Are Guild "metal" guitars any good?

[awagner]

One of my grail collector guitars is a Liberator II. Don’t think I’ve ever seen one.

I will trade the Liberator II I don't have for the DV82 you don't have.

 

[GAD]

I will trade the Liberator II I don't have for the DV82 you don't have.

That doesn't seem like a very even trade, though the more I think about that the more my brain gets close to a divide by zero error.

 

[LesB3]

That red one is a unique one in two ways: 1) The transparent red finish would have been a special ask, as I don't recall it being a color option and B) the maple fingerboard would have been an option upcharge.

As for Metal and Shredding, the pickups on that red one are the "California Pickups" option and they are more in the neighborhood of a PAF-type humbucker rather than a high-octane humbucker. I usually get my distortion by just cranking up a tube amp with pre-gain and post-gain controls. I like that level of distortion with California Pickups, myself, but I'm not sure that California Pickups can put you in the Metal Zone. @GAD would have a better take on the shredding aspect.

Here are my two S-280 models. The rosewood fingerboard model is the Standard model with no options. The maple fingerboard model has the maple fingerboard option, but still has the standard stop-bar tailpiece. Both have the California Pickups.

Thanks! I think I changed my mind again!

 

[AcornHouse]

I have two Liberators and they are fabulous guitars, though as you said the necks are too small and the three switch thing is just dumb to me.

One of my grail collector guitars is a Liberator II. Don’t think I’ve ever seen one.

I'll gladly accept any skinny neck guitar donations. (Although I'd be hard pressed to play anything remotely metal, or even 90s (80s?) inspired.)
But I love them skinny necks!

 

[awagner]

That doesn't seem like a very even trade

You're right. You should throw in $500 to make it a fair trade.

 

[GAD]

You're right. You should throw in $500 to make it a fair trade.

See, the difference is that I'm probably the only person looking for a Liberator II. LOL

 

[drc]

https://reverb.com/item/80610684-1984-usa-guild-s-280

Yep, this one is mine. Definitely not a “metal” guitar. It’s a general rock-n-roll type of guitar.

 

[GAD]

Also there’s metal and there’80s metal. For metal all you need is a humbucker and a Marshall. For ‘80s shred metal you need a super-strat with a double-locking trem and either a Marshall with a good boost or something like a Soldano. Oh, and chops. You’ll need some chops, though if you can play clean arpeggios you’re a good part of the way there.

 

[Rocky]

One of my grail collector guitars is a Liberator II. Don’t think I’ve ever seen one.

Probably a separate thread, but what constitues a liberator II? I had a metallic red HSS one with mahogany neck and passive pickups.

 

[GAD]

Probably a separate thread, but what constitues a liberator II? I had a metallic red HSS one with mahogany neck and passive pickups.

The biggest (and possibly only) change is the sunburst inlays from the Liberator Elite.

 

[12 string]

Wow, I'd sure like to know what you guys are talking about! I guess that makes me an acoustic player. It's like a whole 'nother world!

 

[chazmo]

Wow, I'd sure like to know what you guys are talking about! I guess that makes me an acoustic player. It's like a whole 'nother world!

Hahaha!!! Well, the mythical DV-82 that awagner is talking about is an acoustic, 'Strang.

Best wishes. Hope you're doing well!

 

[LesB3]

Yep, this one is mine. Definitely not a “metal” guitar. It’s a general rock-n-roll type of guitar.

Well, I play nothing but Guild and Gretsch hollows and semi-hollows, so its about as metal as I would get. LOL.

My guitar teacher is a "metal guy" so there's been quite a few times where he is trying to show me something on his Carvin custom shred guitar, and I'm sitting there with a 6120 with Dynasonics. Figured I should have at least one real "fast" guitar in the bunch so that I can keep up, and didn't know if the Guild pointy models I see every now and then would fit the bill.

 

[Guildedagain]

I'm not sure anything ever made by Guild "stinks" but y'all are welcome to send them to me for testing.

 

[Prince of Darkness]

When I see "Liberator" I tend to think of this....

....or this!

To be fair, the guitar is pretty awesome too (picture by GAD).

 

[GAD]

When I see "Liberator" I tend to think of this....

....or this!

To be fair, the guitar is pretty awesome too (picture by GAD).

Yeah but that’s an Elite. This is a regular Liberator:

 

[Boneman]

Any guitar can be a “ metal” guitar. Basically like GAD says you’ve just gotta have chops. A telecaster is not known as a metal guitar, but just play metal type music on it and voila, it’ll chug