1975 Guild® M75 Bluesbird™ Standard Walnut / Brown, Very Good, Original Hard, $1,350.00

As a Rhode Island-based guitar shop we have an obvious affinity for the Westerly, RI-built Guild electrics and acoustics. In fact we have a few regular customers who worked on some of these guitars and we love nothing more than to hear their stories of working at the Guild factory. It’s a privilege to know a few of the incredibly talented guitar builders that made up the excellent Guild staff. This particular Westerly Guild is their M75 “Bluesbird Standard” model, an optional solid bodied version of the earlier hollow bodied Aristocrat model that was available up until 1963 (a semi-hollow body Bluesbird was still available up until 1973 when Guild discontinued them in favor of the solid version). It is similar in body design to a Gibson Les Paul, not only utilizing the familiar shape but also the adjustable nickel bridge with separate stop tailpiece, dual humbucking pickups, a 3-way pickup selector switch (although it is located on the upper instead of the lower bout), small 3-ply pickguard, and bound bdy and neck with parrellogram pearloid fret inlay. The Bluesbird is noticeably thinner-bodied than the Les Paul and fairly lighter, coming in at 8 ½ lbs. The HB-1 humbucking pickups sound fantastic, not quite as hot as their Gibson equivalents but with a “chiming” tone that gives the M75 a very distinctive tone. The 3-way pickup selector coupled with a “phase switch” (added to many Guilds during the 1970s) and a master volume knob (also added to production-line electric Guilds during the late ‘60s/early ‘70s) give you a wide variety of tonal options, making this guitar a versatile tool for a wide variety of musical styles. The walnut brown finish is in great shape on the top with some wear spots along the bottom-end sides and light belt scratches on the back. The binding has yellowed nicely over time, giving this baby a great vintage “vibe”. There are a few light separations in the neck binding but it is otherwise intact. The hardware is surprisingly free of wear. There is a small wood chip (apprx. 1/3”) above the control plate on the back of the body. The neck is in great shape, properly broken in without significant wear. The frets, like many ‘70s guitars, are on the flatter side but still seem to have lots of life left ahead of them. The headstock sports the “Guild” name along with their “Chesterfield” insignia. It is set-up for electric round wound 10s and plays beautifully with nicely set action. Overall this M75 is a fantastic vintage player that has the feel of a Les Paul coupled with a distinctive sound and a much more affordable price tag! Includes original hard shell case (a couple broken latches that are included in the case).