My missing guitar

[Qvart]

are you saying the Polaris evolved into the G-100?

They're actually both designated the S-100. The Polara just happens to have a funkier body style. They changed over to a more SGesque style around 1970 to offer more relevant competition.

I was thinking that a picture of a '90's S-100 reissue wasn't the best source evidence that the Polaris and S-100 were different models in the '60's because they looked quite different then versus the '70's and '90's models. And, as Danerectal said, they were both designated S-100's back then.

Adding to the connection is the resurrection of the name "Polara" for the S-100 starting in 1997. Mine is a '96 so technically not a "Polara" I guess. It looks exactly like the pic you posted though.

Maybe I should stop posting before I go to work. Too damn early!

 

[dane]

I see. Thanks for the info. Gosh I love this place! I learn something new all the time!

 

[Qvart]

I see. Thanks for the info. Gosh I love this place! I learn something new all the time!

Me too. Welcome to my world!

 

[Sarah93003]

So Qvert, I am still unclear. The guitar I had looked just like that one you found on Gbase that was listed as a 1965. My best recollection is that when I bought mine in 1974 I was told it was a 1962. Maybe that wasn't correct. Do you know when these were first produced?

 

[Qvart]

So Qvert, I am still unclear. The guitar I had looked just like that one you found on Gbase that was listed as a 1965. My best recollection is that when I bought mine in 1974 I was told it was a 1962. Maybe that wasn't correct. Do you know when these were first produced?

I'm no expert and I'm surprised Hans hasn't chimed in yet. Hm.

Try THIS LINK. If you see what I'm looking at, that's the Blue Book listing of S-100's. It says the S-100 Polara was made from 1963-1968. I wouldn't take that as the final word because it also says the S-100 was 1970-1974 when in fact they were made later than that until Guild introduced a new body shape with the S-300 and phased out the S-100 line. It also says the Polara (recent manufacture) was 1995-2000 when in fact the reissues that looked like the '70's models were made in '94 and '95, then late in '95 they made some changes and after that they looked like the pic Dane posted. In '97 they started calling them "Polara" again and I think the last ones were made in '99, not 2000. To further complicate things, Guild was not the best at consistency with their serial numbers so a guitar may appear to be a '62 when in fact it's from a different year. And further - guitar shops and other sellers often misquote the dates of their guitars. So I really don't know what to tell you other than to look at pics and see what you find that somewhat resembles your old guitar. From there you can get a rough idea of the time frame for the production of that model.

Grot's collection is a good source for pictures, as you saw earlier in this thread. Click the link to his website for more.

I really have to get a copy of the bible!

Hope that helps.

PS: I have to give Joey credit for the gbase link.

 

[capnjuan]

Early S-50 on eBay Relic'd? Seller sez: "Not quite MINT"

 

[fronobulax]

So Qvert, I am still unclear. The guitar I had looked just like that one you found on Gbase that was listed as a 1965. My best recollection is that when I bought mine in 1974 I was told it was a 1962. Maybe that wasn't correct. Do you know when these were first produced?

We need Hans, or at least people who can look at The Book before they post. Accurate dates are hard to come by. Serial numbers do not come out of the factory "in order". Catalogs list models that are never released or have been on the market for months before the catalog.

I will note that February 1965 is usually cited as the "start date" for Starfire Basses but there is at least one documented example that was "on the street" in 1964, so there is a precedent for 1962 being "correct" even though the book Qvart cited says 1963. Personally though, I'd bet that the dealer was wrong.

 

[Pwal]

So Qvert, I am still unclear. The guitar I had looked just like that one you found on Gbase that was listed as a 1965. My best recollection is that when I bought mine in 1974 I was told it was a 1962. Maybe that wasn't correct. Do you know when these were first produced?

I have Hans book, and the Polara S-100 was introduced in 1963. However, in the introduction of the electric solid bodies section, it's written that the prototypes were made in 1962 and first pictured in the 1963 catalogue.

So, either the dealer was wrong or you had a prototype !

J-F

 

[hansmoust]

I'm no expert and I'm surprised Hans hasn't chimed in yet. Hm.

We need Hans, or at least people who can look at The Book before they post. Accurate dates are hard to come by. Serial numbers do not come out of the factory "in order". Catalogs list models that are never released or have been on the market for months before the catalog.

I will note that February 1965 is usually cited as the "start date" for Starfire Basses but there is at least one documented example that was "on the street" in 1964, so there is a precedent for 1962 being "correct" even though the book Qvart cited says 1963. Personally though, I'd bet that the dealer was wrong.

Hello folks,

It's a bit difficult to say something about a guitar that we do not have any information on except that somebody at some point said it was from 1962.
As I wrote in The Guild Guitar Book ( page 154) the prototypes were made in 1962 and the '63 catalog was the first one to show the new line of solid body electrics. The earliest solid bodies that I know of had very late 1962 serial numbers but according to the ledgers from 'final assembly' these instruments were all set up during the first months of 1963. That does not mean that a solid body guitar from 1962 doesn't exist. It is very well possible that some early instruments were finished before the end of 1962 but so far I have not seen any.
It is pretty much the same situation as we discussed before with the Starfire Basses.

Frono, whose/which Starfire Bass is the documented one that was 'on the street' in 1964?
Let's make that a new thread in the Bass section.

Sincerely,

Hans Moust
http://www.guitarsgalore.nl

 

[fronobulax]

Frono, whose/which Starfire Bass is the documented one that was 'on the street' in 1964?
Let's make that a new thread in the Bass section.

mgod[/url]]I have what is probably a 65 but has a 64 serial number, so its among the very first SFs. Sunburst single bridge pickup, black plastic bridge saddles. Great bass, but I mostly use my 67 double pickup. Its better.

DS

I hope I didn't overstate or misrepresent things. A 64 serial number is not a bass on the street in 64.

 

[count_scrofula]

As an aside, an earlier post mentioned an M-65 from that era as "chambered"...those were full on archtopped hollowbodies.