Vintage vs. Modern

Hi guys, first post here.

Been reading around and there seem to be several well read folks about guitars on here. I've played acoustic guitar for a few years now and wanted to make the leap into electrics. I wanted to get something that isn't too expensive (<$1k), but had good playability, sound, appearance, etc. Seems like some Guilds are a good solution.

Anyway, the question I have is something like this: If you have two guitars (Guild S-100) and one was made in the mid-70s (1974) and another was made in the late 90s (1998), and they were both all original with minimal wear and tear, no repairs, same options, which would you want, assuming you can get them for roughly the same price?

I've heard from other sources that the American guitar companies had a slight decrease in quality in the 70s, and was wondering if that was true. Also the 90s model might have been affected by the FMIC takeover. What would the differences be in build quality, hardware, materials, etc.

Which would you recommend to pursue?

(a quick response would be appreciated, as these matters are time sensitive :wink: )

I would play both of them and choose whatever played or sounded the best. If it was a tossup, I would choose the seventies version because it would fit better with my "collection". :roll: :lol:

Ah yes, I wish I had that luxury. I forgot to mention that they are both available on the internet, and I won't be able to play either before buying. I'm trusting the current owners to let me know the condition of the two guitars.

Yea, play em both, if you can. I would lean towards the 70s model, just because, based on looks and hardware, I believe my '94 to be built the exact same way, but I know things changed shortly thereafter and I would be hesitant of the '98 without playing it. Who knows, maybe I'd like the '98 better, I've just never played one, so...yea...back to what Default said, it would seem. Play em both! Really, you can go wrong with either...it's a Guild! :mrgreen:

As far as I know, there wasn't that Gibson-like drop off in quality in the Seventies or Nineties. It comes down to pickups and the Seventies version might be a touch brighter than the other.

Hands down, I'd favor the 70s one...


...unless I could get both. :mrgreen:

You'll dig 'em both, built pretty much the same, but they will definitely have different sounds. The '74 will have Guild pickups and the '98 will have Seymour Duncans (JBL and 59NL). There were some slight changes sometime after '94, e.g., the fret board edges got squared off at the joint versus the more vintage looking rounded corners, and they changed from the roller bridge to a Gotoh tune-o-matic. Both are mahogany, pearl inlays, chesterfield logo, brass angled tailpiece, phase switch (introduced in '72), all that. BUT -- if you want to stay under a grand, get the '98. You won't get a '70's era S-100 in good shape for less than roughly $1200. You should be able to snag the '98 for $800 or less. The '74 definitely won't go down in value, and I doubt the '90's era models will either since Guild doesn't make any electrics at the moment.

Of course I have to say I've never played a '70's S-100, but I do have a '72 S-90 which isn't all that different (danerectal will tell you more about those). I can tell you there is a difference in sound, mainly because of the pickups I would say. But I am satisfied with my '96 S-100, which is my main playing guitar.

In the end, I have ditched two guitars and am working on selling a third and then the only ones I own will be the two Guilds.

Good luck!

PS: If you're bidding on that red '98 on ebay it is now getting up into the final settling phase of the price (it just hit $700). It should go a bit higher.

I have a 1996 model that is pretty much identical. Here are a bunch of pics if you want to see more of what you're in for:

Pics of my '96
http://s178.photobucket.com/albums/w248/rockinwithdokken/Guild S-100 1996/

Pics of the process of installing new pickup covers
http://s178.photobucket.com/albums/w248/rockinwithdokken/Guild S-100 Pickup Cover Installation/

PPS: The person selling that one is right -- it's not a bright red (see the difference in some of my pics). It is a deeper cherry, almost blood red. And you can see the wood grain through it.

utlucas said:

Hi guys, first post here.

Also the 90s model might have been affected by the FMIC takeover.

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Welcome.

I think you'd get some argument if you claimed that Guild quality went down after the FMIC takeover. Leastwise I seem to recall a few folks who worked in the factory saying that, if anything, quality improved under FMIC.

Good luck.

Thanks everyone for the great feedback. If you have any more, feel free to keep it coming.

A few other questions. Forgive me if some of them are silly, I've never owned an electric before.

