90s starfire with non-original pickups - would you go for it?

[hessodreamy]

I've always had my eye out for a 90s starfire, but prices have gone pretty high. I found a website selling one for a good price, but the pickups have been swapped out. Not sure what they've been swapped with. But I'm handy with a soldering iron and could swap them for whatever if they're not to taste.

I know those pickups are well regarded, but is the rest of the guitar worth a shot at the right price?

 

[GAD]

I guess it would depend on what the price was. I've bought Guilds that didn't have original pickups, but that was because I had those pickups that I could use to restore the guitar to its original condition. Mid-Late '90s Starfires usually came with SD1s which can be even more difficult to find than Guild HB1s. A guitar doesn't always need to be restored.

 

[Shakeylee]

IMHO , if the price is low enough,go for it. there are a lot of great pickups available today,for any type of music.
i would be perfectly happy playing a 90s SF with a pair of $40 GFS pickups.

 

[Mapleman54]

I have a late model Starfire IV (‘97) with HB1’s which is a very fine sounding guitar. (See pics) I am a big fan of the Guild HB1’s as they seem distinctive, clear, and musical to me. The slightly low output (resistance 7.68 on my neck pickup) seem just right to me but then I’m not a Rock player. I also have a set of GFS humbuckers that came on a beat ‘99 Guild x160 Rockabilly I bought last year. They are amazing value as Shakeylee mentions, but not as much fun for me as HB1’s. I’ve never owned the SD1’s.
So my feeling is go for it if the price is right. The build quality on the ‘90’s Guilds is outstanding (I’ve got an x170 as well..superb!) and you can enjoy thinking about pickup choice at your leisure, esp as you can do your own installations!
Have you seen GAD’s excellent blog ‘GAD’s Ramblings’ which has well-informed, insightful, and at times very funny articles on many Guild issues …including a guide to spotting Fender HB1’s with shambolic wiring inside. www.GAD.net

 

[GGJaguar]

Like everyone's said, it depends on the price. Guild electric models from that era are very high quality which is a great starting point. Finding a pair of pickups you like shouldn't be too difficult.

 

[teleharmonium]

At a certain price point it becomes an opportunity to find the right pickups and end up with the guitar you wanted for less than you would have paid otherwise.

 

[GAD]

I have a late model Starfire IV (‘97) with HB1’s which is a very fine sounding guitar. (See pics) I am a big fan of the Guild HB1’s as they seem distinctive, clear, and musical to me. The slightly low output (resistance 7.68 on my neck pickup) seem just right to me but then I’m not a Rock player. I also have a set of GFS humbuckers that came on a beat ‘99 Guild x160 Rockabilly I bought last year. They are amazing value as Shakeylee mentions, but not as much fun for me as HB1’s. I’ve never owned the SD1’s.
So my feeling is go for it if the price is right. The build quality on the ‘90’s Guilds is outstanding (I’ve got an x170 as well..superb!) and you can enjoy thinking about pickup choice at your leisure, esp as you can do your own installations!
Have you seen GAD’s excellent blog ‘GAD’s Ramblings’ which has well-informed, insightful, and at times very funny articles on many Guild issues …including a guide to spotting Fender HB1’s with shambolic wiring inside. www.GAD.net

Thanks for the plug!

Those look like SD1s.

 

[Norrissey]

I have a late model Starfire IV (‘97) with HB1’s

As @GAD alluded to, if your guitar is a '97 and those are its original pickups those are almost certainly SD1s. You can always pop one out and look at the back if you want to be sure. I have a '97 X-170 with SD1s, amazing pickups.

 

[shihan]

My ‘97 SF4 has SD-1’s. You could not pay me to change them. Amazing PU’s. Definitely get it.

 

[Mapleman54]

Thanks for the plug!

Those look like SD1s.

Thanks GAD and Norrissey. Do the SD1's say 'Guild made in USA' on the back? Thats what mine has. I thought the SD1's had the company log on the back? Unfortunately I can't take a pic tonight as the guitar is not with me...it will be back soon and I'll send photo to confirm what it looks like. This is not a picture of the same pickup (its a spare neck pu I have) but the stamp on the back is the same as the SV IV we're talking about.

 

[Norrissey]

Hi Mapleman, SD1s do say "Guild Made in USA" on the back. (confusing I know) Pics of the backs of the SD1s on my X170 below.
@GAD and @hansmoust confirmed that these are SD1s. I think they identify them from the wiring terminals and the NL/BL stickers. (NL is the neck pickup, BL the bridge)

 

[Mapleman54]

Hi Mapleman, SD1s do say "Guild Made in USA" on the back. (confusing I know) Pics of the backs of the SD1s on my X170 below.
@GAD and @hansmoust confirmed that these are SD1s. I think they identify them from the wiring terminals and the NL/BL stickers. (NL is the neck pickup, BL the bridge)

Thanks Norrissey ... right, confusing! Hans just got back to me and says he thinks mine are SD1's as well. Good to know about the wiring...More complete survey when the guitar is back in my hands in a few days! I too have an x170, mine from '86 (serial HL100052)...be interesting to compare. Thanks for the expertise!

 

[Norrissey]

You're welcome! Based on my limited knowledge your '86 X-170 will for sure have HB1s. Below is a link to @GAD 's excellent article on the differences between classic HB1s, pre SD1s (Seymour Duncan Pickups with Guild covers-these do have the Seymour Duncan logo on the back!), actual SD1s and Fender HB1s.

Guild Full-Sized HB1 and SD1 Pickup Variations | GAD's Ramblings

One of the questions I see on the guitar forums quite a bit is, “What kind of pickups does this Guild guitar have?” Since I’ve posted in many of these threads, I seem to get a lot of emails with the same question. I thought that I might write up a quick summary of the …

www.gad.net

 

[Norrissey]

he thinks mine are SD1's as wel

Forgot to mention another clue that a pickup is an SD-1 without removing it from your guitar is they have phillips adjustment screws. Classic HB1s have flathead screwdriver adjustment screws. (GAD notes this in his article)

 

[Mapleman54]

You're welcome! Based on my limited knowledge your '86 X-170 will for sure have HB1s. Below is a link to @GAD 's excellent article on the differences between classic HB1s, pre SD1s (Seymour Duncan Pickups with Guild covers-these do have the Seymour Duncan logo on the back!), actual SD1s and Fender HB1s.

Guild Full-Sized HB1 and SD1 Pickup Variations | GAD's Ramblings

One of the questions I see on the guitar forums quite a bit is, “What kind of pickups does this Guild guitar have?” Since I’ve posted in many of these threads, I seem to get a lot of emails with the same question. I thought that I might write up a quick summary of the …

www.gad.net

Many thanks! Ive just sent Hans pics of the X170 for his database.

 

[Mapleman54]

Forgot to mention another clue that a pickup is an SD-1 without removing it from your guitar is they have phillips adjustment screws. Classic HB1s have flathead screwdriver adjustment screws. (GAD notes this in his article)

Got it! I can see mine has those!