I'll be joining the Starfire family soon!

Just wanted to drop by and announce my plans to acquire a Starfire II in the very near future. After considering Gibson ES-125Ts, Epiphone Elitist Casinos, Guild T-100s, and vintage & modern Starfires, I've decided to look for a late model SFII. I'll be using it primarily for jazz but from what I can tell it will be able to do a lot more.

Is there anything I should know before I begin my seach?
Thanks - Patrick

If they make 'em with P90s, they might be worth considering.

I buy Guilds used because they are so dang cheap. If you buy one used, you take the depreciation hit.

I hope I didn't just start a world war with Canuckada, Newsy Land, and the Netherworld Lands.

Darryl Hattenhauer said:

I hope I didn't just start a world war with Canuckada, Newsy Land, and the Netherworld Lands.

Click to expand...

Nah! It takes more to start a world with us. We're too opportunistic for that. We make a living exporting stuff you know. We need other countries to get rid of our tulips, beer, cheese, wooden shoes ....... you name it!


Hans

Whoops: wrong thread, but here it is anyway

Likewise up here in Canuckistan, as Pat Robertson called us a while ago. If we spent any time at all being worried by insults, we'd have dissolved long ago, and been swallowed up by the behemoth just south of us. What do they call that place anyway? The disunited states or something like that?

I've been thinking more about the colour choices the Guild folks must have made - I remember learning in a physics class so long ago that I'm embarrassed to think about it, how to remember the colours in the spectrum. Red, Orange, Yellow, Green, Blue, Indigo, Violet - think of a guy named Roy G. Biv, and you've got it.

We know we've got Guilds in red, orange, green, and blue. We've hinted at yellow(ish) GADs, but I've not heard about any geographic locations for the Indigos and Violets. Thoughts?

CHeers, all,

Hans,

Are you named after the founders of the Hanseatic League? I'll take the tulips, beer, and cheese. But throw in some bread and throw out the shoes.

John,
Is your Mock 4 a mahogany, pearwood, or rosewood? (No fair answering "Yes").

my two cents

Hi there flatfiver!

Like Darryl, I prefer the Franz P90-style pickups. If you haven't already and if you have access, I would suggest trying all the different pickup varieties available in both T-100s, as well as Starfires, i.e., Franz P90s, mickey mouse, Guild humbuckers, and Dearmond 2Ks.

The T-100s are a great buy and are often less expensive than a newer SFII. Older Starfires also run about the same as the late model ones. I think the 60s Guilds have a very special tone and feel to them that makes one wanna play them forever. I think they sound and feel different than the newer ones.

Also, if condition is an issue, one can often find a beautiful older Guild for about the same price people are asking for the newer ones. This is just from my experience price-checking and gawking on the net.

Good luck on your search! :wink:

I don't know about the mickey Mouses for jazz, but you can sure get a country twang and a Geo Thorogood vibe out of them.,

Unfortunately, I will have little or no opportunity to try out anything before I buy it. Maybe I'll get lucky, but I'm expecting to have to snag something off eBay, GBase or the like. I've tried out a late '60s Starfire II and a more modern Starfire as well, but it's been a while.

I've gone back and forth on the "vintage vs. modern" question, and here's what I've come up with: I'm leaning toward modern because I'd like a 1 11/16 nut width, I'm a little nervous about whether or not I'll like the older Guild pickups (since I probably won't be able to check them out before buying), and I don't want to worry about a vintage instrument getting trashed or stolen. Also, a vintage Starfire is probably going to be a little more than I want to spend. That being said, if a good deal on a modded (changed pickups) Starfire or T-100 comes along I'll probably jump on it. Michael's Music in NY has a '59 T-100 on eBay that I think is a little overpriced, plus it looks like whoever changed the pickups did a hack job, otherwise I might consider that one.

I can see what you're saying, although I've seen quite a few older Guilds selling for a lot lower than new ones on the eBay. I guess it also depends on if you want a hard core player, looker, or in-between. I had a '64 CE-100 jazz box that was a little beat, but lordie what a player!

I can understand your concern about babying it too. My trusty old Strat is beat, and I never have to worry about it. My Guilds are in great condition, but I try to stay away from being too persnickety.

Good luck with the hunt!

I like VG+ guitars. Not afraid to play it, not afraid to look at it.

I don't really care about condition as long as the instrument is solid. Change the tuners, change the pickups, wear through the finish, refinish - go ahead, I don't mind! I'm a player, not a collector. However, I wouldn't do anything to irreversibly modify an original vintage piece.

I guess I'm less nervous about a vintage Guild than I would be about a Fender or Gibson - it seems much less likely that I'd get scammed on a Guild. Since they're less "collectible," there's a smaller chance of getting something pieced together from other sources, be they vintage or reproduction. I certainly try to educate myself on things like this, but there's always someone smarter out there.

Anyway, here's a link to the 1959 T-100 I mentioned above. Is it me, or does it look like the bridge pickup is crooked?
http://cgi.ebay.com/Vintage-1959-Gu...ryZ41436QQssPageNameZWD1VQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

Well folks, looks like I'll be putting off my entry into the Guild club for a while... I just bought an ES-125TC... I'm still keeping my eyes open for Starfires and T-100s, though. Thanks for all the info.

Rats. I wanted to be one of your relatives.

Hey, just how flat is your fiver? About as Darryl as my Hattenhauer?

Darryl, my dad's family lives in the greater Phoenix area - maybe I've got a cousin you can marry. :wink:

My fiver is about 1/2 step flat.