Unusual '97 Starfire III ?

bobouz

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Just wondering about a '97 Starfire that arrived today.

It is very clearly labeled as a Starfire 3, and conforms to the original specs in every way, including the metal bridge - except for the fact that it has a harp tailpiece instead of the 3's Guild-Bigsby. There are no signs of a Bigsby having been on it at any time. The body is maple with moderate flaming & vintage sunburst finish.

Has anyone happened to have come across this before?

Also, the stock pickups in '97 were Seymour Duncan humbuckers, correct? The guitar is in wonderful condition with a rather dignified beauty, and plays very cleanly with a slim & fast neck.

Guild happiness strikes again!
 

bobouz

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Hi GAD. I've never gotten a hang of posting pics on forums, but I can email them. If anyone would be willing to post them for me, please send a PM, and I'll try to get to it tonight, as I only unpacked the guitar a few hours ago & had to immediately plug in!
 

bobouz

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Email with pics sent.

Thanks GAD!
 

GAD

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Here you go:

IMGP3201_1600.jpg



IMGP3202_1600.jpg
 

gilded

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bobouz, did you take the tailpiece off and look for other screw holes where a Bigsby might have been mounted?
 

bobouz

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bobouz, did you take the tailpiece off and look for other screw holes where a Bigsby might have been mounted?
No Gilded, I have not yet removed the tailpiece, but I can see all of the top underneath it. I've never owned a Bigsby-equipped electric, but am thinking you'd see either the remnants of a mounting hole, or marks on the top indicating one had previously been mounted. The top on this Starfire is smooth as glass under the harp tailpiece.

At some point when I do have the tailpiece off, I'll report back if there appear to be any signs that a different one had originally been on there.
 
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Walter Broes

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That's the old-school wound-G Bigsby bridge. Wasn't Guild using the slightly fatter newer ones for a plain G by that time? I'm thinking maybe it's the bridge that was replaced, not the tailpiece.
 

bobouz

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That's the old-school wound-G Bigsby bridge. Wasn't Guild using the slightly fatter newer ones for a plain G by that time? I'm thinking maybe it's the bridge that was replaced, not the tailpiece.

Walter - The puzzler with that comes back to what originally threw me off. With a harp tailpiece, it should have been identified as a Starfire 2, but the label very clearly says Starfire 3, and the serial number on the label matches the headstock number.

I'll send GAD a shot of the period-correct Westerly label later today. Thanks to all for your input & info!

Edit - Interestingly, with a quick Google search, I've found pictures of '97 Starfire 3s with both the wound & unwound metal saddle on a metal bridge base.
 
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adorshki

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Walter - The puzzler with that comes back to what originally threw me off. With a harp tailpiece, it should have been identified as a Starfire 2, but the label very clearly says Starfire 3, and the serial number on the label matches the headstock number.
I'd bet it's just another example of a label-writer error.
 

Default

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Or somebody that didn't like Bigsbys. The Guild Bigsby has the same screwhole pattern as the harp. When l first got my SF lll, the break angle was so shallow that l ground down the metal bridge and installed a harp.
 

bobouz

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I'd bet it's just another example of a label-writer error.
Yes, that would be the most logical answer, but then having a Starfire 3 bridge on there makes me wonder if it left the factory that way. Did they see they'd mislabeled it & decided to put a metal bridge on the guitar to make it more like a 3 ?

We'll never know for sure, but more than anything, just wondering if anyone has seen this combination of features before?

Pic of the label sent to GAD.
 

AcornHouse

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Yes, that would be the most logical answer, but then having a Starfire 3 bridge on there makes me wonder if it left the factory that way. Did they see they'd mislabeled it & decided to put a metal bridge on the guitar to make it more like a 3 ?

We'll never know for sure, but more than anything, just wondering if anyone has seen this combination of features before?

Pic of the label sent to GAD.
You might send Hans an email through his website with the serial number. If anyone has the records, he will.
 

bobouz

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You might send Hans an email through his website with the serial number. If anyone has the records, he will.

If Hans doesn't see this thread, I'll do that.

Have communicated with him re some of my other instruments - he indeed is the source!
 
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