Guild B4CE-AMB

[rone2him]

I have a rather unique Acoustic Guild Bass, Model 'B4CE-AMB', as it's an all Mahogany Cutaway (all I've seen are Spruce tops), with a beautiful arched back, and the 'Made for Guild' Fishman electronics... I believe circa 1993, as it has a 'LD000xxx' SN designation (only the 1993 B4E's have those SNs, per the charts I've seen, showing those B4E as having SN up to LD0002710, but this one's has an even higher SN-LD000394, imprinted in the headstock, which makes me very curious about it :?

I've heard that these Guild's were some of the last made at the old Guild Luthers shop, in Westerly, RI, I've been told, just before the FMIC take-over (1994 & later B4Es having the 'AB04xxxx' SN designations)...

I was also told there are a few people here that might be able enlighten me more on this bass, as I'm eager to know anything about it's origins; it is very lovely, and I get so many comments on it's beauty, many people ask about it :?:

 

[fronobulax]

Welcome. I've seen one or two of those before so they are not unheard of but I'm going to hope that Hans Moust drops by and tells what he knows, including serial numbers.

One point - when Fender bought Guild in 1995 Fender continued to use the same people and production facilities to make guitars until circa 2001 when they moved production to the West coast, so whatever you were told about being among the "last made at the old Guild Luthers shop" is misinformation.

 

[rone2him]

Welcome. I've seen one or two of those before so they are not unheard of but I'm going to hope that Hans Moust drops by and tells what he knows, including serial numbers.

I hope so as well ...very curious; I know 'Guild Serial' sites might also have discrepancies, official or not :roll: or is there a mystery to it :lol:

One point - when Fender bought Guild in 1995 Fender continued to use the same people and production facilities to make guitars until circa 2001 when they moved production to the West coast, so whatever you were told about being among the "last made at the old Guild Luthers shop" is misinformation

Thanks for those facts 'frono', it is sometime hard to get the strait story on the WWW

Thanks for the Welcome... 8) really cool site!

 

[fronobulax]

On serials - The internet sites pretty much just reproduce the same incomplete data. I use the PDF hosted at Guild's site although there are mistakes. Hans Moust published a more accurate version in The Guild Guitar Book which is pretty much the best information anyone is going to get, except that the book stops circa 1977. Hans is working on "Volume II" and generally is willing and able to share what he knows about post-1977 serial numbers.

Is that really a lefty? And major kudos for figuring out how to get pictures in your first post.

 

[SFIV1967]

Is that really a lefty?

It isn't as you can see on the headstock veneer :wink:
And welcome to LTG rone2him ! LD000394 would make it a 1994 guitar according to the sometimes incorrect list (which Hans usually corrects for us). The sometimes during 1994 change in the serial number system had nothing to do with Fender at all. (The Westerly factory closed their doors forever on December 28, 2001 at 1:00pm.)
Ralf

 

[fronobulax]

Is that really a lefty?

It isn't as you can see on the headstock veneer :wink:

Actually when the picture is bigger than my browser window and I don't see a scroll bar (which was there but I missed) I can't see the headstock. :? 8)

 

[twocorgis]

Welcome to LTG rone2him!

There appears to be another of these in GC's used inventory right now for a very friendly price, and this one and yours are the only two I've seen.

I used to own a fretless spruce top version of these but never really bonded with it, so it went back to Germany with fellow member Krysh after LMG2. He has since sold it too, so I guess it wasn't just me. YMMV of course.

 

[jte]

Glad you found us here! I'm John from TB who suggested coming here.

BTW, your TalkBass post mentioned the "...last made at the old Guild Luthers shop, in Westerly, RI," bit, but I was on my phone and couldn't type an accurate (that is, long) response.

As mentioned earlier, FMIC bought Guild in late 1995, but didn't close Westerly until 2001. To the best of my knowledge, Guild didn't ever have an "old lutiers shop" other than the general factory. That factory was a converted furniture making plant, and never was ideally suited to controlled acoustic guitar production. FMIC did start a Guild Custom shop for a short while in Nashville, TN but of course that was AFTER 1995.

