NBD: Guild X-702

[ajkula66]

Yes, she's a silly duckling...

Does anyone else around here own one ?

[4stringer77]

I had a B-301 with the same type of pickup. The single coil is different from what you get in a Fender; hard to describe but it's a unique voice. Not a very good bridge design, much like a Gibson 3 point. The neck was on the chunky side and the bass was all mahogany. Not sure what the woods are in the x series. They can sound good. I think Bob Daisley used a fretless B-302 for a little while.

[ajkula66]

The wood is mahagony, and the voice is definitely unique. Closer to Ric than Jazz Bass to my ears.

Now finding a case for this thing is going to be a treat and then some...

[Chris P.]

Wow cool! Never seen that before! It's like they have tried to draw a B301 for a cartoon series:) I like it.

[amptech]

What a wild looking axe! They stuck P-90's on it?

[ajkula66]

What a wild looking axe! They stuck P-90's on it?

Yes, one could say that the pickup design was definitely "P-90 inspired"... ....at least on the outside...

[gearHed289]

I've always admired those basses (from afar). Basically a B-301/302 with a different body and headstock shape. The B-302 I played at CME did have a chunkier neck than expected. I thought it might be more like a long scale version of the neck on my old JS II, but no. I once read that the pickups are DiMarzio Jazz pups in a different housing. Can't confirm that though. Anyway, nice bass! Good luck with the case search.

[ilan]

That is rad. And beautiful. Congrats.

[ajkula66]

A big thanks to everyone for their kind words...

She's definitely a very different animal from my Gibbys, starting with the neck profile and ending with sonic properties.

I utterly dislike the bridge and might have to do something about it, will report back once I'm done exploring my options, likely sometime this coming weekend.

The word on the street is that only 234 of the X-series basses were produced in 1983/84, I am trying to verify that piece of information but so far all the serial numbers lists I've come across indeed end with 234. This is # 81.

I still want a Starfire bass, though, to keep company to its '66 6-string sister. And a JS II fretless. And...

[Pilgrim]

Big fan of Guild, and I think that one is a wacky winner! 

[ilan]

Big fan of Guild

Me too. One day I'll get a B301 in wine red.

[Dave W]

I really liked the tone of the B301 and B302s I've played but the balance was awful. Your X-702 looks like it might balance well. It could hardly be worse.

Years ago I wrote Ali McMordie about the B-302 he used early on in Stiff Little Fingers. He said it looked cool but it had "a raised bridge with massive bolts that tore my fecken hand to pieces!"

[Thornton Davis]

I was on my way to the store to buy this when I got a phone call from my boss at the time telling me thanks for all of my hard work over the past 16 years, but your job had been eliminated.

Needless to say, I turned around and went home and had to tell my wife and kids that I couldn't consciously buy this bass knowing that I now longer had a job.



Oh well. These are still super cool Guild's.

TD

[ajkula66]

Big fan of Guild, and I think that one is a wacky winner! 

Agreed, since I've never owned a Guild bass before...and this one just made me pull the trigger.

Me too. One day I'll get a B301 in wine red.

If you get a wine red one, I'll have to get a walnut one so both of us can have a colour match for our respective EB-OL pieces...

I really liked the tone of the B301 and B302s I've played but the balance was awful. Your X-702 looks like it might balance well. It could hardly be worse.

You were correct. It balances really well, but it's quite heavy. Not that it makes a difference. If I ever play live again, I'll have to sit anyway regardless of the weight of the instrument.

I was on my way to the store to buy this when I got a phone call from my boss at the time telling me thanks for all of my hard work over the past 16 years, but your job had been eliminated.

Needless to say, I turned around and went home and had to tell my wife and kids that I couldn't consciously buy this bass knowing that I now longer had a job.


Oh well. These are still super cool Guild's.

TD

What a story! Hope your run into another one at a bargain price somewhere now that those days are behind you.