All user reviews for the Guild B301

I have played about 25 years. I have tried other instruments, but I've only felt right playing bass. I currently have three children, teach high school and have little time for a band. However, I frequently play for my own satisfation. My musical tastes tend towards alternative rock and rockabilly/country.

I purchased a 1978 B301 at a flea market for $300.00. It was in such nice shape I couldn't pass it up. I then took it to The Guitar Factory in Orlando,Fl to have it set up.

The Guild is a solidly built bass with a unique shape. It set up nearly perfectly, and is very easy to play. It's tone is very smooth, with a good deal of bottom end. It falls somewhere between a P-Bass and an old EBO. Yet it responds very well to the passive tone and a great deal of treble can be dialed in. I think the combination of set-neck, mohagony wood, and fat single coil pickup provide some of the best attributes of gibson and fender basses without some of their shortcomings.

The bass is has a fairly small body with a horn that only extends past the 10th fret. This combined with the classic headstock and Schaller tuners do make it neckheavy. Additionally, while not a back-breaker, mohagony is a heavy wood. This bass is better than most 70's era Jazz Basses, but it is a little heavier than my precision. Additionally, While the range of tones is sufficient for old school funk, it doesn't have the extreme high range of modern active basses.

As I have stated, the B301 is a solidly built set-neck bass with a full 34 in scale. The neck is slightly deeper than the average P-Bass width. It is a 3-piece neck with a strip of maple sandwiched between two wings of mohagony. The truss rod adjustment is located on the headstock, and one large(and quiet)single coil pickup is located in the P-Bass position.

The Guild B301 is solid, unique, and has a distinctive tone. At a time when vintage basses are at a premium, it has managed to sneak under the radar. What a great deal for collectors who want to play with their pieces. It is also a graet deal for players who want to play something with a vintage vibe that also sounds great.

This review was originally published on http://www.musicgearreview.com

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In which country was it made?

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United States of America

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How many frets, what kind of microphone and their configuration?

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20 frets, 1 single microphone

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What type of bridge (Floyd, Wilkinson ...)?

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BT-4 bridge

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What are the settings (volume, tone, micro switch ...)?

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Knob 1 volume and 1 tone other

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What kind of stick?

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Mahogany neck with truss rod also

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UTILIZATION

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The handle is it nice?

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The handle is really super nice. Slightly concave, with the former but not much. It should be quite comfortable in any type of game



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Access to acute (last string) Is it easy?

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Cutting very specific body allows easy access to the latest freight then why not?



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Ergonomics is it good (in terms of shape, weight ...)?

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For the positive, I start with the design that is simply superb (and there is a real fan who filled you speak). By the way, I still now to look and tell me that c&#39;te bass is really clââââsssse. We can also add that it is downright fun to take control through the advantages it possesses. Namely, its long handle and slightly curved and can access easily (thanks to the cutting of the body) to the last fret. What happiness, what ... Well, no! This bass is not the ultimate instrument. Because if its qualities are numerous and idéniables, she also has two small negatives on which it is impossible to pass. She has a natural tendency to plunge forward (and I know this may annoy more than one) and furthermore, it still weighs his weight (about 4kg). Basically, it is an instrument that we love to make every break in rehearsal because the back suffers a little past the half-hour ... But good must it takes! After all that has never complained about his low weight, eh? (Ahhhh, what chance these guitarists ...)



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Do you get a good sound easy? ...

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From the standpoint of sound is a marvel for a single microphone. This little gem offers, quite brilliant I must say, perfect consistency between the high notes and low notes. With him ended the E string which is too shake the furniture while the smaller notes, they are much too sharp and lack of fishing. Here, whatever the rope or the location on the handle, it sounds harsh, and it sounds good! I would even give a special mention for the senior mediums he expresses very well. Regarding the sustain, it is quite significant if somewhat shorter than on my Yamaha BB400 (even if I already have read otherwise, as an instrument which is not the other, or else c &#39; is perhaps the musician ???). Basically, to summarize, I would say that this bass does sound good round, warm and bright, even tone with the most acute.



SOUNDS

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Are they suitable for your style of music?

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This naturally has a low pop-rock sound. Even if it is true that it can suit almost any style of music (still I would remove the metal and the extreme version jazzen fretted but this view is my business) I think it is in this register There she will do the best.



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With what (s) amplifier (s) or effect (s) do you play?

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I have not a fire stuff, but now I found the sound I wanted I&#39;m in no hurry to change ...

Amp: Ashdown ABM500 Combo (Evo 0)
Effects loop: Studio digitech S100 (not too early at all, I breath but all in good time)
EQ: Rolls REQ131 (loops well)
Compression: EHX Black Finger (Loop as well)
Preamp / distortion: Tech21 VT Bass Big Muff



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What kind of sound you get and with what settings ("crystalline", "fat ",....)?

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Since there is only one microphone, the setting is reduced to its simplest form: the tone. I think it is unnecessary to describe its effect on the sound ...



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What are the sounds you prefer, you hate?

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As described above, in sound, there is nothing I dislike. Quite the contrary, I love it! Me, I play with the tone set at 3 / 4 to have a well rounded and warm without wasting too much treble that I love so much. Indeed, given his predisposition for high mids, this setting is perfect for enchainer powerful rhythm parts and the melodies played on the last two chords of the handle.


OVERALL OPINION

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For how long have you been using it?

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I purchased the beast there are few so I&#39;m still in effect new toy but I&#39;m sure that despite all this will remain low among my favorite



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What thing do you like most/least about it?

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Er ... going to say something I&#39;ll say ... Bah ... Well ... I do not know ... its lack of versatility, perhaps? And again I say that to say something because I do not care that we can not play with Cannibal Corpse. If I wanted to play Cannibal Corpse, I bought a Warwick-hand and that&#39;s it (it&#39;s a bit simplistic, but I think you understood the resonator)



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Did you try many other models before getting this one?

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I have other basses: Fender A PB Japan, Yamaha BB400, a short scale Defyl Baston completely restored and an imitation stingray so basically anything that rocks the house. But I still had the opportunity there is little to test a Jaguar and a Mustang a real Stingray and I think frankly that the Guild has to blush before any of the other low. She obviously less versatile than a MusicMan or a Jaguar, but its sound is no less beautiful.



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What is your opinion about the value for the price?

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I had an amazing bowl because I choppée on Ebay at 310 € including postage. It&#39;s true that I completely sanded, stained and revarnished but at this price point is given!!



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Knowing what you know now, would you make the same choice? ...

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If I do it again? I want to buy a second, yes! Just in case something happens to the first. Because you have to say something, just the strap of this kind of bass over his shoulder, is already having fun! It&#39;s a real instrument collection that has a face of hell! So, if in addition it sounds good, well it seems obvious ...

I conclude by saying that collectors are required to have this instrument, because it is perhaps not a rickenbacker or Vigier (to mention only these two brands) but ... Wow for the price there is absolutely no better!