More Bass Speculation :-)

[mavuser]

Oh, and this was the picture that Hans had posted here, dated August 13, 1967:

Ralf

I belive the 1968 SF Bass 2 Sb I recently acquired (below) has the bridge pup in the "sweet spot," and the one Phil Lesh is playing in the picture above is flirting with the same location. Most of the other SF 2 basses I have seen have the bridge pup a little further back, closer to the bottom of that top control knob on the viewr's far right. After doing a google image search, it looks like there is definately some slight variation, but most have the pup further back. I think the difference in location of a "sweet spot" and "bridge" pup location is maybe a half-inch (or less, possibly a quarter-inch). My bass below and Phil's above both left the factory that way, as SF Bass 2's...

Like I said I am lining it up with the control knobs on the right, mostly the highest one on the far right...and also the f-holes


here are a couple "regular ones" (one is Twocorgis' ...thanks!)

here is a "true sweet spot" (1965-1966)

 

[mavuser]

I did not realize this was in ebay/CL..I had done a search...can my posts please be moved to the Bass section? no big deal if not. thanks.

also my "new" SF Bass 2 has a 3-piece mahogany neck (no maple "stripe"). I guess this was a brief experiment that didn't last for Guild, but I like the neck a lot on this bass:

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Uploaded with ImageShack.com

Uploaded with ImageShack.com

(The seam you see is only a finish crack. Definately not a repair and definately not broken. I think it will be ok for a long, long time. The bass overall is in fantastic shape, but certainly has a history)

 

[fronobulax]

Moved from here which explains where the picture of Phil Lesh was originally posted.

As for the sweet spot positioning, at the moment Eric and I are not in agreement but until I get out measuring tools and take some measurements there is no point in continuing the discussions based upon speculation ;-)

 

[mavuser]

I measured mine.

To compare it to a 65-66 sweet spot SF bass- the outside edge of the top of the black mounting ring, of my bridge pup, is 4.75 inches from the very bottom/edge of the fretboard.

To compare it to Sandy's green SF 2 bass- the outside edge of the top of the black mounting ring, of my bridge pup, is 2 inches from the outside edge of the bottom of the black mounting ring, of my of my neck pup.

Am starting to think I am wrong, but if that is the case, speaks to the variation in f-hole placement and/or knob location. Also only acknowledging 1/4-1/2 in variation. I don't know the level of precision here for Guild, but between the knobs, f-holes and pickups, something has to be offset, or some combonation of those things. It doesnt take much, a few millimeters here, a centimeter there...

If I am correct, my guess is some factory SF 2's may have started out as a sweet spot SF1 body in the factory...very early in the process...NOT saying they went back for conversion after the fact. Makes sense for Phil's too and any super early SF2's. Mine is a 68, so in that scenario could have been a leftover sweet spot SF1 body, from when they switched the pup location to the neck, and went back to the Bisonic. Makes sense they may have had some of those sweet spot bodys laying around during 67. They may have went for them during the 3-piece mahogany neck experiment and said "lets just make it a SF2 like the early/Phil ones since we moved the SF1 pup to the neck..." or something to that effect. the result would be a slightly offset bridge pup, like Phils and the early SF2s...and the exploratory 3-piece mahogany neck. the 68 special!

more likely though, Frono is correct and the pups on all SF2's are all 2 inches from each other. very curious now. mostly curious though, how far the top of that mounting ring on the sweet spot bass (65-66) is, from the very bottom/edge of the fretboard.

Frono thanks for moving the thread.

a second, closer look at the 3 instruments: