What exactly do I have...?

[Tmilk]

Hi Everyone,
I'm trying to determine exactly what I have. I actually bought this guitar off of Reverb a few years ago on impulse and it pretty much sat in storage (climate controlled luckily) for a few years until now. When I bought it, it was listed as a "mid to late 80s S-260". However, after a little research and serial number looking on here https://guildguitars.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/history_of_your_guild.pdf
I have determined that it is a 1984 either S-280 or S-281. How do I know if it is a 280 or 281?

 

[BradHK]

Welcome! Somebody who knows more than me about the 1980’s Guild electric models will come along with the answer. However, based upon the Guild price list from GAD’s site I would guess a S-281P1 based upon the description and your photos. Now I’ll just wait to be corrected!

 

[GAD]

That looks right to me.

S281 has the pointy headstock. The S280's headstock looks like a foot.

 

[hansmoust]

I have determined that it is a 1984 either S-280 or S-281. How do I know if it is a 280 or 281?

Hello Tmilk,

Welcome! What you have is an S-281 from 1985 and the complete model designation would have been S-281-A1.

Sincerely,

Hans Moust
www.guitarsgalore.nl

 

[GGJaguar]

Guild solidbody models are a ball of confusion for me. Glad we have experts here to weigh in.

 

[The Guilds of Grot]

Hello Tmilk,

Welcome! What you have is an S-281 from 1985 and the complete model designation would have been S-281-A1.

Sincerely,

Hans Moust
www.guitarsgalore.nl

OK, I see on the Price List posted by BradHK, the guitar with one pick-up is designated as a "P1". I would assume the "P" stands for the Pacific Pick-up and there is just one of them. So Hans says the suffix for this guitar is "A1". So does that indicate the "A" is for an EMG pick-up?

 

[walrus]

That is a very cool guitar! Stunning simplicity! What does that weigh?

 

[chazmo]

OK, I see on the Price List posted by BradHK, the guitar with one pick-up is designated as a "P1". I would assume the "P" stands for the Pacific Pick-up and there is just one of them. So Hans says the suffix for this guitar is "A1". So does that indicate the Pick-up, and which Pick-up would that be?

That's gotta' be it, Grot. Must be for the EMG pickup (rather than the Pacific). The EMG looks pretty badass right there, don't you think?

 

[GAD]

Yes - if you look at the entire page in the price guide A1 means single EMG.

 

[The Guilds of Grot]

 

[mavuser]

seems to me

A=Active

P=Passive (not pacific)

that's a nice one u got there, cheers

 

[The Guilds of Grot]

seems to me

A=Active

P=Passive (not pacific)

that's a nice one u got there, cheers

Ooh, I like that reasoning!