They eventually closed Westerly in 2001 and moved production, first to Corona, CA (the Fender factory), then to Tacoma Washington after they bought the Tacoma guitar company, and then to New Hartford CN, in the Ovation/Hamer facility.


Welcome to LTG!

John

 

[rone2him]

Is that really a lefty?

It isn't as you can see on the headstock veneer :wink:
And welcome to LTG rone2him ! LD000394 would make it a 1994 guitar according to the sometimes incorrect list (which Hans usually corrects for us). The sometimes during 1994 change in the serial number system had nothing to do with Fender at all. (The Westerly factory closed their doors forever on December 28, 2001 at 1:00pm.)
Ralf

Thanks Ralf, that makes good sence to me, which would mean some of the 94s had the LDxxxxxx designations, and not just the ABxxxxxx serials; so early 94 is a good bet :wink:

Ralf's right, the dumby in the pic is holding the bass upside down, I was gonna take it again, but getting the pics to show up was a little tricky, and didn't want to bother

Welcome to LTG rone2him!
There appears to be another of these in GC's used inventory right now for a very friendly price, and this one and yours are the only two I've seen.

I used to own a fretless spruce top version of these but never really bonded with it, so it went back to Germany with fellow member Krysh after LMG2. He has since sold it too, so I guess it wasn't just me. YMMV of course.

I have been playing, of late, through a 'Marshall 3505 Micro Bass Mini Full Stack', using Thomastik AB344, and it sounds pretty sweet to me. Love the short scale on this bass; sinks up well with my short fingers, and rusty playing; just getting back into playing the bass again, so we bond well together :mrgreen:

And Wow! A twin sister bass :lol: neat to see another... most comment its unusualness... thanks "twocorgis"... by the way, what were they asking (if you remember), not that I'd ever sell it (just curious-yellow) :roll:

Thanks Again to all, for making me feel welcome... this is a cool site 8) and I got the info I wanted

 

[fronobulax]

I'd say $400-$800 is a range for B4's with cases. If you posted a WTB at $400 folks would suggest you watch all the usual places looking for bargains. If you posted a WTB for $800 you'd have a few folks knocking down your door offering to sell. As unusual as it is I don't see the spruce version commanding any kind of premium.

I stuck exclusively to short scale basses for many years. I have small hands and my college roommate's Fender precision actually hurt to play compared to my Guild JS. Recently some folks convinced me to play a (long scale) Guild Pilot. I loved it and playing didn't hurt. Turns out that, for my hands, it was the neck profile that made long scale a problem and the Pilot is definitely what you would call a thin neck.

 

[twocorgis]

There appears to be another of these in GC's used inventory right now for a very friendly price, and this one and yours are the only two I've seen.

And Wow! A twin sister bass :lol: neat to see another... most comment its unusualness... thanks "twocorgis"... by the way, what were they asking (if you remember), not that I'd ever sell it (just curious-yellow) :roll:

The one at GC is listed at $489 with the OHSC, which is probably a good deal. It's got some battle scars and looks to need a good setup, but there's plenty of saddle left if you needed to take some off. That's much less than I spent for mine!

 

[rone2him]

I stuck exclusively to short scale basses for many years. I have small hands and my college roommate's Fender precision actually hurt to play compared to my Guild JS. Recently some folks convinced me to play a (long scale) Guild Pilot. I loved it and playing didn't hurt. Turns out that, for my hands, it was the neck profile that made long scale a problem and the Pilot is definitely what you would call a thin neck.

Yes, my Fender Jazz Power TBX Bass Special has a sweet neck profile as well, and it dose make all the difference :wink:

I'd say $400-$800 is a range for B4's with cases

The one at GC is listed at $489 with the OHSC, which is probably a good deal.

Yeah, this bass does comes with a nice OHSC, I have just a gig-bag for the Fender...

thanks guys :mrgreen: