Guild B-302 ( Mod, Modder, Moddingest! )

[Bass VI]

Hello All,
Latest addition to the roster. Sometimes maligned, but odd shapes are a bit of my thing.......

I got inspired to get one of these a couple of weeks ago when I saw this



It's black, always a plus, and a Model One! The crazy shape.........



So, didn't bid on that one, but started looking....found this one on Craigslist....



Brown sunburst  and non-original J-bass pickups (didn't notice it in the pics) repaired headstock (solid and could actually be concealed in the 'burst) decent original hardcase for about half what they've been going for on the 'bay 

Cleaned up, restrung, minor electrical repairs (cleaned the pots, new jack....man West Coast stuff oxidizes!)









Headstock repair....not so bad....



So, how does it sound and play? In a word......Great! Soundwise, with both pickups full on, alot like my Orville 'Bird with the SD Custom Shop pickups, either pickup soloed, much more Fender-ish, albeit with a nice Mahog blur. The neck pickup alone is particularly "nasaly" sounding, won't be using it that way much. As for playing, the neck is alot chunkier than my 'Bird, but very comfortable. Balance is about the same as a Thunderbird, bit of neck dive, could probably benefit from a strap button relocation, but I'll try a different strap first. Gotta love the Uber three point bridge, although the giant knurled post will eventually grind the side of my picking hand raw, could really use a bridge cover....hmmmmmm.......nope!!! nothing big enough in my parts drawer to cover it!

Anyway, anyone else here have one of these? Not sure if I want to do anything about the pickups, but if anybody has/knows of any originals PM me. I'm still mulling about the Model One, maybe some kind of MudBird thing. And I really may have to do something about the brownburst, I know it's original and mahogany is pretty and all, but it's just a finish that I can't get excited about, factoring in the headstock repair, the non-original pickups and cracked pickguard, I don't know if a refin would devalue it that much (for what I gave for it, it doesn't have much value anyway)

All in all a pretty decent, vintage, USA made bass that sounds and plays quite well. Love to hear any insights or comments.

Cheers,

Scott (BassVI)

[Dave W]

Hope you're happy with it. I'm not a fan. See my posts here. And watch those bridge bolts. 

I always thought they looked interesting and sounded okay. Still, IMHO, Guild never quite got it with their basses (including the Starfire).

[godofthunder]

Btw that is a Model One pick up not a model G.

[Bass VI]

Btw that is a Model One pick up not a model G.

Yer right! Realized that after I posted it, I'll edit as not to confuse anyone (I did manage to get it right later in the post ). BTW GOT do you know the spacing between the pole pieces on the Model One? Dimarzio says the Will Power has wider (than the Model One) spacing to accomodate a neck position, but they don't post the numbers for either pickup.
Cheers,

Scott (BassVI)

[Bass VI]

Hope you're happy with it. I'm not a fan. See my posts here. And watch those bridge bolts. 

I always thought they looked interesting and sounded okay. Still, IMHO, Guild never quite got it with their basses (including the Starfire).

I agree Dave, it's not quite there either, the bridge posts are one of those things that you have to ask, did anyone play this thing before they let it out! I doubt it would give a finger-style player much problem, but if you use a pick as I do............Ouch! Still, I like the looks and with the J pickups in it, it really does sound good. The other, albeit weird, Gibsonesque touches, mahogany, control layout, set-neck,etc. are all appealing to me, so I may do some mods and see where it goes. Maybe it will become a player or it may join my two Ovation Magnums (the mutant versions) as "Art".

[SKATE RAT]

What's with the bridge posts? I don't see anything wrong.i have always loved the look of these,though i've never actually played one. They do look great.
I know a band where the guitar player has 2 of the guitar version. he gets a great sound.but i think it must be harder to design a bass pup than a guitar pup.

[Bass VI]

Skate,
The posts work fine, but they have a real heavy knurling on the edges. When resting your hand on the bridge ( I play with a pick ) the rough edge does a number on the side of the hand. As to function, it's a very nice German ( Schaller maybe? ) fully adjustable three point.

They should have put a cover on it.....




As to the pickups, no idea what the originals sound like, but these appear to be some sort of jazz pickup. Whatever they are, they sound great. Big pole pieces, SD Quarter Pounders? Here are a few pics, maybe someone can identify them.









Cheers

[SKATE RAT]

oh.that wouldn't bother me i play with a pick but never near the bridge.i can't reach it.

[Bass VI]

oh.that wouldn't bother me i play with a pick but never near the bridge.i can't reach it.

