Help! I'm new here - I need some B401-A info - please?

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I have owned a B301A-F for some time and it's a relatively simple but a great sounding bass. I recently picked up a B401-A - same body style, no pickguard and a control access panel in the rear and with active circuitry.

I would sure like some info on this bass. Especially, concerning the controls and switch. It certainly seems that these models were very limited and I can find nothing, no guild ads, no reviews, no pricing, etc...........

How many were produced??

Anybody willing to share some info????

Thanks, Joe
 

jp

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Hey poco joe!

Welcome to the forum! Guild expert and author Hans Moust is pretty active on this site and may be able to help you. Also, our esteemed curator - The Guilds of Grot may be able to help you. Although he doesn't have any 401s in his vast collection, he's got a 301 and two 402s.

Check out his website here http://www.guildsofgrot.com.
 

hansmoust

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pocono-joe said:
I have owned a B301A-F for some time and it's a relatively simple but a great sounding bass. I recently picked up a B401-A - same body style, no pickguard and a control access panel in the rear and with active circuitry.

I would sure like some info on this bass. Especially, concerning the controls and switch. It certainly seems that these models were very limited and I can find nothing, no guild ads, no reviews, no pricing, etc...........

How many were produced??

Anybody willing to share some info????

Thanks, Joe

Hey Joe,

Welcome! Since you have the guitar I don't have to tell you what it is. You have the Ash-bodied version of the B-401. There was also a B-402 (A) with 2 pickups.

Only available for a couple of years during the early '80. Retail at the time was $ 710.00 and a little over 300 were produced. That number includes the double-pickup models as well.

What's the serial number of yours? Maybe a photo for the other readers/viewers?

Sincerely,

Hans Moust
http://www.guitarsgalore.nl
 
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The serial number is BD100276 and thanks for the info, I will try to post a pic - soon..............
 
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Pocono-Joe, I'm a newbie, but I may be able to help some. Guild made only 335 total B401/B402's, they were made in 1980, and 1981. The serial numbers on the B401/B402 are as follows..

all had a prefix of "BD"

1980 serial #'s stopped at 100212

1981 serial #'s stopped at 100335

Since your serial number is BD100276 that would make yours a 1981.The pickup was designed by Hagstrom, and the small switch bypasses the active electronics to cancel humm.

Here's a pic of mine, it's also for sale in the FS/FT area

245428037_o.jpg


Hope this helps,
Mark
 
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