Guild S300 A-D Bld. Solid Body Electric Guitar (1979)
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Item # 12604
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Guild S300 A-D Bld. Model Solid Body Electric Guitar (1979), made in Westerly, RI, serial # 198732, natural finish, laminated ash body, laminated maple neck with rosewood fingerboard, original black tolex hard shell case.
Sometimes you almost have to feel sorry for Guild. Often dismissed as derivative, this perennial "we try harder" guitar company did manifest some unique designs over the decades, but few caught on with the larger musical community for very long. This S-300 A-D guitar is a case in point, a fairly unique design with an original look and feel that in retrospect seems like a good combination of ideas.
After a period of creative lethargy in the early '70s Guild launched a series of highly original solidbody designs in the later '70s that deserved more recognition than they got from players at the time. They were built around this slightly axe-like sculpted body shape that was an original look in an era of copies; even if many players thought it ugly the look has a definite and distinctive panache all its own.
This dual pickup Guild S-300 A-D is a case in point, an original and ergonomic solidbody guitar. The set-neck construction continues in the old Guild/Gibson tradition but elements of Fender (an ash body) crept in as well. Still, the guitar presents as an original, well-thought and very functional design. The 24 fret, 24 3/4" scale neck is laminated maple with a dot-inlaid rosewood fingerboard and '70s appropriate jumbo frets. This is topped by the traditional center-peak 3x3 headstock with the trademark "Chesterfield" inlay and Guild-branded Schaller style tuners.
The 3-piece ash body of the S-300 A-D mounts two DiMarzio humbucking pickups as stock, a "PAF" in the neck position and a "Super Distortion" at the bridge, basically a fattened Gibson style with overwound cream-colored coils. These were all the rage in 1979, then considered a big upgrade from the older Guld humbuckers. They are mated to the typical 4-knob, one switch control rig with an added mini-switch for phase reversal, another obsession of the late '70s. The fully adjustable chromed bridge has adjustable roller saddles for string spacing, supported on two large bolts with the strings running to a large trapezoidal block tailpiece. The "A" in the name stands for Ash, the "D" for DiMarzio, both optional features at the time.
The S-300 was offered in several variations and the series remained in production until 1989, but the Ash and DiMarzio options ended in 1982. Guild promoted these guitars heavily in the late '70s: "When we introduced our first solid bodies back in 1963, many musicians were struck by the radical departure in styling from what was considered the standard -- Our unconventional body lines lend themselves to all playing styles -- Stand apart from the crowd, in sound and style". Unfortunately for the company they never really caught on but to modern players now represent a serious value in a 45+ year old US-made solidbody. This "DeeMartzeeo" equipped model plays extremely well and has a fiercely overdriven sound that rolls back nicely and gets seriously funky when the phase switch is engaged.
Overall length is 39 5/8 in. (100.6 cm.), 14 1/2 in. (36.8 cm.) wide at lower bout, and 1 7/16 in. (3.6 cm.) in depth, measured at side of rim. Scale length is 24 3/4 in. (629 mm.). Width of nut is 1 5/8 in. (41 mm.).
This guitar appears lightly played in but largely original, with some minor wear but no structural repair. The clear lacquer finish shows minor dings and dents overall with the most wear is dinks to the upper center of the back. All external hardware appears original and complete but there has been some re-wiring in the control cavity; the switches and tone caps have been replaced and some solder re-done but everything functions as designed; the (presumably) original Switchcraft toggle, mini-switch and capacitors are in the case pocket. One of the Guild knobs has lost its metal cap. The original large frets show hardly any wear and this guitar plays very well, with a powerful and versatile sound. It resides in a period HSC that is not guild-marked but may be original. Overall Excellent Condition.
Sometimes you almost have to feel sorry for Guild. Often dismissed as derivative, this perennial "we try harder" guitar company did manifest some unique designs over the decades, but few caught on with the larger musical community for very long. This S-300 A-D guitar is a case in point, a fairly unique design with an original look and feel that in retrospect seems like a good combination of ideas.
After a period of creative lethargy in the early '70s Guild launched a series of highly original solidbody designs in the later '70s that deserved more recognition than they got from players at the time. They were built around this slightly axe-like sculpted body shape that was an original look in an era of copies; even if many players thought it ugly the look has a definite and distinctive panache all its own.
This dual pickup Guild S-300 A-D is a case in point, an original and ergonomic solidbody guitar. The set-neck construction continues in the old Guild/Gibson tradition but elements of Fender (an ash body) crept in as well. Still, the guitar presents as an original, well-thought and very functional design. The 24 fret, 24 3/4" scale neck is laminated maple with a dot-inlaid rosewood fingerboard and '70s appropriate jumbo frets. This is topped by the traditional center-peak 3x3 headstock with the trademark "Chesterfield" inlay and Guild-branded Schaller style tuners.
The 3-piece ash body of the S-300 A-D mounts two DiMarzio humbucking pickups as stock, a "PAF" in the neck position and a "Super Distortion" at the bridge, basically a fattened Gibson style with overwound cream-colored coils. These were all the rage in 1979, then considered a big upgrade from the older Guld humbuckers. They are mated to the typical 4-knob, one switch control rig with an added mini-switch for phase reversal, another obsession of the late '70s. The fully adjustable chromed bridge has adjustable roller saddles for string spacing, supported on two large bolts with the strings running to a large trapezoidal block tailpiece. The "A" in the name stands for Ash, the "D" for DiMarzio, both optional features at the time.
The S-300 was offered in several variations and the series remained in production until 1989, but the Ash and DiMarzio options ended in 1982. Guild promoted these guitars heavily in the late '70s: "When we introduced our first solid bodies back in 1963, many musicians were struck by the radical departure in styling from what was considered the standard -- Our unconventional body lines lend themselves to all playing styles -- Stand apart from the crowd, in sound and style". Unfortunately for the company they never really caught on but to modern players now represent a serious value in a 45+ year old US-made solidbody. This "DeeMartzeeo" equipped model plays extremely well and has a fiercely overdriven sound that rolls back nicely and gets seriously funky when the phase switch is engaged.
Overall length is 39 5/8 in. (100.6 cm.), 14 1/2 in. (36.8 cm.) wide at lower bout, and 1 7/16 in. (3.6 cm.) in depth, measured at side of rim. Scale length is 24 3/4 in. (629 mm.). Width of nut is 1 5/8 in. (41 mm.).
This guitar appears lightly played in but largely original, with some minor wear but no structural repair. The clear lacquer finish shows minor dings and dents overall with the most wear is dinks to the upper center of the back. All external hardware appears original and complete but there has been some re-wiring in the control cavity; the switches and tone caps have been replaced and some solder re-done but everything functions as designed; the (presumably) original Switchcraft toggle, mini-switch and capacitors are in the case pocket. One of the Guild knobs has lost its metal cap. The original large frets show hardly any wear and this guitar plays very well, with a powerful and versatile sound. It resides in a period HSC that is not guild-marked but may be original. Overall Excellent Condition.