Pilot PRO5 bass info

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I am interested in buying a Guild Pilot 5 bass- AL050046 and wanted to get some more information. There is a ton of material out there on the early Pilot series but not the Pro5. I wanted to know if these are as good as the original series? What are the electronics like? How is the quality? Was this built before or after the fender buyout. What are possible problems to look for? What is a fair price? How does the sound and feel compare with the other pilots. Should the 18-volt mod be done on this bass. Any and all info, history and advice will be deeply appreciated.

D
 

krysh

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welcome to ltg, spacer.
bassically the pro 5 is the same as the old pilot 605m bass only with some cosmetical cuttings on the body.
I own a 605m that came without emg's but also got a maple body. the neck profile should be the same,
kurt "guilds of grot" would be able to compare, he got both types.
while the old pilot got 2 vol and one tone knob, the pro5 got the emg-btc (might be modified, but I don't know) with 1 vol, 1 balance and bass + treble pots. 18V will give more headroom, but is not neccesary.
the pilots are great modified jazz basses (that's probably why fender didn't continue them) and the pro5 is the last pilot before fender as far as I know. you should be able to get one between 500 and 600 max. US$.
if it is a blond or amber one and you don't like it....send it to me :mrgreen: :mrgreen: :mrgreen:
 

The Guilds of Grot

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Interesting timing. I just received an e-mail today through "The Guilds Of Grot" from somebody also looking for information on a Pro5.

Krysh pretty much covered most of the differences except I believe the Pro's have treble and bass EQ's built into them so I think it's a different circuit then a standard pilot. I don't know anything about a 18V conversion so I can't help you there.

Since there's a little more material shaved from the body and headstock you would think the Pro swould be a little lighter then a standard Pilot but since they're solid flame maple it doesn't make much difference. (No I don't have any actual weights)

Here's some pictures of mine just for kicks & giggles;
Four String
1994aPro4.jpg


Five String
1994bPro5.jpg


And a standard five string Pilot for reference;
1987cSB-605M.JPG


I think the people that e-mailed me are looking to sell theirs. I know you have an eye on one spacer, but I could hook you with them for some comparision shopping! :mrgreen:
 
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Thanks for the responses!

Grot, since you have both a Pro5 and standard, how would you describe the difference in tone and playability? Since the Pro series was the last before the buyout, were they the best and most desirable?

Thanks

Darren
 

jte

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OK, I didn't have a Pro 5, but I did have a Pro 4 (long story below*). It had a different headstock shape as shown in the photos already here, gold hardware, and a Mighty Mite pre-amp with a volume control for each PUP (still the EMGs) along with a bass and a treble boost/cut control. The real difference is that the Pro had a maple body instead of the poplar of the standard series.

I didn't much care for the pre so I yanked it out of mine and replaced the controls so I had a master volume, a master treble cut (passive), and a blend pot. The fourth hole was just a dummy pot to hold the knob on.

*I ordered a Pilot from the store I used to manage. About six weeks later the sales rep asked how I liked it, and the owner said it hadn't shown up yet. Turns out it had shipped right away but UPS drove a truck over it at the first stop after it left Westerly. They just convenienlty "forgot" to let Guild know. The problem was that they'd discontinued the series and the one UPS trashed was the last Pilot. So we had to wait for them to re-tool for the new version. And my bass went to NAMM where Ernie Ball/Music Man asked them to change the headstock as it was a 3/1 arrangement. So, then Guild went back to redesign the neck and re-tool. As a result of all the protracted delays, they sent me the Pro version instead of the regular version I'd ordered, and they didn't charge my dealer the upcharge.

I eventually sold my Pro to a former student of mine, and have recently been wondering if Jeff still has it...

jte
 
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