Is this a fake S-100.

[Rebosbro]

Says the Guild logo fell off. Chesterfield logo also missing. Are they not inlayed? Seems like a pretty good deal. SN is https://richmond.craigslist.org/msg/d/richmond-guild-s100-electric-guitar/7215025868.html

 

[SFIV1967]

It's a real vintage one, the black headstock veneer with the logo/chesterfield was removed and the tuners replaced as well. The white plastic switchtip is new, it came with a metal switchtip originally. Besides the missing backplate it looks all original. Ken Nash had original backplates, he still might have one.
Ralf

 

[Rebosbro]

It's a real vintage one, the headstock veneer with the logo/chesterfield was simply removed and the tuners repalced as well. Switchtip is new, otherwise looks all original.
Ralf

Thanks, Ralf.
SN is 52628 which should make it an early 71.
Might have to go play this one.

 

[mavuser]

It's a real vintage one, the black headstock veneer with the logo/chesterfield was removed and the tuners replaced as well. The white plastic switchtip is new, it came with a metal switchtip originally. Besides the missing backplate it looks all original. Ken Nash had original backplates, he still might have one.
Ralf

not sure that i'd agree the "black headstock veneer" was removed...in this era those veneers are rosewood or mahogany color, so it looks right. But anything is possible.

I may have a spare back plate. Hans probably has the correct tuners, and he may have some of them here in New York possibly

 

[SFIV1967]

not sure that i'd agree the "black headstock veneer" was removed...

The S-100 all had the black veneer at that time as far as I know. I definitely would check for a possibility of a broken headstock, sometimes that was the reason for the removed veneer.

1971 catalog and 1975 catalog. The one in the OP might be the "walnut" finish, it looks darker than natural.

Ralf

 

[fronobulax]

The one in the OP might be the "walnut" finish, it looks darker than natural.
Ralf

My '71 JS II in Walnut looks darker than the OP, But walnut may be the best guess for a factory finish anyway, and color matching a photograph on a computer screen is fraught with opportunities for error.

 

[Guildedagain]

Asked him if he'll ship, doubtful, but I want an S100.

 

[Rebosbro]

not sure that i'd agree the "black headstock veneer" was removed...in this era those veneers are rosewood or mahogany color, so it looks right. But anything is possible.

I may have a spare back plate. Hans probably has the correct tuners, and he may have some of them here in New York possibly

Thanks! I’ve emailed him to see if it’s still available.

 

[Rebosbro]

Thanks for the input guys! I’ve emailed to see if it’s still available. He said he is selling for a friend and he is not familiar with that model. He said he thinks it’s been refurbished. He’s a Worship Arts Pastor at a local church, so hopefully he is not intentionally steering me wrong
Paul

 

[mavuser]

guess it appears i am wrong about the woody veneer on an S-100, sorry about that! for sure they were woody on S-50 and S-90 during this time period, but if there is no logo or chesterfield it must have been all removed. my bad!

 

[mushroom]

Hello - yes it should be a black.
I have a close S/N (52559) and it's veneer is black with the inlays.

 

[Rebosbro]

Hello - yes it should be a black.
I have a close S/N (52559) and it's veneer is black with the inlays.

Thanks! Just waiting to hear back from seller if it’s still available

 

[fronobulax]

Hello - yes it should be a black.
I have a close S/N (52559) and it's veneer is black with the inlays.

Why do you say that? LTG is littered with posts where I jump to a conclusion about a feature based on serial number and I am corrected. I know that, for the most part, guitars went through Westerly in batches of eight but I can't recall that they all had the same finish. Similarly there is no guarantee that the serial numbers in a batch were related in any obvious mathematical fashion. (Usually they were but Guild is all about the exceptions). Thanks.

 

[GGJaguar]

Here's what Hans has said in the past about that:

Guild guitars were made in batches of 6, 12 or 24 etc. From a manufacturing standpoint it was easier to make them in batches because of the change of tooling necessary to produce the different models. When the superstructures were completed they were serial numbered, which took place in the 'finishing' dept. After that the finish was applied and the guitars were hung to dry. After sufficient drying they would be buffed and placed in racks, where they would stay till an order came in. Obviously, if they started production they already had orders, but not always for the complete batch. Only the guitars they had orders for (plus the guitars that could be put in inventory because they were ordered on a regular basis) would be taken to 'final assembly', where the superstructure would get all the necessary parts to become a musical instrument and where it would be set up. Now the order in which they were taken from the racks was random, so it was possible for a higher serial number to come through 'final assembly' before a lower number. A lower serial number could stay on the racks for a very long time while a later serial number would already be hanging on a dealer's wall. I have several instruments in my collection that have serial numbers of which I know they were applied in a specific year; I also know that some of the hardware on these instruments was introduced years later, which shows that these instruments stayed on the racks for a very long time before they came through 'final assembly'. This usually happened with instruments that were not very popular during a specific period or with instruments that were already discontinued. So the serial number on a guitar doesn't automatically tell you when a guitar was completed and in some cases this explains some of the quirky stuff you might come across.

 

[fronobulax]

Here's what Hans has said in the past about that:

Guild guitars were made in batches of 6, 12 or 24 etc. From a manufacturing standpoint it was easier to make them in batches because of the change of tooling necessary to produce the different models. When the superstructures were completed they were serial numbered, which took place in the 'finishing' dept. After that the finish was applied and the guitars were hung to dry. After sufficient drying they would be buffed and placed in racks, where they would stay till an order came in. Obviously, if they started production they already had orders, but not always for the complete batch. Only the guitars they had orders for (plus the guitars that could be put in inventory because they were ordered on a regular basis) would be taken to 'final assembly', where the superstructure would get all the necessary parts to become a musical instrument and where it would be set up. Now the order in which they were taken from the racks was random, so it was possible for a higher serial number to come through 'final assembly' before a lower number. A lower serial number could stay on the racks for a very long time while a later serial number would already be hanging on a dealer's wall. I have several instruments in my collection that have serial numbers of which I know they were applied in a specific year; I also know that some of the hardware on these instruments was introduced years later, which shows that these instruments stayed on the racks for a very long time before they came through 'final assembly'. This usually happened with instruments that were not very popular during a specific period or with instruments that were already discontinued. So the serial number on a guitar doesn't automatically tell you when a guitar was completed and in some cases this explains some of the quirky stuff you might come across.

Right. That has been posted to me as a reminder several times and I still get it wrong since I claimed a batch size as 8.

But if that quote says something about the entire batch getting the same finish I'm not getting it and there is no data I see that supports or refutes the hypothesis that either of the guitars being discussed was a "higher serial number" that went through finishing before a lower one.

 

[mavuser]

Why do you say that?

he is just talking about the headstock, not the color of the guitar

 

[fronobulax]

he is just talking about the headstock, not the color of the guitar

Obviously not clear but OK.

 

[Rebosbro]

So no case. You guys are the experts. $650 a good deal assuming the pickups are HB-1’s? I’m going to go by this weekend and play it
Paul

 

[mushroom]

Sorry for any confusion - I was talking about the head veneer and my experiences. I've had... a few of these and looked at more and only seen black ones.
But I'm always happy to be corrected.
That's why I read and joined this forum - to learn from more experienced people.

 

[SFIV1967]

Obviously not clear but OK.

It was clear as the discussion was if the headstock should have had a black veneer, not if the guitar should have been black.
Ralf