  Arms like a monkey, mine are to my knees (almost) the bridge is my handrest 

[shadowcastaz]

I have one Im restoring. I could not find the orig. pups so Im putting in  a jazz set with soap bar covers to replicate the orig look. I  removed the burst from the body. I left the neck. Forget the nay-sayers, i played a guys 6 mos ago and  I was impressed.

[Nocturnal]

Maybe you could make some pickup covers out of wood and just keep using the jazz pickups since you like how they sound. Seems like there was a wave of people doing that at TB years ago. I wouldn't think that routing out some wood blocks would be that hard, but then I've never tried it.

[Bass VI]

I have one Im restoring. I could not find the orig. pups so Im putting in  a jazz set with soap bar covers to replicate the orig look. I  removed the burst from the body. I left the neck. Forget the nay-sayers, i played a guys 6 mos ago and  I was impressed.

Shadow

 I found one original pickup and installed it in the bridge position (which isn't that close to the bridge as you probably know) it dosn't have quite the output of the jazz that was in it, but it sounds much better by itself.

 What jazz set are you using and what soapbar covers? I had much the same thought, but the pole-pieces don't line up at all on mine (see pics posted earlier).
 
 Funny that your refining the body and leaving the neck, I have plans to do the same thing. I am not a fan of brown sunbursts, but the back of the neck on mine is beautiful. The back of the neck has only a few dings that I think I can touch up and then I'll do the shiny black routine on the body and headstock. IIRC you (Shadow..) said the grain on yours was pretty nice, are you planning a natural finish or a transparent stain?

 Went back and read your post  http://bassoutpost.com/index.php?topic=1127.0

 Mine is also one piece of mahog, but the grain is much plainer on mine. Did you ever find out about a pickguard? It looks like Chandler only offers the 301 without sending in a tracing. The guard on mine is cracked but all there, if you need a tracing I could make one for you.

 Keep me posted on your progress. Here are a couple of pics with the original pickup installed....





 I'm still toying with the idea of installing a Dimarzio Model One in the neck, but it would require a pretty sizeable route.

 Not mine here, this was an Ebay sale that got me interested in a 302...



 I'll update as I go along and maybe tie in to your thread on the Projects forum. Good luck with yours,  I'd like to see what you work out on the pickup covers.

 Nokturnal

 Not a bad idea with the wooden covers, but it might have a bit too "organic" look on a bass with a pretty non-traditional shape. Although, the new Vox guitars have a sort of marbled-pearl cover that looks really cool.

 Cheers All!

Scott (BassVI)

[shadowcastaz]

I got the covers from guitar jones,http://www.guitarjonesusa.com/catalog/store.php?crn=243, i got a set of each . The pups are SD's ,not sure on model but Ill look. The PG  got from, http://pickguards.us/priceguild.html. I had him leave off the pup routes. That way I can snug fit the  modified covers. Here is the  front photo with some  stripping gooo..
Im going to do the body natural w/ out the black burst and leave(try to )neck alone  except for repairs. the only way I would do black is  a rubbed finish  so the grain showed through. Some one here did a beautiful job on an EB, hand rubbed . very cool and no hassle w/ nitro.

[Bass VI]

Shadow,

 I think I would probably do the same thing, but I did find one original pickup ( now in the bridge position ) so I may end up converting mine into a 301, or trying something different in the neck. The guitarjone covers will certainly look right although the are a little wider than the originals, since your doing your own cutouts, I'll bet it will look great when its together.

 Speaking of pickup covers, the guy I got my original pickup from had two covers, but he wouldn't sell them. He apparently does restoration work and thought he might use the in the future, I tried to talk him out of them but he was pretty firm and I felt lucky that he had a pickup that would part with.

 A see-through black would be a great finish IMHO, I did a finish like that on an old Ibanez bass ( oil over black dye ) the grain showed nicely with a semi-gloss sheen. I'm redoing the headsock on mine right now, the repair is quite solid, but it isn't that pretty. I'm going to finish the whole thing in black laquer but leave the neck natural. The burst at the headstock will cover the repair and the back of the neck is the prettiest wood on mine, so I'll let it show though there.

 What material are you using for your pickguard? I'm assuming B/W/B/W/B, when it arrives post a pic, I'd like to see it. The material on mine isn't like standard p/g material, it's much harder, kind of like the stuff they use for engraved name plates, of course it's really brittle too, which explains the cracking around the jack .

 Keep posting with your progress and I'll take a few pics when I get the headstock redone on mine.

 Cheers,

Scott (BassVI)   

[godofthunder]

Scott, I don't know the difference in the string spacing or the two Dimarzio pups, sorry. I have only seen those basses in natural ash , heavy as hell ! yours is mahogany, I for one like the brown sunburst, I'd leave it but that's just me. nice score !