Guild Sprint electronics question

[alnicov]

I have a Guild Sprint with humbuckers and active electronics. It has a problem switching pickups; it makes a popping noise when switching and there's no sound in the middle position. Does anyone know what the solution is or know where I can get a schematic? Thanks.

-al

 

[fronobulax]

Welcome. I don't have an answer for you and, in fact, I thought you had something wrong with brand or model. But this thread has some info about the Sprint, while you wait for the schematic.

 

[Default]

I'd check the pickup selector switch. Sounds like that might be faulty.

 

[Jeff]

My Sprint arrived with much the same issue, I bought a can of a can of DeoxIT D5, removed the pickguard & used it liberally on all the switch & pot contacts inside. It took a couple applcations but fixed the problem, at least temporarily, this was two years ago & it's starting to act up again.

I would love to see pictures of you Sprint. Here's mine, I'm unsure if the pickguard & innards are original,

 

[The Guilds of Grot]

It looks like Guild used the "Sprint" name on a couple of different guitars.

Here's my '83 S-260 Sprint;

It's based on the S-25. (On right)

The major differences are the bolt-on neck with the different headstock, and the control cavity cover is not recessed.

So Jeff your Sprint is much different. Do you know the model number? Weird that it doesn't say Sprint on the headstock.


Now here are some photos from the guitar that Frono posted the link to;

Same body as Jeff's but with out the pickguard, a different pick-up arrangement, and the offset headstock with the Sprint name on it.


It's no wonder that Volume II is taking so long!

It's going to be an interesting read when we see it though!

 

[Jeff]

It looks like Guild used the "Sprint" name on a couple of different guitars.

.......


So Jeff your Sprint is much different. Do you know the model number? Weird that it doesn't say Sprint on the headstock.


...!

I'm open to correction, but I'm told it's an S280/281.

 

[The Guilds of Grot]

I'm open to correction, but I'm told it's an S280/281.

Well I broke out my catalogs to see what I could find and I came up with this:

An S-280 is called a "Flyer" and it has a more offset bottom then your guitar and maybe the red one.

Now I have an S-281 "Flyer" and it looks like this;

The only difference that I can see between the S-280 and the S-281 is the fretboard wood.


What I found next gets even more interesting. From a later/newer catalog I found this;

So they went backwards on the number to an S-270 and the bottom of the guitar is now symmetrical! This appears to be your body shape.

It's all very confusing!


Now about your pickguard and electronics. I know that on the S-282 Aviator I have seen them with, and without a pickguard.

Here is my '84 S-284 Aviator;

The pickguard models seem to always have the two single coils and a humbucker. The non-pickguard models just have humbuckers. I'm guessing that they needed the pickguard to mount the single coils they were using at the time.

On my '87 Detonator it has different single coils that mount right to the body;

As I said, Volume II is going to be a blast!

 

[alnicov]

Thanks to everyone for the input. I've tried emery paper and DeoxIT on the contacts but either didn't help. Highly suspect that it was wired wrong. Some pics tomorrow.

 

[SFIV1967]

I have no info about the internal electronics but some info on the Sprint models.
It looks to me that all Sprints had also printed Sprint on the headstock, so the one Jeff has seems to be a Flyer, not a Sprint. Might be a S-280 or S-281, I don't know what the difference is.
If I understand it correctly the earliest Sprint model was the S-260 Sprint in 1983.
Now the S-270 was confusing, depending on the time it was called either a S-270 Sprint, S-270 Flyer or S-270 Runaway.
And there was a model S-271 Sprint.

Part of the confusion is this:
In the 1986 pricelist the options for the solidbody guitars were endless!
You could get for instance:
P3- Three Single Coils California P/Us
P4- One California Humbucker, 2 California Single Coils
A1- 1 EMG Humbucker
A2- 2 EMG Humbuckers
A3- 3 Single Coil EMGs w/SPC "Fat" Control
Fat Control was also a option for all guitars
Kahler Vibrato was also an option to all.
Maple or Ebony fingerboard was also an option (standard was Rosewood for many).

Here is a 1983 S-260 Sprint (I guess XR-7 pickups at that time):

This is a 1986 S-270 Sprint (S/N HC101265):

This is also a S-270 Sprint, but with a different pickup option. It is a 1986 with S/N HC101165:

Regarding such S-270 Sprints, I found a interesting quote from "workedinwesterly":

That certainly is a Sprint. Those were Japanese or Korean bodies that were shipped here and assembled in the repair dept, with westerly necks mostly S-280 necks and such. Most of them were assembled by my friend Flip Scipio. I think I even put a few together along with doing repairs. I remember at least 80 of them. All in all a frikkin' nightmare, because the boss of Final assembly kept on not supplying all the parts that were needed . Needless to say that caused some friction with us in repair.

As response Hans had confirmed that the Sprints were done with the imported bodies. (he did not say which model numbers or if all Sprint models).

And finally this a slightly earlier 1985 S-271 Spirit (S/N HC100687) (different lower body shape compared to a S-270 Sprint):

Ralf

 

[alnicov]

I have some pics to upload. How do I get permission?

 

[fronobulax]

You don't need any permission, but you do need to upload them to another site and then link to them here.

Instructions.