DeArmond Starfire Special

dreadnut

Gone But Not Forgotten
Gone But Not Forgotten
Joined
Jun 15, 2005
Messages
16,082
Reaction score
6,442
Location
Grand Rapids, MI
Guild Total
2
I just spent 2 hours in the music cave playing my '98 DeArmond with Ernie Ball Power Slinkys and my silver half-dollar pick. Rotating through my Digitech pedal settings with my Crate 125 watt amp. Music therapy, baby. I love this guitar. Didn't think about my aches and pains at all the whole time.
 

shihan

Senior Member
Gold Supporting
Joined
Jan 18, 2013
Messages
1,540
Reaction score
796
Location
Ventura CA
Sounds like a good time! I’d love to come across one of those Dearmond SF’s at a reasonable price. I had a Dearmond X-150 when I first found this site; really fun guitar, wish I still had it. The Dearmonds are underrated gems.
 

dbirchett

Member
Joined
Oct 2, 2006
Messages
938
Reaction score
90
The only real criticism I have heard about these guitars is the weight. They are very heavy. But they play well and sound good.

On the other hand, the Newark Street Starfire III guitars play EXTREMELY well and sound good as well. And they are as light as a feather. At this point in my life that is critical. No Les Pauls for me.
 

wmachine

Junior Member
Joined
Dec 12, 2017
Messages
13
Reaction score
16
Location
Ohio
Pics, please! And what Digitech pedal are you using?

On the other hand, the Newark Street Starfire III guitars play EXTREMELY well and sound good as well. And they are as light as a feather.
I just bought one, and I agree. 6-5/8# and still feels solid, though weight is not an issue with me.
 

matsickma

Senior Member
Joined
Jun 21, 2005
Messages
4,280
Reaction score
1,028
Location
Coopersburg, PA
The DeArmond Starfire Special looks like a Guild SF3 but it is semihollow so typically as heavy as a Guild SF5.
M
 

dreadnut

Gone But Not Forgotten
Gone But Not Forgotten
Joined
Jun 15, 2005
Messages
16,082
Reaction score
6,442
Location
Grand Rapids, MI
Guild Total
2
Digitech RP 100, old but still works great. I like to step through the 40 pre-set channels, each setting evokes different songs - #5 = "Key To The Highway," #7 = "Funk # 49," #11 = "Pipeline," and so forth.

Yeah, the DA Starfire Special is heavier than a dead preacher, but so smooth...the single-coil 2K pickups just absolutely scream. Can't believe this guitar is about to turn 20 years old, I bought it brand new and it's still in minty condition!
 

GAD

Reverential Morlock
Über-Morlock
Joined
Feb 11, 2009
Messages
22,583
Reaction score
17,803
Location
NJ (The nice part)
Guild Total
112
A Dearmond guitar through Digitech pedals into a Crate amp? Man, don't post that on the Gear Page! If it's not a '59 Les Paul through a Klon into a Dumble then you ain't got the TOANZ! :emmersed:

I remember lusting after a Crate back in the '80s. I just thought the design was so cool. As for the Digitechs, well, for 20 years I played my Guild S300 though my Digitech programmable distortion and digital delay into a 100-watt Westbury solid-state amp and it was GOOD! The coily cords made it even better, as did that kick-*** rug!

guitar_retouched_800.jpg


Seriously, though, you nailed it with the phrase "music therapy". Making music is primal. Sometimes when I need to heal the soul I'll sit down and let the acoustic vibrate into my chest, and sometimes I'll plug the electric in, turn the amps up loud, crank the distortion and let the air thump my chest until the windows shake.

I'd love to see some pics of the Dearmond as well. Hell - how about the whole rig! I had no idea that the special had a center bloc, and it's as heavy as a SFV? I swear my SFV weighs about 64 pounds! :tongue-new:

Dammit... I'm sitting in a hotel room 3000 miles from home wishing I could crank up the amps now...
 

CosmicArkie

Member
Joined
Jul 2, 2015
Messages
490
Reaction score
19
Location
Texas
Sounds like a good time! I’d love to come across one of those Dearmond SF’s at a reasonable price. I had a Dearmond X-150 when I first found this site; really fun guitar, wish I still had it. The Dearmonds are underrated gems.

What do you consider a reasonable price?
dearmond-starfire-001.jpg
 

gjmalcyon

Senior Member
Gold Supporting
Joined
Feb 6, 2011
Messages
4,179
Reaction score
2,417
Location
Gloucester County, NJ
Guild Total
13
Can you enlighten me about the different pickups that were installed in these (cruising the interwebs, I think I see at least two different DeArmond pickups), and what the difference are?

I see Goldtones as well as the white DeArmonds (2K's?)
 
Last edited:

matsickma

Senior Member
Joined
Jun 21, 2005
Messages
4,280
Reaction score
1,028
Location
Coopersburg, PA
DeArmond had 4 different pickup in use on their guitars.
The Indonesia made guitars M-50 to M-65, S-65 and Jetstar Special had an open bobbin humbucker and it also came with a chrome cover. On the X145 wide body they had a humbucker with a open "H" chrome cover like a Gretsch humbucker. Not sure if this was same as the Low grade guitar pickups with a cover change.

The Korean made guitars, less X145, had either the Goldtone humbucker or the model 2K single coil. The model 2K sounds like a small P90.

DeArmond Guitars with Goldtone humbucker were: M70, M72, M75, M77, S73, Starfire Custom, X135, X155 and the Jetstar.

DeArmond Guitars with Model 2k single coils are:
M68 (Indonesia), M75T, M77T, S7312 (12-string), Bajojet (baratone), Starfire Special and T-400.
The 7-Star and S67 (Indonesia) are 7 string guitars with open bobbin humbucker pickups. Not sure but suspect they are the same pickup.

M
 

dreadnut

Gone But Not Forgotten
Gone But Not Forgotten
Joined
Jun 15, 2005
Messages
16,082
Reaction score
6,442
Location
Grand Rapids, MI
Guild Total
2
My buddy has one of the 7-string DeArmonds - I feel guilty because I told him about it at a local music store...he went and bought it, then he called me and he says "this damn thing has 7 strings!" No kidding, LOL. I didn't pick up on that when I looked at it because I didn't play it. Oh well, that was at their fire-sale prices, it's probably worth more now than when he bought it.
 

matsickma

Senior Member
Joined
Jun 21, 2005
Messages
4,280
Reaction score
1,028
Location
Coopersburg, PA
If it looks like a "SG" it is the Indonesia lower grade bolt-on neck guitar. If it looks like a Thunderbird it is the 7-Star MiK set-neck guitar.

M
 
Top