Non-Bisonic bass pickups used by Guild prior to 1971

fronobulax

Bassist, GAD and the Hot Mess Mods
Joined
May 3, 2007
Messages
24,708
Reaction score
8,836
Location
Central Virginia, USA
Guild Total
5
Inspired by http://www.letstalkguild.com/ltg/showthread.php?200755-1971-Guild-JSBassII, http://www.letstalkguild.com/ltg/showthread.php?200762-That-uncommon-single-coil and personal correspondence with mavuser who often has pictures to correct my memory.

I am starting this to collect information about bass pickups that are not the Bisonic but were used on Guild basses prior to 1971. I pick that as a cut off because the Guild humbucker appeared in 70/71 and all of the weird pickup combos that we find that we believe came from the factory that way, seem to be 1970 basses.

The picture below (posted in the JS II thread) shows more than we need but will get the ball rolling.

Fe1cizM.jpg


In the upper left we have one of the pickups under discussion. I am unsure whether there are two different pickups or two example of the same pickup and one is opened for inspection. Let's say it is the same PU and call it Type A for now. More below.

Moving to the right we have a chrome covered PU. I believe it was made by Hagstrom and I think it is a single coil although it won't surprise me to be wrong on both points. I have no recollection of seeing it on Guilds before 1970 although it may have been used on Hagstrom basses earlier. If we have a name for it then I should learn it.

Moving to the right corner we have a pair of Guild humbuckers which are off topic.

Below is the successor to the humbucker, also off topic.

(Off topic means not part of the questions I am trying to answer/information I am trying to gather but "Don't Fear the Veer" if there is anything to say).

Moving to the left is another pickup, in situ in a JetStar. Call this Type B for now and see below.

Moving to the left is the Bisonic, also off topic. The pic looks clean enough that it might be the Newark Street reissue.
 

fronobulax

Bassist, GAD and the Hot Mess Mods
Joined
May 3, 2007
Messages
24,708
Reaction score
8,836
Location
Central Virginia, USA
Guild Total
5
In an earlier thread I called the one below a "Mickey Mouse" PU and asserted that it was not made by Hagstrom.

Guild-Jetstar-Bass-Complete-005-300x224.jpg


I think it is a Tybe B and the pole pieces are how you visually tell the difference.

9E44A85A-3848-4F6F-B957-3C942EF0F456_zpsgahz8rzr.jpg

Above is what I think is another Type A. Check the pole pieces.

I don't think there are too many consistent statements that can be made about what was used and when. I know I spent time not realizing that Type A and Mickey Mouse were different. But we can try. Do we know who made the Type A. Is there a better name? Who made them? Etc.

Any experience with sound?
 

mavuser

Enlightened Member
Joined
Sep 15, 2010
Messages
8,128
Reaction score
2,636
Location
New York
Type A is the Hagstrom single coil "pre-sonic." it sounds just like a Bisonic.
Type B is the Guild single coil Mickey Mouse from Jetstar bass. it sounds pretty solid from the little
ive heard. punchy and warm enough.

the "chrome covered Hagstrom" is the Hagstrom mini humbucker, found on some 1970 Guild basses in the bridge position. is also found on many Hagstrom basses. its sounds more trebel-ier and humbickerish than a bisonic
 

Minnesota Flats

Senior Member
Joined
Oct 3, 2015
Messages
1,283
Reaction score
1,164
The pups designated "mini-humbcker" above (or something cosmetically similar) also showed up during the 1970s in Guild's short-lived, short-scale, budget-line, "Madeira"-badged, MB-100 basses. The bodies of these instruments looked quite similar (though not identical) to the Guild Jet Stars (the "devil-horn", not the "Gumby" ones). Neck was bolt-on.




Madeira solid-body electric guitars and acoustic guitars were also produced, but no semi-hollow electric guitars or basses so far as I know. Somebody more knowledgeable can chime in if I'm mistaken about that.
 
Top