NAMM 2016: Guild reintroduces the Starfire VI

[SFIV1967]

"Guild reintroduces the Starfire VI, the flagship model for their double cutaway semi-hollow electric guitar line.This new release is part of the continued expansion of the Starfire line, and showcases the company's renewed interest in developing their electric guitar line up further.


The Starfire models are obviously inspired by another popular guitar maker, but they are subtly different, enough for vintage specimens to be highly sought after. Even popular guitarists like John Mayer have used them on stage, and so having them reproduced today as production models is an easy call for the company, especially since they are now under Cordoba Music Group.


As expected, the new Starfire VI follows after the Newark St. Collection's Starfire V production model, carrying over the same double-cutaway body shape but with more cosmetic bling. The body itself is crafted from AAA flamed maple top, back and sides, which means that each plank is chosen for their grain quality. Following traditional semi-hollow designs, it comes with a solid centerblock.

The neck is crafted from a three-piece maple/walnut/maple combination with a bound rosewood fingerboard. There is no mention of the neck profile yet, but if it follows that of the Starfire V, then it will have a scale length of 24.75" and a nutwidth of 1 11/16″, with a vintage soft-u shape. Mother-of-pearl and abalone V-blocks serve as fret markers.


Staying true to form, this guitar comes with Dual LB-1 Little Bucker pickups, replicas of Guild’s 1960s smaller size humbucking pickup. The company says that these "offer a range of tones well-suited for a variety of playing styles and genres". The unique size of the pickup can be a concern for those who like to thinker and change their pickups, but it wouldn't be a Starfire without this distinct feature.

The bridge follows traditional designs as well, with a pinned Tune-o-Matic bridge with rosewood base and a Guild Vibrato Tailpiece. Other features include 5 ply black and ivory purfling, deluxe f-hole and body binding, and the traditional gold hardware as found on vintage Starfire VI specimens.
More information will soon be available, just in time for the coming NAMM 2016. Pricing information and other details will soon be available at Guild Guitars".

Source: http://www.guitarsite.com/news/electric_guitar/guild-starfire-vi/

Ralf

 

[FNG]

Nice! USA made?

 

[Cougar]

Holy caramba!

 

[twocorgis]

Nice! USA made?

Sadly not "As expected, the new Starfire VI follows after the Newark St. Collection's Starfire V production model, carrying over the same double-cutaway body shape but with more cosmetic bling."

Don't want to start a flame war here, but all I'm seeing out of CMG at NAMM 2016 is new cheap Chinese made stuff. Bummer.

 

[SFIV1967]

all I'm seeing out of CMG at NAMM 2016 is new cheap Chinese made stuff.

The M-20 and D-20 are Made in USA this upcoming NAMM.
The Newark St. Collection is Made in Korea.
The Westerly Collection is Made in China.

Ralf

 

[twocorgis]

The M-20 and D-20 are Made in USA this upcoming NAMM.
The Newark St. Collection is Made in Korea.
The Westerly Collection is Made in China.

Ralf

Duly noted Ralf. I should have excluded the Newark street Collection, but with their weak bridge pups on a lot of models, combined with the fact that I'm not really an electric guy, I'm not all that crazy about them anyway. And the M20 and D20 don't do anything for me either, but I guess you have to start somewhere.

 

[SFIV1967]

The Starfire VI is also included in the new 2016 catalog: http://issuu.com/guildguitars/docs/2016_guild_catalog_pages

Ralf

 

[guildman63]

Most of us already expected that there will be no new USA electrics for a while since the first acoustic models are just becoming available. Given the fact that the SF-IV has been coming out of Korea for a while this seems like a natural decision to me. I think it looks great and will do well. I want more USA electrics as much as anyone, but Korean models are here to stay, so they may as well get peoples attention, which this one certainly should.

 

[SFIV1967]

Most of us already expected that there will be no new USA electrics for a while.

The good news is that the Oxnard Opening press release shows: "Guild will also bring back some classic electric models." And that refers to Oxnard production. But yes, it will be probably not in 2016 but 2017. One step after another.

See: http://www.letstalkguild.com/ltg/sh...nard-Factory&p=1711833&viewfull=1#post1711833

Ralf

 

[txbumper57]

Don't want to start a flame war here, but all I'm seeing out of CMG at NAMM 2016 is new cheap Chinese made stuff. Bummer.

To be honest with you Sandy I think some of their Cheap Chinese stuff looked better than their American M20 and D20 they had under the Christmas Tree. I am Glad to see them making progress with the company but I'm not really excited about where U.S. production is headed. Honestly I don't see them making anything that rivals what New Hartford was producing for at least a few years, That is if they come close to that level at all. As much as I hate to admit it and as much as I have been trying to tell myself otherwise, Cordoba has always been a Manufacturer with the majority of their instrument production coming from overseas. With the release of the Once Flagship Starfire VI that is now made in Korea and the addition of 5 new Arch back Acoustic models to the Chinese made line up, it seems they are concentrating more on Adding New models to their overseas lines than getting things really moving stateside. I really hope that I am wrong and everything comes through but I feel like the Guild Guitar company that I know and Love so much is slowly slipping away. As always this is my opinion and no one else's so it is what it is.


