So how many (vintage) S-100s got made with mini-hums?

[kakerlak]

There's at least the one that made it into the catalog, but even that text boasts of Guild's "new" pickups. Was it a one-off/prototype? Where is it now?

 

[matsickma]

Interesting to see the Bluesbird with the mini humbuckers and floating tail. That model is referred to as "semi solid". To my knowledge the semi solid guitars had HB-1's and the early "reissued M75 Aristocrat" known as the "M75 Bluesbird" was a hollow guitar made like an archtop. Later hollow M75's Bluesbirds had HB-1's and the true "semi solid" models made like an archtop but filled with glued in blocks of wood had HB-1s. By the time Guild issued the solid body M75 only HB-1s were installed.
However as with anything Guild their are always exceptions.
M

 

[fronobulax]

Extrapolating from basses is always a dicey proposition but that JS II pretty much has to be from 1970. When it was first introduced it had Bisonics but there were a few Bisonic plus someting else basses produced before they standardized on the "new" Guild (bass) humbucker. So I am sure there some S-100's with minihums but I would not expect many. Given the difference between catalog specs and production I'd guess we are looking at marketing a new body style before the rest of the elements were determined or available

 

[kakerlak]

Extrapolating from basses is always a dicey proposition but that JS II pretty much has to be from 1970. When it was first introduced it had Bisonics but there were a few Bisonic plus someting else basses produced before they standardized on the "new" Guild (bass) humbucker. So I am sure there some S-100's with minihums but I would not expect many. Given the difference between catalog specs and production I'd guess we are looking at marketing a new body style before the rest of the elements were determined or available

I've always been curious. I'd actually be pretty tempted by a mini-hum S-100 (hell, the NS ones were kind of tempting). That one in the promo materials is just staring back at you, but, the way the text reads, it sounds like the day one shipping expectation was HB-1s. Always made me wonder if that one in the photo was, in fact, the only one. The BB has minis, too, but looks pretty clearly a hollow version. I'm pretty sure I've seen those transitional, semi-solid ones only with HB-1s, so I doubt there was ever a full solid BB with minis. It is interesting to me that they're advertising both solid and semi-hollow BBs in the same adspace. I always assumed/understood that to be a linear transition from hollow, to semi, to solid. Kind of cute that one of the selling points on the solid is east access to the pots.

 

[fronobulax]

Again extrapolating. AFAIK the M-85 bass only came in two configurations: hollow and solid. The hollow really was a true hollow body although since the contemporary Starfire bass had a center block and was some times called semi-hollow as a result, the M-85 was sometimes called semi-hollow even thought that was not technically correct. The solid version was sometimes called chambered or semi-solid. Ther terms were used loosely as well. But in the bass world the easiest way to tell the difference was the thickness of the body and the absence of back binding on the solid. All this is to say that I would identify the pictured M-75 as solid and wonder if your transition from hollow to semi to solid is a function of poor descriptions and not actually three differently constructed instruments. But this is Guild...

 

[kakerlak]

Again extrapolating. AFAIK the M-85 bass only came in two configurations: hollow and solid. The hollow really was a true hollow body although since the contemporary Starfire bass had a center block and was some times called semi-hollow as a result, the M-85 was sometimes called semi-hollow even thought that was not technically correct. The solid version was sometimes called chambered or semi-solid. Ther terms were used loosely as well. But in the bass world the easiest way to tell the difference was the thickness of the body and the absence of back binding on the solid. All this is to say that I would identify the pictured M-75 as solid and wonder if your transition from hollow to semi to solid is a function of poor descriptions and not actually three differently constructed instruments. But this is Guild...

In my brain, floating bridge and harp tail equals full hollow. I think you see some of the partial block ones with a Mueller and still a harp and then all the full solids are stoptails.

