S300 Reissue

GAD

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Guild asked on Facebook today if anyone would be interested in an S300 or B301 reissue.
 

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Yeah, my gut reaction is that they'll muck it up. Still, it's not a terribly complicated concept.

The problem is the immense quality on those guitars that just won't be replicated by Korea. My biggest beef will be that they won't use or replicate the Mueller bridge, and I bet they'll put cheap tuners and a rosewood board on it. You know, "inspired by" the S300.

It's also probably one of my favorite guitars of all time so I'll be tough to please.
 

mountainpix

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I agree with Gary that it is tremendously unlikely that they would put an ebony board on a "Newark Street" Korean version, which to me is a critical component of the S300, as are the Müller bridge, Gotoh tuners (sealed Grovers would do, I suppose), and HB-1 pickups. For a while I had an S300-D (a really cool white one), and found the Dimarzio SD to lack the clarity and nuance of the more articulate Guild pickups on my S300A.

I think the S300 only works as a really well-made guitar, built without cutting corners. It's too bad that Cordoba doesn't seem to think they can successfully build premium Guild electrics in the USA, because a well-made and properly "to spec" S300 would blow away virtually all of the Gibson flat-top solid-bodies hanging on the walls at the big box chain guitar dealers.

All that said, it would be interesting to see how "the kids today" would respond to the S300 body shape if they were to reissue it.

Yeah, my gut reaction is that they'll muck it up. Still, it's not a terribly complicated concept.

The problem is the immense quality on those guitars that just won't be replicated by Korea. My biggest beef will be that they won't use or replicate the Mueller bridge, and I bet they'll put cheap tuners and a rosewood board on it. You know, "inspired by" the S300.

It's also probably one of my favorite guitars of all time so I'll be tough to please.
 
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S100

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I love mine, but I could see where it’s not for everyone. Not sure it would sell very well missing the key components you mentioned.
 

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Just my opinion, but I think it will likely be an S-300 in silhouette only. And for me personally, the funky body shape was it's least appealing feature. Replicating these fantastic guitars without the pickups, electronics, neck dimensions, materials, etc but keeping the body shape would be a big mistake. BUT - having said all that, doing a limited run of primo-electrics in Oxnard would put it on the acquire list for me.
 

Los Angeles

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The guitar market is so confusing to me. Guild during its prime was interested in continued innovation. Lately, it seems to me they are not willing to take on any of the other makers with R&D.

I think they need to hire a few consultants and dig into what prototypes never made it to production, what collectors consider "holy grail" instruments, and what configurations could fill a "fantasy guitar" niche market. I think they could genuinely compete with brands like EB/Music Man if they start making "signature" guitars for the right pros out there.

Specifically, I wonder why they never tapped into the desert rock scene and made heavy rock signature models. The reintroduction of the phase switch alone would have placed those guitars in their own category.
 
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DThomasC

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It does seem like all they're doing is reissuing old models.

The thing about the giant Asian guitar factories is that they'll happily make any guitar you want at any price point (quality level) you want. There's relatively little investment required from Oxnard to bring out a new model. By "relatively little", I mean compared to tooling up to make a new model in their own factory. Once you have a relationship with the big factory, you just tell them what you have in mind and they build a few prototypes. If the prototypes meet your requirements, then you write a purchase order for a production run. Easy as that. There's a risk that you'll end up with a pile of unsold instruments, but you manage the risk by choosing the right size initial run, etc.

Anyway, the point is that from a business point of view, it's an entirely different process from developing tooling and fixtures, then scheduling the production in your own factory. The big factories make money by being able to setup to build a new model quickly and cheaply, and then scheduling whatever size run you want in their factories. I guess what I'm describing is nothing more than contract manufacturing.

The product coming out of Oxnard seems to be as good as what was made in Westerly, etc. It's too bad Guild isn't interested in making electrics there. But, if the inexpensive electrics being made in Asia are keeping the company afloat financially, then I guess it's a good thing in the end.
 

