Need Info on Guild Starfire

Rich Cohen

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Fellow LTGers,
I am as dumb as they come with respect to Guild Starfires, especially from the 60s and 70's, or before they began making them overseas. Are they comparable to the Gibson 330 from the '60s and early 70s? I am aware that Gibson changed the neck joint in the early 70s.
Thanks for your input!
Rich
 
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GAD

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There are multiple model Starfires:

Starfire - Original one-pickup Starfire
Starfire II - Two pickup single cutaway hollowbody
Starfire III - Two pickup single cutaway hollowbody
Starfire IV - double cutaway semi-hollow
Starfire V - Same as 4 with Guildsby
Starfire VI - High end classy expensive super IV/V

None of them are like an ES 330 which is a double cutaway hollow-body as I recall.

The Starfire 4/5/6 sort of looks like one, but they're semi-hollow. They're more like the ES-335.
 

fronobulax

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There are multiple model Starfires:

Starfire - Original one-pickup Starfire
Starfire II - Two pickup single cutaway hollowbody
Starfire III - Two pickup single cutaway hollowbody
Starfire IV - double cutaway semi-hollow
Starfire V - Same as 4 with Guildsby
Starfire VI - High end classy expensive super IV/V

To add to the confusion the basses were cataloged as Starfire I and Starfire II so make sure you count strings if you are searching on names.
 

GAD

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Yes the SFIII is hollow but with the single cutaway most would consider it a different design from the 330.
 

bobouz

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The III is like a II, except with a Guildsby. I have a ‘97 III, but the Guildsby was replaced with a harp tailpiece, so it’s essentially a II.

The ES-330 is my favorite electric, along with it’s Epi Casino cousin, and I have three of them. Biggest difference with the Starfire II or III is the single cutaway, the number of frets clear of the body, and humbuckers vs single coils. In hand, both are lightweight with excellent playability, but the easy fretboard access of the 330 is a major plus, imho.

That said, they are all very satisfying guitars & worth a hands-on evaluation.
 

GAD

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Find yourself an uber-rare Burt Weedon model from the UK. Good luck with that. :beguiled:
 

Quantum Strummer

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Find yourself an uber-rare Burt Weedon model from the UK. Good luck with that. :beguiled:

This is another Guild that Hans' book triggered lust for in my soul. ;) It also probably has something to do with me not owning a Starfire: I want the one I'm unlikely to ever see much less own.

-Dave-
 

SFIV1967

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Find yourself an uber-rare Burt Weedon model from the UK. Good luck with that. :beguiled:
They appear from time to time...



But to be fair, the last one on Reverb was about 2 years ago...

opibdwyuomoznsafwdu0.jpg


Ralf
 
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SFIV1967

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I am aware that Gibson changed the neck joint in the early 70s.
That is also what happened with the Starfires, take a Starfire IV as example. The neck to body joint moved from the 16th fret to the 18th fret in 1966, somewhere between EL 800 (16th fret) and EL 830 (18th fret). Hence also the position of the pickups changed.

Below are two examples from 1965 and 1967:

a6807c65-9513-445f-a60b-bf32a73ba4bf.jpg


yxhrtn4uurqwl2ithzw6.jpg


Ralf
 
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bobouz

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The production in Korea only started in 2013, so you can add the 80ies and 90ies and 2000...all US production.
Ralf

Yes, later models are indeed worth considering. One of the things I like a lot about my ‘97 Westerly Starfire is the stock Seymour Duncan humbuckers. Also, overall build quality is very clean.
 
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