I need a semi-hollow in my life and am considering a Starfire. But which one?

[chazmo]

Oh, I'm not objecting to your choices, J.G... I just wanted you to know that many/most of us think of the original Newark Street model guitars (started in 2013) as real Guilds. The same cannot be said (by many/most of us) of most of the other MIA stuff with Guild on the headstock.

Just being honest.

And, super good luck with your choices, J.G. I'm sure you'll be delighted with a Dearmond!

 

[mavuser]

get the DeArmond, if it speaks to you. and is priced right

 

[J.G.2024]

Oh, I'm not objecting to your choices, J.G... I just wanted you to know that many/most of us think of the original Newark Street model guitars (started in 2013) as real Guilds. The same cannot be said (by many/most of us) of most of the other MIA stuff with Guild on the headstock.

Just being honest.

And, super good luck with your choices, J.G. I'm sure you'll be delighted with a Dearmond!

Ok, is there a difference between these 2013 NS and newer ones? Or did Guild use the NS name in different series? Can you still buy new NS guitars? I had thought so? But now I'm confused. Maybe I'm confusing NS with some other Guild line?

It seems that currently these are the Starfire double-cuts you can buy new from Guild: I DC, Starfire V (just I DC with a bigsby?), Starfire VI (separated line? In between I DC and NS? Korea, Indonesia or China made?) and the NS Starfire. Am I correct here?

So it seems the I DC is the low end. Made in Indonesia or China? SFV and SFVI are Korea like NS?

Back to the NS Starfire, I don't mean anything personal. I'm just trying to be practical and objective here.

Does it have anything superior to the MIK Dearmond? I couldn't find anything. Both are made in Korea. I don't know which factory NS is made in, but Dearmond was the very well respect Samick? Both claim to be very close to the original Guild specs. Both have the import cost saving shortcuts. It seems Dearmond has US pick ups and electronics. Does the NS?

What makes the NS worth twice the money? Just the Guild sticker on the headstock? If there is more than that, I might consider saving up for one. But I couldn't find anything.

To me, personally, both being made in Korea and with similar specs, doesn't make me think of the NS as more of a real Guild than the Dearmond, just because it says Guild on the headstock. And doesn't make me think it's smart spending twice the money on the NS. This based on what I think I know about the NS.

It's also worth considering the Dearmonds have gone up in price quite a bit last few years, looking at old listing and modern ones. Maybe because they are rare and maybe because people see them as the second best option if you can't afford a vintage Guild? The other Dearmonds in my market are about the same price as a NS. Give or take. I just found an incredible deal on a Dearmond selling for the same give or take as a I DC. Two of them actually. From the same person.

To me, it seems the NS is more of a descendent of the Dearmond more than anything. Both were created to do the same thing. Be a cheaper option to USA made Guilds? I'm just stugling to see the justification for paying twice the money for a NS, unless the Guild sticker on the headstock really makes that much of a difference to other people.

If I'm totally wrong here, please do tell. I'm here to learn.

 

[J.G.2024]

get the DeArmond, if it speaks to you. and is priced right

Priced right, it indeed seems to be if I look at my other options at the same price as I found the Dearmond. I would be looking at: I DC, 90's Washburn HB35, used Hagstrom etc. If it speaks to me, let's see. I hear the I DC has a very thin neck, which is one more con for me. I heard the Dearmond is a medium, which seems a better fit. I will see when I try it.

 

[chazmo]

So it seems the I DC is the low end. Made in Indonesia or China? SFV and SFVI are Korea like NS?

Back to the NS Starfire, I don't mean anything personal. I'm just trying to be practical and objective here.

All good, J.G... I'm just telling you what I know; nothing personal at all. Yeah, that's right. The Starfire I is being made in Indonesia. I think some of the other Starfires have migrated too. All I'm trying to say is that the Korean-built Newark Street models are highly-regarded. I am not comparing them to any Dearmond, Gretch, or any other Korean-built guitars.

What makes the NS worth twice the money? Just the Guild sticker on the headstock? If there is more than that, I might consider saving up for one. But I couldn't find anything.

I can't answer that question objectively, J.G... Guild on the headstock means a lot to those of us who care about the brand, even if it hasn't always to Guild's corporate owners. Sometimes it affects resale as well, J.G., and you should factor that in if it matters.

Best wishes.

 

[Default]

One in FS/FT right now, for $900.

 

[J.G.2024]

All good, J.G... I'm just telling you what I know; nothing personal at all. Yeah, that's right. The Starfire I is being made in Indonesia. I think some of the other Starfires have migrated too. All I'm trying to say is that the Korean-built Newark Street models are highly-regarded. I am not comparing them to any Dearmond, Gretch, or any other Korean-built guitars.


