New from Guild Guitars is the S-300 Deluxe reissue, originally released in 1977 and made until 1981. Guild’s answer to a lightweight offset body, it replaced the SG style Guild S-100 and was intended to compete directly against the Gibson SG. Guild considered the design to be radical and modern, and to this day, vintage S-300’s are collectable and sought after.
Feature-wise, the new S-300 is extremely faithful to the original guitar. MC’s review sample has a 4-piece mahogany body, and we are told that this may vary. A “Soft U” shaped mahogany set neck features a slim profile and 12.5” radius and good intonation. Lightweight at 7 lbs. 10 oz., the only immediate giveaway that this is a new guitar is that the finishes now available were not offered way back when. “The S-300 was viewed as fairly radical when it was introduced nearly 50 years ago,” says Nick Beach, Product Manager, 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 collectable. 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.”
Also faithful to the original design is an Indian rosewood fingerboard with 24.75 scale length and easily accessible 24 frets. The action on our review sample was very good, and the guitar played very cleanly and precisely. Workmanship on the fingerboard is excellent, with medium sized fretwork, block inlays, and binding executed in a manner consistent with a much more expensive high-end guitar. The headstock features the famous Guild Peak logo, and the Chesterfield inlay made of pearloid. Tuning machines are open gear Grover G2, which is similar to what many of the original guitars came with. Guild logo Schaller tuning machines were also heavily used in the originals, which stand up to heavy strings bends more securely.
Pickups are Guild HB-2+ humbucking pickups with Alnico V magnets. In use, the guitar has a great sound, excellent feel for the entire run of the neck (especially in the higher registers) and a distinctive clarity. The three-way pickup selector feels a little loose in its action and might be a candidate for upgrade. And while faithful to the original guitars feature-wise, I would love to also see the Guild Top Hat volume and tone knobs offering push-pull coil taps for the pickups so that single coil tones are available like on many modern guitars. The Ultimate Angle TOM bridge and compensated hardtail are Guild original and are of excellent design and solidity.
There will be two types of S-300 players: the guitarist that always wanted one and now can buy it brand new, and the younger player who wants a guitar beyond the usual suspects and sees something unusual and different in the new S-300.
The S-300 is an exceptional value and packs a lot of guitar into the price. A fully professional instrument at a mid-entry level price point, the S-300 is great for touring, recording, and any application where a versatile guitar is needed. Currently available in Neptune Blue Metallic and Vintage Sterling Metallic, plans for additional finishes are being considered. I would suggest a 1- or 2-piece body for upcoming models of the S-300 where the wood on the body is visible. Additionally, Guild made an S-300 by request in white for Soundgarden guitarist Kim Thayil, a longtime Guild user. Case sold separately. $799
