Guild Artist Award

**Len R** · 04-08-2022, 08:33 AM

I have a sunburst Benedetto Artist Award from Westerly in 2001. Dark, smoky and smooth tone, and a visual work of art. Very comfortable neck. Have an opportunity to get a blonde 1996 Artist Award at a very reasonable price. Any Guild experts have info on the differences between the 2001 and the 1996 Artist Awards? Thanks!

**2bornot2bop** · 04-08-2022, 10:27 AM

I owned the Corona 2004 version of the AA and a 1997 Westerly AA.

I much preferred the latter. They’re each superb guitars but that ‘97 was probably the nicest AA I’ve ever owned. It arrived with a Johnny Smith pickup installed as well, which was a much nicer pickup. But the depth of the Westerly AA is the real winner, and at nearly 3.5” that’s the biggest difference between the guitars. It’s significantly better sounding and a more resonate guitar as a result. I much preferred it’s greater depth to the thinner Corona version. The AA is a can’t miss. If you can grab one at a great price you better grab it because I’ve not seen one below $6k nowadays. Like everything else they’ve gone way up in price, so there’s that!

**Stringswinger** · 04-08-2022, 10:53 AM

I had two of the Westerly Benedetto AA's and a 71 AA with a DeArmond 1100. The 71 had a more traditional archtop sound (think Epi NY) while the Benedetto versions had a more modern sound (kind of a flattop/archtop crossover).

The Benedetto versions had a 25 5/8 scale while the 71 had a 25 1/2 scale. I cannot say for sure, but I would bet that the 97 being considered would have the longer scale.

The Benedetto versions had a full D profile neck with a 1 23/32 nut. The 71 had a super slim C shaped neck with a 1 5/8 nut.

They all vary. Both of the Benedetto versions that I had looked the same (both were made in 2001) but one was loud acoustically and the other was not.

**Jabberwocky** · 04-08-2022, 04:55 PM

I have a Benedetto AA GBB 1053. I think Bob tightened up the body shape slightly and made it smaller. The horn is less bulbous, more prognathous. It was also less deep in the rim, 3" vs. 3.5" of the Guild AA. Bob selected European cello spruce and maple for the Benedetto AA.

The rub against the 90s Guild AA is that nobody liked the tone of the Guild floating pickup at all. It was a fine acoustic archtop otherwise.

**Len R** · 04-08-2022, 05:42 PM

Thanks for the info! Here are a few photos:

Guild Artist Award-aa-17-jpg

**Len R** · 04-08-2022, 05:47 PM

A few more:

Guild Artist Award-aa-15-jpg

**Len R** · 04-08-2022, 05:59 PM

Seller states that the pickup is a Haussel, which I'm not familiar with. Clearly not the original pickup.

**Jabberwocky** · 04-08-2022, 06:19 PM

Originally Posted by Len R

Seller states that the pickup is a Haussel, which I'm not familiar with. Clearly not the original pickup.

That's a good German pickup. A Häussel Johnny Smith?

Haeussel Pickups: Flat-Jazz Humbucker

**Jabberwocky** · 04-08-2022, 06:23 PM

That looks great!

**Len R** · 04-08-2022, 06:28 PM

Originally Posted by Jabberwocky

That's a good German pickup. A Häussel Johnny Smith?

Haeussel Pickups: Flat-Jazz Humbucker

Looks like the flat jazz humbucker.

**Len R** · 04-08-2022, 06:30 PM

Originally Posted by Jabberwocky

That looks great!

It sure does, Jabs. Quite beautiful. I am going to check it out.

**2bornot2bop** · 04-08-2022, 08:44 PM

Run, don’t walk to purchase that one. It’s pure bliss. The photos appear as if it’s a dealers guitar, so I can’t imagine it being sold for a good buy. But hey, stranger things have happened.

**2bornot2bop** · 04-08-2022, 08:49 PM

At $5k this is the least expensive one that I’ve seen for sale this past year, by a mile. I know the owner, he’s a repair technician and it’s making it’s second appearance on Reverb the past year.

Guild Artist Award Model 1989 Sunburst | Reverb

**Litterick** · 04-09-2022, 03:23 AM

Mary Halvorson plays a 1970 Artist Award.

**ggjaguar** · 04-09-2022, 11:16 AM

I have a '96 AA and a Benedetto JSA. I did a comparison at Lets Talk Guild that you can check out.

**2bornot2bop** · 04-09-2022, 07:57 PM

Originally Posted by ggjaguar

I have a '96 AA and a Benedetto JSA. I did a comparison at Lets Talk Guild that you can check out.

Great exhaustive review. But you described the AA as having a humbucker. But it’s a floating pickup, that’s trash.

