1971 S-100 arrived today! Post updated :)

[Tweedledee]

Look further down for a new post with updated info and photos.


I saw a 1970s S-100 on eBay and couldn't resist, so I pulled the trigger! It needs work since it was poorly refinished back in the 70s, but I think it should be an interesting and fun project. The seller is shipping it out tomorrow, and seems extremely nice. I'm excited/nervous to see how it looks in person. The price was right, though, so I'm not too worried.

It looks like the original finish was red. I'm kind of wondering if whoever repainted it just sprayed right over the old finish. It seems like it from the back of the headstock. It also seems like all the original contours are there and unmolested, which is another reason it seems like it might have just been resprayed right over the original finish. We'll see...

Does anyone know a source for the right neck binding material? I've never replaced binding on a Guild before. I might just have to measure, buy the closest thing from StewMac, and shave it down.

Other thoughts?

I'll definitely post photos when it arrives.

Here are the photos from the eBay listing:

 

[kakerlak]

Re: Ok, I took a bit of a chance on a 1970s S100 project

Yeah, back of the headstock looks like unmolested original finish to me. On the other hand, the finish on the body looks like it's showing a lot of open pores, which is exactly what you get when you put a few coats of spraypaint/finish over unsealed mahogany, since it's such an open-grained wood.

I'm wondering if somebody stripped the body or the front, or parts of it, then got lazy/ran out of stripper and went ahead and finished it...

Anyway, finish and the missing binding segment aside, looks pretty solid!

 

[Tweedledee]

Re: Ok, I took a bit of a chance on a 1970s S100 project

Yeah, back of the headstock looks like unmolested original finish to me. On the other hand, the finish on the body looks like it's showing a lot of open pores, which is exactly what you get when you put a few coats of spraypaint/finish over unsealed mahogany, since it's such an open-grained wood.

I'm wondering if somebody stripped the body or the front, or parts of it, then got lazy/ran out of stripper and went ahead and finished it...

Anyway, finish and the missing binding segment aside, looks pretty solid!

Great point on being able to see the pores. I hadn't thought of that, but that's definitely what it looks like when you shoot over unsealed mahogany, so I'm betting you're right.

 

[kakerlak]

Re: Ok, I took a bit of a chance on a 1970s S100 project

Great point on being able to see the pores. I hadn't thought of that, but that's definitely what it looks like when you shoot over unsealed mahogany, so I'm betting you're right.

Makes you wonder where it starts and stops, though. I mean, the headstock (for some reason) isn't even finished and the original red looks great.

Time'll tell, I guess. Cool that it's got the funky ol' Hagstrom vibrato with its arm still present.

 

[kakerlak]

Re: Ok, I took a bit of a chance on a 1970s S100 project

Actually reminds me a lot of the one I used to have, recently sold, and currently miss:

Mine was a '71 and had the "starfire" pickguard logo, Grover StaTites but plastic TRC and phase switch, just like yours has/used to have. I'd be interested to know S/N and whether or not there are side dots on the neck binding (factory never installed them in mine, for some odd reason) once you have it in hand.

 

[Tweedledee]

Re: Ok, I took a bit of a chance on a 1970s S100 project

Actually reminds me a lot of the one I used to have, recently sold, and currently miss:

Mine was a '71 and had the "starfire" pickguard logo, Grover StaTites but plastic TRC and phase switch, just like yours has/used to have. I'd be interested to know S/N and whether or not there are side dots on the neck binding (factory never installed them in mine, for some odd reason) once you have it in hand.

The serial number is 62251. I'll check on the side dots on the binding once it arrives.

 

[Tweedledee]

Re: Ok, I took a bit of a chance on a 1970s S100 project

Great point on being able to see the pores. I hadn't thought of that, but that's definitely what it looks like when you shoot over unsealed mahogany, so I'm betting you're right.

Makes you wonder where it starts and stops, though. I mean, the headstock (for some reason) isn't even finished and the original red looks great.

Time'll tell, I guess. Cool that it's got the funky ol' Hagstrom vibrato with its arm still present.

From the photos, I'm wondering if they stripped the body but not the neck. It's tough to tell, but it seems like the neck is much smoother and doesn't have the visible pores underneath the black paint.

Yep, time will tell! I should know by the middle of next week...

 

[Tweedledee]

Re: Ok, I took a bit of a chance on a 1970s S100 project

The S-100 arrived today! It's in essentially the shape I was expecting and it sounds fantastic! The pickups seem more aggressive than the 1973 Bluesbird I used to own. There's very little fret wear, the neck has no twists or bumps, and the action is decent. I need to fill in the high E nut slot slightly as it's a hair too low and causing the string to buzz when played open, but the action on that string is fine otherwise. That's an easy fix.

It turns out the original finish is under the paint on the neck, but not on the body, as it appeared from the auction photos. Right now the plan is to see if I can carefully remove the black paint on the neck without destroying the original finish underneath. I think I can can do it if I take my time. I've done something similar once with decent results. Then I'll be stripping the body and trying to match the red finish after some grain filling. If anything goes wrong, I'll just paint it black or white!

I'll also need to replace the binding on the high E side of the neck. Anyone ever done this on a Guild before and can tell me which size binding I should buy? Also, do you think I should just replace the two missing sections of binding and keep the original bits on there, or should I replace the binding on that whole side so it's one continuous piece? I'm thinking the latter.

I'm thinking of putting a set of 18:1 Grover Sta-tites on there. They should fit the original tuner mounting holes, right? They'll look better than the Rotomatics with those exposed mounting holes, I think, and they're still decent tuners.

