Quite possible Eric. I wonder if all the GSR M85IIs have these same pickups.
Ralf, I'm reviewing the text messages I had with Kim. The serial number of his is NQ 346002, and mine is NQ308004.
He told me that all but one or two that shipped came back with headstock breaks, and remembers having six to repair and re-lacquer, but didn't remember how many they got done before Fender shuttered the plant. He said at that point there were four or five others that were completed but unshipped. And he remembers 12 in total being built...
...That does raise the possibility that maybe there was something done to these pups here, before they were installed in the bass? Who knows? Maybe Kim does, but it was eight years ago now.
we have accounted for 12 so that part adds up for sure.
Mine was *not one that got sent back for repair, as mine was never completed in the first place. I got mine from a factory employee a few months after Guild was completely moved out and shuttered. I was told mine was never completed in the first place, due to a very minor blemish/scuff on the top of my bass, and so was set aside while the factory was still operating (minor like would be on any guitar on the show room floor of a store), and about 6 weeks after the factory stopped operations, on literally the last day anyone was working there under Guild, my bass remained along with a couple other guitars on a rack- and my bass at the time had no nut, no strings, no case, no case candy, no strap, and no paperwork. This employee wound up with the bass as partial compensation/bonus for those last days at the factory under unique circumstances (IF FENDER NEVER SELLS GUILD AT THAT TIME, I NEVER OWN A GSR M-85 BASS). So this employee finished my bass in his house, when they got around to it, and sold it to me, un-cased...
employee also had a B-54ce with no case or paperwork or anything- that bass was also missing a label and had no serial number- and was an amazing piece! i just couldn't buy 2...even at their rock bottom prices. my bass was one of the very, very last to leave NH Guild factory. among the final 5-10 instruments out the door, during the summer of 2014.
anyway, again, we have accounted for 12, so this info seems solid from Kim. However, mine did come with a shop tag that says "24" and is certainly feasible if 25 were made, that mine would be second-to-last. maybe 24 were planned to be made (not 25), and the "24" simply refers to the entire run (or what it was supposed to be)? but the 24 seems to be associated with my serial number?