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Only in 1986 it's stated in the Guild Catalogue that 12 were made that year.
Originally Posted by Dennis D
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02-06-2026 08:00 PM
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Fantastic you got sorted! Originally Posted by 2bornot2bop
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Speaking of old Guild guitars, here's a 1957 X-50 being auctioned that appears to be in relatively good condition for its age - 4+ days to go in the auction -- Guild Stuart X-50 1957 Vintage Archtop Electric Guitar Sunburst with Case | ShopGoodwill.com
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I think I have the last one made in 86. It has a factory RC1000. Originally Posted by Navigator
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yes. Thank you for the assistance! Originally Posted by Navigator
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Cool video here - you can see an AA being sprayed at 29:28
Here's a 2002 video on the Guild Fender years:
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I’d be interested in some more details regarding nut width.
A 96 for example has a 44.3mmm nut (1.744”) and 25 5/8 scale
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I did a comparison of my '96 AA and '03 JSA over at LTG several years ago.
Artist Award vs Johnny Smith Award | Let's Talk Guild
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Pickup back on my 1994 AA and the excellent new pickguard by SancheskiLast edited by Navigator; 02-11-2026 at 07:00 AM.
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I've been on LTG years longer than on this forum. I saw your comparo back in '21. Didn't elect to engage with your impressions then but I will here, now. Originally Posted by ggjaguar
All of the measurements differences and trim/binding observations, etc. that you detailed are interesting but not really actionable. The body dimension differences are relatively slight as are the headstock differences. All cited are certainly interesting to note, however, and you did a good job making careful comparative notes. It's the tone comments I differ with.
I have a 1994 Artist Award I bought new then and have owned continuously since. I have a 2006 G-B JSA I've owned continuously since 2010. I had a G-B AA (i.e. post-Westerly/pre-JSA) I owned from 2010-2023, and recently acquired a 1999 Corona replacement for that.
I must say at the outset that if I had to pick just one of those Guilds, it would have to be the G-B JSA by less margin that you might think, but fortunately I don't have to choose. I can keep all three in the house. I wouldn't chose the G-B JSA over the others because it's altogether better -- it's not, just different. So if one had to choose, one chooses.
In your LTG post one paragraph stands out:
Not surprisingly, the tone follows the paradigm that parallel braced archtops (AA) are brighter and louder while X-braced archtops (JSA) have a smoother, more balanced tone at the expense of sheer volume. The JSA has plenty of volume, especially for home use, but it is eclipsed by the AA. The sustain is about the same (and impressive!) for both guitars. The amplified sound between the two couldn’t be more different. The AA’s humbucking pickup lacks clarity and definition. The sound it produces is unbalanced and favors bottom end. The JSA’s Benedetto S-6 is the opposite and has all the balance, clarity and power a player could want. I wondered about the S-6 not having adjustable pole pieces, but string-to-string balance is a non-issue.
First, re: sound and bracing. My X-braced G-B JSA is distinctly brighter and louder than my '94 parallel AA, with more snap, chime and forward bass. And this is true for the three other G-B JSA's I've encountered and played over the years, as well as relative to several other Westerly AAs I've played. On the contrary, it's the parallel-braced AA that has the more midrange-rich, mellower but still plenty woody tone. My G-B JSA easily eclipses the '94 AA for sheer volume. In fact, I think it is my second loudest archtop after the Gibson Super 4000, which is louder than either of my Super 400s. Further, this is consistent with my Gibson bracing experience with same-guitar X v. parallel. I have a Custom Shop Super 400 1939 Repro that is X-braced, and a Custom Shop Super 400 1939 Repro that is parallel braced, 2018 and 1994 respectively. The X-braced 400 is distinctly brighter and louder for a given pick-energy input than the parallel braced 400, and the parallel-braced instrument is sonically smoother, "warmer" and more organic; somewhat less projecting.
Your Guild AA is from 1996. That was from the year following the Fender acquisition but well before Benedetto's involvement. My guess is that 1996 was too soon to have resulted in Fender-induced effects that would have affected the Artist Award, but I could be wrong. I'd assume differences between our two AAs from 1994 and 1996 are infinitesimal. Overall, X v. Parallel archtop bracing doesn't have a settled outcome. There are other interacting factors.
As for the pickup differences, the '90s AA humbucker is typically over-scorned. It's OK if not standout. Into an amp with even reasonable EQ, that pickup can be heard as balanced and articulate. The Benedetto B6, which I like fine, is nevertheless quite controversial for the choice(s) of tonal balance characteristics made for it by some combination of Bob Benedetto and Seymour Duncan. Neither are perfect, and both have often been replaced by the owners of the respective guitars. In any case, either pickup is easily replaced if the owner objects ro stock.