**Jimmy blue note** · 04-09-2022, 08:15 PM

I've been a huge fan of the Westerly AA's forever. Early on, I never got one because I couldn't feel comfortable doing chord solo with the narrower necks they were often found with. At some point they went with a wider 1 11/16 neck and around that time they changed the pickup from the D'Armond which I loved, to something else. But there's something amazingly woody and piano like about those Westerly Artist Awards, the higher arch gave it a rich ring from the attack. One of the best acoustic sounds ever.

I bought a Westerly 1 11/16 Guild and had Duncan wind me a floater with PAF specs. When the Benedetto came out, I tried two. Also very nice but for my taste, not the balance, attack and melodic sustain I got from my Westerly. Frankly, I remember thinking Bob Benedetto is not giving it his full all because he's not going to outshine his own guitars.

Yeah, so for me, just one person's taste, big 'go for it' when it comes to the Westerly. But try it if you can and A/B them. When it comes down to it, it's your hands, your music and a match only you know if it's right.

**wintermoon** · 04-09-2022, 08:17 PM

Originally Posted by 2bornot2bop

Great exhaustive review. But you described the AA as having a humbucker. But it’s a floating pickup, that’s trash.

There are many many floating pickups that are humbuckers. Just because it's a floater doesn't mean it's a single coil.
I'm pretty sure modern AA's have humbuckers whereas the old ones had Dearmond 1100s which of course are single coils.

**tbeltrans** · 04-09-2022, 09:42 PM

I used to own a Guild Artist Award from the very late 1960s or early 1970s. As I recall it was a "Westerly". It had a Dearmond 1100 pickup. I sold it because the fretboard was just too narrow for me. Sad, since it was otherwise a wonderful instrument. Fun aspect of it was that the headstock was large and the bandstand small, so the other guitarist had to keep an eye out to duck when that "paddle" came too close.

Tony

**Stringswinger** · 04-09-2022, 10:38 PM

Originally Posted by tbeltrans

I used to own a Guild Artist Award from the very late 1960s or early 1970s. As I recall it was a "Westerly". It had a Dearmond 1100 pickup. I sold it because the fretboard was just too narrow for me. Sad, since it was otherwise a wonderful instrument. Fun aspect of it was that the headstock was large and the bandstand small, so the other guitarist had to keep an eye out to duck when that "paddle" came too close.

Tony

My 71 AA was sold to a fellow forum member a few years back to help fund a purchase of a 35 D'Angelico Excel (as always a big thank you to forum member Max405 for that). While I have no regrets about selling the two Benedetto AA's that I owned (one of which went to a member here from Austria), I have some regret about selling the 71. The 1 5/8 nut was not ideal, but pretty damn playable, and the tone with that DeArmond 1100 pickup was sublime.

**Len R** · 04-09-2022, 11:05 PM

Originally Posted by ggjaguar

I have a '96 AA and a Benedetto JSA. I did a comparison at Lets Talk Guild that you can check out.

Thanks for that in depth comparison, it is amazing! Very informative, learned a lot!

Len

**Len R** · 04-09-2022, 11:08 PM

I will not be getting this AA after all. Turns out there was a significant issue with it that the seller alerted me to today, so I passed.

But thanks to ggjaguar, I will be on the lookout for a Bennie Johnny Smith AA

Len

**Jabberwocky** · 04-10-2022, 10:48 AM

Originally Posted by Len R

I will not be getting this AA after all. Turns out there was a significant issue with it that the seller alerted me to today, so I passed.

But thanks to ggjaguar, I will be on the lookout for a Bennie Johnny Smith AA

Len

Ski-jump?

**tbeltrans** · 04-10-2022, 02:58 PM

Originally Posted by Stringswinger

My 71 AA was sold to a fellow forum member a few years back to help fund a purchase of a 35 D'Angelico Excel (as always a big thank you to forum member Max405 for that). While I have no regrets about selling the two Benedetto AA's that I owned (one of which went to a member here from Austria), I have some regret about selling the 71. The 1 5/8 nut was not ideal, but pretty damn playable, and the tone with that DeArmond 1100 pickup was sublime.

Interesting comment. I had the opportunity to play the Benedetto version of the Artist Award and did not like it as much as the original one that I formerly had.

Tony

**2bornot2bop** · 04-10-2022, 04:39 PM

Originally Posted by wintermoon

There are many many floating pickups that are humbuckers. Just because it's a floater doesn't mean it's a single coil.
I'm pretty sure modern AA's have humbuckers whereas the old ones had Dearmond 1100s which of course are single coils.

When I think of a humbucker it’s a pickup mounted into the top, not floating above the top. You’re suggesting that both humbucker’s have the same sonic qualities? Hmmm, I don’t agree with that. Personally I believe the AA benefits from a pickup swap, regardless of whether the stock pickup is a humbucker or not. The pickup is trash. Heck, even Heritage had a very solid pickup in their floater #3.