I've got a DeArmond M75T, it's a Korean built solidbody, made by Guild about 10 years old:
Guild had a model called M75, both hollow and solidbody, I believe:
From the pics, I'd say they're pretty close relatives, but I really don't know enough about either the DeArmond or Guild history to tell if my guitar is some kind of a remake of the Guild M75, or if it's something very different. Does anybody here have any idea about this?
In its more recent history as an independent maker -- that is prior to shutting down maybe 5 years ago, then being acquired by Fender and starting up again -- DeArmond did indeed produce Asian replicas of Guild electrics. I have a DeArmond Pilot Pro 5-string bass that is based on the original Guild. The DeArmonds are budget guitars -- considerably less expensive than the original Guilds, but still very playable instruments. Enjoy it.
-=tension & release=-
A related question is: are these Gretsch Duojet knockoffs, or did Gretsch copy the Guild M75 design? Both were late-1950s I believe, but I don't know which came first. I'd guess Gretsch (1957?)
By the way, before becoming a sub-line for Guild, DeArmond made pickups for Gretsch and others. :)
"Everybody got to elevate from the norm."
Yeah, I believe it's the same DeArmond (pups and guitars), but that may be the result of a name transaction (shell company), so the relationship may be tenuous. Guild seemed to be borrowing from a number of other makers for its electric designs. But in the history and scheme of things, one could probably argue that Gretsch Duojet was itself an attempt to copy Gibson solids. Guild also made (still makes) the Bluesbird, which is an LP clone. I wouldn't be surprised if the Guild biz strategy once was to copy some of the more successful (all relative!) models of competitors to get launched into the electric biz.
-=tension & release=-
So, my guitar is a clone of a LP clone? That makes some sense, since the shape is very much like LP, as is the wiring and controls. The pups are single coils, DeArmond 2k, I think is the name, and the sound is rather different than an LP. When I bought it, I tested it along wiht a LP, and liked the sound of the DeArmond better, and the price tag even more! The downside with it is the weight, it's really heavy, so you need a good, broad padded strap if you're going to play it standing for a long time.
Maybe your ear just prefers single coil pups. Most of the time I do. I don't think the DeArmonds are clones of Guilds so much as they are licensed copies ... well anyway, no more than an Epi is a Gibby clone.
-=tension & release=-
Maybe your ear just prefers single coil pups. Most of the time I do. I don't think the DeArmonds are clones of Guilds so much as they are licensed copies ... well anyway, no more than an Epi is a Gibby clone.
I agree, they were just as Epi's are to Gibson.
I've played a few when they were around.....I wanted one. The ones I played seemed well made.....better than the Epi LP.
Thanks for replies, doesn't really matter that much to me if my guitar is a copy of this or that particular model. Just curious about the relationships. Just from the look of it one can tell that there's a line to the LP.
The most important to me is that it plays well, I've had it for many years, and though I consider myself mainly an acoustic player I have some periods when I noodle around a lot on my electric. I mostly use it in an attempt to learn jazz chords with the neck pickup only and find it satisfactory, though I feel it may not be just the right guitar (or at least pickups) for that. I think it has a good unplugged tone though, which means it's got potential. I just don't know if it's the pickups or if I can dial in some sweet sounding settings on my amp (Kustom tube 12) and multi fx box (Digitech RP50). I tend to return to clean settings, and the fx department is really not my department, I'm most concerned with what goes on between my hands and the guitar. :roll:
