Los Angeles
Senior Member
At long last - the only 70's White S-100 in the LTG community.
This guitar has been haunting me for about 6 years.
It's been on display in the window of a local guitar shop that I honestly believe is some kind of front for something a bit more shady. I've seen the owner of this guitar shop actually chase down and punch people after they had left his store. He only takes cash. I've never seen a customer leave his store with a guitar in hand. I've seen parts miraculously disappear from vintage instruments on his wall while the price remained unchanged. like how PAFs suddenly transform into junk 80's humbuckers. Or how not a single of the Guild guitars in his shop (and he has a few) has the original pickups and a few of them have scratched out serial numbers. I'm telling you, SHADY.
But the white S-100 has been sitting there. Right there. For SIX YEARS.
three years ago, my girlfriend and I decided to take the "next step" and move in together. As part of that process, I looked for a separate rental space to use as my art/music studio. As fate would have it, the best and most affordable space I could find was right next door to the shady guitar store. Meaning I would have to walk by the white S-100 every day that I went to my studio to work. Torture.
Then this year happened. As I turned my attention this year to collecting a few "only in my dreams" Guilds, inevitably my gaze returned to that white S-100 in the shop window. I searched high and low for a white one from anywhere - at any price - so that I wouldn't have to give my money to "Guitar Store Guy".
Eventually, I had to give up.
Eventually, desire eclipsed reason and I went and paid $1100 for a guitar that was only half original, had no case, was suffering from scars, marks, poorly drilled holes, botched wiring, and all manner of other horrors.
Notice the extra switch. The drilled bezels. The crooked bridge pickup made of Legos, Cheetos and Hubba Bubba chewing gum.
The guitar had what I can only describe as cigarette burns under the headstock from where the rubber of a guitar stand stained the neck. The original strap buttons were long ago ripped and pried from their homes, replaced with junk, redrilled seemingly at random locations. original gaping holes left to rot.
But after five (or more) inspections, I knew there was hope here. Beside the pickups and the strap buttons, the parts were all there. The neck was true. The frets were just a light dress and polish from being just fine. And after asking questions here on the forum, I came to realize that this was indeed a genuine White S-100 from my favorite year. 1977.
Here is a photo from that day. I intentionally left most of the horrors hidden, but you'll get the idea.
The timing was incredible. Fixit had recently acquired the now famous Carved Sunburst S-100 and the makeover was absolutely incredible. After seeing that, I knew that there was nowhere else that I should send my guitar for surgery. Dr. Fixit's hospital was about to receive a new patient.
So from here on out, I'll let Tom's photos do the talking. I need to note a few things as we go, so please forgive my interjections. Mostly, I just want everyone to realize just how much work he put into this.
Here she is with her irish triplet sisters: All presumably born in 1977:
Where did the gouge on the back of the neck go? Where are the cigarette burns? The botched strap button replacement?
Where did that extra switch go? Heck, where did the HOLE from that extra switch go?!?!?
Meanwhile, notice how unbelievably cool the patina is - and how fixit matched the patina perfectly. See how the clear pickguard provided some kind of UV protection? How the original white color from 35 years ago can be seen under the pickguard? Ladies and gentlemen, THAT is what we call "REAL mojo!"
I sent Tom an original S-100 strap button that was badly tarnished. Did he put it on willy-nilly? Nope, he actually refinished the button I sent him! Unbelievable! And by the way, where's the extra hole that used to be here? And how did it disappear while still maintaining the original finish, including the bit of chipping mojo on the edge? The man performs miracles.
I sent him a pair of HB1s with plenty of finish flaws. I got back mirrors:
I love this shot.
All the wiring redone. But it's the little details that matter. Grey shielded wiring just like they used in the 70s. and look at the copper cavity shielding. where's the extra switch hole on this side?!? It's gone!
Also, I did buy this guitar with a moment of doubt about the originality of the white finish. That all disappeared when I saw the label in the cavity.
