Possible way to tell SD1s from HB1s?

I was just staring at pics of a nice 90s Starfire 4 on eBay when something struck me.

Every known HB1 guitar I've owned had wide, regular screws on the adjustments. They look like this:




Every SD1 equipped Guild I've owned has had smaller phillips-head adjustment screws that look like this:





This 1994 Starfire 4 has the latest HB1s I've ever seen, and look at the adjustment screws:





When I bought the Nightbird that I thought had HB1s in it, they had screws like this:




Now, those were Fender HB1s, but more importantly they were NOT vintage HB1s. I bought some HB1s from eBay that came with adjustment screws. Guess what they looked like?




Now, to be perfectly clear, this is NOT fool-proof. I replaced the HB1s in that Nightbird with NOS gold pickups from Hans, but they didn't come with rings or adjustment screws, so I used the gold ones you see in the last pic. I think I really need a set of gold Guild adjustment screws now!

What do you think? Anyone have a Guild with SD1s that have the bigger screws? I just looked at all the pics of all my Guilds over the years, and my theory works for the data I have.

I think it's another potential tool in the arsenal of rabid Guild shoppers.

Oh, and the large flat-head screws don't guarantee HB1s, but I think they reflect when HB1s were in use. Here's one of my S300s from around 1979. In this case it's obvious that they're not HB1s, though.

BTW the new Newark Street guitars with new HB1s look like they've adopted the vintage adjustment screws...

So, you're thinking slot head screws = HB-1s and Fender or SD-1s have Philips adjustment screws, is your theory ?

JohnW63 said:

So, you're thinking slot head screws = HB-1s and Fender or SD-1s have Philips adjustment screws, is your theory ?

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Specifically the larger diameter flat-head screws vs. the smaller phillips-head screws.

GAD said:

BTW the new Newark Street guitars with new HB1s look like they've adopted the vintage adjustment screws...

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Hey, I'm gonna veer a bit here - has anyone here tried the new HB-1s??

jcwu said:

Hey, I'm gonna veer a bit here - has anyone here tried the new HB-1s??

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I have one sitting on my desk but haven't had a chance to play with it. That, plus I need a donor guitar to mount it in.

jcwu said:

Hey, I'm gonna veer a bit here - has anyone here tried the new HB-1s??

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Yep, see here - http://letstalkguild.com/ltg/showthread.php?188332-2015-Guild-S100&p=1716017#post1716017

Nice detective work GAD.

Just checked the only guitar of mine which came with SD-1s ('97 SF4, where I replaced them with HB-1s) & yes the smaller Philips head screws are used. Might be onto something there GAD! Now they may have just been used in later guitars which coincides with the introduction of the SD-1s. It would be interesting to see what the early 90s S-100s which seemed to have HB-1s used. I think Los Angeles (Kent) had one of those?

I think you're onto something. I have a set of NOS HB1's in the original plastic packaging, and the pickups were sold with the bezels, springs and height adjustment screws already assembled together. It seems likely that the height adjustment screws were "married" to the pickups when the pickup was manufactured, NOT when they were mounted onto the instrument during final assembly.

hagmeat said:

Yep, see here - http://letstalkguild.com/ltg/showthread.php?188332-2015-Guild-S100&p=1716017#post1716017

Nice detective work GAD.

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Thanks for the pointers!!!

Are only the S100s equipped with the new HB-1s?

jcwu said:

Are only the S100s equipped with the new HB-1s?

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If you talk Newark St., yes. However there were the NH made GSR X-150D and the GSR X-500 that already used that new recreated version of the HB-1.
Ralf

jcwu said:

Hey, I'm gonna veer a bit here - has anyone here tried the new HB-1s??

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It didn't count when I put one in my '96 S100 a year ago.