Since I am new to the Guild electric game, I looked around a bit before purchasing my first 2015 NS s-100 polara. Love the guitar. Plays great and sounds even better. I immediately noticed a difference in the sound of the HB-1 pickups as compared to my band mate's Les Pauls with paf style pickups. I read GAD's article about the HB-1 and got schooled but I have one question. How do the new HB-1 reissue pickups built by Cordova compare to the originas, the SD-1 and the Fender made?
Yet another HB-1 question.
- Thread starter Tom West
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"How do they compare" is a kind of an open-ended question with almost infinite responses. The biggest problem is describing sound. 
The first thing to note is that an S100 is a VERY different guitar than a Les Paul, and it will create very different tones. The slab of mahogany with pickups has more punchy midrange than a Les Paul which is Mahogany with a maple top. The Les Paul will be generally brighter and have less of a midrange hump. The Les Paul is still midrangy compared to, say, a Telecaster, though.
From a "How would I rate them?" standpoint, I'd always put the Fender HB1s last. The SD1s are really damn good pickups and I would probably give them the edge over the new HB1s.
There's some discussion of the new HB1s here: http://letstalkguild.com/ltg/showthread.php?189737-NS-S100-First-Impressions
The first thing to note is that an S100 is a VERY different guitar than a Les Paul, and it will create very different tones. The slab of mahogany with pickups has more punchy midrange than a Les Paul which is Mahogany with a maple top. The Les Paul will be generally brighter and have less of a midrange hump. The Les Paul is still midrangy compared to, say, a Telecaster, though.
From a "How would I rate them?" standpoint, I'd always put the Fender HB1s last. The SD1s are really damn good pickups and I would probably give them the edge over the new HB1s.
There's some discussion of the new HB1s here: http://letstalkguild.com/ltg/showthread.php?189737-NS-S100-First-Impressions
Thanks GAD. I am pleased with the sound of the guitar and bass response and high end jingle of the guitar. I was considering a pickup change to an old set of 70's HB 1's but if they are as close to the originals as you say, it would be a waste of time, labor and money.