The B302F is the fretless version of the Guild B302, which, along with the B301 were Guilds new bass offerings for the late 1970s. Guild hadn't really came up with a innovative bass design since the low-selling Jetstar of the mid-1960s. This is not to say they didn't make fantastic basses; far from it, but the Starfire, JS and Bluesbird (M-85) basses of the late 1960s - mid 1970s could all be said to be derivatives of designs by Gibson (the EB2, EB0/3 and Les Paul bass respectively). So the B301/302 series was something new, not just in looks; it had a new design bridge and pickups too, although the actual construction (mahogany body, set mahogany neck) was traditional Guild. This bass paved the way for many new bass designs into the 1980s, some very unusual indeed. Have a listen to this bass here.

1967 Guild Capri CE-100

A closer look at a 1967 Guild CE-100. The Capri was a full-depth archtop, and Guild's first guitar with a Florentine cutaway - and a very sucessful model too; staying in the Guild catalogue in one form or another from 1958 until 1984. Stylistic similarities between models such as the ES-125C and ES-175 can be made, but this guitar is every bit as good quality as the better known Gibsons.

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1978 Guild B-302F bass
Fretless version of the Guild B302 bass

Guild B302 main page | 1978 Guild B302F


Guild made some really nice bass guitars in the 1970s. And this is one of them; the fretless version of the Guild B302 bass in walnut finish. It has a mahogany body with a set three piece neck, also mahogany with a maple stripe, and an unfretted rosewood fingerboard. Unlike all older Guild basses, this was only available as a long scale (34") instrument. 1978 US price of $440. The quality of American guitars at this time is often brought into question, but this does not seem to have been a problem for Guild, this bass is certainly very well built, and very easy to play. One of the better vintage fretless bass guitars available.


The Guild B301/B302 basses had the solid brass, chrome-plated BT-4 bridge, a vast improvement on the older Hagstrom-made bridge	There are volume and tone controls for each pickup, aswell as a three-way pickup selector switch.	The bass is fitted with two Guild single coil eight-pole pickups; two poles for each string, "for even output".	Heel detail. The Guild B302 has a set (glued in) three-ply neck.


Headstock front with inlays; Guild logo and Chesterfield motif. The truss rod cover has the model designation, B-302F.	Reverse headstock detail; Schaller M4s tuning keys, with serial number stamped at the very top of the headstock. This dates this particular bass to 1978.	Body routes. The pickups are mounted to the base plates in the pickup routes, via two bolts that pass through the pickup itself. For a look at the wiring see Guild B302 electronics.	Guild mother-of-pearl headstock inlays - close up


1978 Guild B302F bass and blue-lined hard case. Note the Guild logo near the handle.

Model	1978 Guild B-302F
Pickups	Two Guild eight pole single coil bass pickups.
Scale	34"
Body	Mahogany body. 17 3/4" long, 14 1/4" wide, 1 3/8" thick. Overall length 46"
Neck	Three piece; mahogany with a maple stripe, fretless. Rosewood fretboard. Width at nut 1 5/8"
Hardware	2 volume and 2 tone controls. Schaller M-4-S tuners, Guild BT-4 bass bridge
Weight	4.0kg

The Guild B302F, like the fretted version, was a long scale all-mahogany bass, with a three-piece set neck and rosewood fingerboard. The 1978 catalogue (left) describes the bass in detail, but also lists other options; stereo wiring and an ash body.

Have a listen to some soundclips of this bass through various vintage amplifiers here.

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