Some Guild Artist Award through the years info

[Stringswinger]

@ Navigator You need to get a new pickguard, bracket and Pickup ASAP (and get those parts off that guitar!)

[213Cobra]

@ Navigator You need to get a new pickguard, bracket and Pickup ASAP (and get those parts off that guitar!)

Absolutely. I am a little stunned seeing a same-year AA like my '94, having an outgassed-pickguard. Mine has none of that, not even a hint of deterioration. But for the sake of that entire beautiful guitar, renovate. -Phil

[Navigator]

This is the guitar currently, the previous photos are from the original listing when I bought it.

The guitar should have a new scratchplate soon (I threw the old one away after tracing it)

But you can see the damage the pickguard did to the finish....in fact the whole guitar is a kind of orange colour due to the chemical reaction it had, obviously whilst in a case for a number of years. Good news is that it's structurally sound and the tone is absolutely amazing.

[58flame]

There was a really nice looking blonde AA with the Guild humbucker at GC recently for like 5 grand. If I didn’t already own an older one, I would have snagged that.

Anyone here get it?

[2bornot2bop]

I do miss the 04 Benedetto Johnny Smith, and the ‘94 blonde was one of the finest archtop’s I’ve ever owned!

[Navigator]

I do miss the 04 Benedetto Johnny Smith, and the ‘94 blonde was one of the finest archtop’s I’ve ever owned!

Beautiful guitars, what pickup is on the '94?

[2bornot2bop]

Beautiful guitars, what pickup is on the '94?

the previous buyer replaced it with a KA. The Guild floaters were crap.

[Navigator]

the previous buyer replaced it with a KA. The Guild floaters were crap.

Did it fit in the pickguard because it seems to have the same fittings as the previous pickup which is great news for me

[Navigator]

interestingly:

in 2013 Guild American Patriarch Artist Award was listed for sale for $9,999.00 (1000 dollars cheaper than the earlier redesigned by Benedetto)

[Shamrock]

This is the guitar currently, the previous photos are from the original listing when I bought it.

The guitar should have a new scratchplate soon (I threw the old one away after tracing it)

But you can see the damage the pickguard did to the finish....in fact the whole guitar is a kind of orange colour due to the chemical reaction it had, obviously whilst in a case for a number of years. Good news is that it's structurally sound and the tone is absolutely amazing.

Looking at this picture it looks like a Guild AA with a Gretsch 6120 orange stain finish. It doesn’t look half bad. The Guild AA and Gibson Super 400 have always been my favorite archtop guitars. Looking forward to your future AA thread.

[Navigator]

Looking at this picture it looks like a Guild AA with a Gretsch 6120 orange stain finish. It doesn’t look half bad. The Guild AA and Gibson Super 400 have always been my favorite archtop guitars. Looking forward to your future AA thread.

Many thanks, I'm glad you said that as I thought exactly the same. Great you align the super 400 with the AA, they are both the flagships of their respective companies, although Guild seems to have lost their way of recent.

[58flame]

Many thanks, I'm glad you said that as I thought exactly the same. Great you align the super 400 with the AA, they are both the flagships of their respective companies, although Guild seems to have lost their way of recent.

I have a 69 Super 400CES, a 1986 Artist Award with factory RC1000 (white guild version), and 2 Benedetto Johnny Smith awards.

All are professional instruments by any measure. I need to be clear about this. I've been playing for almost 40 years. I have a strong preference for archtops, and acoustic archtops in particular.

The 86 Artist Award is an instrument worthy of any stage. Balanced, beautiful sound, and buttery playability. Every time I play it, I smile.

Now, I think of the following as a permanent reminder to this forum and a rebuke to several previous posts.
The Benedetto Guilds are absolutely superb instruments, especially when strung with 13s. I own JSAs numbers 20 and 27. I respectfully submit that that Guild Benedetto instruments are THE most undervalued instruments on the market. The last GB JS Award was recently offered for sale by Elderly on consignment for $7200 USD - sold in 2 days.

