Another Guild reissue

[gweimer]

There is info on the Phil Lesh custom Guild hollowbody M-85 with f-holes halfway down the page: http://www.ricksuchow.com/press-group-167.html

True, but that was a custom instrument.  In regular production, Guild didn't put F-holes in any of the M-85 models.

[Dave W]

There is info on the Phil Lesh custom Guild hollowbody M-85 with f-holes halfway down the page: http://www.ricksuchow.com/press-group-167.html

What a story! Dan (mgod), Rick Turner, Phil Lesh and even Glen Quan.

[drbassman]

Cool historical stuff.

[drbassman]

Got it yesterday.  Detailed review to follow.

[godofthunder]

  Bill, Glad you snagged it! I was pretty impressed with it. I'd buy one but I am trying to stick to my USA or vintage rule.

[drbassman]

  Bill, Glad you snagged it! I was pretty impressed with it. I'd buy one but I am trying to stick to my USA or vintage rule.

I hear ya.  It will probably end up being my only foreign bass except for my Thunder Jet.  So far, I really like it.  More to come tomorrow.

[Happy Face]

Looking forward to a full report.

FYI - The folks over on Let's Talk Guild say the pickup on the M-85 and Starfire reissues talked about here are in the "sweet spot".

Plus a photo from last night playing a hollowbody M-85 II.

[Dave W]

Got it yesterday.  Detailed review to follow.

Is this the fat bodied M-85?

[Happy Face]

The hollow one. Guild was famous for its inconsistencies, so I'm not sure if there were more than one versions. There could be. That one is from 1970.

The depth makes it feel awkward at first, especially if you have horrible technique and rest your forearm on the top of the bass like I often do. In fact, I credit that bass with getting me to better position my right arm no matter which bass I play. A silver lining!

Anyway, back to the topic, I'm looking forward to hearing more from the Doctor about the new version. The price point is not bad when you consider the price of a Bisonic copy alone.

[drbassman]

Nice bass Happy Face!  I'm envious.

Well, here's the review.  First the good:
1.  Excellent finish, for poly!  Really is beautiful and flawless, and thick!  I couldn't find any mistakes anywhere.
2.  The frets are perfect.  Good quality Grover tuners.
3.  Guild gets the reissue idea IMHO.  Everything is the same or close to the original:  body shape; headstock inlay; the neck profile is right on and not for ham-handed bassists; bridge is as it should be and beautiful; yellowed binding for a nice vintage look; the Bi-sonic pickup is a dead ringer for the original (can't testify to the sound vs. the original)
4.  The electronics:  the volume control has a small range, although I always play full on anyway.  Once you turn it to 5 or so, it doesn't get much louder at full-on 9.  Tone about the same.  The pup sounds really nice through my B-15, I need to adjust the screws a bit as the e-string is a tad louder than the rest (more on this later).  Will give it a go through the Mesa full bore on Wednesday night.  I didn't initially like the pup placement, but it sounds pretty darn good to my ears.  I may have been wrong about it.  I was initially going by cosmetics and my experience with a vintage Guild Starfire I once had with the same placement.  It had a weak nasal tone and I sold it.  This doesn't seem to have the same issue.  Not sure which variables were coming into play, but this bass sounds much better to my ears.
5.  A case!  Big deal you say?  Well, it may drive the price point up a bit, but a nice case is really a nice touch.  Thanks Guild.

Impressions:  The bass is a nice exercise in simplicity.  There's little clutter.  A single pup and no switches is a departure from the M-85 II model.  The neck is a beauty if you like them narrow and thinner than most.  For me, it's perfect.  I love the profile and feel of it.  It's just a bit neck heavy with those big Grovers, but nothing worse than some old Gibsons we know and love.

An interesting illusion occurs with the bass design.  Because they mount the neck heel at the 18th. fret, the neck almost looks like a long scale, which it is not.  The bass looks bigger, longer, than it really is because of this.  I don't find the thicker body a problem.  It's comfy for me. 

