First NS Starfire year was 2012?!?!

[lungimsam]

Thought it was 2013?

Guild Starfire | Reverb

An iconic shape at an affordable price, Guild’s Starfire I Bass is a modern adaptation of the traditional Starfire Bass platform, exemplifying the features needed on a modern Hollowbody bass. Featuring a slimmed down, 2.4” body thickness, inward-shifted neck, short 30 ¾” scale length, and a 1 ½” ...

reverb.com

 

[GGJaguar]

This is common. Production starts the year before the new model is introduced.

 

[SFIV1967]

This is common. Production starts the year before the new model is introduced.

That is correct but already back in August 2013 I was questioning this a little bit. SPG shipped almost 1000 (or more) in 2013 with KSG12x serial numbers and only around August 2013 there were suddently KSG13x serial numbers. I almost thought that was maybe a screw-up that SPG forgot to change from 12 to 13...Who knows...

Ralf

 

[chazmo]

There was no word about forthcoming Newark Street models until deep into 2013. It's possible they had starting building them in 2012, but I doubt it. I'm more inclined to agree with Ralf that there was likely a screw up in the serial numbering from the factory.

In any case, this surely wasn't sold until late in 2013.

 

[chazmo]

Oh, and once again, RIP Mike Lewis.... the guy who made the Newark Street series happen.

 

[GGJaguar]

SPG shipped almost 1000 (or more) in 2013 with KSG12x serial numbers

Agreed. The highest KSG12xxxxx serial I have seen is KSG1200997 for an M-75, but there could be some out there that are higher.

 

[lungimsam]

Do any of the numbers tell the day or month?

 

[GGJaguar]

Do any of the numbers tell the day or month?

Nope. Just the year and a running total of Guilds made at that facility.

 

[chazmo]

I think Grot and maybe others were secretly having some guitars closely modeled by Guild for the release of the Newark Street "re-issues that weren't reissues." But I don't recall it stretching back into 2012. Maybe. Or maybe they'd just put aside some serial numbers for some of the first run...

Oh, yeah, @lungimsam , what GG said... At least we have no insight into what the rest of the digits mean. Presumably someone somewhere in Korea has a detailed map of when the guitars were actually made.

 

[RVBASS]

History & Heritage | Guild Guitars

guildguitars.com

According to this Guild website:

In 2013, Guild also releases the Newark Street collection, re-releasing classic electric Guilds from the 1950s and 1960s, including the Starfire models, M-75 Aristocrat, and A-150 Savoy. More models are added to the line in 2014.

 

[SFIV1967]

There was no word about forthcoming Newark Street models until deep into 2013. In any case, this surely wasn't sold until late in 2013.

That's not correct, you had said something like this years ago and it was not correct... LTG members bought Newark St. guitars as early as May 2013 already, a quick search found three LTG members at least who got them in May. I think shipments to stores started around April 2013 if I remember correctly, which is normal after a January announcement.
And already in August 2013 the 2013 serial number stamped models started to show up in stores.

Ralf

 

[SFIV1967]

History & Heritage | Guild Guitars

guildguitars.com

According to this Guild website:

In 2013, Guild also releases the Newark Street collection, re-releasing classic electric Guilds from the 1950s and 1960s, including the Starfire models, M-75 Aristocrat, and A-150 Savoy. More models are added to the line in 2014.

Yes, you can read all this here at LTG:

NAMM 2013: Newark St. Collection electric models

NAMM 2013: Newark St.™ Collection electric models "Guild is proud to announce the Newark St. Collection, the return of eight classic Guild electric favorites from the 1950s and ’60s—once again putting the distinctive Guild styling and voice that helped shape popular music into the hands of...

letstalkguild.com

Ralf

 

[chazmo]

That's not correct, you had said something like this years ago and it was not correct... LTG members bought Newark St. guitars as early as May 2013 already, a quick search found two LTG members at least who got them in May. I think shipments to stores started around April 2013 if I remember correctly, which is normal after a January announcement.
And already in August 2013 the 2013 serial number stamped models started to show up in stores.

Ralf

OK, Ralf. That's good. I didn't remember the Jan. 2013 NAMM announcement or spring availability of some of the models. Cool. I hate spouting wrong info! Sorry about that, gang.

Given that, there's no reason to suspect the 2012 build date to be incorrect, then.

 

[SFIV1967]

Given that, there's no reason to suspect the 2012 build date to be incorrect, then.

Well, some were definitely built in 2012 but probably not all, see my post #3 above.

Also I remember Mike Lewis telling me at NAMM that they had just received them from Korea a few days before NAMM and they had single digit serial numbers! That would almost exclude the idea that there were already 1,000 built in 2012...



But at the end for all practical purposes I would call a KSG12 number a 2012 built guitar even if the announcement was only in January 2013.
And definitely no KSG12 guitars were sold in 2012!

Ralf