Replacing Humbucker pickups to Starfire IV (made in Corona)

[robertking]

Hi,
I just got my first Guild Starfire IV from the early 00's. I really like the guitar and it is in great shape but I would like to change the pickups.
After reading through the forum it sounds like these Corona-made Starfires have Fender-designed HB-1 pickups.
Any recommendations on replacement pickups?
I like to play mostly Soul and Motown.
Thanks in advance!

 

[GAD]

Hi,
I just got my first Guild Starfire IV from the early 00's. I really like the guitar and it is in great shape but I would like to change the pickups.
After reading through the forum it sounds like these Corona-made Starfires have Fender-designed HB-1 pickups.
Any recommendations on replacement pickups?
I like to play mostly Soul and Motown.
Thanks in advance!

Welcome! Definately Fender HB1s if they're original. The good news is that any modern humbucker pickups will fit, though you'll lose the very Guildesq double hump covers.

PIckups are a very personal choice. Your budget can help guide towards a solution. If there's no limit then any number of boutique options can be great. If you prefer a more mainstream approach, then the main players like DiMarzio and Seymour Duncan have great options.

I would stick with something PAFish and there are endless PAF clones out there.

 

[robertking]

Thanks, And glad to hear most humbucker pickups will fit.
I was actually thinking of The Jazz Model humbuckers (SH-2) from Seymor Duncan but if there are other good options in the same price range, do let me know.
I have Seth Lovers on my hollow-body guitar and I like them as well but I would like to try something brighter.

 

[robertking]

I was just listening and comparing the pickups on Seymor Duncan's website, and I quite like the sound of the vintage P90 too.
If I'd like a P90 on my Starfire, is that possible?

 

[GAD]

There are humbucker shaped P90s

 

[robertking]

Any thoughts on the pickups in Korean-made Starfires vs Fender HB1s, is there any noticeable difference?

 

[jp]

Any thoughts on the pickups in Korean-made Starfires vs Fender HB1s, is there any noticeable difference?

Sorry, but I have no experience with Newark Street Starfire pickups that would fit your guitar. These would be the Korean-made PUs that Guild calls the HB-2s.

GAD has a review of them on his blog as well as some sound samples.

Guild Newark St. Starfire I SC Review | GAD's Ramblings

Here we have a 2020 Guild Starfire I SC (single cut) in Seafoam Green that I absolutely had to have based on the color alone. There is a fair bit of stir in the online guitar forums about these Starfire I guitars, most of which revolves around the question, how is Guild making these for …

www.gad.net

If you're interested in humbucker-sized P90s, check out this article.

10 Humbucker-Sized P-90s You Should Try

Put that router away and say hello to brighter, grittier tone with these drop-in, humbucker-sized single-coils.

www.premierguitar.com

Also, TV Jones have a variety of humbucker-sized options, and there are sound samples on the site to listen to them. I've been really curious to try some.

Pickup Advisor

Get help to dial in your perfect fit. Find the details on replacement pickups based on your current pickup.

tvjones.com

Good luck on your search!

 

[GAD]

Sorry, but I have no experience with Newark Street Starfire pickups that would fit your guitar. These would be the Korean-made PUs that Guild calls the HB-2s.

GAD has a review of them on his blog as well as some sound samples.

Guild Newark St. Starfire I SC Review | GAD's Ramblings

Here we have a 2020 Guild Starfire I SC (single cut) in Seafoam Green that I absolutely had to have based on the color alone. There is a fair bit of stir in the online guitar forums about these Starfire I guitars, most of which revolves around the question, how is Guild making these for …

www.gad.net

If you're interested in humbucker-sized P90s, check out this article.

10 Humbucker-Sized P-90s You Should Try

Put that router away and say hello to brighter, grittier tone with these drop-in, humbucker-sized single-coils.

www.premierguitar.com

Also, TV Jones have a variety of humbucker-sized options, and there are sound samples on the site to listen to them. I've been really curious to try some.

Pickup Advisor

Get help to dial in your perfect fit. Find the details on replacement pickups based on your current pickup.

tvjones.com

Good luck on your search!

I have a set of TV Jones Setzer English mount pickups in one of my X170Ts and I love them.

 

[SFIV1967]

Any thoughts on the pickups in Korean-made Starfires vs Fender HB1s...

Sorry, but I have no experience with Newark Street Starfire pickups that would fit your guitar. These would be the Korean-made PUs that Guild calls the HB-2s.