TX

 

[Guildadelphia]

Sweet looking new Starfire. Would it be beyond the realm of possibility that they finally addressed the output problem on the bridge mini-hums?

 

[Default]

So far, no. They just spin the PR.

 

[twocorgis]

To be honest with you Sandy I think some of their Cheap Chinese stuff looked better than their American M20 and D20 they had under the Christmas Tree. I am Glad to see them making progress with the company but I'm not really excited about where U.S. production is headed. Honestly I don't see them making anything that rivals what New Hartford was producing for at least a few years, That is if they come close to that level at all. As much as I hate to admit it and as much as I have been trying to tell myself otherwise, Cordoba has always been a Manufacturer with the majority of their instrument production coming from overseas. With the release of the Once Flagship Starfire VI that is now made in Korea and the addition of 5 new Arch back Acoustic models to the Chinese made line up, it seems they are concentrating more on Adding New models to their overseas lines than getting things really moving stateside. I really hope that I am wrong and everything comes through but I feel like the Guild Guitar company that I know and Love so much is slowly slipping away. As always this is my opinion and no one else's so it is what it is.

TX

Totally agree TX, and more's the pity. I agree that the new D and M20 are no great shakes, but those new MIC arch backs look particularly egregious to me. The lone bright spot here was still seeing the Orpheum in the catalog (with Ren, but no Jason McIntyre). Who knows when they'll ever resume production, and what the resulting product will be like, though?

It's a shame to see Guild become a primarily Asian brand. At least in the old days, they didn't call them Guilds.

 

[sailingshoes72]

I really don't have a problem with this. If a company wants to stay in business they have to move product and make a profit. And there is definitely a market for these over-seas made instruments. I have come to view the Oxnard factory as more of a "custom shop" building high quality, "made in USA" guitars for the discerning buyer. At least I hope so! :boxing:

Bill

 

[txbumper57]

I have come to view the Oxnard factory as more of a "custom shop" building high quality, "made in USA" guitars for the discerning buyer. At least I hope so! :boxing:

Bill

I wouldn't even give them the moniker of a Standard shop in Oxnard yet. So far they have produced a few guitars with an actual selling price of $1299 each which I think is Awesome but honestly I wouldn't even say there are of the same quality as the Standard Series from New Hartford. Granted I haven't played one yet and I will as soon as my dealer gets them in but From the photos I have seen and the one video on Facebook of the M20 being played I am honestly not impressed. I'm pulling for them to come through the fog and wish them the best but they have a long way to go to be a guitar shop in Oxnard, Let alone a custom shop.

TX

 

[guildman63]

Do you really think Ren would go through all of this nonsense in CA, and then put out a sub-par guitar with his name on the line? I think we all need to relax a bit and not get so crazy about what hasn't even been released yet. I can remember the first pictures of the AP guitars and how they looked like crap. The reality could not have been more different. As Aaron Rodgers was once quoted as saying: R-E-L-A-X! eaceful:

 

[kakerlak]

What's with all the Rosewood?

 

[txbumper57]

Do you really think Ren would go through all of this nonsense in CA, and then put out a sub-par guitar with his name on the line? I think we all need to relax a bit and not get so crazy about what hasn't even been released yet. I can remember the first pictures of the AP guitars and how they looked like crap. The reality could not have been more different. As Aaron Rodgers was once quoted as saying: R-E-L-A-X! eaceful:

Funny how he wasn't saying that after he got sacked like 8 times, LOL! Personally I don't think Ren would put out a subpar guitar. I think that is the main reason it has taken this long to put out the Hog twins, LOL.

 

[matsickma]

There are plenty of vintage Guild reasonably priced on the market to satisfy the Guild "True American" babyboomer guitar needs. Guilds manufactured in Asia and America is going to be a fact if life in this century. The beauty in all of this is Guild guitar style and feel is being introduced to more musicians. If Guild is to survive they need to be on the shelf at MF and GC. The MIK and MIC models are getting big box floorspace and that has to be good news.

 

[kakerlak]

There are plenty of vintage Guild reasonably priced on the market to satisfy the Guild "True American" babyboomer guitar needs. Guilds manufactured in Asia and America is going to be a fact if life in this century. The beauty in all of this is Guild guitar style and feel is being introduced to more musicians. If Guild is to survive they need to be on the shelf at MF and GC. The MIK and MIC models are getting big box floorspace and that has to be good news.

I tell you what. When these all first came out, I figured the '50s style models, especially the Aristocrat, were smart b/c they offered something pretty darn close to the actual USA vintage models at a substantially smaller price. I was skeptical of the '60s-'70s style stuff. I didn't think there was room in the market for new MIK copies of vintage American guitars at a price point that was as little as a couple hundred cheaper. Everybody else's reissue models seemed demand driven, in that the actual vintage stuff was expensive enough that 95-99% of the buying public could never afford it, creating a market for the cheaper reissues. It seemed to me that vintage ('50s) Guild values were right at the fringe of this range, but I've been really surprised to see the Starfires and S-100s selling. It seems like there's no shortage of vintage ones in the $800-1.5k range, yet the Korean ones are actually doing ok. It's made me rethink what's driving sales.