Looking for some info on a 1974 S-100

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Hi guys, new member here. Was referred to this forum by someone over at Guild.

I recently acquired an old somewhat beat up S-100 and I've noticed some anomalies in terms of the standard S-100's I've seen online.

I've attached some pictures but I'm confused as to how all the models I've seen online appear to have rosewood boards while mine appears to be maple? The pickups were harvested at some point and although the remaining electronics seem to be stock, the potentiometers are sadly seized and two of the shafts have broken at some point.

The bridge was replaced with an Ibanez L5 bridge. I'm still not sure if the bridge bushings are original.

Perhaps some of you could offer any info you might have and whether the guitar is worth restoring to its original state.

The finish looks in pretty rough shape so it's hard to tell if it was refinished at some point but the serial sticker in the backing plate lists the model as a S100 CH which I'm assuming is a cherry finish and the finish in its current state looks nowhere near it.

Thanks in advance folks.
 

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GAD

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I could well be wrong but that looks like someone removed the fretboard and scalloped what’s left.
 
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Hi GAD, thanks for the response. The fretboard may appear otherwise in the pics but it's not scalloped at all. From what I can tell, it seems original but it's certainly possible that it was replaced at some point
 

Guildedagain

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Wow, that's what I call a project. It'll keep your mind of everything else that matters more for quite a while... My kind of project, the great escape.
 

fronobulax

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Welcome. I have no recollection of ever seeing a maple fretboard on an S-100 or offered as an option. So I would not be surprised if it was replaced but I would also not be surprised if someone (correctly) tells me I'm wrong. Pictures of the back of the neck, back of the headstock and the back where the headstock and neck join would be of interest.

Edit" Dot fret markers are also unexpected.

'75 catalog page here. Bound rosewood with rectangular MOP inlays.
 
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SFIV1967

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Welcome to LTG. Let's first try dating the guitar. I see 7309 and 7310 potentiometers, so the guitar was assembled afterwards. But what puzzles me is that the pickup rountings are not HB-1 routings but mini-humbucker routings! I have absolutely no idea why that is. It would be an old 1969 /1970 or something body. HB-1 would not fit in that body!
The "maple" (or whatever wood that might be) fretboard with almost zero radius was added later, that is for sure not a Guild made fretboard.
Tuners are obviously not original.
Does the serial number on the label match the serial number on the headstock?

Ralf
 

mushroom

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Good Grief what happened to this poor thing??
Surprisingly the headstock veneer looks to be in reasonably good shape??
 

fronobulax

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Welcome to LTG. Let's first try dating the guitar. I see 7309 and 7310 potentiometers, so the guitar was assembled afterwards. But what puzzles me is that the pickup rountings are not HB-1 routings but mini-humbucker routings! I have absolutely no idea why that is. It would be an old 1969 /1970 or something body. HB-1 would not fit in that body!
The "maple" (or whatever wood that might be) fretboard with almost zero radius was added later, that is for sure not a Guild made fretboard.
Tuners are obviously not original.
Does the serial number on the label match the serial number on the headstock?

Ralf
What does 7309 and 7310 potentiometers tell me? Pots were made in September and October 1973?

The S-100 was introduced 70/71 and the earliest ones did not always have a label in the control cavity. Pending serial number information I like the suggested 74 date based upon the Guild features I can see and could explain much waving the "post factory modification" wand.
 

SFIV1967

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What does 7309 and 7310 potentiometers tell me? Pots were made in September and October 1973?
Week 09 and 10 in 1973.

Almost all S-100 came with HB-1s, infact we have never seen a photo of a real mini-humbucker equipped one, but Mike Lewis by whatever chance bought such one used as template for the Newark St. S-100 and Hans knows at least one, possible a few more, and the catalog picture showed one. And that one here is not routed for HB-1 which tells me the body would be from the almost prototype stage in sometime '69-'70 timeframe, unless Hans corrects me. It has at least already the fixed tailpiece and not the hagstrom vibrato.

That was the 1970 catalog where you can see the mini-humbuckers in it. On the right is the 1971 picture with HB-1s:

1619793390448.png
1619793468624.png


Ralf
 
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Hi guys. Thanks so much for your input. I have attached some more pics of the rear of the headstock and closer to the tongue of the fretboard along with including the pickup routing dimensions which seem to match a full humbucker size.

There is no sign of the serial on the guitar itself and I only found the serial included on the sticker on the control cavity back plate.
 

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fronobulax

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Thank you. Serial number dates to 1974. The solid body Guilds at this time had a serial number stamped on the back of the headstock and inked on a label on the back of the control cavity cover. Enlarging your image and using the Mark I eyeball, I can't find evidence of a serial number on the back of the headstock but a couple of times someone else has applied filters and found evidence I can't see. My first thought was that the neck had been replaced but I don't see any evidence of that. The joints and "shapes" are what I would expect so I'm going to go with just the fret/fingerboard being replaced.

