Guild B30nt Questions

[its_a_cabbage]

Hi what's up, so my (otherwise excellent) guitar tech managed to lose the... I don't even know what to call it, on my Guild bass.




The slider thing. I guess you'd call it a sliding potentiometer cap or something? I'll never find an original I'm sure but if I knew what the things in general were called I could buy a set of them and no one would know they're not the originals. Anyway it's for the BASS slider which is the most important slider, very tragic and very sad.

Sorry for the super obscure post, also when I google around it seems K&K Pure Bass pickups are really popular in these things. And I might change to that because these 1994 electronics in this Guild are... They're not good by modern standards for acoustic pickups let's just say. But how hard will that be to install seeing as I already have an undersaddle pickup in there?

And finally my guitar person kind of laughs at me when I grouse about these tiny marks the guitar has picked up in the nitro finish, a few dents and scratches. The thing is so close to looking showroom or new-old-stock that I kind of want to get them fixed and wondered if anyone knows how hard (or possible at all) it is to fix scratches like that.



Anyway this aside I love my bass it's amazing

 

[fronobulax]

Welcome. The B4CE used the same pickup and controls so you could look for one and repurpose the part. Seems to me there are guitars you could pirate from as well. Buy it, nick the slider, and put it back on the market for $100 less because it is missing the slider. Not sure what to call the part in hopes of finding a compatible replacement set.

My B50 has aftermarket electronics and I rarely use them. If I'm "allowed" an amp I grab a different instrument for the ergonomics. If I did have to use it amplified I'd invest in a preamp that attached to my belt so I had another tool to control feedback besides walking away from the amp.

I'd consult with a tech about the ability to reuse the under saddle transducer. It may be easier to replace it. The folks who have replaced the Fishman have never been happy with the barn door. Some have left it there and others have pulled it out and improvised a hole cover.

Light scratches in nitro can be buffed out. Some can be filled if it is a small area and the tech is careful. I'm going to tag @davismanLV as one of the people who can elaborate, correct me or know who else to ask.

 

[its_a_cabbage]

Yes exactly, here's me hopelessly googling around for a 'slider thing' or a 'thumb slide thing'. @fronobulax that's a good suggestion, I just found the same entire fishman assembly for $100 in an already-sold listing, so shouldn't be too hard to get. I agree re: amplification in general. I very rarely plug it in, and if I need to record it, it's honestly best captured with microphones. The ergonomics may be a bit weird, but I love how loud and clear it sounds acoustically and I'm able to be heard underneath a guitar or two.

I'll probably just leave the electronics alone I guess, seeing as I don't plug in often, but you did give me one crazy idea: I realize that if the 'barn door' for the pickup control was just open and the controls removed, it might act like a 'monitor' soundhole, you know like breedlove's etc have



Honestly for me the worst place to listen to one of these guild basses is behind and above it, i.e playing position. Sure it's fine, but sitting in front of someone playing mine and I hear so much more of the low end.

And thanks for the welcome

 

[hansmoust]

Hi what's up, so my (otherwise excellent) guitar tech managed to lose the... I don't even know what to call it, on my Guild bass.

Hello its_a_cabbage,

Welcome! I could send you one, but I'm in Europe and we are no longer allowed to send small items as a letter and the minimum rate for a small package will be something like $ 15.00.

If I were you I would email Fishman (www.fishman.com) and ask if they can sell you some. They are still using that same knob on their Prefix Plus-T pre-amp. Make sure to include the photo, so it's clear what you need.

Sincerely,

Hans Moust
www.guitarsgalore.nl

 

[its_a_cabbage]

That's super helpful, I have emailed Fishman. Thank you Hans.