cd_david Posted August 3, 2020 Posted August 3, 2020 (edited) Iāve been a sucker for the Guild B series of basses since being a fan of Ali McMordie of SLF when I started playing. Over the years Iāve owned two B301F fretless single pickup versions, one B301 a fretted one pickup, but the holy grail had always been a 302 or 402.Ā The 301/302 are passive and the 401/402 are actives. Without a suffix the basses are mahogany and with an āAā suffix they are ash. A 402A is an active 2 pickup with ash neck and body.Ā I finally found and got hold of a B302 nearly 18 months ago, pictured below. I fell foul of cites regulations. I could have risked having posted without the certificates but having waited over 20 years to find one without a headstock repair I wasnāt prepared to do that. It took 502 days from purchase to having it in my hands. That was down to English and US processes and my procrastination.Ā Ironically the regs had been amended during this time andĀ longer applied to instruments containing rosewood. š Anyway, it was well worth the wait. šĀ Picture 1: The B302 Picture 2:Ā B301F fretless I had about 15 years ago.Ā Picture 3: B301 repaired headstock, sold to fund the 302.Ā Edited August 3, 2020 by cd_david 1 Quote
Mickeyboro Posted August 3, 2020 Posted August 3, 2020 (edited) Wowee! Stunners, those... I have a 301F bought in the late 80s from Andyās in Denmark Street on an impulse. It has taken from then till now for me to use regularly in a band, despite my first ever bass (1981) being a fretless Jedson Jazz copy. I gigged that merrily before becoming concerned about intonation, etc. Curiously it has no serial number at all. Age has given theĀ back a rippled effect but nothing there has flaked off yet. Itās superbly light and resonant and is similar to that played by my favourite fretless player, Mick Hawksworth. I saw the Groundhogsā currentĀ bassist playingĀ a fretted just before lockdown. I would love a fretted 301! HereāsĀ a pic of me playing it with folk-roots combo State of Undress. Ā Edited August 3, 2020 by Mickeyboro 1 Quote
Lozz196 Posted August 3, 2020 Posted August 3, 2020 It took me years to work out what bass it was that Ali McCordie used, thankfully Basschat helped out. I suppose at some point I really should at least try one out given how much I loved (still do btw) SLF. 2 Quote
EWH Posted August 21, 2020 Posted August 21, 2020 Hello Gentlemen and fellow Guild fans/owners...š» Allow me to brazenly state that I consider your B Series basses to beĀ mere erotica - softcore porn at best...š However, fear not - shortly, I willĀ provide you with some hardcoreĀ Guild porn and send you through puberty all over again...š¤Ŗ It will be just like when you were 13 and found where your Dad kept hisĀ dirty magazines stashed - you will overload and become raisins...š¤Æ Prepare yourselves...š 1 Quote
cd_david Posted August 22, 2020 Author Posted August 22, 2020 Iāve stared a Vintage Guild FB pageĀ Ā https://www.facebook.com/groups/3239641099392762/?ref=share Ā Quote
EWH Posted August 22, 2020 Posted August 22, 2020 What is the name of the group...? Better forĀ me to search in FB than sign in through BC... Quote
cd_david Posted August 22, 2020 Author Posted August 22, 2020 7 minutes ago, EWH said: What is the name of the group...? Better forĀ me to search in FB than sign in through BC... Vintage Guild BassesĀ Quote
EWH Posted August 22, 2020 Posted August 22, 2020 I joined it - now there are 2 members...š¤£šš» Ā 1 Quote
cd_david Posted August 22, 2020 Author Posted August 22, 2020 3 hours ago, EWH said: I joined it - now there are 2 members...š¤£šš» Ā Itās a select group, exclusive of you will šš Quote
Paul S Posted August 22, 2020 Posted August 22, 2020 I love the look of these 301/302s.Ā Something simplistically elegant about the design. My inevitable question is - how much do they weigh? 1 Quote