*Is the S-100 a good 'general purpose' guitar or does it have a distinct sound that makes it better/worse for certain types of playing.
*Are they built well? Durable? Good craftsmanship? Stay in tune?
*How does it compare to other 'popular' guitars? LPs, SGs, Strats, PRS, etc. (This being a Guild forum, I'd expect some bias, but try to be as neutral as possible.)

utlucas said:

Thanks everyone for the great feedback. If you have any more, feel free to keep it coming.

A few other questions. Forgive me if some of them are silly, I've never owned an electric before.

*Is the S-100 a good 'general purpose' guitar or does it have a distinct sound that makes it better/worse for certain types of playing.

Click to expand...

It has a very distinct sound, but is very very versatile.

utlucas said:

*Are they built well? Durable? Good craftsmanship? Stay in tune?

Click to expand...

Yes, hells yes and z0mg yes.

utlucas said:

*How does it compare to other 'popular' guitars? LPs, SGs, Strats, PRS, etc. (This being a Guild forum, I'd expect some bias, but try to be as neutral as possible.)

Click to expand...

If it gives you any idea, I have always been a Gibby advocate. I love my SG and my Firebird...but the S-100 almost made me want to sell them...almost.

I've always liked SG's and was looking at getting one, most likely a '61 reissue. Went with the Guild instead for like half the price.

As I said in another post, it's not headstock heavy like the SG's and the Guilds are built like a tank. From the research I did before I bought mine I found very few stories of decapitations with the S-100's, whereas it's a common occurrence with the Gibsons.

As for sound, they have a pretty broad range. Three-way pick up switch plus the phase switch. Although I don't typically use nearly the range it has. Mostly I play heavily distorted and often tuned-down (usually a whole step--think Kyuss/Fu Manchu). They're a favorite for the "stoner rock" sound but I also play a higher-end straight ahead rock sound and it's great for that (think somewhere between Rancid, Clutch, and AC/DC).

Today I experimented with the pickup and phase switches and played through the clean channel and got some very nice, clean, clear tones.

Also, my S-100 has GREAT sustain.

Maybe others with different playing styles and tastes can give you a better idea of the range, but it's definitely a rock machine.

You can search S-100 on youtube and watch some videos of them in action. The sound, of course, depends on how the videos were recorded.

Utlucas: I've asked the same question. Thanks to this group, I know a bit more now ... the modern one would be my choice, if it were from the first couple years in the '90s when Guild was still putting their own HB-1 pickups in there. That's a personal taste, my preferring not going to Duncans. It comes down to economics. The newer one costs less, and promises to be just as much guitar. An exception could be made for that acorn model, me being a sucker for such way cool things. In which case you'd see me panhandling towards my new vintage guitar.

Tonally, I can only reason sideways from my Dearmond S-73, the low budget version from that line of the S100. No phase switch, but in basic construction and format, much the same. This simple mahogany plank has what SGs promised but never delivered. At least not to me. It's a rich, balanced humbucker sound, quite versatile. The thicker body, better neck joint really help. Solid and resonant. I've had SGs that were neither. Anyway, this S-73 has me even more curious about the S100. One of these days ...

Welcome to LTG and good luck in your search.

This is a self-serving post because this is my e-Bay listing:

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?Vi ... 0309298599

But if you're looking for something cool, unique in a Guild solid body, this guitar is a blast to play.

Thanks everyone for the responses. I got gun shy on the Ebay one (the 90s model) so I got the '74. It arrived yesterday, and seems to be in full working order and in fairly good condition. I have uploaded some pictures (from the seller) to my picasa site here: http://picasaweb.google.com/utlucas/Gui ... directlink
I'll take some pictures of it myself tonight.

