Guild Pilot bass club?

[InkCow]

Your bridge is right here:

https://www.talkbass.com/threads/guild-pilot-bass-club.368386/page-76#post-28250321

It's a 5 string:

@Rickplaysbass is the bridge in that bad of shape? I thought it just looked like one of the saddle screws needed to be replaced.

The tuners are going to cost you a little more if you insist on compact heads. If you can live with vintage cloverleaf style there's a 4R1L set on Amazon for $31.

 

[FRoss6788]

Gotoh GB7 tuners are fairly inexpensive and appropriate for a Pilot. IMHO, of course....

 

[InkCow]

Gotoh GB7 tuners are fairly inexpensive and appropriate for a Pilot. IMHO, of course....

This is true. About twice the price of the one I mentioned on Amazon, but would be higher quality tuner, closer to the original, and less than $65: [This invalid link has been removed]

 

[EWH]

It's a 5 string:

View attachment 5393906

Gotcha covered...

 

[InkCow]

Gotcha covered...

View attachment 5393935

Costs more than the bass did, though! And DeArmonds didn't come with 3D bridges, anyway.

 

[EWH]

Costs more than the bass did, though! And DeArmonds didn't come with 3D bridges, anyway.

Not GENUINE Schaller 3D bridges, no, my thrifty and practical friend - but many DID have asian 3D lookalike copies that had less adjustment flexability...

 

[InkCow]

Not GENUINE Schaller 3D bridges, no, my thrifty and practical friend - but many DID have asian 3D lookalike copies that had less adjustment flexability...

View attachment 5393977

To be fair, that is a Pilot Pro, which this bass is not.

 

[Rickplaysbass]

It's a 5 string:
View attachment 5393906
@Rickplaysbass is the bridge in that bad of shape? I thought it just looked like one of the saddle screws needed to be replaced.

The tuners are going to cost you a little more if you insist on compact heads. If you can live with vintage cloverleaf style there's a 4R1L set on Amazon for $31.

Everything is pretty rusted up. One of the saddle screws is gone, but that saddle appears to be stripped or drilled out anyways. By the time I fix all that I can buy an Amazon replacement much easier and faster. I may try to find something with adjustable spacing though.

This is true. About twice the price of the one I mentioned on Amazon, but would be higher quality tuner, closer to the original, and less than $65: [This invalid link has been removed]

These are what I was looking at already.

Gotcha covered...

View attachment 5393935

Costs more than the bass did, though! And DeArmonds didn't come with 3D bridges, anyway.

Not sure I want to spend that kind of change on the bridge. But more importantly, I didn't know where those three mounting holes would line up compared to my current 4. I didn't really want to dowel and redrill for the bridge.


Now, pickups..... I may be jumping off the deep end here, but I think I'm gonna route it out for some TBird pickups....

 

[EWH]

To be fair, that is a Pilot Pro, which this bass is not.

Hang on a minute - this is what I know to be a "standard" 4 string DeArmond "Pilot" bass...

I am not as knowledgeable about the DeArmond "Pilot" models as I am about genuine Pilots - did the asians produce a DeArmond "SB602" version AND a DeArmond "Pilot Pro" version...?!

I'm going to go Google this now...

 

[Rickplaysbass]

Hang on a minute - this is what I know to be a "standard" 4 string DeArmond "Pilot" bass...

I am not as knowledgeable about the DeArmond "Pilot" models as I am about genuine Pilots - did the asians produce a DeArmond "SB602" version AND a DeArmind "Pilot Pro" version...?!

I don't remember everything, but I definitely remember from back then that there was a Pilot and a Pilot Pro. My brain wants to say the "pro" was a neck through.

 

[InkCow]

I don't remember everything, but I definitely remember from back then that there was a Pilot and a Pilot Pro. My brain wants to say the "pro" was a neck through.

Pretty sure it was bolt on, but it had soapbars rather than Js. Also the aforementioned better bridge.

I think your Thunderbird pup plan will basically give you a Pilot Pro, though. I don’t know if they make 5 string versions, but Guitar Madness makes TB style pickups, available on eBay. Tons of cheap “high mass” replacement bridges to choose from, too.

 

[Rickplaysbass]

Pretty sure it was bolt on, but it had soapbars rather than Js. Also the aforementioned better bridge.

I think your Thunderbird pup plan will basically give you a Pilot Pro, though. I don’t know if they make 5 string versions, but Guitar Madness makes TB style pickups, available on eBay. Tons of cheap “high mass” replacement bridges to choose from, too.

I've owned plenty of soapbars and two basses with TBird style pickups. While similar in size, they are definitely different in tonal character. For now, I'm looking into single coils for it. Apollos and Haussels are at the top of my list right now.

But, I may go the route of a tbird. If I do, I'll be running over to Rio Grande pickups to get them to analyze and reconstruct my current pair.

 

[InkCow]

I've owned plenty of soapbars and two basses with TBird style pickups. While similar in size, they are definitely different in tonal character. For now, I'm looking into single coils for it. Apollos and Haussels are at the top of my list right now.

But, I may go the route of a tbird. If I do, I'll be running over to Rio Grande pickups to get them to analyze and reconstruct my current pair.

Rio Grande is the guy that used to make Robin guitars, is that right?

 

[Rickplaysbass]

Rio Grande is the guy that used to make Robin guitars, is that right?

Still does technically afaik.

 

[InkCow]

Hang on a minute - this is what I know to be a "standard" 4 string DeArmond "Pilot" bass...

I am not as knowledgeable about the DeArmond "Pilot" models as I am about genuine Pilots - did the asians produce a DeArmond "SB602" version AND a DeArmond "Pilot Pro" version...?!

I'm going to go Google this now...

Yeah, so there was the “standard” Pilot, which were basically 602s and 605s, respectively, albeit without EMGs and cheaper hardware. And then there were Pilot Pros that had soapbars and Schaller-style hardware.

I have only ever seen Pros in a natural finish which, frankly, I think looks cheaper than the painted standards.

 

[EWH]

Yeah, so there was the “standard” Pilot, which were basically 602s and 605s, respectively, albeit without EMGs and cheaper hardware. And then there were Pilot Pros that had soapbars and Schaller-style hardware.

I have only ever seen Pros in a natural finish which, frankly, I think looks cheaper than the painted standards.

I did not know this - thanks very much for the information my friend...

I will admit that I have no real interest in the DeArmond Pilot copies and because of this I know very little of them.

 

[Yeshuarocks]

This may be to most comfortable bass I have ever played!! What does the "I" mean under the serial number?

 

[EWH]

View attachment 5414070 This may be to most comfortable bass I have ever played!! What does the "I" mean under the serial number?

Pilots are ridiculously comfy to wear and play...

I have never seen an "I" or anything else stamped into the wood near the SNr. on any Pilot...
Offhand, I would guess that it is an accidental marking of some type...
There is one person I know of who might have something to say about this marking but he does not participate in this thread - perhaps someone else here might have something to say about this...?
Very nice 602 you have there - I have a black one as well...

 

[EWH]

Here's a very nice pickguard Pilot with a maple fretboard and a nice price for sale in the US - if it was for sale over here, I'd buy it in a heartbeat as it's exactly one of the few pickguard Pilots I'd like to add to my collection...
Maybe someone else here can get this...

 

[krysh]

Don‘t have the funds, but this is the perfect match to my black one…