Post by grayn on Feb 6, 2015 20:18:09 GMT
Drove out this morning and it was a lovely, sunny day. If it wasn't for the temperature and bare trees, it could've been summer. Just the type of day to get another semi. Why? you might ask. Well, I'm getting a trio together, with a singer/acoustic guitarist and there's a potential percussionist, too. With an acoustic/mildly jazzy vibe, my Silhouette and Strat just don't look/feel quite right. Well that's my excuse, anyway.
I'd spotted a pre-owned, Godin 5th Avenue Kingpin II, in Cognac Burst, at one of my haunts. Yummy! I'd tried one of these before and had been impressed. When I picked it up, it was in pristine nick. A real beauty, too. These are one of the nicest looking semis around, I reckon. Played acoustically, it almost has the volume of a full acoustic. Nicely vibrant and a pleasure to play. These guitars are heavily strung and rightly so. They really work. OK, string bending takes a lot more finger muscle but you can adapt your style. The downside was when I plugged it in. The bridge P90 pickup is far too near the strings. I like to mute a lot, which caused the strings to occasionally touch the pole peices. The shop tech fettled with it, as best he could, lowering the pole peices as far as he could but the actual pickup does not raise or lower. Things were better, I wasn't making the strings and pickup contact but I still thought the extreme nearness, with high output P90s was causing the higher strings, in particular, to sound harsh and plinky. So, unfortunately it was no.
Whilst playing, the shop guy realising I was a P90 fan, disappeared upstairs, reappearing with a guitar that had literally just come in and been pulled out of it's box. "No setting up done yet". It was a Guild Manhattan X-175B, from their Newark St. collection. Bloody hell, you could just imagine Scotty Moore knocking out a rockabilly riff on this. Colossal, off-white P90 pickups. Can you get any more rock 'n' roll?
A lovely, natural maple finish and a bigsby style trem. I prayed it was as good as it looked.
Acoustically it didn't have the volume of the Godin, by some way. But boy, did it feel nice, in my hands. This is a hollow body, no central block. And you can really tell, in it's tone and response.
Plugged in and those mighty P90s do not disappoint. Kind of primitive and edgy, raw and vibrant, too. These high output darlings can really sing. They push crunch delightfully but also sound very melodious, with clean, subtle, chorus and echo effects. Chords and arpeggios are just full of character and charm. They really are.
This guitar had come straight from the suppliers, set up perfectly, so yes, the Guild came home. And it really goes well with my amp. Phew!
The nearest other guitar to this, I have owned, was a Gretsch. Which was very tasty and cost around 2 thirds the price of this Guild. No competition though, this is a far better guitar. Better built, better components and just more musical.
For those who like stats:
Body:
Body Construction: Hollowbody
Body Top: Arched Laminated Spruce
Body Back: Arched Laminated Maple
Body Sides: Laminated Maple
Body Shape: Guild® X-175
Finish Gloss: Polyurethane
Bracing: Parallel Tone Bars
Body Depth: Upper Bout 3 ins. (76 mm)
Body Depth: Lower Bout 3 ins (76 mm)
Body Length: 21 ins (533 mm)
Body Width Lower Bout: 17 ins (432 mm)
Body Width Upper Bout: 12.5 ins (318 mm)
Overall Guitar Length: 42 ins (1067 mm)
Guitar Weight 6.75 lbs
Body Binding: Ivory with Black/White Purfling
Neck:
Neck Material: 3-Piece Mahogany/Maple/Mahogany
Neck Shape: Vintage Soft “U”
Neck Finish Gloss Polyurethane
Scale Length: 24.75 ins (628 mm)
Nut Width: 1.650 ins (42 mm)
Nut Material: Bone
Neck Binding: 1-Ply Ivory White
Fingerboard Material: Indian Rosewood
Fingerboard Radius: 9.45 ins (240 mm)
Fingerboard Inlays: Pearloid Block
# of Frets: 20
Fret Size: Narrow Jumbo
Tuning Machines: Grover® Sta-Tite™ Die-Cast
Hardware Finish/Plating: Nickel-Plated
Truss Rod: Dual-Action
Features:
Bridge Guild® Adjusto-Matic™ with Rosewood Base
Strings D’Addario® EXL115 Nickel Wound, Medium/Blues-Jazz Rock, (.011-.049 Gauges)
Case: TKL Deluxe Hardshell
Bridge Pickup: Guild DE-1F Single-Coil
Neck Pickup Guild: DE-1F Single-Coil
Pickup Switches: 3-Position Toggle
Control Knobs: Clear Amber Volume & Tone
Strap Buttons Vintage-Style
Pickguard Black with Guild® Logo.