I do have a few questions, as this is my first electric guitar and I'm pretty new to this stuff.
-I'm going to replace the strings...any suggestions? I use Elixirs on my acoustics, and really like them. Is there an electric version of those that is worthwhile? Others?
-Is the restringing process any different than that of an acoustic guitar? Other than how they go into the bridge, I wouldn't imagine so...
-When I replace the strings, I want to do a thorough job cleaning it up. What are your recommendations for cleaning up and preserving the body, neck, fretboard, headstock, pickups, etc?
-The phase switch...does it only do anything in the 'middle' pickup position?
-The volume knob for the neck pickup sits about 1/4" off the body, where the rest are close to flush. I pushed down a little on it and it won't go any farther. They all seem to be stock knobs. Any reason for this one being odd? I'll get a close up picture of it
-Also looking for amp recommendations. Requirements: <$500, not too loud, doesn't sound 'boxy'. Top of the list right now are FBJ and VoxAc15. If anyone would like to comment on those or recommend others, please do.

Thanks!

utlucas said:

-I'm going to replace the strings...any suggestions? I use Elixirs on my acoustics, and really like them. Is there an electric version of those that is worthwhile? Others?
I like D'Addario EXL115s
-Is the restringing process any different than that of an acoustic guitar? Other than how they go into the bridge, I wouldn't imagine so...
It's pretty similar. I wouldn't worry about it.
-When I replace the strings, I want to do a thorough job cleaning it up. What are your recommendations for cleaning up and preserving the body, neck, fretboard, headstock, pickups, etc?
I've heard that Naptha (Zippo fluid) works well with Nitro finishes. There's a lot of debate about oil to use on the fretboard. Apparently mineral oil (which can be bought unscented) is pretty standard.
-The phase switch...does it only do anything in the 'middle' pickup position?
Yes
-The volume knob for the neck pickup sits about 1/4" off the body, where the rest are close to flush. I pushed down a little on it and it won't go any farther. They all seem to be stock knobs. Any reason for this one being odd? I'll get a close up picture of it
When you take the picture, do one of the cavity from behind. It could be that the pot was replaced with a long-shaft.
-Also looking for amp recommendations. Requirements: <$500, not too loud, doesn't sound 'boxy'. Top of the list right now are FBJ and VoxAc15. If anyone would like to comment on those or recommend others, please do.
I just got a promo from Musician's Friend that advertises a Crate Palomino V3212 for $299. It's all tube with EL34s and two Celestion 12s. May be worth checking out.
Thanks!

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PS. That is one beautiful S-100. I'm rather jealous. (On a related note, let me know if the whole electric thing doesn't work out for you... :mrgreen: )

You mean you can get electric guitars :shock:

Welcome to the madhouse utlucas 'Fraid I can't add anything on the electric front - only ever play acoustic 'though my Guild has a hole in the bottom pin you can shove a bit of wire in :mrgreen:

utlucas said:

Thanks everyone for the responses. I got gun shy on the Ebay one (the 90s model) so I got the '74.

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Was the '74 on ebay? I don't remember seeing that one. Which will probably surprise people here who have read my posts because it's obvious I'm on the hunt...

Well anyway, good going! Welcome to Guild-dom!

I can tell you I have a '70's-era S-90 with two Guild humbuckers and they sound great! But I also like the Seymour Duncans in my '96. I think either way you would have been happy.

That '74 of yours looks to be the same trans cherry red as my '96, which looks great. The design, sound, and finish of these guitars are sweet. I think you made a very good choice.

Enjoy!

It wasn't on ebay. I found it on a non-local craigslist site by searching nationwide. Took the risk on an unprotected internet transaction, and it worked out. I'll post some better pictures of it in a few minutes...

I'm a tube snob(one of "them" :lol: ) so I'd try a Champ xd. Has 6v6's and a crapload of effects.If you aren't interested in effects and just want a low wattage practice amp, look for a vibrochamp or a Silvertone. You'd want one with 6v6's.

There are a lot of decent transistor amps, just play through a few of them and don't be rushed into buying the first one the salesman puts in front of you.

Well, I went a little out of my original budget, but I think I got a pretty good deal on a new-condition Egnater Rebel 20 with a 2x10 Lopoline closed back cab loaded with Jensen Mod 1070 speakers. Should be here in about a week. I've read nothing but good things about that head. Has some really cool features (mixing tube types and wattage control). Not sure about the cab or speakers, but I'm sure they will be fine.

Anyone have one of these? How are these speakers and the cab?