The G AA, G-B AA and G-B JSA certainly have their differences, with the JSA sounding the most "modern" of the three. I am not saying you are wrong about the two guitars you compared; instead just registering that the outcome between another Westerly AA and a G-B JSA could result in a different set of tonal conclusions irrespective of your stated generalizations about bracing.
Phil
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My 71 AA had a 1 5/8 nut and a 25 1/2 scale. My Westerly built GBAA's had a 1 23/32 nut and a 25 5/8 scale. Furthermore, the 71 has a very slim C profile neck and the GBAA's had a medium to thick D profile neck.
Reading this thread informs me that the nut size and scale of the Corona built models may have been slightly shortened.
Sonically, it has been my experience (having owned 118 guitars since 1968 of which 18 are still in my possession), that every guitar sounds a bit different as no two pieces of wood are the same. I did not have my two GBAA's at the same time, but they were very different in volume and I assume they probably had slight tonal differences as well. Therefore, I accept both ggjaguar's impressions and 213Cobra's impressions as being valid. Listening to different guitars with different ears will produce different reports.
One thing to note in this thread is that my 71 had a perfectly bookmatched back. Neither of my GBAA's did. All of the pictures that I have seen of the Corona built GBBAA's and GBJSA's seem to have perfectly bookmatched backs. Someone at Westerly made a decision to use un bookmatched backs on the Benedetto redesigned models. I wonder who made that choice and I wonder why?
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Gibson 2nd's make people pause even if they have undetectable flaws, but this one...
As much as Norlin era Gibson's are berated online, their stamped factory 2nds were often impossible to detect. I saw a gorgeous 175 circa 1976 in a small shop. My friend was checking it out, asked what the flaw was. Shop owner laughed and said " if you can find the flaw I'll give you that guitar"! We could not. The volume and tone knobs were off by a couple millimeters. Same friend ended up with a LP stamped 2nd, never could find an issue. Saw several other guitars with that stamp, same thing. Norlin guitars were not always the best designs but the quality of the builds was not inferior. You would never see the hack job rubbish that was common in the 90's and 2000's.
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A nice looking '95 - and pickup sounds okay:
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That's one year newer than my Westerly AA. Yeah, there's nothing really wrong with that '90s floating humbucker that some judicious amp twiddling can't cure. Originally Posted by Navigator
Phil
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Cool, I have a '94 as well - one question - is the pickup on yours touching the top of the guitar? I mean the rubber thats on the bottom of the pickup? Or is it completely floating free of the top? Originally Posted by 213Cobra
thanks
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On my '94 AA, the humbucker has a thin felt pad on its bottom, and that is resting on the top. -Phil Originally Posted by Navigator
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Many thanks Phil, I'll try and find some of the felt pad stuff. Originally Posted by 213Cobra
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Some fabulous playing by Irishman Louis Stewart on an AA. Looks like a late 80s/early 90s one.
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Louis has no problem making that funky pickup sing! Great player! Thx for sharing Originally Posted by Navigator
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Interesting this (below) is the photo from the album Beyond the Blue Horizon recorded in Feb, 1971. In 1972 Benson can be seen playing his D'Angelico meaning that he played his Guild AA for a good 3 years before abandoning it, in my opinion the AA was used on some of his best work (although he used another guild (x-500) on "The Other Side Of Abbey Road" and maybe some Gibsons on the CTI sessions).
Giblet Gravy (1968)
Goodies (1968)
Shape of things to Come (1969)
Tell It Like It Is (1969)
The Other Side Of Abbey Road (1970)Beyond the Blue Horizon (1971)
Last edited by Navigator; 03-31-2026 at 05:45 PM.
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It's sad that Yamaha doesn't seem to understand and respect the history and the fanbase of Guild. Even more sad is that they no longer produce e-guitars in the US. Since they moved the Newark Street line from Korea to China and Indonesia, there are only cheapest low-end solid body products left.
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I agree, the last time they made an AA was in 2013. Thats a long time ago and almost impossible to start up production again and make a profit. Luckily there are quite a few AAs for sale! Originally Posted by ParadiseSeeker
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They have a Guild factory in California that makes flattops. If they wanted to, they could hire some top notch luthiers and build AA's there, but like Gibson, Yamaha knows that they will be competing with the used market and therefore, there is no profit in making any new ones.
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The golden age of the American factory made archtop is sadly over. Theres.some cool stuff happening in Japan though. Originally Posted by Stringswinger
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Question to AA owners:
I have a 1994 Artist Award, it's my main gigging guitar which I love.. Is there much difference with the AAs made in the 1960s with the shorter scale length? Do I need one of them as well? I see one or two members own both kinds.
Thanks ?
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