I can't answer that question objectively, J.G... Guild on the headstock means a lot to those of us who care about the brand, even if it hasn't always to Guild's corporate owners. Sometimes it affects resale as well, J.G., and you should factor that in if it matters.

Best wishes.

Thanks. I can see how the Guild name on the headstock could affect resale value. That I can see. But to me that is not very important. I always try the guitar before I buy and only buy if I really like it. I normally hold on to my guitars, which as we all know, it's not always the best. I know somebody who ended up with 127 guitars before he finally saw he had to get rid of some.

As for meaning a lot for caring for the brand, Dearmond was an official Guild brand and part of Guild, right? It's still Guild history I would say. So it still counts.

But what I'm trying to do is exactly comparing the NS Starfire to the Dearmond. I'm trying to figure if there is any technical superiority to the NS guitars. But from where I'm standing it is looking like they are on pair, or the Dearmond has a slight edge, if you disregard the Guild sticker. Unfortunately I found no NS locally to try. So I couldn't compare them myself. But looking at online specs, I see nothing superior on the NS. Otherwise I would most likely push the budget to get one.

But the Dearmond being as good or slightly better on paper, having the slight edge of being kind of vintage at this point and also rare, plus being lucky of finding one for half the price of a used NS, is making going for a NS very senseless.

 

[J.G.2024]

I owned a Dearmond X155, and it was an excellent guitar. I would definitely go for the DA over any of the others you’re considering.

The DA (Ha! Great to find we have an ongoing shortcut to avoid having to type Dearmond every single time) is a really interesting thing. It's rare that with guitars, something is respected across the board. Specially when it's not made in the U.S. or at least Japan. But concerning the Korean DAs, I have only found excellent things said about them. I mean, when the only thing negative you often see mentioned is the weight, that's excellent news on my book. I mean, I own and have owned Epiphones, Squires and Ibanez and I must say, I wish weight was the only problem. Talking about the weight, it seems a big deal is made for the DA SF weight. But the numbers I have seen are not really that different from a Sheraton, ES-335 and hollow body Jazz boxes out there. Depending on the versions. So is it really that heavy? To me, considering my other guitars, probably wont be an issue.

P.S. The other detail I like about the DA is the harp tailpiece. It seems the NS lost that?

 

[GAD]

The benefit of a Newark St. over an older DeArmond is probably mostly weight. The Newark St. Guilds are patterned off of '60s Guilds which are more lightweight builds than the later US-made models.

I just wanted you to know that many/most of us think of the original Newark Street model guitars (started in 2013) as real Guilds.

I do not agree with this, and I've complained that the import Newark St. Guilds should not have Guild on the headstock since day one. None of them should say Guild, IMO, but that's the nature of business in the 2020s.

@J.G.2024 what you want is a mid-late '90s or even '00 Guild Starfire. They can be had for about what a new Newark St. Guild costs these days and they absolutely crush anything made under either DeArmond or Newark St. names. If you can't afford a US-Made Guild, then I'd go with the DeArmond - but I must reinforce that they can be very very heavy. Save up if you can and get the real deal and then you'll have the guitar that you really want. Based on the prices of the Korean-made Newark St. (which are soon to be no more) these '90s Starfires should be selling for $3000-4000 but they're not. For now.

As for the Washburn HB35, I had one for a while and it was a pretty nice guitar. With an HB35 you have the added benefit of being able to put in any standard-sized pickups you want.

 

[J.G.2024]

Dang, the SF1 do go for cheap huh?

Guild Starfire I SC *NEW - Newark Florentine-Cut Semi-Hollow w/stop tail - Antique Burst 388 | Reverb

Description An affordably priced, single cut Starfire has arrived. Based on the timeless Starfire II and III single cut body shape, the Starfire I SC features a 2“ thick, hollow body with an added bridge block to increase bridge stability and improved resonance. M...

reverb.com

Ok, hold on. This is the I SC, which is just the I DC Single Cut, so a low end model. But it's also a Newark? I guess this is what have confused me then. So Newark is a general name? But having Newark in the name is not enough, it needs to be Newark Street to be the good ones? I know Newark is relating to one of the factory locations. But this is confusing.

 

[J.G.2024]

The benefit of a Newark St. over an older DeArmond is probably mostly weight. The Newark St. Guilds are patterned off of '60s Guilds which are more lightweight builds than the later US-made models.



I do not agree with this, and I've complained that the import Newark St. Guilds should not have Guild on the headstock since day one. None of them should say Guild, IMO, but that's the nature of business in the 2020s.