Sorry for the less than spectacular photos. It's gloomy and raining here today so it was difficult to get any good ones. I had to take a few with the flash, but here they are:

 

[Tweedledee]

And here's an interesting little bit. The previous owner has had the guitar since the late 70s and inside the case was this letter from Guild:

Kind of a cool little bonus.

 

[Tweedledee]

Re: Ok, I took a bit of a chance on a 1970s S100 project

Actually reminds me a lot of the one I used to have, recently sold, and currently miss:

Mine was a '71 and had the "starfire" pickguard logo, Grover StaTites but plastic TRC and phase switch, just like yours has/used to have. I'd be interested to know S/N and whether or not there are side dots on the neck binding (factory never installed them in mine, for some odd reason) once you have it in hand.

Well, mine doesn't have position markers on the neck binding either. I guess it was pretty common.

 

[hideglue]

Re: Ok, I took a bit of a chance on a 1970s S100 project

I'll also need to replace the binding on the high E side of the neck. Anyone ever done this on a Guild before and can tell me which size binding I should buy? Also, do you think I should just replace the two missing sections of binding and keep the original bits on there, or should I replace the binding on that whole side so it's one continuous piece? I'm thinking the latter.

Scarfing new binding to old is a noble idea, but rarely worth the effort and cursing. Chances are you'll chase the problem all the way down the fingerboard anyway.
So, yeah, you're on the right track: replace the entire side (you'll end up with a joint somewhere -- end of fingerboard).
Guild binding is notoriously difficult to find. Sacrificing some from a lonely, unattached neck isn't unheard of.

I might just have to measure, buy the closest thing from StewMac, and shave it down....

+1

 

[Tweedledee]

Re: Ok, I took a bit of a chance on a 1970s S100 project

I'll also need to replace the binding on the high E side of the neck. Anyone ever done this on a Guild before and can tell me which size binding I should buy? Also, do you think I should just replace the two missing sections of binding and keep the original bits on there, or should I replace the binding on that whole side so it's one continuous piece? I'm thinking the latter.

Scarfing new binding to old is a noble idea, but rarely worth the effort and cursing. Chances are you'll chase the problem all the way down the fingerboard anyway.
So, yeah, you're on the right track: replace the entire side (you'll end up with a joint somewhere -- end of fingerboard).
Guild binding is notoriously difficult to find. Sacrificing some from a lonely, unattached neck isn't unheard of.

I might just have to measure, buy the closest thing from StewMac, and shave it down....

+1

Thanks for that response! I was hoping someone would say, "oh yeah, you just get ____ binding and it fits perfectly with minimal shaving," but I kind of knew that wasn't going to be the response.

 

[Thunderface]

Solid axe there Tweedledee. I love the Hagstrom tremolo, and the marks that it made in the case.

 

[Treem]

a big congratulations Tweedle!!! :mrgreen:

 

[Maxer]

Beauty guitar eh!

Same age as mine, except mine is the original black finish. Same hardware, too. Mine came to me minus the original vibrato bar; I'd picked it up in a pawnshop a decade after it was born and someone had replaced it with something that looked like a long slender aluminum bar. But the Hag bridge is the same.

Those look like Grover tuners, though - mine were the StaTites and I eventually replaced them, a few years down the road. Wish I had been smart enough to have kept them, as they were, after all, original to the guitar. But the old tuners were shot. Someone had played the guitar a lot before it came into my hands, and then it was my only electric for the next twenty-odd years, so...

Yours looks like it's in wicked shape over all. Great score; congratulations. These are just the sexiest guitars going.

 

[fronobulax]

Re: Ok, I took a bit of a chance on a 1970s S100 project

Twins separated at birth? You decide. 1971 JS II bass.

 

[Tweedledee]

Re: Ok, I took a bit of a chance on a 1970s S100 project

Twins separated at birth? You decide. 1971 JS II bass.

Yours is prettier, so I think mine would be the one that came out of the womb second and, consequently, was not loved quite as much.

 

[fronobulax]

Re: Ok, I took a bit of a chance on a 1970s S100 project

Twins separated at birth? You decide. 1971 JS II bass.

Yours is prettier, so I think mine would be the one that came out of the womb second and, consequently, was not loved quite as much.

Hmmm. Jacob and Essu?

I am the original owner and remember when I was afraid to even take the TRC off for fear of damaging something so I am sure mine has had a much more pampered life.

 

[bluesypicky]

Congrats Tweedle!
Acquiring a vintage S-100 is always a good move, and confirmed by a previous Public Service Announcement... :lol:

Now for this:

It turns out the original finish is under the paint on the neck, but not on the body, as it appeared from the auction photos. Right now the plan is to see if I can carefully remove the black paint on the neck without destroying the original finish underneath.

See this: viewtopic.php?f=11&t=24053

And about his:

I'll also need to replace the binding on the high E side of the neck. Anyone ever done this on a Guild before and can tell me which size binding I should buy?

Please share any result you may get or gather from your own research, as I also need to replace the binding (both sides of the neck) on my carved.... Thanks in advance!

 

[Tweedledee]

Thanks for the link to that thread, blusey! That is extremely helpful as it goes over exactly the types of things I'm going to have to do. Cheers x1000!

I'll let you know what I come up with on the binding. It's probably going to be a while before I get to that part of the project. I'm in Virginia until June but all of my tools and my workspace are in Chicago where I normally live, so I might not get much done until this summer.