Starfire No?

Hello everybody,

I live in France, Paris exactly, and I bought recently a Guild that I dreamt to have since ages, that is very hard to find in my country: a Starfire V
I bought it to an old man that didn't seem to know a lot about guitars and could only say to me it was a 1965 guitar
There is something strange about it: there is no master volume but there is a Bigsby so it doesn't seem to be a Starfire IV
So, does anybody know about that mystery?

Thanks to anybody by advance that could find an answer and give me the clues!

Cheers

http://s1008.photobucket.com/albums/af2 ... =photo.jpg

http://s1008.photobucket.com/albums/af2 ... photo2.jpg

http://s1008.photobucket.com/albums/af2 ... photo3.jpg

welcome to ltg, juno106.
1965 or older seems to be right, because of the "shorter-neck-heel-setting", damn english, what is the right expression, again? and either it is a sf-4 with later added guildsby or a sf-4 special. but I am sure, hans moust will enlighten us, soon.

Beautiful guitar. Welcome and congratulations on finally getting the Guild. From a fellow Guild..and Juno 106..owner!

juno106 said:

I live in France, Paris exactly, and I bought recently a Guild that I dreamt to have since ages, that is very hard to find in my country: a Starfire V
I bought it to an old man that didn't seem to know a lot about guitars and could only say to me it was a 1965 guitar There is something strange about it: there is no master volume but there is a Bigsby so it doesn't seem to be a Starfire IV So, does anybody know about that mystery.

Click to expand...

Hello juno106,

Welcome! You didn't mention if there was a label glued inside the guitar under the bass side f-hole. If there is one, it should give you the proper model designation of your guitar. Looking at the photos, I would say it's not a Starfire V, so it might be a Starfire IV Special ( Starfire IV Spec. ), which was not uncommon during the '60s. Can you give us the serial number? That would tell us more about the manufacturing date.

Sincerely,

Hans Moust
http://www.guitarsgalore.nl

It looks like my Starfire IV Special. I have a Bigsby factory installed. GREAT Guitar! I love mine.

Hello juno106,

Welcome! You didn't mention if there was a label glued inside the guitar under the bass side f-hole. If there is one, it should give you the proper model designation of your guitar. Looking at the photos, I would say it's not a Starfire V, so it might be a Starfire IV Special ( Starfire IV Spec. ), which was not uncommon during the '60s. Can you give us the serial number? That would tell us more about the manufacturing date.

Sincerely,

Hans Moust


Hello Hans

Thanks for your help (and thanks for everybody's comments)
It's very hard to see inside the guitar but I think "EL 342" is written

I hope it may help

juno106 said:

...Hello Hans

Thanks for your help (and thanks for everybody's comments)
It's very hard to see inside the guitar but I think "EL 342" is written

I hope it may help

Click to expand...

this should make it a 1966 starfire 4 (special), right hans?

Sounds like a guitar I'm familiar with which had a IV label, no 'special' designation, the earlier neck joint at the 16th fret, and no master volume, but also had a factory Bigsby and the bound headstock and block inlays and a serial number prefix of EN rather than EL that made sense for a V rather than a IV. So as far as my limited experience goes, it seems there is precedent for an identity crisis IV/V guitar without the 'special' tag on the label.

teleharmonium said:

Sounds like a guitar I'm familiar with which had a IV label, no 'special' designation, the earlier neck joint at the 16th fret, and no master volume, but also had a factory Bigsby and the bound headstock and block inlays and a serial number prefix of EN rather than EL that made sense for a V rather than a IV. So as far as my limited experience goes, it seems there is precedent for an identity crisis IV/V guitar without the 'special' tag on the label.

Click to expand...

Well, that guitar seems to be a special case: maybe Hans could find an answer with the serial number (I hope so)