@J.G.2024 what you want is a mid-late '90s or even '00 Guild Starfire. They can be had for about what a new Newark St. Guild costs these days and they absolutely crush anything made under either DeArmond or Newark St. names. If you can't afford a US-Made Guild, then I'd go with the DeArmond - but I must reinforce that they can be very very heavy. Save up if you can and get the real deal and then you'll have the guitar that you really want. Based on the prices of the Korean-made Newark St. (which are soon to be no more) these '90s Starfires should be selling for $3000-4000 but they're not. For now.

As for the Washburn HB35, I had one for a while and it was a pretty nice guitar. With an HB35 you have the added benefit of being able to put in any standard-sized pickups you want.

I think we are coming from the same place regarding having the Guild name on a guitar which to me, seems to be the very same thing a Dearmond was. In other words, I'm not seeing how a NS is any more Guild than a DA, apart from having a Guild logo on the headstock, because Guild no longer has to protect their USA made guitars, as there are none.

But so the newer USA made Guilds will be as heavy as a DA? How heavy really are we talking about here? Like I said, it will probably not bother me. The numbers I have seen mentioned for the DA I have Les Pauls which weight about the same.

But apart from being heavier, in your opinion a DA is just s good as a NS?

How much can you find the mid-late '90s or 00 Guild Starfire made in USA for?

My current plan is to get a DA as I save up and wait for a USA made SF that I can afford. Then I would probably still keep the DA, as for giging, having a back up and specially one which is not as financially valuable is a good thing.

 

[J.G.2024]

As for the Washburn HB35, I had one for a while and it was a pretty nice guitar. With an HB35 you have the added benefit of being able to put in any standard-sized pickups you want.

Great that you have experience with the Washburn HB35. Compared to a Korean DA SF, which would you take? I can get a 1991 HB35 for the same money as the DA.

 

[GAD]

“Newark St.” Is the name that Guild uses for all of the current import electric guitars.

 

[GAD]

Great that you have experience with the Washburn HB35. Compared to a Korean DA SF, which would you take? I can get a 1991 HB35 for the same money as the DA.

I’d have to play them both. Every guitar should be evaluated on its own merits regardless of name or country of origin.

 

[GAD]

I think a part of the problem you're running into here is that most of the user-base is heavily into acoustics, and the electric-lovers among us are heavily into the US-made Guilds. We all follow along with what's going on at Guild because we love Guild and have been following them for decades.

Some of us, like me, have owned hundreds of guitars (in my case mostly Guilds) and don't see the lure of most of the modern import guitars because we're old and have a stable of fine US-made Guilds. Thus, a lot of the import guitars are just curiosities to us and so we don't have a lot of experience with them.

In my case, I bought a DeArmond because it's related to Guild and, well... just look at it:



That pic doesn’t do it justice. in my experience it’s rare for a budget level import guitar to be inspiring. That DeArmond is but I’ve played DeArmonds that weren’t. That’s why I say they need to be evaluated individually.

 

[J.G.2024]

“Newark St.” Is the name that Guild uses for all of the current import electric guitars.

Ok, now I'm lost. So the I DC is also a NS? I thought NS was just the currently made in Korea Guilds.

 

[J.G.2024]

I’d have to play them both. Every guitar should be evaluated on its own merits regardless of name or country of origin.

I understand you don't want to generalize. And I agree each guitar is individual. But I think independently of this individuality, there is still a baseline. So I have no problem in saying for example that an Eastman is better than a Harley Benton. Because down to the baseline, it is. And if it happens that the Harley Benton is better, it's because the Eastman is probably "defective". I hope that makes sense.

This is where I was looking for a comparison between a DA SF and a NS MIK SF, or a DA SF and a Washburn WB35.

 

[GGJaguar]

So the I DC is also a NS?

Yes! Depending on the model, they are made in Korea, Indonesia and China.

 

[J.G.2024]

Yes! Depending on the model, they are made in Korea, Indonesia and China.

Ok, so I feel like I'm back to ground zero. I had thought the I DC was the most low end model of the Starfire and made in Indonesia. And a NS was the highest end Starfire and made in Korea.

So what are exactly the NS MIK models please?

 

[GAD]

I understand you don't want to generalize. And I agree each guitar is individual. But I think independently of this individuality, there is still a baseline. So I have no problem in saying for example that an Eastman is better than a Harley Benton. Because down to the baseline, it is. And if it happens that the Harley Benton is better, it's because the Eastman is probably "defective". I hope that makes sense.

This is where I was looking for a comparison between a DA SF and a NS MIK SF, or a DA SF and a Washburn WB35.

But anyone in the very small group of people who have played both can only give you their experience with the one guitar they've played.

As a collector of US-Made Guilds, I find most modern made Korean guitars to be very similar, probably because many of them are made in the same plant. I find the Korean Guilds to be on the high end of the current crop but I often find many of them to be sort of... soulless if that makes sense.