NGD: '97 Starfire IV in Sunburst

seanmarshall9

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Hey ya'll,

New to the forum, but I've been researching Guild SFs for years in anticipation of a purchase. Thanks to GADs ramblings and some other various info, I settled on getting a 90s SFIV. Specs, timing, and price was right, and I ordered the attached SFIV in sunburst.

Any experienced '97 SF owners want to chime in on what I can expect? Hopefully should have it in my hands within a week.

SM

'97 SFIV on Reverb
 

GGJaguar

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Welcome and congrats on the beautiful Starfire IV! I have a SF 5 in that finish and I know how great it looks in person. Looking forward to your impressions when it arrives.
 

Stuball48

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Welcome to a great forum and you didn't tippy-toe in--you made a splash.
GAD does -just amazing - reviews. I am not even an electric guitar guy and after reading his reviews on X 170 - I bought one.
You have a beautiful guitar to enjoy!!
 

HeyMikey

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Wow that’s a super clean one. Love the burst over that tiger maple. Congratulations Sean!
 

shihan

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Welcome! I have a ‘97 SF 4; I can honestly say you’re going to be a pretty happy guy. Light, responsive, easy playing, fabulous sounding and impeccable workmanship are just a few highlights.
I almost bid on your guitar, as mine is maple, and I want another in mahogany because they’re so great.
Congratulations!
 

seanmarshall9

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Welcome! I have a ‘97 SF 4; I can honestly say you’re going to be a pretty happy guy. Light, responsive, easy playing, fabulous sounding and impeccable workmanship are just a few highlights.
I almost bid on your guitar, as mine is maple, and I want another in mahogany because they’re so great.
Congratulations!
Hey thanks! Good news.
So my Sunburst SFIV has a mahogany top? Interesting. I figured it was maple (no pun intended). I've seen some refer to them as "'hogs" here. Hope it works out as well as yours has!
 

seanmarshall9

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You can expect it to ROCK! Great choice and welcome!
Thank you, GAD, for all the insight and info you have made easily accessible. From studying Guild over the years, I've learned their history isn't as simple and straightforward to follow, but your site and articles make it much clearer and easier.

Thanks again,
-SM
 

GAD

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Thank you, GAD, for all the insight and info you have made easily accessible. From studying Guild over the years, I've learned their history isn't as simple and straightforward to follow, but your site and articles make it much clearer and easier.

Thanks again,
-SM

Any of us who write about Guilds stand on the shoulders of Hans.
 

fronobulax

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Hey thanks! Good news.
So my Sunburst SFIV has a mahogany top? Interesting. I figured it was maple (no pun intended). I've seen some refer to them as "'hogs" here. Hope it works out as well as yours has!

All generalizations about Guilds are wrong, including this one, but for vintage Starfires a good rule of thumb was that sunbursts were maple and everything else was mahagony. There are exceptions, of course but...
 

shihan

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All generalizations about Guilds are wrong, including this one, but for vintage Starfires a good rule of thumb was that sunbursts were maple and everything else was mahagony. There are exceptions, of course but...
Thanks for correcting me on this. The quote “all generalizations about Guilds are wrong” should be our motto!
 

fronobulax

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Thanks for correcting me on this. The quote “all generalizations about Guilds are wrong” should be our motto!

I'm not sure I was really correcting you because what is true for the 60's may not have been true in the 90's. But it is a reason for a belief so...

Poor Hans corrected me many, many times before I realized I just need to stop acting as if my Generalizations are Truth. :)
 

GAD

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One of my favorite things to tell people: "All generalizations are false." It's a good way to see if someone is paying attention. ;)

In the '90s there were plenty of blonde Starfires which were maple. '70s, too.
 

bobouz

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Your guitar is maple. I have a ‘97 Starfire III in a similar sunburst. You’ve got a fine guitar coming, and most folks tend to think quite highly of the stock Seymour Duncan humbuckers. Congrats!
 

seanmarshall9

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Hey ya'll, update on this. Starfire arrived yesterday, looking, playing, and sounding wonderful. I ran it though its paces and only needed to change strings. The store I purchased from must have given it a setup, bc it was fully intonated. The pics from the original Reverb listing are better than any I could take, but I’ve included some beneath my review.

Review:
Condition is basically brand new, the only exception being two reflector stickers on the top of each tone knob fell off in shipping, probably from the heat. I’m gonna super glue them back on.

Finish is so good and tight it looks like poly but is lacquer. I know GAD mentioned difficulty telling the difference, too. For me, the smell is the quickest indicator tho. It's got that sweet vanilla-ish lacquer smell. Beautiful flame maple throughout.

Neck: narrower than my modern Fenders, but not so narrow as that 70s style Strat I had years ago. Somewhere between. Feels convenient for more complex chording and solo runs. Profile is a nice medium C- not too thin but much faster than my broadcaster-style tele neck. Fretboard is a brighter, less dark rosewood that is beautifully figured.

Frets are the smallest I’ve ever played. Almost feels like a fretless wonder. Makes it very much a jazz guitar, which is cool bc that’s kind of why I bought it. Again, it plays so fast. Maybe when a refret is due in the future I will switch these to vintage tall.

Pickups sound as good as I could likely ever want a humbucker that isn’t a real PAF to sound. Warm, fat, w/ top end retained.

Electronics are decent, but less exciting than an Emerson harness I have on another guitar. Sound is full on top numbers but doesn’t feel like much below 4 really exists.

Original Hardshell Case is amazing. I love that its deep dark brown looks almost black from afar, but detailed upon closer inspection. The red lining is lush, and the latches are smooth and QUIET.

Sorry for writing a book. I suppose I just want to keep up with GAD's standards for a review! Thanks to all for chiming in. Can't wait to get tons of use from this SFIV.

SM
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