Neither of mine will ever be for sale.

I would encourage anyone thinking of owning an Artist Award (or JSA) of any vintage to not hesitate.

[Navigator]

I have a 69 Super 400CES, a 1986 Artist Award with factory RC1000 (white guild version), and 2 Benedetto Johnny Smith awards.

All are professional instruments by any measure. I need to be clear about this. I've been playing for almost 40 years. I have a strong preference for archtops, and acoustic archtops in particular.

The 86 Artist Award is an instrument worthy of any stage. Balanced, beautiful sound, and buttery playability. Every time I play it, I smile.

Now, I think of the following as a permanent reminder to this forum and a rebuke to several previous posts.
The Benedetto Guilds are absolutely superb instruments, especially when strung with 13s. I own JSAs numbers 20 and 27. I respectfully submit that that Guild Benedetto instruments are THE most undervalued instruments on the market. The last GB JS Award was recently offered for sale by Elderly on consignment for $7200 USD - sold in 2 days.

Neither of mine will ever be for sale.

I would encourage anyone thinking of owning an Artist Award (or JSA) of any vintage to not hesitate.

What strings do you have on your '86 AA?

[58flame]

What strings do you have on your '86 AA?

Last strings that were on it were 12s. It’s currently at Empire guitars in Pittsburgh waiting for a fret level.

[Navigator]

Last strings that were on it were 12s. It’s currently at Empire guitars in Pittsburgh waiting for a fret level.

thanks - round wound or flats?

[58flame]

thanks - round wound or flats?

Flats.

[2bornot2bop]

Did it fit in the pickguard because it seems to have the same fittings as the previous pickup which is great news for me

No, it’s dead center, and was the size of a Johnny Smith floater, or more like the Bartolini 5J.

You can observe the gap around the cutout. I didn’t mind because either you’re going for sound (tone) or aesthetics. Plus I bought that guitar for $3100, which was the norm for those guitars in 2015.

[58flame]

interestingly:

in 2013 Guild American Patriarch Artist Award was listed for sale for $9,999.00 (1000 dollars cheaper than the earlier redesigned by Benedetto)

The patriarch AA is 24.75" scale, like the original JS Award.

[Stringswinger]

The patriarch AA is 24.75" scale, like the original JS Award.

And the original Artist Awards. I don't think Guild went to 25 1/2 until 1969 or 1070 and it wasn't until the late 80's or early 90's that they went to the 25 5/8 scale.

[Archie]

And the original Artist Awards. I don't think Guild went to 25 1/2 until 1969 or 1070 and it wasn't until the late 80's or early 90's that they went to the 25 5/8 scale.

Can confirm my Johnny Smith Award is 24’3/4”

It has one of the best necks I've played. I asked a friend some time ago to test a few of the necks on my Archtops and tell me which one he liked the most because I was going to do some scanning. Plus he's a normie that plays a 335 and doesn't really know anything about jazz guitars (screeching tele enthusiasts incoming). I thought he would go for the GB100, which imo has an almost identical shaped neck to the JS award but when he picked up the JS (which I gave him last and made no fuss about), he instantly went “Ooooo that’s the one”.

So confirmed lol

[Stringswinger]

Can confirm my Johnny Smith Award is 24’3/4”

It has one of the best necks I've played. I asked a friend some time ago to test a few of the necks on my Archtops and tell me which one he liked the most because I was going to do some scanning. Plus he's a normie that plays a 335 and doesn't really know anything about jazz guitars (screeching tele enthusiasts incoming). I thought he would go for the GB100, which imo has an almost identical shaped neck to the JS award but when he picked up the JS (which I gave him last and made no fuss about), he instantly went “Ooooo that’s the one”.

