1964 Guild Starfire IV project

[ProjectileBeaver]

Well, the pots, jack and switch are all now back in the body and still working! Thanks again to Ralf for the info on using aquarium tubing for this. I got some "Marina" brand Airline Tubing from my local pet shop and it fit perfectly over most of the pot shafts. I only needed to use a little heat from a hair dryer to get it to fit over one. For the pickup selector switch, I used some heat shrink over the tip to connect the tubing which was just a little tight.

As I'm getting close to having it all back together, I do have one question:

Is the rosewood style bridge base used on this guitar supposed to be glued in place? I'm a little confused as to how I'm supposed to ensure it's in the right position considering it's free to move without any strings on.

 

[Ned Dana]

Well, the pots, jack and switch are all now back in the body and still working! Thanks again to Ralf for the info on using aquarium tubing for this. I got some "Marina" brand Airline Tubing from my local pet shop and it fit perfectly over most of the pot shafts. I only needed to use a little heat from a hair dryer to get it to fit over one. For the pickup selector switch, I used some heat shrink over the tip to connect the tubing which was just a little tight.

As I'm getting close to having it all back together, I do have one question:

Is the rosewood style bridge base used on this guitar supposed to be glued in place? I'm a little confused as to how I'm supposed to ensure it's in the right position considering it's free to move without any strings on.

 

[SFIV1967]

Is the rosewood style bridge base used on this guitar supposed to be glued in place? I'm a little confused as to how I'm supposed to ensure it's in the right position considering it's free to move without any strings on.

No, it's a "floating bridge". You can use a bit of super fine sandpaper or double sided thin tape to fix the bridge.

But have a look here first, you would do this same thing but afterwards intonate the individual strings as well.




Ralf

 

[ProjectileBeaver]

No, it's a "floating bridge". You can use a bit of super fine sandpaper or double sided thin tape to fix the bridge.

But have a look here first, you would do this same thing but afterwards intonate the individual strings as well.




Ralf

That's really helpful thank you. There's some wear to the paint roughly where the bridge should be but I don't think it was in quite the right position when I got it. This seems pretty straightforward and it's nice to know I don't have to fix it down permanently too.

 

[SFIV1967]

This seems pretty straightforward and it's nice to know I don't have to fix it down permanently too.

Once you found the perfect spot you can always use a needle and mark the 4 corners of the base with a tiny hole, so next time you don't have to repeat the procedure. And when changing strings you usually do only change one string at a time (unless you want to do more cleaning like of the fretboard.) So it's a bit different compared to an acoustic guitar when restringing.

Ralf

 

[ProjectileBeaver]

Once you found the perfect spot you can always use a needle and mark the 4 corners of the base with a tiny hole, so next time you don't have to repeat the procedure. And when changing strings you usually do only change one string at a time (unless you want to do more cleaning like of the fretboard.) So it's a bit different compared to an acoustic guitar when restringing.

Ralf

That's a great idea. And yeah, I'm hoping I won't need to have more than one string off for a while after setting it up this time.

 

[ProjectileBeaver]

So I took it in to a reputable repair shop near me for a second opinion on the condition of the frets. A refret has been recommended based on how worn they are and the presence of a slight kick at the end of the neck.

I've also found that the rosewood bridge will likely need replacing due to weakened post holes (I am trying to fill/glue these but am not sure this is going to work). I realise that parts like this are likely hard to come by, but if anyone knows where I might be able to locate one or something of similar quality, I would appreciate any info.

I had been considering putting a Bigsby on at some point but would like to attempt getting this bridge sorted first (unless getting a Bigsby might solve my bridge problems for me!).

 

[ProjectileBeaver]

I haven't posted an update for a while but I think I've fixed the bridge with JB Weld epoxy as the posts no longer lean forward towards the neck when there is string tension.

I ended up sending the guitar in for a re-fret so am looking forward to finally getting it back to play. I've cleaned and polished the paintwork and metal parts and will upload some photos when I get it back.

I would be interested to hear if anyone knows anything about decent replacements for the rosewood bridge base? I contacted Guild after I saw an official Guild bridge (made in Korea) previously sold on Reverb. They told me they don't sell those parts though.

 

[ProjectileBeaver]

I just thought I'd post a quick photo of my Guild now that it's fully working. Thanks to everyone who helped with getting it to this stage! The re-fret has completely brought this guitar to life. The repair shop I took it to also removed the thick lacquer that the fretboard had been coated with. It sounds and feels better than any guitar I've played now. I'll try to post some better pictures and maybe clips/audio of it on here at some point.

 

[Nuuska]

Great job done - how about getting a black output-jack-plate ?

 

[ProjectileBeaver]

Great job done - how about getting a black output-jack-plate ?

Thanks - I hadn't thought of that but it would probably look very sleek

 

[teleharmonium]

It's always nice to see an instrument come back to life

 

[SFIV1967]

Great job done - how about getting a black output-jack-plate ?

That would certainly look good I think!



Ralf

 

[Ixtlan]

Cool!

 

[Triangle Going Sick_OG]

Nice project and great to see it playable!

 

[mushroom]

Nice work