Members AcheWater Posted May 19, 2008 Members Share Posted May 19, 2008 I have a DeArmond guitar that was given to me by a friend in trade for paying his electric bill. Its been sitting in his closet for the last 5-6 years untouched. He bought it on a whim and never really got into guitar. It is shaped much like a Les Paul, is a vintage sunburst color, has HH with DeArmond USA written on each, 4 knobs with D on them, DeArmond on the headstock, and a funky tremelo in a hollowed out D shape. He said it cost him about $700-$800 new around 2000. What have i got here? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members jlw001 Posted May 19, 2008 Members Share Posted May 19, 2008 A very nice guitar! I would say its a M77 or M72. Don't know about the tremolo if its not a Bigsby style. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Patuney Posted May 19, 2008 Members Share Posted May 19, 2008 If it did, he got hosed! Korean made guild copy cranked out after Fender bought up Guild. Really not in the same class as Guild, DeArmond were fairly inexpensive new. Pickups are valued and worth saving. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members AcheWater Posted May 19, 2008 Author Members Share Posted May 19, 2008 If it did, he got hosed! Korean made guild copy cranked out after Fender bought up Guild. Really not in the same class as Guild, DeArmond were fairly inexpensive new. Pickups are valued and worth saving. how much are the pups worth? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Brendan Posted May 19, 2008 Members Share Posted May 19, 2008 How much was the power bill? They're good guitars. Pics would be nice. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members AcheWater Posted May 19, 2008 Author Members Share Posted May 19, 2008 A very nice guitar! I would say its a M77 or M72. Don't know about the tremolo if its not a Bigsby style. looking at some pics online it appears to be an M-75, maybe? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Patuney Posted May 19, 2008 Members Share Posted May 19, 2008 If the pickups are the gold screen center ones, they are wanted for that retro sound. Check Flea-Bay for the current insane prices. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members docjeffrey Posted May 19, 2008 Members Share Posted May 19, 2008 DeArmond's were on the market before the Fender takeover. I had a Starfire that was quite nice; I got it on closeout from Sam Ash for $300. I sold it after I bought my Gibson ES335 for $350. Nice pickups (DeArmond humbuckers), cheap pots and wiring. Three piece necks where they splice on the headstock and heel--I hate those. Great guitars, and they were around $600--7000 for awhile. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members AcheWater Posted May 19, 2008 Author Members Share Posted May 19, 2008 How much was the power bill?They're good guitars. Pics would be nice. $158.36...he didn't care. He never used it and it was an impulse buy that he talked his parents into after graduating high school. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members AcheWater Posted May 19, 2008 Author Members Share Posted May 19, 2008 If the pickups are the gold screen center ones, they are wanted for that retro sound. Check Flea-Bay for the current insane prices. Yeah they have what looks like chrome with two gold strips. Kinda devides the pup into thirds gold-chrome-gold, with DeArmond USA written on each. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Patuney Posted May 19, 2008 Members Share Posted May 19, 2008 There's a silverfoil single on the Bay for $125. That model may be in more demand than the gold foils, though. As Doc said, if it's a pre Fender DeArmond, it will be worth more. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members wader2k Posted May 19, 2008 Members Share Posted May 19, 2008 Funny you should mention it. I saw this earlier today from the guy I bought my LP custom from........looks nice! http://cgi.ebay.com/1999-Dearmond-by-Guild-M-75-Bluesbird-Aristocrat-M75_W0QQitemZ140232772581QQihZ004QQcategoryZ41436QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members AcheWater Posted May 19, 2008 Author Members Share Posted May 19, 2008 Thanks for the info. I don;t think its pre-fender. And the pups aren't gold foil I don't think. I may just flip this thing for a few hundred and call it a day. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members jerry_picker Posted May 19, 2008 Members Share Posted May 19, 2008 I've had six MIKs, all good. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Carbohydrates Posted May 19, 2008 Members Share Posted May 19, 2008 I have one of those, only it's black. I like it, nice solid guitar. Don't really get all the madness about the pickups, but whatever. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members id-man Posted May 19, 2008 Members Share Posted May 19, 2008 Every time I pick up my (pre-Fender) m75 I am always impressed all over again. Extremely solid guitar that frankly plays like a dream and has a totally unique and very desirable sound. It's been flawless going on 10 years now so the 'cheap pots' comment doesn't apply here. I paid around $450 w/case back in the day and did my share of cringing when the closeouts were going on. But now I think maybe those closeouts were lesser quality. Mine's staying right here with me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members jerry_picker Posted May 19, 2008 Members Share Posted May 19, 2008 All DeArmond guitars are Fender (FMIC) products! Fender acquired Guild in 1995. Fender owned the DeArmond name (which had been Rowe-DeArmond back in the day when R-D made pickups and volume pedals, but NOT guitars). In 1997-98, FMIC launched an extensive line of high quality import guitars based on venerable old Guild models: the Bluesbird, Manhattan, Starfire, etc., and badged them with the DeArmond name on the headstock and the Guild name on the truss cover. The price points on the better DeArmonds, which had set-necks and USA-made pickups, were relatively high, getting into territory where one might buy a used