Guild Starfire V with Bigsby Newark Street 2014

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All Right People. I am now officially a Guild Member! Just Got back Home with my Starfire V w Bigsby Newark St Collection 2014. I am really happy.

I bought it on Matt Umanov Guitars (NYC) http://www.umanovguitars.com/.

It needs a bit o setup on the nut as it is too high for my taste, but even this it just sound and look way too cool with my Blues Junior. Ill post a liunk with some pictures on the next few days.
 

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That's the one niggle that I could find with the build quality on my SFIV. It's hardly unplayable, but needs to come down just a bit.
 

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Mighty strange fret marker dots for the fifth fret, is all I can say. Don't think I could play that guitar with a straight face!
 
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My First Guild Starfire V w Bigsby and some Photos

Hello Folks I now have my very own Guild Starfire V with Bigsby.

First impressions, I love the look and feel of the guitar. Also the tone is great for my Blues Rock Style. I just feel that the frets and nuts are a bit high for my personal taste. I feel that if I press the string to hard around the 1st and 7th fret it gets some pitch changes (gets out of tune). I'll take it to my guitar tech as I think its just a minor adjustment. For now I have some pictures to share, hope this is the best place.

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guildman63

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OK, I am powerless...lets vere this into another realm...my profound apologies to the OP...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bj1w0vxCC2w

There is a better video of this song somewhere, done from the Letterman Show I think...pretty good sound
from those little solid state Voxes...:crazy:

Could her band be any stiffer? :indecisiveness: Leslie is getting into it, and her band looks to be drifting in and out of a deep sleep.

Atenenbaum,

That guitar is a beauty!
 
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Hello Walter, thanks!! I am actually a havy hand bend player. So is ok to use double stick tape to "fix" the bridge? There is a special one or just regular double stick tape? And how about placent. How can I find the right spot?

Hi Atenenbaum,

I have pinned the bridge on My NS Starfire V and its quite easy to do (and gives a noticeable increase in acoustic volume & tone) as follows:-
1. Check the intonation with open strings and at the twelfth fret + harmonics at the 12th fret, using a digital guitar tuner or similar; make minor adjustments to the position of the bridge until you get perfect intonation.
2. When the bridge is positioned exactly for perfect intonation, stick some 1" decorators masking tape on the body of the guitar around all 4 sides of the bridge so that one edge of the tape lightly touches the bridge along its surfaces.
3. Loosen off the strings and remove the bridge taking care not to disturb or move the masking tape; When the bridge is removed you will see that the masking tape has formed a rectangular oblong shape that outlines the position where the bridge was before it was removed.
4. Separate the top half of the bridge from the bottom half.

I screwed the base of the rosewood bridge on my guitar directly into the center-block below the mahogany top surface of the guitar by drilling two small countersunk holes on either side of the INSIDE of the bridge height adjustment screws. If you use small brown-colored countersunk screws these will not be visible when the bridge is re-assembled onto the guitar.

5. When you have drilled and countersunk the two small screw holes in the base of the bridge, re=assemble the bridge, taking care to ensure that the 'G' string indent is on the correct side, and carefully position it into the oblong hole in the masking tape so that the bridge base touches the masking tape on all four sides of the oblong. Using a scriber or other marking tool mark out the position of the two screw holes on the top of the guitar body.
6. Remove the bridge and drill two undersize 'pilot holes' through the top of the guitar and into the center block beneath
7. Screw the bridge down firmly into the top of the guitar and remove the masking tape. If you use good quality tape it will not leave any marks at all on the guitar.
8. Re-string the guitar and tune up. Hopefully you will find that increased friction between the bridge and the top of the guitar body produces a noticeable increase in acoustic volume and tone and, if you have followed the guidance given above, you will find that you cannot see the fixing screws at all.

If the guitar doesn't stay in tune give the Bigsby a few heavy wangs and everything will settle down nicely.
 
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Hi, I just saw this thread and found it interesting. I've recently caught the urge to buy a semi-hollow and because I REALLY like my D-150 that I bought last year, I'm considering the Starfire III or V. My other short list guitar is a Gretsch Electromatic 5620. My concern with all three guitars is the Bigsby and its ability to return to tune. I'm not a guy who plays with a whammy bar, in fact the vibrato is blocked on my Strat, but for the New Year I may want to learn a new trick or two.

I guess my worry from reading this thread is if the bridge moving around is a real concern or if it is just something to watch out for. Also besides the bridge concerns are there any recommended/necessary mods for these guitars?
 
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