I can't add anything to the PU routing discussion, but if the body was routed for mini-hums it would have been done circa 1970 so it sat for at least three years before being used as a production body. While that has happened with Guilds before, the S-100 was popular enough that it is hard to imagine one body "disappearing" for three years.

I know nothing about woodworking but is there any evidence that says which routing was done first? Could the factory have done the HB-1 routing (as expected for a 1974 with "new" parts) and the mini routing done by the person who replaced the fretboard?
 
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Thank you. Serial number dates to 1974. The solid body Guilds at this time had a serial number stamped on the back of the headstock and inked on a label on the back of the control cavity cover. Enlarging your image and using the Mark I eyeball, I can't find evidence of a serial number on the back of the headstock but a couple of times someone else has applied filters and found evidence I can't see. My first thought was that the neck had been replaced but I don't see any evidence of that. The joints and "shapes" are what I would expect so I'm going to go with just the fret/fingerboard being replaced.

I can't add anything to the PU routing discussion, but if the body was routed for mini-hums it would have been done circa 1970 so it sat for at least three years before being used as a production body. While that has happened with Guilds before, the S-100 was popular enough that it is hard to imagine one body "disappearing" for three years.

I know nothing about woodworking but is there any evidence that says which routing was done first? Could the factory have done the HB-1 routing (as expected for a 1974 with "new" parts) and the mini routing done by the person who replaced the fretboard?
It's hard for me to answer as I have no point of reference for what the original routings look like. If anyone has pictures of their pickup routings from similar '74 models I would appreciate them sharing them.

Also, I've noticed that mine appears to be missing the "phase" switch but I'm not sure if all models from that year included it.
 

mushroom

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There is the possibility that the control cavity cover isn’t original giving a misleading SN and date. Maybe?
 

SFIV1967

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Could the factory have done the HB-1 routing (as expected for a 1974 with "new" parts) and the mini routing done by the person who replaced the fretboard?
Not possible! HB-1s are bigger than mini humbuckers...

The left picture shows another stripped body of a S-100 that had HB-1 routing. As the HB-1 has two height/tilt adjustments screws on the bass side that slot is much wider there. Now compare to the OPs guitar on the right picture where both sides are equal wide as the mini-humbucker has only one screw on the bass side!

1619823330471.png
1619824006593.png


See what I mean on a HB1 vs a mini humbucker ?

1619824141370.png
1619824305106.png


And if that slot is only 38.38 mm wide a vintage HB-1 does not even fit as it is 39.69 mm wide as GAD showed. Right is a mini humbucker.

1619824091089.png
1619824411719.png



Also, I've noticed that mine appears to be missing the "phase" switch but I'm not sure if all models from that year included it.
S-100s with mini humbuckers had no phase switch, also early S-100 with HB-1 did not have a phase switch as it looks.

This is S/N 49xxx from 1970, already with HB-1s, no phase switch and Hagstrom tremolo and bridge:

1619822447453.png


A 1974 serial number would be stamped on the top of the headstock:

1619822853850.png


No sign of one in that headstock:

1619824696774.png


Since the pots are from 1973 I believe the 1974 serial number is o.k..

The headstock veneer is also a 1974 matching veneer with the solid chesterfield, a like 1972 one would have the lines in the Chesterfield.

Ralf
 
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SFIV1967

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Can't stop looking at that odd body....

Is there actually a line where the neck is attached? Almost looks like neck and body are from one solid block of wood?

1619824854710.png
1619825722392.png


Here is a1970 one where you clearly see the neck to body joint:

1619824981132.png


Ralf
 
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SFIV1967

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One more: There is no picture of the full routing of the control cavity visible, but it looks not like a early 70ies cavity but like a 1973/74 cavity (middle picture), the most right picture is 1972 and earlier! No match. So the pickup routing makes even less sense now...

1619826096419.png
1619826145187.png
1619826217910.png


I think I give up and wait for Hans' opinion on the neck joint, the tuners (no other tuner holes visible!),...

Ralf
 
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No, as I said, now I gave up, can't add 1+1 on that one...
Ralf
Hi Ralf,

Just to add fuel to the fire... 😂

It appears that the guitar is in fact a neck-through. I've also attached a picture of the rear control cavity routing. You can see in the picture I took in direct sunlight, the distinct three piece body where the middle section is also the neck 🤷‍♂️
 

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mavuser

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the old smaller control cavity would have been enlarged in 1974 for the new covers
 
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