I also suspect some of the bass' strong sound/output is due to the lack of f-holes.  When I played the reissue Starfire recently, I didn't find the same pup in the same placement as strong or bassy.  If I had, I probably would have bought that one, too.  I am beginning to suspect that f-holes, while often cosmetically appealing and lending basses a different tonality, might actually bleed off some of the omph of the pup and some lower bass frequencies.  A closed hollow body does have some pleasing tonality to my ears.

The bad:
1.  Made in Korea!  Really, I'd love it if it were made in USA, but Guild's US prices are in the stratosphere.  The MSRP on this is $1699 and online sellers are already pushing it down to $1100 - 1200.  Too much for a MIK?  Maybe, but a MIJ Gretsch is easily 50 - 80% higher and not any better quality IMO.  So, it's a matter of taste and reality.
2.  Did I mention quality?  Oh yeah, I did.  Well, there is one flaw on this bass that I didn't notice in the shop.  The bridge is not installed squarely.  The harp bridge only uses 2 screws.  On mine, the left screw is just a mm or two lower than the right.  This tilts the bridge slightly and makes the e- and a-strings ride just a little crooked in the saddles.  How did I notice it?  The e-string popped out of the saddle when I plucked it with some force.  I slid it back in, payed some more and pop!  The a-string doesn't pop out with force.  So, I grabbed a nut file and deepened the slot just a bit, and all is fixed.  The e-string is now louder since it's a mm or so closer to the pup, so I'll have to adjust the other pup screws for balance.
3.  I couldn't find anything else wrong with it (except for MIK  ).

More Impressions:  The bridge is not an issue now, but you guys know me!  I am torn between just leaving it alone as it works fine now, fixing it (ala filling and re-drilling the bridge screw hole) or just getting another one without the same flaw.  I might call the shop today and see if they have another in stock or coming in.  That would be an easy fix!

Bottom line:  I love the bass overall and will keep it (or one like it).  The only thing that would make me sell it is if it sucks through my Mesa rig.  Practice will be a fun test.

Aside:  I am going to pop the pup and look inside.  I want to see the construction of the pup from underneath and I want to see the channel they use to run the knobs and jack from the pup.  I've decided to try this same design on my own basses.  It means fishing the stuff through the channels (which I've gotten better at doing), but it eliminates the need for a back control cavity or cover.  I love the clean look and feel of the no-control cavity design.

[drbassman]

A couple more observations:  the top is spruce lam and the sides/back maple lam.  The Guild web site says the top is spruce in one section and maple in another.  Oops.  The top is carved and nicely done.  Wish I had the patience to do this.  Maybe some day!

Oh yeah, I almost forgot the thumbs rests!  A uniquely odd Guild holdover from the past.  I've never cared for the double thumb rests on Guilds, but I have to say, the placement of the upper one on this bass is perfect for my style.  I almost never use a pick and I usually pluck right where the rests are placed on this bass.  So, a win-win for me.  I'm sure not everyone would want one or both.  Maybe just including them in the case for those folks who don't want the bass with them already installed. Just a thought.

[Pilgrim]

Lovely bass, Bill.  It does have a look of simplicity - very clean.

[drbassman]

Lovely bass, Bill.  It does have a look of simplicity - very clean.

I agree Al.  It has a lot of charm and positives.  Now if they could just get the bridge on straight........

[Happy Face]

Thanks for the in-depth review. I'm pleased to hear that the pickup placement seems to make sense. Maybe there is a "sweet spot." 

That bridge placement error has to be damn annoying. The reviews of the MIK Starfires on LTG suggest that there is inconsistent quality from that factory. Things like uncentered skunk stripes and unaligned tuners. But only on the occasional bass. 

Speaking of the bridge: does the E string intonate properly? Specifically, can you slide the saddle up enough so the string is short enough? I've had to extend the slots on both of my Guilds.

Looking forward to reading how it sounds through the Mesa!! 

[Pilgrim]

I had to re-read your post and look at the largest bridge photo to see that the strings are just slightly different on each half of the bridge. Due to the design of that bridge, I'm confident that no one will ever be able to see that it's 2MM out of level.  If it intonates properly you might just want to decide that it doesn't matter.

But for any bass in the $1000 range, I think you're entitled to have it right.