I'd spotted a pre-owned, Godin 5th Avenue Kingpin II, in Cognac Burst, at one of my haunts. Yummy! I'd tried one of these before and had been impressed. When I picked it up, it was in pristine nick. A real beauty, too. These are one of the nicest looking semis around, I reckon. Played acoustically, it almost has the volume of a full acoustic. Nicely vibrant and a pleasure to play. These guitars are heavily strung and rightly so. They really work. OK, string bending takes a lot more finger muscle but you can adapt your style. The downside was when I plugged it in. The bridge P90 pickup is far too near the strings. I like to mute a lot, which caused the strings to occasionally touch the pole peices. The shop tech fettled with it, as best he could, lowering the pole peices as far as he could but the actual pickup does not raise or lower. Things were better, I wasn't making the strings and pickup contact but I still thought the extreme nearness, with high output P90s was causing the higher strings, in particular, to sound harsh and plinky. So, unfortunately it was no.
Whilst playing, the shop guy realising I was a P90 fan, disappeared upstairs, reappearing with a guitar that had literally just come in and been pulled out of it's box. "No setting up done yet". It was a Guild Manhattan X-175B, from their Newark St. collection. Bloody hell, you could just imagine Scotty Moore knocking out a rockabilly riff on this. Colossal, off-white P90 pickups. Can you get any more rock 'n' roll?
A lovely, natural maple finish and a bigsby style trem. I prayed it was as good as it looked.
Acoustically it didn't have the volume of the Godin, by some way. But boy, did it feel nice, in my hands. This is a hollow body, no central block. And you can really tell, in it's tone and response.
Plugged in and those mighty P90s do not disappoint. Kind of primitive and edgy, raw and vibrant, too. These high output darlings can really sing. They push crunch delightfully but also sound very melodious, with clean, subtle, chorus and echo effects. Chords and arpeggios are just full of character and charm. They really are.
This guitar had come straight from the suppliers, set up perfectly, so yes, the Guild came home. And it really goes well with my amp. Phew!
The nearest other guitar to this, I have owned, was a Gretsch. Which was very tasty and cost around 2 thirds the price of this Guild. No competition though, this is a far better guitar. Better built, better components and just more musical.
For those who like stats:
Body:
Body Construction: Hollowbody
Body Top: Arched Laminated Spruce
Body Back: Arched Laminated Maple
Body Sides: Laminated Maple
Body Shape: Guild® X-175
Finish Gloss: Polyurethane
Bracing: Parallel Tone Bars
Body Depth: Upper Bout 3 ins. (76 mm)
Body Depth: Lower Bout 3 ins (76 mm)
Body Length: 21 ins (533 mm)
Body Width Lower Bout: 17 ins (432 mm)
Body Width Upper Bout: 12.5 ins (318 mm)
Overall Guitar Length: 42 ins (1067 mm)
Guitar Weight 6.75 lbs
Body Binding: Ivory with Black/White Purfling
Neck:
Neck Material: 3-Piece Mahogany/Maple/Mahogany
Neck Shape: Vintage Soft “U”
Neck Finish Gloss Polyurethane
Scale Length: 24.75 ins (628 mm)
Nut Width: 1.650 ins (42 mm)
Nut Material: Bone
Neck Binding: 1-Ply Ivory White
Fingerboard Material: Indian Rosewood
Fingerboard Radius: 9.45 ins (240 mm)
Fingerboard Inlays: Pearloid Block
# of Frets: 20
Fret Size: Narrow Jumbo
Tuning Machines: Grover® Sta-Tite™ Die-Cast
Hardware Finish/Plating: Nickel-Plated
Truss Rod: Dual-Action
Features:
Bridge Guild® Adjusto-Matic™ with Rosewood Base
Strings D’Addario® EXL115 Nickel Wound, Medium/Blues-Jazz Rock, (.011-.049 Gauges)
Case: TKL Deluxe Hardshell
Bridge Pickup: Guild DE-1F Single-Coil
Neck Pickup Guild: DE-1F Single-Coil
Pickup Switches: 3-Position Toggle
Control Knobs: Clear Amber Volume & Tone
Strap Buttons Vintage-Style
Pickguard Black with Guild® Logo.
Jo whoever he is.
