GGJaguar
Reverential Member
I never felt the need to get one of these, but this one popped up for super cheap so it was a no-brainer. I can’t help it, I’m a sucker for shiny things. It’s resplendent with its flame maple body, bound headstock and F-holes, gold hardware, and blue abalone V-inlays. The only things missing are a G-shield inlay and flame maple neck.
The Newark Street Starfire VI was introduced in 2016 and was available only in a natural finish until 2021 when Shoreline Mist and Snowcrest White were added. There was also a special run Starfire VI made for Sweetwater in 2016-17. These had a cherry red finish with nickel hardware instead of gold.
With a traditional semi-hollow design, you might expect the center block to be a long chunk of wood that runs from the neck pickup route all the way to the butt end of the body, just as on the US-made Starfire IV. However, I speculated in my NS Starfire 12-string NGD report that the post-2017 Korean-made semi-hollow Starfires don’t have a center block that is an actual block.
This Starfire VI confirms my speculation. My 2012 NS Starfire IV and 2017 NS Starfire V both have a true solid block design, while my 2018 NS Starfire VI ST 12-string and this 2022 NS Starfire VI both have 2 large parallel braces that connect to the back as well as the top with a solid block that is only under the bridge (and stop tail). It’s arguably a design that is faster and cheaper to build, but it also results in a guitar that is lighter weight as well as having a consistent weight between guitars of the same model.
The neck is the standard Newark Street C-shape profile (Guild calls it a D-profile) with 1 11/16” nut width that is very easy to play. The frets are dressed high and neatly done. It is fitted with Grover Sta-Tite tuners that work well and are precise without any play or slop. There are no stability issues with the Guildsby or TOM bridge.
The guitar’s sound is bright and the LB-1 humbuckers have some midrange so the sound has some thickness to it without going into PAF territory. I think the all-maple construction gives the notes a little quicker pick attack. All in all, it’s fun to play.
The Newark Street Starfire VI was introduced in 2016 and was available only in a natural finish until 2021 when Shoreline Mist and Snowcrest White were added. There was also a special run Starfire VI made for Sweetwater in 2016-17. These had a cherry red finish with nickel hardware instead of gold.
With a traditional semi-hollow design, you might expect the center block to be a long chunk of wood that runs from the neck pickup route all the way to the butt end of the body, just as on the US-made Starfire IV. However, I speculated in my NS Starfire 12-string NGD report that the post-2017 Korean-made semi-hollow Starfires don’t have a center block that is an actual block.
This Starfire VI confirms my speculation. My 2012 NS Starfire IV and 2017 NS Starfire V both have a true solid block design, while my 2018 NS Starfire VI ST 12-string and this 2022 NS Starfire VI both have 2 large parallel braces that connect to the back as well as the top with a solid block that is only under the bridge (and stop tail). It’s arguably a design that is faster and cheaper to build, but it also results in a guitar that is lighter weight as well as having a consistent weight between guitars of the same model.
The neck is the standard Newark Street C-shape profile (Guild calls it a D-profile) with 1 11/16” nut width that is very easy to play. The frets are dressed high and neatly done. It is fitted with Grover Sta-Tite tuners that work well and are precise without any play or slop. There are no stability issues with the Guildsby or TOM bridge.
The guitar’s sound is bright and the LB-1 humbuckers have some midrange so the sound has some thickness to it without going into PAF territory. I think the all-maple construction gives the notes a little quicker pick attack. All in all, it’s fun to play.