 

[matsickma]

Well I can say that that evolution indeed happened as at one point or another I had or have a 50's Aristocrat, a early 60's Aristocrat, a 1967 M75 Bluesbird constructed on a left over Aristocrat body but with minibuckers, a '68 M75 full hollow Bluesbird with mini buckers, saw a post of one or more of LTG folks with a full hollow M75 Bluesbird with HB1's, own a early M75 semisolid Bluesbird with HB1's, owned an early 70's solid body M75 with HB1's and own a later 70's solid body M75 with HB1's. Owned two black M80's where one had HB1 and another had the DiMarzio PAF/ SD setup and now own a brown M80 which origionally had HB1's, were changed to DiM PAF/SD by previous owner and will eventually get HB-1's again.

So I've had all variants at one time or another except a full hollow M75 BB with HB1's.
M

 

[SFIV1967]

Always made me wonder if that one in the photo was, in fact, the only one.

I think there was a post where Hans explained that there are more. Can't find it.
But: When Guild introduced the Newark St. S-100 at NAMM 2013 Mike Lewis told me they aquired a 1970 model with mini humbuckers as baseline, hence the mini-humbuckers used in the first S-100 and also no phase switch for instance. Asuming that was not the prototype there would be more.
Ralf

 

[AcornHouse]

They were definitely using the HB-1s by ‘71, see my S-90.

 

[fronobulax]

Sitting on my computer lifted from somewhere but pretty clearly from the same time frame. Note both instruments are described as having New Anti-Hum pickups even though those are not what is pictured on the bass.

 

[kakerlak]

Sitting on my computer lifted from somewhere but pretty clearly from the same time frame. Note both instruments are described as having New Anti-Hum pickups even though those are not what is pictured on the bass.

Yeah, that's what I've been saying. That looks like a color version of the black and white catalog pic I stole off the internet. And yeah, the point being, if that photo is the introduction of the model, it's already being advertised as having the new pickups, so my assumption is that there could be as few as just the single prototype model that got photographed.

 

[kakerlak]

I think there was a post where Hans explained that there are more. Can't find it.
But: When Guild introduced the Newark St. S-100 at NAMM 2013 Mike Lewis told me they aquired a 1970 model with mini humbuckers as baseline, hence the mini-humbuckers used in the first S-100 and also no phase switch for instance. Asuming that was not the prototype there would be more.
Ralf

That's interesting and a real "what are the odds" thing, too. Kind of like getting the wonky pair of minis as a baseline.

 

[Quantum Strummer]

My older S-100 has HB-1s, with the red dots on the backplates. Interestingly the pots are Stackpoles dating to the 16th week of 1970. SN 51144: 1971 according to the oft-used sources, but I wonder if it's actually a '70?

-Dave-

 

[fronobulax]

I wish I could find the ad of the S-100 with the clear plexiglass (?) body. We know it is the 70's equivalent of PhotoShop but it seems appropriate in a thread about a search for a configuration seen in an ad

 

[hansmoust]

I wish I could find the ad of the S-100 with the clear plexiglass (?) body.

Are you sure you're not thinking of the S-300 ad?

Sincerely,

Hans Moust
www.guitarsgalore.nl

 

[fronobulax]

Are you sure you're not thinking of the S-300 ad?

Sincerely,

Hans Moust
www.guitarsgalore.nl

No I'm not sure and the fact that I couldn't find it reinforces that idea.

 

[SFIV1967]

No I'm not sure and the fact that I couldn't find it reinforces that idea.

Here you go:

Ralf

 

[GGJaguar]

Here's one with Anti-Hums, but it could be a freak of nature since the guitar has been refinished (and the ad states they are non-original).

https://reverb.com/item/34581709-guild-s-100-1971-natural

 

[SFIV1967]

Hard to say, the cutouts look narrow enough to only fit mini-humbuckers. EDIT: Apperently not...see next post.

Ralf

 

[hansmoust]

Hard to say, the cutouts look narrow enough to only fit mini-humbuckers.

Ralf

No way! That guitar was routed for regular large size HB-1s. The mounting rings are not Guild rings, but rings from another brand guitar that were large enough to cover the routs!

Sincerely,

Hans Moust
www.guitarsgalore.nl