Guild Pilot bass club?

[nalapit13]

It’s hard to tell by the angle it’s sitting on (and the curse of those triangular floor guitar stands with Pilots): is the 8 string the same scale?

Yes, all the same scale length, the pic is taken with a .5 zoom to grab it all in one photo.

 

[nalapit13]

I recognise the two of them, but I don't recall ever seeing the fretless before...

A great group foto of a few uniquely modded Pilots - thanks for sharing them...

The fretless neck is from another pilot, swapped on to the mahogany body, which was a white painted pawn shop find years ago. The paint came off when my buddy realized it was mahogany underneath. He still has the fretted fender/guild neck for the hog body.

 

[EWH]

The fretless neck is from another pilot, swapped on to the mahogany body, which was a white painted pawn shop find years ago. The paint came off when my buddy realized it was mahogany underneath.

I did not know that there was a possibility of finding mahogany under the solid color paint of the Pro series - I had assumed that they were poplar bodies as usual...!

 

[nalapit13]

I did not know that there was a possibility of finding mahogany under the solid color paint of the Pro series - I had assumed that they were poplar bodies as usual...!

We assumed the same thing, there's a little wear spot on the p pickup that was through the paint and the hog was peeking out, so we stripped her!!!

 

[nalapit13]

If you zoom in on the hog fretless you can still see the wear mark on the p pickup, it was pretty deep.

 

[EWH]

If you zoom in on the hog fretless you can still see the wear mark on the p pickup, it was pretty deep.

Wauw - looks like the original owner used a grappling hook or a piton to anchor his/her thumb to the top of that pup...Either that or they had one hell of a thumbnail...

 

[EWH]

Just because it’s unique does not make it desirable: this bass has zero intrinsic value and it’s not playable. To make it playable ruins its provenance. I can think of no justification for the asking price. Who, honestly, would “have to have” this bass so badly that they would pay a premium for it? It’s a curiosity, not a relic.

This is, at most, a $500-$700 bass, since it’s fundamentally no more valuable than any other Pilot Pro in its condition. But free shipping to the US!

It's getting slightly closer to it's true market value now, @InkCow...

 

[EWH]

Getting closer, @InkCow...

 

[InkCow]

 

[EWH]

Oh, the horror - what kind of a madman would butcher an SB-604 headstock like this...?!

 

[krysh]

Maybe it got damaged and he lost the part of wood? I think it doesn't look worse than the oroginal.

 

[EWH]

Maybe it got damaged and he lost the part of wood? I think it doesn't look worse than the oroginal.

Yes krysh, I think a previous owner stabbed the tip of the headstock into something (or someone) and damaged it...Rounding it off to repair it was an "easy & cheap fix"...But then he also chose to round off the upper rear point behind the D-tuner as well...

 

[krysh]

I have no problem with it. This Headstock shape is the worst Guild did anyway.
I have it on my T-250 Guild Tele and even the functionality is crap, also the headstock is bending:

 

[EWH]

I love 'em...

 

[krysh]

I love 'em...

View attachment 5272872

Ugly as hell!
and why is the A-string wound differently?

 

[EWH]

Ugly as hell!
and why is the A-string wound differently?

Not if you're into pointys like I am - Jacksons and B.C. Riches are my favorites after Pilots...

Dunno - I guess the owner either screwed up or thinks it's a better way...

 

[InkCow]

Not if you're into pointys like I am - Jacksons and B.C. Riches are my favorites after Pilots...

Dunno - I guess the owner either screwed up or thinks it's a better way...

I’m going to side @krysh here that nothing of value was lost - and I say that while being partial to pointy headstocks: my fretless, which is what I play with my main band, is a Charvel 3B.
These aren’t Faberge Eggs. Like that other reverb listing with the modified headstock (a cake knife, iirc), I kind of appreciate the uniqueness of these mongrels that have hung around for 40 years. As long as it doesn’t affect the playability, and with the understanding that unless Jaco personally mutilated it reduces the value, I see no problem.

 

[InkCow]

Also that is objectively the worst headstock.

 

[EWH]

I’m going to side @krysh here that nothing of value was lost - and I say that while being partial to pointy headstocks: my fretless, which is what I play with my main band, is a Charvel 3B.
These aren’t Faberge Eggs. Like that other reverb listing with the modified headstock (a cake knife, iirc), I kind of appreciate the uniqueness of these mongrels that have hung around for 40 years. As long as it doesn’t affect the playability, and with the understanding that unless Jaco personally mutilated it reduces the value, I see no problem.

I can respect your opinion, my friend - as well as krysh's...I also am aware that people can and will modify their instruments (as you yourself have) in any way they choose to out of want or need...
It's just that in my eyes, it's hard to see as I am quite a "purist" when it comes certain basses, like Pilots for example...I think the main reason for this is simply because they aren't in production any more - there are a finite number of them and as they become damaged or destroyed, there are no replacements for them.

 

[EWH]

Also that is objectively the worst headstock.

Only the first version of it, ink...

However, the absolute most hideous/worst of all Pilot headstocks was the prototype headstocks that tried to mirror the body somewhat...