Guild has revived its S-300 electric guitar, 50 years after the unsung offset was deemed too radical for its time.
First introduced in 1977 and – by today’s standards, looking like a cross between a Gretsch Electromatic CVT and a Surfcaster – it had a short production run, as what Guild now accepts was a “radical” design failed to land.
Just shy of half a decade later, the guitar landscape has changed. Offsets in all walks of music have never been more popular. As such, the S-300 – which will no doubt win over more fans this time around – returns at the perfect time.
It’s sure to please contemporary audiences, pairing newly contoured mahogany bodies and Soft U-shaped mahogany set necks with ivory-bound rosewood fingerboards for a unique silhouette.
It sports matching Alnico V HB-2+ humbuckers with dual-rail covers, each with a pair of Volume and Tone controls, and a three-way switch. The tones, as per Guild, range from “old-school warmth and punch to cutting-edge crunch and clarity”. A phase switch is a tidy addition, too.
Other appointments include Ultimate Angle Tune-O-Matic-style bridges, vintage-style Guild Compensated tailpieces, and Grover G2 open-gear tuners. Aesthetic touches come in the form of large vintage-style headstocks, Chesterfield inlays, and five-ply black pickguards.
In an age where funky body shapes are now commonplace – see Abasi Concepts, Strandberg, and the Dali-esque Ibanez Alpha for evidence – it’s high time for this unusual offset to rear its headstock again.
Granted, its futuristic vibe is likely to divide opinion still, but those twin cutaways offer plenty of access to its 24 narrow jumbo frets, and you can’t argue with that. And no matter your predilection, it’s always a joy to see new shapes hit the market.
“The S-300 was viewed as fairly radical when it was introduced nearly 50 years ago,” concedes Nick Beach, Product Manager at Fretted Instruments. “The guitar’s offset body had dramatic cutaways and contours that gave it a futuristic look, and its phase switch was also unusual at the time, but since then it has become increasingly popular and collectible.
“With the new S-300 Deluxe guitar, we’re bringing back a classic with a few key changes to make it even more comfortable and giving players a choice of eye-catching metallic finishes.”
Indeed, its Neptune Blue Metallic and Vintage Sterling Metallic finishes are absolutely gorgeous, and their $799.99 price tags aren't too shabby, either.
Check out Guild for more.
