What I did to a Flyer

[GuildGirl]

Bought a cheap Flyer years ago, didn't play it much until....I fixed it:
the bridge is a Kahler cam style: they set up nice and are easy to adjust. it can also be locked, so I locked it and then got rid of the "California" pickups
and replaced with EMG passive H4A in both neck and bridge, more midrange and low end response. EMG's simple no solder system is a breeze to work with.
The guitar had a dead Volume pot and ratty switch when I got it, so a total electric upgrade did it. a small dent in the lower bout of the body, on the end, otherwise it's a nice guitar.
I am not afraid to tinker on these old Guilds. what do you say?

 

[7GuildsandanSG]

Nice job! That area on the lower bout must be a ding magnet!

 

[GuildGirl]

must be...nice one you've got. Are those EMG's passive or active? and If you aren't a trem user, the Kahler is a nice fixed bridge. At.
least I like them.

 

[7GuildsandanSG]

Thanks!
Active.
I have a trem arm but I'm not big into using it and I'm not a tinkerer.
Great guitars! Plays great, sounds great, great value as they're not sought after Guilds. Enjoy!

 

[GGJaguar]

Looks nice and ready to rock!

 

[GAD]

Very nice! I love that headstock and think Guild should have just stuck with it.

 

[7GuildsandanSG]

Very nice! I love that headstock and think Guild should have just stuck with it.

Doesn't your Flyer have the same ding on the lower bout by the jack?

 

[GAD]

Doesn't your Flyer have the same ding on the lower bout by the jack?

My white flyer is more ding than guitar.

 

[tonepoet]

Hi GuildGirl,

I don't have a problem with tinkering with guitars, especially if they were not in original condition when I got them. If there weren't tinkerers like Les Paul or Leo Fender, there would have never been Stratocasters, Telecasters or Gibson Les Paul models. Innovation is a good thing. Having said that, I have seen some awful hack jobs done to nice old guitars, as well. I do have a problem with people who take a perfectly good old guitar and "part it out" for profit instead of selling it whole. I recently bought a "parted out" Guild Detonator body and neck and restored it to be a whole guitar again. So, maybe I became part of the problem by participating in the process !!!

The photo here shows my two S-280s, which I have not tinkered with. I actually like the "California Pickup Co." pickups a lot. Clean, they have a clear PAF quality to them and with a tube amp cranked up I find their distortion for rhythm guitar to be quite nice. So, I have left those pickups in each and even bought extras on eBay over the years (maybe yours).

Both of these have the stop bar style bridge. (I prefer non-whammy bridges) The one with the rosewood fingerboard was the standard model with no options. The other has the maple fingerboard option.

 

[matsickma]

In general I like rosewood fretboard but really like that S280 with the maple fret board! Nice!

 

[GuildGirl]

Those are some beauties, play them often.

 

[tonepoet]

In general I like rosewood fretboard but really like that S280 with the maple fret board! Nice!

Rosewood and, to a lesser extent, Ebony seemed to be the Guild standard. That S-280 is the only Guild electric I have with a maple fingerboard.