New to LTG, 2nd owner of 1966 EN784, Starfire V Blonde, since March or April of 1967

Jennifer

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Jen,
Might your starfire look something like this?: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DDEdFxUZ01s

I do remember that song, but never knew that girls in swim suits danced to it.

Craig

You can see that he had a preference for guitars of this general layout. The scene is from a beach/bikini movie that was in production during the time the band as on their one and only tour. It was after they got back to Minneapolis that my Guild was purchased, and then, under financal stress, brought back to Len's Guitar City and put on consignment. I remember Len telling me that the owner was keeping his Gibson 335, as he could not afford to keep both. What I want to learn is, was that Gibson a sponsor guitar, given to him, or sold a very low price, for promotional purposes during the tour and scheduled movie appearance, or was it one he simply purchased. Also of note would be to find out if he actually ordered the Guild special, or if it was an instrument that Len bought as a dealer just for inventory. Len passed away many decades ago, and so my only hope to find out these things is by contact with surviving band members to see if anyone recalls... I did exchange emails a few years ago with Jim Donna, keyboard player and head of the surviving band that still carries the Castaways name, and he had no recollections, other that his band mates at the time did seem to go through guitars. Like I mentioned in the first entry of this thread, I just found an address for the most likely candidate of first ownership and I will be sending him a letter in the coming week. I do hope that he can fill in some details....Jennifer
 

Jennifer

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Finally got the picture I posted on page 2 of this thread to pop up automatically....and my Avitiar is working too..!! Woo Hoo!
 

70man

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Greetings everyone... Just found this place and HAD to join..

I am a 'duffer' of a guitar player today, but back in the 60s, like a lot of teens back then, I had aspirations, and with some effort I learned to play enough to join in with nighborhood garage bands that were on just abiut everywhere in our neighborhood in south Minneapolis area. In late 1966, just as winter was coming on, a beautiful Guild Starfire V showed up a Len's Guitar City in Bloomington Minnesota for sale on consignment. I was taking lessons there every week, and Len let me use the instrument in the lesson studio instead of my crap instrument.

By early in 1967, it was gone. I asked if it had been sold, and he said no..the owner, a member of the Minneapolis based one hit wonder band, the Castaways, [ Liar Liar, on Soma label] owned it and had just taken it home. The band had come on hard times after a big hit in 65 and a huge tour in '66, when hit number 2 never materialized. Len said he sold the guy the instrument and a few months later when monsy started to get tight, he took it back to try and sell...I recall a price starting in the 700 or so range, dropping to upper 500s before the fellow took it home.

Len gave me the name and number to contact myself..I gave the information to my dad and arrangements were made to visit the band house and see the guy and the guitar...He still wanted a lot of money for it, but my dad learned that he had a $200 payment for something due in about 2 weeks...We left that evening with no deal and I was heartbroken, I loved the guitar SO much!!but dad had a plan... In 10 days time or so, my dad called him back as asked if he had the $200 he needed so immediately, and he said no. Dad replied that he had $200 cash waiting, and he could have it for the Giuld...about 11 minutes later 2 band members arrived at our door and the exchange was made! I have had it ever since!

I do not recall who the band member was that owned it at the time, and I cannot find any photos of the band with this specific guitar. I presume it was Robert LeRoy Folshow, also known as Bob Laroy who was the main guitar man in the band, but it might have been founding member Roy Hensley, who went back and forth betwen guitar and bass. Roy passed away in 2006, so I never be able to ask him...but I just found Robert Folshows address, so a letter and photos will be posted in due time to ask if if it had been his. I DO know and recall clearly from the time, that the guy that had the Guild also had a Gibson 355 that was similar in shape. In many photos and videos of the 1964 to 1966 period, Fulshow can be seen playing larger body, thin, electrics, either a single or double cut-away type, so I know he was attracted to this style of instrument. The only other guitar man in the band was founding member Dick Roby...who had likely left the band by mid 1966 when the Giuld was purchased. Who ever it was, they only had a few months...and it has been with me ever since. Could I be the longest continuing single guild owner on this forum? Don't know, but it would be fun to find out!

1966 EN784, ...how is she doing today?
Her frets are wearing out, and over time the set of the neck has slowly moved a tiny bit, resulting in the need for some ever-so-slight lowering of the highest frets to compensate for the slight curve where the neck meets the body...and as a result, the bridge needs to be low, like all just about all the way down on one side. Back in the day, there was a little room and the bridge could be lowered farther, relative to the neck. It is still barely in range to work fine, but when I get it re-fretted, the luthier will need to know about this and be sure to accomidate. I don't really want to invest in neck reset! The binding as shrunk a little up in the double cut-away area...but I don't mind. We could re-glue it and make up the tiny shortfall at the ends near the neck base with some new segments, but it does not buzz and I think it adds to the patina. The bulk of the binding around the body is just fine. This Starfire V was fitted with the Harp tailpiece...I remeber back in the day [ still in the 60s] thinking about orderin the Guild Bigsby for it, but never did..and now never will. About 15 years ago I removed the black pick guard as I have never thought it attractive, and later it fell behind a book case. One of these days I will remove the thosuand of pounds of book to retreive it, but for now it is safe and just gathers dust. I have recently thought of making a rosewood pickguard that will at least match the fretboard, and maybe add some tone, as compared to the plastic guard originally fitted. I don't have any photos of her handy, but will try to get some posted in the coming weeks.

Over the many decades, I have had the opportunity to play a lot of guitars, and of ALL those there was only ONE that felt as natural to me as my Starfire, and that was a real special one...BB Kings, Lucille.. by 1968 my family had moved to Oregon, and he came to our town on tour in 1969. His band played a small venue out on the east side, Springers Ballroom... at break time, the rest of his bend went out back behind the building for a while, while BB lingered near the stage. I went up and introduced myself as a huge fan and sort of a blues player. He was SO KIND, ...and gentle..his handshake like feeling a cloud! ....I asked him if he would allow me to just touch Lucille, to have had the experience...Instead he silently handed her to me, and then said quietly, "Hear her voice for yourself"....I was in heaven! 2 or 3 years later I met BB again at a huge open air concert in the downdown Portland arena..he remember me and we chatted a few minutes after his set, before he was whisked away.... What a memory, to have played some fiffs on Lucille for BB himself!!!! A high point in my life for sure...

Well that's the basic story....I'm getting older now, and want to fill in the blanks about the early life of my Guild. She has been a VRY special guitar to me, both for her early history, and the music she and I have played together over the years, for almost a half a century.... Cheers, Jennifer

I don't really stray much from the acoustic pages , today I did and I'm really glad.
What a great introduction and wonderful story.........Your Dad is the man, for having a such a cunning plan
.Very cool story, I love the part ,BB silently offered her to me and said,"hear her voice for yourself".
Just a great all round introduction.
Welcome and thank You.
Stu
 

Jennifer

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I don't really stray much from the acoustic pages , today I did and I'm really glad.
What a great introduction and wonderful story.........Your Dad is the man, for having a such a cunning plan
.Very cool story, I love the part ,BB silently offered her to me and said,"hear her voice for yourself".
Just a great all round introduction.
Welcome and thank You.
Stu

Thanks....I did not have a lot to do with the planning of it all, but you are right about my Dad....It was one of the best 'deals' he ever made in his whole life. He passed away about 8 or 9 years ago, but among the many great memories I have of him, is his generosity to spend that huge amount, and in those days $200 was a huge amount, on me for a special birthday gift....It has been the gift that kept on giving, througout my entire life since then almost half a century....
 

Treem

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Welcome to the LTG, Jennifer! Cool story!
 
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