SFIV1967

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It's too bad Guild isn't interested in making electrics there.
That's not correct. They have stated from the very beginning (official interviews of the CEO) until just last weekend (on Facebook and Instagram) that they are interested to produce US made electric guitars in Oxnard but that they first concentrate to get the factory up and running by introducing slowly model after model. We have discussed such statements many times in the past here. I guess the next model we will see at NAMM 2020 is probably a 16" lower bout acoustic model since this size is not yet available from Oxnard. So once they have most typical acoustic models again available I am sure they start Archtops or solid body models again in Oxnard. Maybe in a GSR model type to manage the volume initially.
Ralf
 

SFIV1967

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Thank you, Ralf!
Just to back it up from the official side:

August 24, 2018,

https://guildguitars.com/akustik-gitarre-interviews-guild-president-jon-thomas/

"AG: Do you think Guild will bring out new designs again?
JT: We would like to introduce our own designs, and we would also like to bring the production of some of the electric guitars to Oxnard.
But first of all we have to tackle our backorders…For this year, our plan is to catch up with those and build the instruments that guitarists have been waiting for.
After that we can take care of new models; we have lots of cool ideas!
"

Ralf
 

DrumBob

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Well, an S-300 reissue wouldn't interest me at all. I have bad memories of trying to sell that body shape to potential endorsers and MI dealers in '80, and how many "NO" answers I got. I thought it was butt ugly then and think it's butt uglier now. Just a stupid shape. Let it be dead and forgotten. If some of you like it, that's fine. I could never own one of those monstrosities.
 

SFIV1967

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We had seen some beautiful wood/sunburst versions of the S-300 which looked spectacular (good). Some plain color versions not so.
Ralf
 

GAD

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DrumBob's distain for the S300 shape is well known.

My love for them, more-so.

Guild-S300AD-Burst-TopFull-NE.jpg
 

merlin6666

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I think they were mainly made of Mahogany or Ash, but back in the day I read that they were also made of Walnut and Cherry woods. I assume that report was mistaken and just refers to stains of the Mahogany guitars. It would be very cool if they brought out an actual natural walnut version, as I think it's one of the best electric shapes ever.
 

SFIV1967

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DrumBob's distain for the S300 shape is well known.
But he talks from his personal experience marketing/selling them for Guild back in the day, so from his point of view the model was a failure. Can't blame him for his thoughts.
Ralf
 

GAD

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But he talks from his personal experience marketing/selling them for Guild back in the day, so from his point of view the model was a failure. Can't blame him for his thoughts.
Ralf

Understood, and if I went through what he did I'd likely feel the same.

I freaking loved mine and everyone commented on it all through the '80s when I played it live.
 

The Guilds of Grot

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Since nobody has chimed in on the B-301 reissue. No, just no!

My first real bass was a B-302. The neck-dive was so bad it was almost un-playable! My solution was to fasten a dog clip to the bottom end of my strap and clip it to a belt loop on my pants. this keep the bass from rotating on my shoulder and the neck from heading to the floor. I would find it hard to believe this would be a marketable product. (Especially the B-301 with just the one pick-up!)

Once I got my first Pilot there was no going back!
 

adorshki

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Understood, and if I went through what he did I'd likely feel the same.

I freaking loved mine and everyone commented on it all through the '80s when I played it live.

Yeah and actually Drumbob said even he thought it was ugly, and no slam intended on him but that feeling itself may have also colored how his potential customers responded to the pitch.
I rarely sold a car I didn't believe in to somebody who didn't already believe in it themselves.
Your note that it got good reactions might indicate that the Guild designers had good instincts about the market even if the established music retailing business didn't agree.
I got a suspicion it just might be attractive to today's market the same way the offset T-bird body is, I'd use sales of that for the litmus test of current market tastes.
For me if the ergonomics work I like it, but Grot's input's got me nervous.
I don't care how beautiful a car is, if it's got lousy ergonomics and/or engineering it flunks, I'll never voluntarily own it, same for guitars.
 

DThomasC

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Yeah and actually Drumbob said even he thought it was ugly, and no slam intended on him but that feeling itself may have also colored how his potential customers responded to the pitch.

My thought exactly. "Look at this butt ugly guitar. Do you want to buy some? I wouldn't, but if you want to that would be cool. No judgement."
 
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