MODEL S-100 WHITE
SERIAL NUMBER 150649
Finally, here she is with her family:
This guitar has been haunting me for about 6 years.
It's been on display in the window of a local guitar shop that I honestly believe is some kind of front for something a bit more shady. I've seen the owner of this guitar shop actually chase down and punch people after they had left his store. He only takes cash. I've never seen a customer leave his store with a guitar in hand. I've seen parts miraculously disappear from vintage instruments on his wall while the price remained unchanged. like how PAFs suddenly transform into junk 80's humbuckers. Or how not a single of the Guild guitars in his shop (and he has a few) has the original pickups and a few of them have scratched out serial numbers. I'm telling you, SHADY.
But the white S-100 has been sitting there. Right there. For SIX YEARS.
three years ago, my girlfriend and I decided to take the "next step" and move in together. As part of that process, I looked for a separate rental space to use as my art/music studio. As fate would have it, the best and most affordable space I could find was right next door to the shady guitar store. Meaning I would have to walk by the white S-100 every day that I went to my studio to work. Torture.
Then this year happened. As I turned my attention this year to collecting a few "only in my dreams" Guilds, inevitably my gaze returned to that white S-100 in the shop window. I searched high and low for a white one from anywhere - at any price - so that I wouldn't have to give my money to "Guitar Store Guy".
Eventually, I had to give up.
Eventually, desire eclipsed reason and I went and paid $1100 for a guitar that was only half original, had no case, was suffering from scars, marks, poorly drilled holes, botched wiring, and all manner of other horrors.
Notice the extra switch. The drilled bezels. The crooked bridge pickup made of Legos, Cheetos and Hubba Bubba chewing gum.
The guitar had what I can only describe as cigarette burns under the headstock from where the rubber of a guitar stand stained the neck. The original strap buttons were long ago ripped and pried from their homes, replaced with junk, redrilled seemingly at random locations. original gaping holes left to rot.
But after five (or more) inspections, I knew there was hope here. Beside the pickups and the strap buttons, the parts were all there. The neck was true. The frets were just a light dress and polish from being just fine. And after asking questions here on the forum, I came to realize that this was indeed a genuine White S-100 from my favorite year. 1977.
Here is a photo from that day. I intentionally left most of the horrors hidden, but you'll get the idea.
The timing was incredible. Fixit had recently acquired the now famous Carved Sunburst S-100 and the makeover was absolutely incredible. After seeing that, I knew that there was nowhere else that I should send my guitar for surgery. Dr. Fixit's hospital was about to receive a new patient.
So from here on out, I'll let Tom's photos do the talking. I need to note a few things as we go, so please forgive my interjections. Mostly, I just want everyone to realize just how much work he put into this.
Here she is with her irish triplet sisters: All presumably born in 1977:
Where did the gouge on the back of the neck go? Where are the cigarette burns? The botched strap button replacement?
Where did that extra switch go? Heck, where did the HOLE from that extra switch go?!?!?
Meanwhile, notice how unbelievably cool the patina is - and how fixit matched the patina perfectly. See how the clear pickguard provided some kind of UV protection? How the original white color from 35 years ago can be seen under the pickguard? Ladies and gentlemen, THAT is what we call "REAL mojo!"
I sent Tom an original S-100 strap button that was badly tarnished. Did he put it on willy-nilly? Nope, he actually refinished the button I sent him! Unbelievable! And by the way, where's the extra hole that used to be here? And how did it disappear while still maintaining the original finish, including the bit of chipping mojo on the edge? The man performs miracles.
I sent him a pair of HB1s with plenty of finish flaws. I got back mirrors:
I love this shot.
All the wiring redone. But it's the little details that matter. Grey shielded wiring just like they used in the 70s. and look at the copper cavity shielding. where's the extra switch hole on this side?!? It's gone!
Also, I did buy this guitar with a moment of doubt about the originality of the white finish. That all disappeared when I saw the label in the cavity.
MODEL S-100 WHITE
SERIAL NUMBER 150649
Finally, here she is with her family:
