Pilot Bass SB-604, fretless flame maple

[kjazz1958]

I've owned this bass for 20+ years and never changed a thing. It is my most beautiful bass out of over a dozen. Pretty rare with a fretless maple unlined neck, that was ordered with the HipShot "Drop D". Active EMG's. I've had ancient tapewounds on it that I cannot bear to remove, lol!

 

[cupric]

Wow!!!!!

 

[The Guilds of Grot]

I have it's sort of fretted cousin:

 

[fronobulax]

Nice.

 

[HeyMikey]

Now dat is some good wood right there!

 

[twocorgis]

I have it's sort of fretted cousin:

As do I with its fretless, but rosewood boarded twin.

 

[kjazz1958]

I have it's sort of fretted cousin:

Yes you do! Maple on maple... but different headstock, maybe later 80's? I'm also curious about the EMG's, as there is no EQ, no switch, nothing to really engage active electronics on these... so not sure what the battery does to the circuit.

 

[Westerly Wood]

Outstanding Guild bass!
Welcome to the LTG!

so those are the strings that were on it when you bought it?
I remember Tom re-telling a story on here of a famous bass session musician who was asked what kind of strings he buys for this bass. He looks at his friend and says: "Hey, what strings were on this when I bought it?"

he bought like 30 years before....lol

 

[kjazz1958]

Well, that is somewhat true-- the strings on my upright are probably 15 years old, for example.... and bases I generally do not play. I also have a '65 PBASS with ancient strings on it, also flats, and with flats, does it matter?? On my fretless 60's Jazz Bass that I play every day and gig on, I change my strings frequently because I need the high end and harmonics and "piano" bass.

 

[kjazz1958]

As do I with its fretless, but rosewood boarded twin.

Nice couple, great marriage.

 

[The Guilds of Grot]

Yes you do! Maple on maple... but different headstock, maybe later 80's? I'm also curious about the EMG's, as there is no EQ, no switch, nothing to really engage active electronics on these... so not sure what the battery does to the circuit.

With the "Foot" headstock it's a mid-80's SB-602. Sandy's have the "Cake Knife" headstock which was the later 80's.

That bass has the Bartolini pick-ups in it. They are very warm.

The battery for any active pick-up is for the pre-amp. The pick-ups are 'on" all the time and barely work without the battery. Plugging in the cord switches the circuit on.

 

[The Guilds of Grot]

As do I with its fretless, but rosewood boarded twin.

Ah, you want to play that game, eh?

How's this one?

 

[kjazz1958]

With the "Foot" headstock it's a mid-80's SB-602. Sandy's have the "Cake Knife" headstock which was the later 80's.

That bass has the Bartolini pick-ups in it. They are very warm.

The battery for any active pick-up is for the pre-amp. The pick-ups are 'on" all the time and barely work without the battery. Plugging in the cord switches the circuit on.

Thanks for the info... I know less about Guilds than Fender and Gibson... I did love my Westerly Guild 12-string, though. Highly under-valued and under-appreciated, many of these USA-made Guilds. Say, do you know when they started or stopped putting "PILOT" on the headstock?

 

[fronobulax]

Feel free to read the PDF linked to in https://letstalkguild.com/ltg/index.php?threads/new-member-needs-a-bit-of-info.204674/#post-1909454 while waiting for an answer.

 

[The Guilds of Grot]

Say, do you know when they started or stopped putting "PILOT" on the headstock?

Well early on with the "Peaked" logo they didn't have the "Pilot" on there. Somewhere after they switched to the "Script"
logo it was added, and then stayed all the way through the "Pro Pilots".













I would say that the SB-604 headstock never had the "Pilot" on it as there wasn't enough room. Both the "Foot" and Cake Knife" have it.

 

[hansmoust]

I would say that the SB-604 headstock never had the "Pilot" on it as there wasn't enough room. Both the "Foot" and Cake Knife" have it.

Sincerely,

Hans Moust
www.guitarsgalore.nl

 

[The Guilds of Grot]

Ah crap! I got Hans'd!

(Should have known better, never say never with Guild!)

 

[ClaytonS15]

Wow! That's beautiful maple. The first fretless bass I ever played was a solid blue Pilot, but it had a rosewood fingerboard. Very cool!

 

[lungimsam]

Guild P/J bass in maple. I bet they sound very bright and clear with a nice round bottom end!!