Urgent Questions about S-100

fuzzfarmer

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I may be looking at later model S-100 tomorow..

Any body have any tips as far as the later model S-100's go? Stay clear or are they all as good as any others? Any years to avoid and such?
 

matsickma

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Well for what my opnion is worth here goes...

I normally don't play a SGish S100. However a year or so ago I picked up a late model S100 with the SD pickups just to try it out. I wasn't especially impressed with the guitar. It was OK. The neck was a bit chunky, sound was ok but it wasn't for me so I eventually got rid of it.

I had read that some felt the re-issue didn't do justice to the 1970's version of the S-100. I was curious. I eventually picked up a S100 that was made early 1970s. It is similar to the 1970's models you normally see but was early in the series and didn't have the phase switch.

As soon as I got it out of the case I was pleasently suprised with what I found. The feel of the guitar was different from the re-issue. The neck was classic Guild in the 1970's-thin, quick and contoured the way I always remember Guild solid bodies to be. The pickups were the standard Guild wide humbuckers. They sounded outstanding on the guitar! It blew me away how great this guitar sounded and played. It's sound was pure rock.

I have played a lot of different Guilds and as a solid body goes the 1970's guitar was one of the better ones. The neck location on the body doesn't extend as far off the body as a SG which for my preference its better because I don't like having to extend my arm so far out at the lower notes. However the upper frets were all readily accessable.

So IMHO if you plan to own only one get the 1970's model. (You may want to stay away from the earliest model that had the smaller pickups and hagstrom bridge. That's a cool guitar for collecting but not the best hardware for playing.)

M
 
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