Guild S285

AcornHouse

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Well, you were running low on Aviators with just the two. :applause:
 

GAD

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Whelp, I broke it.

In the original pic you can see that it has a replacement knob. Well, I took that knob off and took a proper Guild '80s knob and pushed it on there. When I pushed, the pot separated into two parts and I pushed the shaft right through the collar which remained locked into the body. Still works, though! Now I have to find a period-correct 25K pot for it.

This guitar is pretty damn cool. At it's core it's just another 2-HB shredder, but it's a Guild and unlike the two Aviators I have, both of which have 9.5" radius fretboards, this one is a touch wider and is 14". It also has a real honest-to-God Floyd Rose made in Germany, though the previous owner lost the arm and blocked it - thankfully with an easy to remove block of maple. I pulled the block and strung it up but without thinking I put 10s on it and it needs more springs to balance the heavier strings. I know I have some. Somewhere...

I do think this is Maple because it's quite heavy weighing in at 9lbs 9oz which does add to the S285 side of the equation.

The seller thought it was missing the truss rod cover, but looking closely there is no hole for the screw to mount one! the route for the truss rod nut is blacked out which makes me think that it was designed to not have a cover.

It does not have a fat control and is a simple 2-HB setup with a 3-way blade switch.

Pics soon.
 

GAD

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Also, the fretboard may have been one of the dirtiest I've seen which is odd because the guitar is in great shape and the frets have little wear. I went over it with my usual Gorgomyte cloth regimen and it looked great, but I ended up doing the entire fretboard again which I've never before had to do. Looks great now. It was so grimy that I thought it was rosewood for a while.
 

F312

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Probably snacked on crackerjacks and chocolate while playing.

Ralph
 

GAD

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I got a replacement arm from Floyd Rose, and kudos to them for selling parts. Super-quick shipping, too!

After re-floating the trem and tuning it up, it rocks hard. Man, how I wish the Liberator Elite had a properly mounted Floyd Rose (and normal neck). Not only is it a Floyd Rose, but it's a proper made in Germany Floyd Rose! Right now it's got 10s on it because in my excitement I thought it was a short-scale neck but it's not. I usually put 9s on a long scale and with the 10s it needs four springs to balance. It's a little odd in that the way the cavity is router it will only dive and cannot pull up. I need to see if that's still the case with 9s, which I imagine it will be since balance is balance and it should return to the same position.

All that's left is a new (old) EMG pot (on the way) and a proper back plate. I'm torn between having one made or just buying the plastic and trying myself but I really just don't have time to be dorking with that stuff right now.
 

GAD

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Spent this evening with this guitar. I replaced the tone pot with a period-correct EMG pot, replaced two of the fine tuners on the Floyd, but on the new custom-made back plate, and let her rip.

With it all back together and up to spec I have to say that this is probably one of the best Guild solid-bodies I've ever played, though to be fair put that statement into the "Loves '80s shredder guitars" bucket because I'm sure many who love vintage Guilds would hate it. That didn't come without a bit of pain, though, as this guitar needed a fair bit of work. The Floyd was blocked and was a mess (new handle, new springs and two new finetuners which were seized), the tone pot literally split in two when I went to replace the knob so I had to replace that, and finally this guitar had
possibly the dirtiest fretboard I've ever seen on an electric. Ew.

Totally worth the effort, though!
 

SFIV1967

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I'm not entirely convinced that it's an S285. It doesn't have deluxe inlays...
Also I thought the S-285 had maple bodies with transparent finishes plus the sunrise inlays...The above pricelist of wherever the info is from assumes a poplar body...EDIT: I need to correct myself as I now read it again and the flamed maple body was obviously another option of the S-285!

If Hans only would finally publish Volume II ! But even Volume I is again unavailable...

Ralf
 

mavuser

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If Hans only would finally publish Volume II !

whenever that day comes, the market for 80's Guilds is going to explode. I know the solid body guys like GAD and Tex are in ahead of the curve. And the acoustics ive encountered, and my Starfire from that time period, are pure gold.

Also the die hard Motley Crue and Twisted Sister fans should be tapping into those Deffered comp/retirement accounts right around the time the book (hopefully) is published!

I would really like an "Aviator," but i'm still trying to figure out exactly which Guild guitar that is, ha! (kidding, sort of)
 

GAD

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Check this out! Another reader contacted me out of the blue with a cool story and this pic of his actual S285!

Actual-Guild-S285-Red_1600.jpg
 

shihan

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Geez, Guild made a blizzard of pointy guitars for a few years, didn’t they? They were sure all in on that trend.
 

walrus

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Nice! Interesting outline of a Peace symbol on there!

walrus
 

GAD

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Nice! Interesting outline of a Peace symbol on there!

walrus

Finish difference as a result of stickers that the previous owners had applied to the top of an uber-rare guitar.
 

drc

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I love the Aviator! Heck I love all Super Strat type Guilds from that era, but the hi E string break angle from the nut to the tuner drives me crazy.
 
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