Produced from 1963 to 1968, the Guild Thunderbird is famous for just one reason: it had its own built-in guitar stand! The guitar’s body was shaped so that there were two points at the rear of the instrument (on either side of the endpin) that essentially formed two sides of a “tripod.” A metal rod would then fold out from a body cavity groove to form the third point. So, that lucky Thunderbird owner could set his guitar down onstage and then admire its oddly shaped body from a distance. Considered little more than a novelty item, it’s surprising that Guild built this model for as long as it did, particularly since it had very few features that were seen as standard on other Guild electrics, such as humbuckers and a Bigsby tailpiece.
