Internal Construction of Guild Bluesbird

[Alan Peterson]

The current-day Guild Bluesbird is primarily a solid-body instrument, but back in the '60s, this model was hollow or at the very least semi-hollow. Does anyone have a photo or diagram of the internal construction, or know where to find one?

I suspect the innards are very much like the old Hofner Club, but I still would like to see what's going on under the top plate; bracing, block under the bridge et al.

[Dave Stewart]

Alan, FWIW there's a guild forum.....
http://letstalkguild.com/phpBB2/index.php
....which allows searching without registering. (Quick search for bluesbird got about 1600 hits)

[Michael Lewis]

If you are not particularly concerned with the acoustic response then just make sure you have enough structural integrity. Almost anything (within reason) will do. It is not difficult to get the strength you need as long as you aren't trying to maximize on acoustic response. I think your best solution is to use stout parallel braces set wide enough apart to clear your pickups, and run them to the neck block. Whether you use a laminated or carved top is of less concern as long as it is not too thin. Laminated tops tend to resist resonant feedback a bit better than most carved tops but you can leave a carved top a bit thicker to achieve this also.

[Alan Peterson]

Thx Mike, but I'm not looking to build one; I just want to see what Guild did when they were building it.

[Neal Carey]

I came across a site where a guy does restorations and re-creations and there happens to be a Bluesbird project that you should find interesting.

[Bob Francis]

Nice link! Thanks Neal

[Dan Sharp]

The hollow body you're talking about was called the M-75 Aristocrat, not Bluesbird. This is the '59 I restored and sold a couple years ago. There were two 3/4"w parallel braces. Top sides contoured to mate with the moulded spruce ply top, and I never took measurements but I'd say they were 1"- 1 1/2" tall. It was a hollow body, not chambered. The bridge mounting bolts went in to about the center line of the braces, so did the pickup mounting screws, so that tells you what the spacing between them was.