cd_david Posted August 22, 2020 Author Posted August 22, 2020 (edited) 43 minutes ago, Paul S said: I love the look of these 301/302s.Ā Something simplistically elegant about the design. My inevitable question is - how much do they weigh? Not as much as youād think for a mahogany bass. My 302 is very light. Probably around 8lbs.Ā edit: Just weighed it and it is 8lbs.Ā Edited August 22, 2020 by cd_david 1 Quote
Paul S Posted August 22, 2020 Posted August 22, 2020 Nowhere near as light, you are quite right.Ā And I'd guess the 301 would be lighter still, with only the one pup and associated electrical gubbins. Oh dear..... I fear this may end up being expensiveĀ š 1 Quote
EWH Posted August 24, 2020 Posted August 24, 2020 This arrived at my home today - Boris Johnson sent it over to me...I can understand Brexit, but why you people allowedĀ this Pilot to fly awayĀ is beyond me... This isn't like your toothbrushes, you know - you don't just throw such things over your shoulders, devil may care... Fools - it's mine now. 2 Quote
itu Posted August 24, 2020 Posted August 24, 2020 I think Darryl Jones was endorsing Pilot basses years ago. Were the fretboards really interchangeable? Quote
EWH Posted August 25, 2020 Posted August 25, 2020 10 hours ago, itu said: Were the fretboards really interchangeable? Yes, but only on the 6 string models, sadly...š Quote
Jean-Luc Pickguard Posted August 28, 2020 Posted August 28, 2020 I had a new guild bass a couple of weeks ago (https://www.basschat.co.uk/topic/438065-nbd-tomorrow-hopefully-the-saga-continues/) but it had to go back as there was an issue with the neck. I should be receiving a replacement within a week or so, so hopefully the new one won't have any issues. I'll post some pics when it comes as it is a bit of a looker. Ā Ā Quote
EWH Posted August 28, 2020 Posted August 28, 2020 (edited) 2 hours ago, Jean-Luc Pickguard said: I had a new guild bass a couple of weeks ago (https://www.basschat.co.uk/topic/438065-nbd-tomorrow-hopefully-the-saga-continues/) but it had to go back as there was an issue with the neck. I should be receiving a replacement within a week or so, so hopefully the new one won't have any issues. I'll post some pics when it comes as it is a bit of a looker. Ā Ā Hi Captain Pickguard... I hit that link and read that threadĀ - sorry that your Starfire only went to 9 and was a dud...I hope the replacement goes to 13 and actually does get there within "a week or so" and not the 21 days weĀ all know it's going to take OOPS to actually deliver it - to the house at the end of your block, on the opposite sideĀ of the street where the weirdo with the australian accent lives...š¤Ā I look forward to seeing more of it...š Edited August 28, 2020 by EWH Quote
Joebethell Posted September 5, 2020 Posted September 5, 2020 Not a B series but my 90s Starfire.Ā Love this thing 2 Quote
Lapisi Posted December 4, 2020 Posted December 4, 2020 On 24/08/2020 at 12:26, itu said: I think Darryl Jones was endorsing Pilot basses years ago. Were the fretboards really interchangeable? That was a mod called the Novatone Switchboard. Ā 1 1 Quote
itu Posted December 4, 2020 Posted December 4, 2020 1 hour ago, Lapisi said: That was a mod called the Novatone Switchboard. Thank you, very interesting. I found this short story about the idea: https://www.premierguitar.com/articles/Further_Adventures_in_Fretboard_Design Quote
cd_david Posted November 1, 2021 Author Posted November 1, 2021 I found a B402-A. Collected it from Edinburgh IKEA yesterday. It needed a deep clean. I put new strings on and setĀ It up to my preferences.Ā The active circuit is very powerful. Ā It reminds me of the Spector Haz circuit.Ā Iām very pleased with the Bass.Ā 1 Quote
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