The Guild company made a memorable first impression when it entered the solidbody electric market in 1963 with the Thunderbird.

The body has been described as resembling a “melted hershey bar”, and the unconventional design did not stop there. Installed in the back of the guitar was a “kickstand” – a length of metal that pivited out so the guitar could stand on its own.

Zal Yanovsky of The Lovin’ Spponful was the most visible guitarist playing a Thunderbird in the mid 1960s. The easily recognizable model also made spot appearances in the hands of Banana (Lowell Levinger) with The Youngbloods, Jorma Kaukonen with Jefferson Airplane and blues great Muddy Waters. The Thunderbird’s splash of success did not change Guild’s identity as a traditional company – a respected maker of archtop guitars in the 1950s and flat-top acoustics in the 1960s.

Guild replaced the Thunderbird in 1970 with the S-100 line, which was more conventional – similar to a Gibson SG – and more successful than the Thunderbird.