Guild S-200 Thunderbird Reissue

Eric Vinc3nt

Junior Member
Joined
Sep 14, 2016
Messages
10
Reaction score
0
Location
Philadelphia PA USA
A Sexy Beast, At Once Funky and Classic

Guild has proved they are ever serious about maintaining their storied legacy with this impeccable resurrection of the S-200 Thunderbird. The moment I began playing mine it was pure love.

I’ve owned and/or played many MIA Les Pauls, Strats, and Teles, and this MIK axe is as finely crafted as any of them, which tells me Guild set out to stake its brand on this product. Appearance wise, it’s elixir to the eyes, dripping with elegance and sex appeal; photos don’t do it justice. Its body, slimmer than a Strat’s, rings punchy and warm with crystalline overtones, and its contours conspire to render it cozy in the embrace. The finish, detailing, nickel plating, the neck’s binding and fingerboard inlays, all exude expert craftsmanship. When I’m not playing it, it’s placed prominently in my studio for visitors to behold.

Now on to the electronics, which takes the S-200 to a next level. Guild LB-1 pickups are simply my favorite I’ve ever had on a guitar, and I’ve been playing electrics for almost 35 years now, about evenly between stage and studio. The LB-1s have more tonal nuance than dual-coil pickups on other guitars I’ve played. The best way I can think of to describe it, is they sound tempered in the midrange to a degree that offers more definition and balance. They also seem sensitive to the instrument’s mahogany resonances in flattering ways. I don’t need to reach much for the Baxendall EQ on my Manley channel strip when I’m recording this guitar, and if I do reach, it’s only to subtly enhance what’s already there.

Which brings us to the S-200’s switching options, where there’s a certain genius at work in the circuit’s architecture. It centers on a two-position switch which Guild calls the guitar’s “Mode” switch, and each mode has its own set of volume and tone knobs. In its up position, the mode switch puts the S-200 in a neck pickup-only setting, bypassing the rest of the circuit, and in that mode, this guitar sounds singularly sublime, like nothing else I’ve played before, rich with silky brown butter on the bottom, and crispy cool Riesling on top.

In the Mode switch’s down position, a panel of three switches is activated, and with it, a wide spectrum of numerous tonal options. When I cycled through a bunch of songs by a variety of famous bands, I could approximate the guitar tone of each song by manipulating this panel. Being a producer/composer who does a lot of home recording, this tonal versatility is a key feature for me: the ability to dial in various sounds from the guitar, rather than reaching for the recording gear, or worse, mangling the sound with plugins. But I imagine a cover band guitarist would love this too, the ability to mimic the sounds of a wide variety of recognizable tunes.

Of course, the S-200 brings its own tone and texture to the mix, in the best way. Take it to a quiet room, not plugged into anything, just strum an open Emaj, and you’ll hear the depth. Place your ear against its body and hit the low E string, and you’ll get all kinds of character. It’s an instrument that gives back to you more than merely what you play on it, and it’s inspiring stuff. Bravo to Guild.
 

Default

Super Moderator
Platinum Supporting
Joined
Jul 30, 2007
Messages
13,595
Reaction score
3,008
Location
Philly, or thereabouts
Guild Total
11
There is a format for reviews, you might want to put your post into that for your review.

Glad you like your guitar!
 
Top