S-300A general questions

Horuss

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I am the proud new owner of an S-300A (not S-300, not S-300D, not S-300AD, but S-300A). Serial number is 207430. Pretty damn nice condition for under $600 on the 'bay.

Just wondering about S-300A's in general. What time period were they made? Are they any more "rare" than the other S-300 types? I definitely don't see them come up for sale very often compared to the other ones.

Any info (Hans or anyone else) is much appreciated. Thanks!
 

The Guilds of Grot

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Horuss, I don't have my info here with me at work but I can tell you that since yours has a pickguard that it's a early model.

I'll try to get back to you with some more info unless Hans beats me to it.
 

Dreamlander

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I can only tell you that your guitar is from 1979 and that the natural ash body looks great, but you probably already know these things. As far as rareness compared to other s-300's, it is hard to say. You have the one that I would want though. It would be nice to have the ash body variation to compare sound to all my mahogony bodied guitars.
 

danerectal

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I've been told that the ash variation is much more rare as its years of production were limited. As far as ash ones go, I think the DiMarzios were the rarest of them all. Hopefully someone who knows and hasn't just heard can tell you for sure.
 

The Guilds of Grot

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OK, here's what I think I know;

Due to the numerical serial number I can't tell how many guitars were made, or how many of each model. Hans may have more info on this.

As far as I can tell, it looks like they appeared in 1976.

Here's what I believe is the first appearance in a catalog;
S-300-003.jpg


Here's a close up of the specs;
S-300-004.jpg


It looks like the ash bodies began in 1977. (From a 09-01-77 price list)
Here's the catalog;
S-300AD-001.jpg


And the specs;
S-300AD-002.jpg


The S-300A is the centerfold so here's the other page with the S-300 & S-300D models;
S-300AD-003.jpg


And the specs;
S-300AD-004.jpg


And here's is my 1977 S-300AD;
1977cS-300AD.jpg


Now if your's is a '79 and it has a pickguard I guess I was wrong about that as the '77 catalog shows no pickguard.

But is is Guild and anything could, and did happen.

Hans, if I've got this all wrong, please correct me.

And lastly, I've always heard this body shape refered to as the "Taco Bell" guitar. It's supposed to look like the Taco Bell logo. More like the old logo rather then newer one that was changed after Coke bought them as shown here;
taco.gif
 

hansmoust

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The Guilds of Grot said:
Here's the catalog;
S-300AD-001.jpg


Now if your's is a '79 and it has a pickguard I guess I was wrong about that as the '77 catalog shows no pickguard.

But is is Guild and anything could, and did happen.

Hans, if I've got this all wrong, please correct me.

Hey Grot,

Well most of it is right but you got the catalog date wrong. The catalog page that you showed, with the non-pickguard S-300A, is a later one. I refer to that one as the 'published end 1979 / for the year 1980' catalog. That's when the change from pickguard to non-pickguard takes place.

Sincerely,

Hans Moust
http://www.guitarsgalore.nl
 

fronobulax

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The Guilds of Grot said:
More like the old logo rather then newer one that was changed after Coke bought them as shown here;

Umm, do you mean Pepsi? Yum! brands owns: A&W All American Food; KFC; Long John Silver's; Pizza Hut; and Taco Bell.

http://www.yum.com/faqs.asp said:
Yum! Brands has been the world's largest restaurant company since 1997 after KFC, Pizza Hut and Taco Bell spun-off from PepsiCo.
 
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