Guild B4CE

I purchased this guitar used. It is a 1997 Westerly RI USA made acoustic/electric bass in black high gloss finish with black body binding, wbw top purfling, and MOP "Chesterfield" Guild logo headstock. It came with the original Guild logo hard shell arch top case in very good condition. Venetian cutaway, 16" lower bout, 11&3/4" upper bout. Arched mahogany back, greatest depth 3&3/4", depth at rim 3&1/4". Chrome Grover tuners. Semi-deep C shaped neck w/adjustable truss rod, 1&5/8" nut width, MOP dot inlays, white side dots. My depth gauge has the frets at ~1.5mm high x ~3mm wide. Short scale, 30&3/4". 20 frets, 14 frets to the body. Rosewood belly bridge and fingerboard. Slotted bridge pin holes. Fishman transducer preamp w/volume and 4-band equalizer w/phase shift. Solid spruce top with oval soundhole. Mahogany neck. Mahogany back and sides. Chrome endpin jack and strap pin.

This bass handles the R&R and R&B standards I play very well both acoustically and electronically. It also sounds very at home with the jazz standards I play. The acoustic sound isn't "loud" but it's loud enough to be heard behind acoustic guitars and definitely loud enough for practice. The Fishman system through my Fender amp reproduces the acoustic sound accurately without feedback. I can also get a wide variety of sound from the Fishman w/EQ system combined with amp effects. For example, this bass has a funky slap to it when played hard that goes all the way to very mellow when played softly closer to the oval soundhole. I like the short scale. The nut and saddle look like Tusq. The bridge pins, plastic. I don't know if they're original or not but I've already replaced the saddle with vintage bone and I have bone nut and bridge pins on the way too. The flatwound medium strings are too heavy for this acoustic/electric so I have Rotosound short scale flat and round wound lights (.40 to .90) on the way too. The bottom end is OK but it really sings higher up on the fretboard. The neck and cutaway are done very nicely. Very comfortable with smooth, easy access to upper frets. Action at the nut is good but that Tusq has to go. I'll need the new nut to set up the new string sizes anyway. Plastic pins look like endpins so I ordered bone endpins for bridge pins. I measured with my caliper and the size is almost identical.

I bought the guitar used and it needed a good cleaning and set up. Gibson Pump Polish did wonders. Too little neck relief. The truss rod nut was dry so I lubricated it and adjusted the truss rod which worked perfectly after lubrication. Neck is nice and straight. Neck joint is strong and tight. Looks like a 12" to 16" compound radius on my gauge. Frets are level and dressed perfectly. Fret ends are done really well and are very smooth. Very little fret wear. The bridge is a nicely carved belly style bridge. The saddle slot is routed flat and even as the Fishman UST reports with excellent string balance. Bridge holes are uniform and slotted. They follow the angle of the saddle, a detail I look for that is usually found on better guitars. The hardware looks very good. No oxidation or rust. I had to tighten up the tuner nuts and screws. Bracing is solid. There are several dings on the solid spruce top and one on the binding that look like they were caused by plain carelessness. What a shame. This is a nice acoustic/electric bass. The Fishman system is in excellent working condition. A new 9 volt battery and it looks and plays like new. The lacquer finish on the back of the guitar is very lightly checked.

This is a very solidly built guitar that should have no problem with live play. It's ten years old and the hardware and finish are in very good to excellent condition. I'd say that qualifies this guitar as dependable. I'd feel comfortable using it without backup.

I bought it used. No longer under warranty. I never dealt with Guild.

I've played for 10 years. I play guitar mainly but I played electric bass for several years. I've always wanted an acoustic/electric bass. They just seem very cool. I don't have to be tethered to an amp. That's probably my favorite feature. Acoustic sound or electric. The acoustic sound is better than I expected but really not on a par with 6 string acoustic guitars. The lower frequencies just require a larger body, like an upright bass or cello to move more air. However, I am surprised that the acoustic sound is as good as it is. I think the arched back really helps there. And the acoustic sound amplified is fantastic! I own two acoustic/electric arch top gutiars and an acoustic flat top, all in the $3K price range. I researched American made acoustic/electric bass guitars for quite a while before I decided on the Guild B4CE. I got lucky and found one at a very reasonable price and in very good condition. B4CEs usually go for $650 to $700. I am very satisfied with it so far. I'm not one of those people who give a 10 rating in every category. I do think this Guild B4CE acoustic/electric bass guitar deserves a solid 8 though, a very good score, IMO, with a 10 for features. With all these features, what more could I ask for? This is a very well made instrument that I'd definitely replace if anything happened to it -- IF I could find another one!