Well, that's a difficult topic!...
The late 90's Fender HB-1 was made at Fender.
Korean made Starfires like the Starfire IV (made at Sound Professional Guitar Co) use the 2013 introduced Guild small sized ("litte") LB-1 humbuckers made by BH (BooHeung Precision Machinery) in Korea.
Whereas the Indonesian made "Starfire I line" (made at Samick) are using the standard sized Guild HB-2 humbuckers (the HB-2 pickups are also made at BH in Korea).

Ralf

 

[robertking]

Thanks for all the information!
I think I'll try the Kent Armstrong humbucker-sized P90s first.
And now that I am checking the P90 options...
I see there are two versions of the pickup, the other one saying it's magnetic pole reversed (Rw/Rp models).
Would there be any benefit of having the reversed P-90 in neck or bridge position? If not, then I will just get the same pickup for neck and bridge.

 

[Rocky]

Generally, people like less hot pickups in their semi/hollowbodies. As a gross generalization, they (underwound pickups) have a more balanced sound with less mid/low end that feeds back less, and lets you hear more of the articulation in the hollow instrument. But it really comes down to taste.

 

[GAD]

Thanks for all the information!
I think I'll try the Kent Armstrong humbucker-sized P90s first.
And now that I am checking the P90 options...
I see there are two versions of the pickup, the other one saying it's magnetic pole reversed (Rw/Rp models).
Would there be any benefit of having the reversed P-90 in neck or bridge position? If not, then I will just get the same pickup for neck and bridge.

If you wire the normal and reverse properly then they’re noise cancelling like a humbucker in the middle position.

 

[Harp Tail]

I have seen several standard sized humbucker equipped guitars retrofitted with dog ear P90s, and apparently with a bezel under the P90 there won't be any gaps showing... I asked Paul at GuitarTech NYC last week about the mod and he told me he's done it himself a few times.
I'm very happy with my Corona SFIII, but since I already own dozens of HB equipped guitars, the temptation to install Duncan Alnico "staple" P90s is strong...

 

[Harp Tail]

Epiphone Broadway Archtop Electric Guitar with P-90 Pickups Hollowbody | Reverb

Modded in-house by 1929, this Epiphone Broadway has been converted to use Alnico 2 P-90 pickups, Grover Imperial tuners, chicken head knobs, CTS pots, Orange Drop capacitors, a Gibson style tailpiece, and a custom made fire stripe style bound pickguard in the early Epiphone shape. It's a great so...

reverb.com

See this B'way currently listed on Reverb to confirm what I wrote above.

 

[LesB3]

That '00 is still a great guitar, and I'd hate to see you poke a few extra holes in the top. Seymour Duncan makes the Phat Cat, a humbucker-sized P-90, and of course, there's always a Gibson P-94. I have Phat Cats in a few of my guitars and like them just fine!

 

[LesB3]

Epiphone Broadway Archtop Electric Guitar with P-90 Pickups Hollowbody | Reverb

Modded in-house by 1929, this Epiphone Broadway has been converted to use Alnico 2 P-90 pickups, Grover Imperial tuners, chicken head knobs, CTS pots, Orange Drop capacitors, a Gibson style tailpiece, and a custom made fire stripe style bound pickguard in the early Epiphone shape. It's a great so...

reverb.com

See this B'way currently listed on Reverb to confirm what I wrote above.

You know, that's a really cool Epiphone.

 

[robertking]

I had the humbucker-sized P-90 on my list but in the end, I decided to go with Gibson '57 Classics. Had to replace the pickup rings, other than that, no problem. And I like how it sounds now. There's something in that Starfire IV body that makes it sound a bit different from the 335s and 335 copies that I've tried.

 

[Harp Tail]

Yes - the mods make it a very cool guitar. She's only sorry she's not a Guild...

 

[Minnesota Flats]

The SD, humbucker-sized P90s are called "Phat Cats".

I have a 1990 Gibson ES-335 that I swapped Harmonic Design Z-90s into: big improvement over the stockers. I used the stock pup frames/surrounds and there was no need to drill additional holes or do any routing.

The rewiring, however, is considerably more tedious than rewiring something more accessible, like a Strat pickguard.

Gibson Type Pickups Page

Since 1983 Harmonic Design USA has supplied over 14,000 replacement pickups to professional players and guitar makers all over the world

www.harmonicdesign.net

 

[Harp Tail]

Unfortunately, that is always the problem when working on the innards of most hollow bodies