Score! Found me a Liberator.

GAD

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It's not mint, it doesn't have the original pickups, and it doesn't have an original case, but I found a Liberator!

https://www.ebay.com/itm/132404312581

s-l1600.jpg
 

AcornHouse

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I thought about you when I saw, but couldn't remember if you had one already.
 

txbumper57

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Nice Grab GAD! Does it have the same weird neck angle that your Liberator Elite has?

TX
 

matsickma

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That's the model Liberator I had and like a dope 😲 sold it! I sold it because it had the same pickups, bridge and Mueller vibrato as my NOS Detonator.
The guitar is very light, thin two octave set neck shredded that you can flip around with guitar acrobatics, if you're so inclined.
The Muller trem and bridge don't have the high trem arm setup as the high end Liberator.
Mine was blue and in very good condition but at the time I didn't think I needed two guitars with a similar setup. Also didn't realize how hard a Liberator was to come by.
M
 

GAD

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Got it today. It's definitely a bit of a player more than a collector since all of the electronics have been gutted and the pickups are non-original. Frets and the structural parts are all in great shape, though. It's missing the back plate and didn't come with the trem arm or a case (came in a gig bag), so I think it will end up being one of my wall hangers (which are the ones I grab all the time).

I thought about restoring it to original, but the pickups sound pretty darn good so I may not. It is all wired with the modern modular EMG plug-and-play stuff so it would be easy to do. My only beef with it in its current state is that it has a 3-way blade switch and I really dislike those, but aside from that it really scratches that super-Strat itch pretty well. It might be better with a real Floyd or Kahler but without the arm for this trem I can't put it through its paces. It's got locking tuners which I love and no locking nut so it's pretty easy to string.

From a playability standpoint it reminds me a lot of a Jackson. Ebony 24-fret board, jumbo frets, and a pretty slick neck heal, though admittedly not as sexy as a Jackson's. The neck is just a hair under 1 11/16" at the nut and feels a lot like my favorite Jackson which is a nice plus for me.
 

jp

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That looks like a the perfect shredder and a really fun guitar to practice the EVH licks on. I really like the understated simplicity of the design, and it seems a like practical workingman's super strat. If I ever see an Elite version in all black I'd be very tempted to grab one. Very nice!
 

GAD

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That looks like a the perfect shredder and a really fun guitar to practice the EVH licks on. I really like the understated simplicity of the design, and it seems a like practical workingman's super strat. If I ever see an Elite version in all black I'd be very tempted to grab one. Very nice!

The Elite is a very different guitar.
 

jp

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Do tell! I remember from your Elite review that the neck angle is quite steep, it has a tremelo lock nut, and a Floyd Rose. Is the feel quite different too?
 

GAD

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Do tell! I remember from your Elite review that the neck angle is quite steep, it has a tremelo lock nut, and a Floyd Rose. Is the feel quite different too?

Yeah, the Liberator is quite flat, has an almost flat neck angle, an AMB bridge, no lock nut, and feels a lot more like a "normal" guitar of the Super-Strat persuasion. The neck is quite nice as are the frets and fretboard, but this guitar doesn't scream "LOOK AT ME!" like the Elite does. It's also got much more traditional controls, the tradeoff being only three tonal variations as opposed to the 54 options presented on the Elite.

Mine came with gutted and replaced electronics so I'm not sure if the original came with a boost or any other EMG-type toys, but given that this is a three-pickup guitar, having only three choices seems very limiting after playing all of the other 80s Guilds I own.
 

GAD

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Also, it's kind of odd to me but I think I've seen Liberator Elites for sale more often than I've seen normal Liberators.

I love the S284 Aviator, but based on the samples in my possession I think the Liberator was a better guitar for the Super-Strat market.
 

matsickma

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GAD, It looks like your Liberator had changed controls in addition to the pickups. Mine had a 5-position blade switch and the Tone control was a push/ pull POT that was coil split on the bridge humbucker.
M
 

GAD

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GAD, It looks like your Liberator had changed controls in addition to the pickups. Mine had a 5-position blade switch and the Tone control was a push/ pull POT that was coil split on the bridge humbucker.
M

Thanks. Were they EMGs? EMGs have a feature that simulates the effect very well. I think my Setzer Bluesbird has that. Edit - yep - the DMSK: http://www.gad.net/Blog/2017/09/12/guild-brian-setzer-bluesbird/

The 3-position switch is far too limiting for my tastes so I may remove it all and rebuild it to spec, though if I'm going to the trouble I may put in some high-end passive pickups instead. I'm kind of town because I love putting old Guilds back the way they belong, but I've got so many EMG guitars at this point that they all kind of sound the same to me.

Even the knobs on this guitar are mis-matched and incorrect, though probably not a lot of people would even notice.
 

GAD

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I just looked and the '88 price list shows "two single coil and one split-coil Dimarzio" for pickups.
 

AcornHouse

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Also, it's kind of odd to me but I think I've seen Liberator Elites for sale more often than I've seen normal Liberators.

I love the S284 Aviator, but based on the samples in my possession I think the Liberator was a better guitar for the Super-Strat market.
But, what's your favorite ator overall: liber, avi, deton, elev?
 

GAD

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But, what's your favorite ator overall: liber, avi, deton, elev?

Haven't spent enough time with the Liberator yet, but I'm leaning that way. I love the Aviator in it's quirky sort of S300 way but I really dislike top-mounted output jacks (varies by year). I think I like the Kahler better than the bridge on my Liberator, but until I get the proper arm for it I can't say for sure. Still, the fact that the bridge is so odd makes it a bit less appealing. The Liberator Elite would be my hands-down favorite if it hadn't been designed by a crazy person. The Detonator gets points for being inexpensive, robust, simple and fun. From a pure looks point of view, I like the lines and contrast of the Liberator, but that could be just because I've been hunting for one and lusting after them online for so long.

I prefer escalators over elevators, though.
 
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