Guild Pilot bass club?

[franvarin]

A 1991 SB-602 has "Guild" logo on the pickups. Are they EMG's? I've never seen this before and Bowdren's article doesn't mention it unless I missed a comment.

Also, I bought a blue Pilot hahaha.

View attachment 5037048

Hmm... interesting. I have a Blue pilot with EMGs and was not aware that Guild branded any pickups with their name... clearly they did. I can tell you that the EMGs in my Bass of course use a 9 volt battery which is located in a clip under the access cover on the back of the Bass. Maybe unscrew the cover and see if yours is active, that would get you closer in determining if they are in fact EMGs. My guess, is that they are, just rebranded with the Guild name on the covers.

 

[RyanOh]

Hmm... interesting. I have a Blue pilot with EMGs and was not aware that Guild branded any pickups with their name... clearly they did. I can tell you that the EMGs in my Bass of course use a 9 volt batter which is located in a clip under the access cover on the back of the Bass. Maybe unscrew the cover and see if yours is active, that would get you closer in determining if they are in fact EMGs. My guess, is that they are, just rebranded with the Guild name on the covers.

I assume they are rebranded EMG's, and will check the cavity when the bass arrives. Just curious as I've never seen this.

Hey Neighbor!

 

[franvarin]

I assume they are rebranded EMG's, and will check the cavity when the bass arrives. Just curious as I've never seen this.

Hey Neighbor!

Whoa... Providence!!! You're like 10 minutes from me!

 

[krysh]

Guild had Guild branded asian pickups on some guitars in the late 80s/90s. they were called california pickups in the catalogue and were passive. I guess this is the bass equivalent.

 

[EWH]

Guild had Guild branded asian pickups on some guitars in the late 80s/90s. they were calles california pickups in the catalogue and were passive. I guess this is the bass equivalent.

But...WHY...!? Did the EMG factory go on strike and cause a pup shortage...?

 

[EWH]

@RyanOh - check your messages...

 

[krysh]

27417358[/URL], member: 311134"]But...WHY...!? Did the EMG factory go on strike and cause a pup shortage...?

Passive sound alternative.

I personally didn‘t like the emgs in my pilot. Swapped to nordstrands with switchable nordstrand 3-band and opened the full potential of my pilot. Sounds waaaaayyy better, at least to me.

 

[EWH]

Passive sound alternative.

Natürlich - the most obvious answer that makes the most sense escaped me...

Still,

 

[RyanOh]

Whoa... Providence!!! You're like 10 minutes from me!

I may have met you. Might have purchased a Hartke amp I gave to Zach a few years ago?

 

[RyanOh]

Guild had Guild branded asian pickups on some guitars in the late 80s/90s. they were called california pickups in the catalogue and were passive. I guess this is the bass equivalent.

I hope they are passive and sound different, the only other difference with this bass is that it's blue.

 

[EWH]

I personally didn‘t like the emgs in my pilot. Swapped to nordstrands with switchable nordstrand 3-band and opened the full potential of my pilot. Sounds waaaaayyy better, at least to me.

Yes, I understand you and prefer the Advanced's Bartolinis over the EMGs as well...And, will be trying something COMPLETELY different with a Pilot's P&Js this summer...

 

[EWH]

Aaaaaand I think I might have one of these installed on a yet-to-be-bought "beater" Pilot (@RyanOh - that red one?) sometime later this year just to see if it's something for me or not:

 

[deepender]

A 1991 SB-602 has "Guild" logo on the pickups. Are they EMG's? I've never seen this before and Bowdren's article doesn't mention it unless I missed a comment.

Also, I bought a blue Pilot hahaha.