So confirmed lol

Guild was unable to generate much demand for the last Artist Awards even with going back to the 24.75 scale. I do believe that if Bob Benedetto had included his 25.0 scale length in the AA/JS remake, they would have sold better, been better reviewed and would be worth more today. But Bob wanted to keep it a Guild rather than make it into a Benedetto that looked like a Guild. There were some negative reviews (notably Ron Cleggs) regarding the 25 5/8 scale and I myself felt the extra tension and let my GBAA's go in the end. Clearly Johnny Smith was so disinterested in playing one at the end that he allowed the scale length to stay out of his spec request prior to his last endorsement deal. IIRC, the only change he requested to the GBAA was a full contact neck. Perhaps Phil can tell us if there are any other spec differences?

But I think a bigger problem for the value of the AA's is brand perception and also what the great players used. Both Guild and Epiphone made great archtop guitars. But both brands have been sullied by having the brand put on the headstocks of some mediocre guitars made in the Far East. And while some great jazz guitarists have played Guilds and Epiphones, the majority of the jazz guitar legends played Gibsons. The Gibson brand has been carefully guarded to bring maximum value. If you bought a Gibson L-5C and an Artist Award 15 years ago, you would have done way better on the appreciation side of things with the Gibson. Will that also hold true in the future? Who Knows? I think it will.

[Navigator]

Guild was unable to generate much demand for the last Artist Awards even with going back to the 24.75 scale. I do believe that if Bob Benedetto had included his 25.0 scale length in the AA/JS remake, they would have sold better, been better reviewed and would be worth more today. But Bob wanted to keep it a Guild rather than make it into a Benedetto that looked like a Guild. There were some negative reviews (notably Ron Cleggs) regarding the 25 5/8 scale and I myself felt the extra tension and let my GBAA's go in the end. Clearly Johnny Smith was so disinterested in playing one at the end that he allowed the scale length to stay out of his spec request prior to his last endorsement deal. IIRC, the only change he requested to the GBAA was a full contact neck. Perhaps Phil can tell us if there are any other spec differences?

But I think a bigger problem for the value of the AA's is brand perception and also what the great players used. Both Guild and Epiphone made great archtop guitars. But both brands have been sullied by having the brand put on the headstocks of some mediocre guitars made in the Far East. And while some great jazz guitarists have played Guilds and Epiphones, the majority of the jazz guitar legends played Gibsons. The Gibson brand has been carefully guarded to bring maximum value. If you bought a Gibson L-5C and an Artist Award 15 years ago, you would have done way better on the appreciation side of things with the Gibson. Will that also hold true in the future? Who Knows? I think it will.

Yeah from a marketing point of view that's very correct. However personally my favourite jazz album guitar tone ever is GBs Giblet Gravy ...and Benson has stated specifically he used an Artist Award on the whole record. (Although he said he was playing an X500 around that time but not on on the Giblet Gravy album)... that's good enough for me, the tone is like a fine glass of rum from Santiago de Cuba.

[Navigator]

Yeah from a marketing point of view that's very correct. However personally my favourite jazz album guitar tone ever is GBs Giblet Gravy ...and Benson has stated specifically he used an Artist Award on the whole record. (Although he said he was playing an X500 around that time but not on on the Giblet Gravy album)... that's good enough for me, the tone is like a fine glass of rum from Santiago de Cuba.

[Navigator]

For me it's great news that Artist Awards are not worth as much as their Gibson equivalents...as I would like to buy another one so as long as they don't go up in price for a year...I'm good!

Let's not hype the guitar too much until I have bought my second one. Thanks guys!

[Navigator]

No, it’s dead center, and was the size of a Johnny Smith floater, or more like the Bartolini 5J.

You can observe the gap around the cutout. I didn’t mind because either you’re going for sound (tone) or aesthetics. Plus I bought that guitar for $3100, which was the norm for those guitars in 2015.

So are you saying this has one metal pole coming out of the pickup which you can attach to the existing pickguard?

Did you have to modify the pickguard to fit it?