I examined the guitar for a onfg time, and everything is just gorgeous. It was intonated well, the action was nice and low, but even. The nut was perfect, and each string sat in its groove just right. The top is as nice a top as on any guitar I have ever seen. That is not hyperbole; the top is amazing. I took off the control cavity cover, and the routing for the chambers, the wiring, the gluing, soldering, everything is done meticulously and well.

To my way of thinking, simplicity lends itself to reliability. This is a simple enough setup to be very reliable. The hardware is first rate, the tuners are Rotomatics and the pickups are Duncans. See my bitch earlier about the strap buttons, but theyt are in well now. Modern Guild finishes have good reps, so I am not too concerned with that. I definitley feel it is a very reliable guitar. My band plays live pretty often, and I have used it at 4 shows so far. No problems, and I don't expect any. While I haven't broken a string on this or any of my guitars at a show, I ALWAYs bring a backup, but that is no reflection on this model or make. I don't have enough time with it to give a fair rating by number, so I am going to leave that blank

No experience

I have been playing guitar off an on for about 15 years. Seriously for 5. I own a 1982 Gibson Les Paul, a The Paul, a Warmoth Strat I put together myself, and a couple crappy acoustics. I orginally wanted another Les Paul so I could have one as a backup or for alternate tunings. The new ones were obscenely expensive and not as well masde as I thought they should be. I also found mine to be a little small, though quite heavy. I really like the BB's size and weight. I looked at a lot of Les Pauls, but few in this price range were very nice. Sonically, I like the variety of natural tones the guitar has, and I also find it quite appealing to my eye. This guitar does everything I want it to, and the main things I wish it did or didn't have are just the classic "perfect guitar" tyoe stuff. (Basically I wish it was more like a strat, but less like a strat and more like this and less like that). You can't have everyhing. I am very happy with it.