View attachment 5037048

Nice

 

[InkCow]

Aaaaaand I think I might have one of these installed on a yet-to-be-bought "beater" Pilot (@RyanOh - that red one?) sometime later this year just to see if it's something for me or not:

View attachment 5037871

I kind of struggle to see the market for this bridge. I presume it will be around $250-300 (based on the guitar bridges) and require “minimal routing” (which would make me think it always requires some). For the sort of bass that you’d sink $300+ into a bridge replacement, do they generally have bridges with intonation issues? I’ve never experienced any bass bridge, ever, that contributed to a bass going out of tune.

Given that bridge replacements at all are pretty rare, I have to assume majority of bassists are perfectly content with a basic bent plate bridges.

I understand it for guitar, where intonation is way more finicky.

 

[EWH]

I kind of struggle to see the market for this bridge. I presume it will be around $250-300 (based on the guitar bridges) and require “minimal routing” (which would make me think it always requires some). For the sort of bass that you’d sink $300+ into a bridge replacement, do they generally have bridges with intonation issues? I’ve never experienced any bass bridge, ever, that contributed to a bass going out of tune.

Given that bridge replacements at all are pretty rare, I have to assume majority of bassists are perfectly content with a basic bent plate bridges.

Practically speaking, I pretty much agree with everything you say here, InkCow...

However, as a bassist who loves "bass gadgets", I find this new bridge quite interesting/exciting enough to want one at some point - yes, I am weak and shiney things hypnotize me...

Also, to my eyes, basic bent plate bridges (a la stock/standard Fender P bass) look cheap, unattractive and inadequate (especially when considering the price of them) - I prefer a nice big heavy slab of brass...

Funny, even the korean-made Jackson Minion Concert bass I bought for my daughter has a better, beefier bridge than Fender P & J basses - see foto below.

Makes you wonder...

 

[RyanOh]

1991 Guild Pilot with "Guild" passive pickups. No battery. Acceptable but not amazing sound, and I need to change the strings. It's my 11th Pilot among 18 Guild basses I own...all made in Westerly, RI in the 80's-90's.

The pickups sound thin, but decently defined mids. Nothing special.

 

[EWH]

View attachment 5039123 View attachment 5039124
1991 Guild Pilot with "Guild" passive pickups. No battery. Acceptable but not amazing sound, and I need to change the strings. It's my 11th Pilot among 18 Guild basses I own...all made in Westerly, RI in the 80's-90's.

The pickups sound thin, but decently defined mids. Nothing special.

It is *very* strange to see the inside of this Pilot control cavity and not see a 9v battery...But, Congratulations with Nr. 11, RyanOh - looks like I am forced to go hunting again...

 

[InkCow]

It is *very* strange to see the inside of this Pilot control cavity and not see a 9v battery...But, Congratulations with Nr. 11, RyanOh - looks like I am forced to go hunting again...

The whole control cavity rout looks weird!

What are the standard controls on a P/J Pilot? VVT? Mine is just a P, so only two knobs.

 

[EWH]

The whole control cavity rout looks weird!

What are the standard controls on a P/J Pilot? VVT? Mine is just a P, so only two knobs.

Standard 3-pot Pilot controls are Vol (P) + Vol (J) + Tone, yes...

 

[InkCow]

Practically speaking, I pretty much agree with everything you say here, InkCow...

However, as a bassist who loves "bass gadgets", I find this new bridge quite interesting/exciting enough to want one at some point - yes, I am weak and shiney things hypnotize me...

Also, to my eyes, basic bent plate bridges (a la stock/standard Fender P bass) look cheap, unattractive and inadequate (especially when considering the price of them) - I prefer a nice big heavy slab of brass...

Funny, even the korean-made Jackson Minion Concert bass I bought for my daughter has a better, beefier bridge than Fender P & J basses - see foto below.

Makes you wonder...

View attachment 5038803

I understand it from your perspective, I just don’t understand it from theirs: like I have hard imagining that there are enough people like you to build a business case.
I’m with you on bent plates looking cheap, but they’re ubiquitous. And if you want to replace it, there are plenty of super high quality high mass bridges that are direct replacements for half the price of this. I just don’t see the market.