New to Me, "By Guild" acquisitions...

b0rn2w0rsh1p

Junior Member
Joined
Oct 10, 2010
Messages
60
Reaction score
0
Location
Asheville, NC (prev: Casper, Wy & FL Gulf Coast)
My first Burnside "by Guild" was a bolt-on Super Strat with the pointy headstock and "V" fretboard markers. I picked up a real Guild S-284 sometime after I sold the Burnside (in the late '90s), but the Active EMGs did not have the power and tone of those Jap passive PUs. I wanted another Burnside since then, and just didn't find the right deal at the right time. Most Burnsides have the "V" inlays on Rosewood fretboards and the pointy headstocks of the '80s. When I came across this very rare version - I had to get it. It was a Super Strat, but had a Fenderesque vibrato tailpiece, Maple fretboard and "clay" dot markers and a softer "flip-flop" style headstock.

Fast Forward a couple years, and some wild Burnside basses came and went. Crossbows, Warriors, StreetBasses, and Sharkfins. One Day I scanned my usual places and I came across a near twin of my Super Strat. Same Maple Neck with "Clay" dots, same headstock - even the same color. How could I NOT get this "P/J" style bass. What a deal too, nobody bid against me, so it was a few cents over $100 plus shipping!

Check them out here: https://sites.google.com/site/musictoworshipby/my-by-guild-collection/burnside---a-matched-pair - aren't they beautiful?

Recently, I also scored a StreetBass project. These are slim bodied and headless (tuner licensed by Steinberger). No PU's (routed for P/J), and Tuner/Bridge as well as knobs are gone. Although the pots are there, something must have hit the middle control, because the wood is broken there - I think I'll just make a plate and not worry about fixing the cracked wood. I will try one of those Chinese tuner/bridges - even if it doesn't work that well, my brother is a machinist, and I may just give him some solid brass and have him make a copy of a Steinberger. I have also been jonesing for a fretless - I was gonna pull the frets on one of my Pilots, but since this is an all out project and will never be "vintage" because of the cracked wood - I may try it on this one. I have some DeArmond bass PUs, and a Seymour Duncan Quarter-pounder P-bass PU for another project - but I'll have to see what other PUs I have, other than the pair of Bartolinis (again for another non-Guild project). First thing is to take some pictures and add another page to my "By Guild" chapter...
 

walrus

Reverential Member
Gold Supporting
Joined
Dec 23, 2006
Messages
23,957
Reaction score
8,019
Location
Massachusetts
Nice! "By Guild" guitars (particularly the Burnsides) are very cool!

walrus
 

fronobulax

Bassist, GAD and the Hot Mess Mods
Joined
May 3, 2007
Messages
24,708
Reaction score
8,836
Location
Central Virginia, USA
Guild Total
5
Nice. I like the thumb rest on the bass. It is awkward as heck in terms of appearance but it is in the right place for players like me :)
 
Top