Westbury-era pre-Fender Guild, and for considerably more than other import lines (Gibson's Epiphones). As a result, many believe, DeArmonds were not great sellers in spite of Guitar Player mag's "guitar of the year" accolades. When the line was discontinued, big box sellers like MF blew them out at sub-wholesale prices ($200-250 for top of the line axes). People on this forum were all over them. http://www.intersilo.com/fender.asp Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members dattebayo1 Posted May 19, 2008 Members Share Posted May 19, 2008 All DeArmond guitars are Fender (FMIC) products! Fender acquired Guild in 1995. Fender owned the DeArmond name (which had been Rowe-DeArmond back in the day when R-D made pickups and volume pedals, but NOT guitars). In 1997-98, FMIC launched an extensive line of high quality import guitars based on venerable old Guild models: the Bluesbird, Manhattan, Starfire, etc., and badged them with the DeArmond name on the headstock and the Guild name on the truss cover. The price points on the better DeArmonds, which had set-necks and USA-made pickups, were relatively high, getting into territory where one might buy a used Westbury-era pre-Fender Guild, and for considerably more than other import lines (Gibson's Epiphones) were selling new. As a result, many believe, DeArmonds were not great sellers in spite of Guitar Player mag's "guitar of the year" accolades. When the line was discontinued, big box sellers like MF blew them out at sub-wholesale prices ($200-250 for top of the line axes). People on this forum were all over them. http://www.intersilo.com/fender.asp pretty much what he said also in regards to the worth of the pickups, usually only fetch around what you'd normally pay for any ordinary set of pickups. Their worth is in the sound quality, they're fantasic pickups, and very desirable. I remember reading a great quote saying they're, "the studio musicians best kept secret" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members BootRoots Posted May 19, 2008 Members Share Posted May 19, 2008 does it kind look like this? The goltone pickups are great. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members id-man Posted May 19, 2008 Members Share Posted May 19, 2008 That might be an M70. The M75s are like that but with block fretboard inlays and a "D" shaped trapeze tailpiece (which makes a cool slight trem effect if you press on it!). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Brian Krashpad Posted May 19, 2008 Members Share Posted May 19, 2008 looking at some pics online it appears to be an M-75, maybe? Yes, could be an M-72, M-75, or M-77. M-72 has a flattop, iirc M-75 and M-77 are archtop. M-75 has a harp tailpiece, M-72 a stoptail, not sure about the M-77. In good condition in the $300-$400 USD range. I sold my M-72 late last year for $300 w/hsc. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Brian Krashpad Posted May 19, 2008 Members Share Posted May 19, 2008 All DeArmond guitars are Fender (FMIC) products!Fender acquired Guild in 1995. Fender owned the DeArmond name (which had been Rowe-DeArmond back in the day when R-D made pickups and volume pedals, but NOT guitars). In 1997-98, FMIC launched an extensive line of high quality import guitars based on venerable old Guild models: the Bluesbird, Manhattan, Starfire, etc., and badged them with the DeArmond name on the headstock and the Guild name on the truss cover. The price points on the better DeArmonds, which had set-necks and USA-made pickups, were relatively high, getting into territory where one might buy a used Westbury-era pre-Fender Guild, and for considerably more than other import lines (Gibson's Epiphones) were selling new. As a result, many believe, DeArmonds were not great sellers in spite of Guitar Player mag's "guitar of the year" accolades. When the line was discontinued, big box sellers like MF blew them out at sub-wholesale prices ($200-250 for top of the line axes). People on this forum were all over them.http://www.intersilo.com/fender.asp Thanks Jerry, beat me to it on the "pre-Fender" thing. I see it all the time and have yet to figure out why some people think some DeArmond guitars are not FMIC products. They all are. Like several here, I owned a few. I got one Jet Star form the Musician's Friend blowout, then another from VH1's "Save The Music" specifically to flip, and traded it for an M-75 locally. I also had an M-72, which I preferred to the M-75 because of the lighter weight of the M-72 and the stoptail (as opposed to the M-75's harp tailpiece), so I sold the M-75 to a bandmate. After getting a couple Gibby LP's I sold my very nice M-72 as redundant, but will always keep ahold of my Jet Star. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members tincob Posted May 19, 2008 Members Share Posted May 19, 2008 I had a M-77T for a little while. I picked it up used for $125 and flipped it three months later for $480 to help fund my Vox amp purchase. The pickups were nice and the Bigsby was neat to fool around with but the money I could get for selling it outweighed my attraction for the guitar. In other words, I'm glad I have my Vox amp and don't regret not having the DeArmond. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Brian Krashpad Posted May 19, 2008 Members Share Posted May 19, 2008 I had a M-77T for a little while. I picked it up used for $125 and flipped it three months later for $480 to help fund my Vox amp purchase. The pickups were nice and the Bigsby was neat to fool around with but the money I could get for selling it outweighed my attraction for the guitar. Just for accuracy's sake to the OP-- this guitar above has DeArmond singlecoils, not the Gold Tone humbuckers you have described as being on yours in the OP. The "T" models (for tremelo) of the M-series guitars used single coils, the non-Bigsby models used Gold Tone humbuckers. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members JoeBoy Posted May 19, 2008 Members Share Posted May 19, 2008 The 2 I own Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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