Guild Starfire III

[Mad Rose]

Question for Starfire III user's (or anyone else):

Today I aided a friend w/ the purchase of a '67 Starfire III. Supposedly from the nephew of the orig owner who bought from a local music store, back in '68. My friends' not all that up on tech stuff that goes along w/ buying a vint guitar. Not that I'm an expert, but I know what to look for & what to stay away from. In all, it's a clean all-original Mahogany topped Starfire III w/ minimal cosmetic issues for a 45 year old guitar. The pkgd has a slight crack where the mounting screw is (prolly from overtightening?). There's also some light buckle rash & a few smallish top dents. Everything functions electronically & it sounded great through his amp even w/ dead as heck strings. It has been stored for years and is very musty smelling. An ebay item listed as a '68, but the seller unlisted it & took a cash-in-hand offer of $1900. It was local, thus saving shipping & ebay costs were pluses for both party's. Seemed like a fair price since other late 60's SF III's are hovering around the $2500 mark?

The one thing that was apparent though: the thumbwheels are bottomed out & the action is higher that my friend wants it to be. The truss rod could use a little tightening to procure lowering it, but I'm thinking, the bottom of the alum bridge might need shaving to accomplish a lower action...has anyone done this to an alum bridge on a Starfire III? Also: the bottom of the alum curved piece that the actual bridge sits on, is not in full contact w/ the top of the guitar. In other words, I can see a gap between the two. Shouldn't they be mated together, so there's no visible daylight showing? Suggestions welcomed...

Guild Starfire III:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/221268565017?ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1438.l2649

 

[gilded]

Hi! Congratulations on buying a wonderful-looking guitar.

Interestingly, a large number of the thinline hollow-body guitars from 30-40+ years need a neck set. Sometimes the necks move, sometimes the (shorter than a full-body guitar) neck blocks come loose from the back of the guitar. Either way, you are describing the symptoms of a problem that needs to be worked on by a luthier.

The Bigsbys used on SF III was designed for the optimum height for a bridge to be 1" off of the top at highest point. I don't think that Guilds ever get that steep an angle, but they can get close enough to function well.

Oh, perhaps the bridge bottom is smiling at you because there isn't enough down pressure from the strings (break-over angle is another work for it) to force the bridge down.

Good luck, Harry

 

[Default]

Had to shave my bridge down when I first got mine, but I also plan on sending it down to Fixit when circumstances allow.

 

[Mad Rose]

The Starfire III came back for a visit today & a quick setup. After tightening the truss rod up, the action flattened out to where I could actually raise the thumbwheels up slightly, so they aren't bottomed-out any more. Got the action down to 5/64" low E / 3.5" high E w/ no buzzes :>) Just the way the owner likes it. What a nice guitar...very resonant. These old guitars play like butter & this one's no exception. Wish it were mine...lol.

The bridge seems to be sliding around some (sideways), moving the string alignment off, towards the treble side of the board. You set the bridge where it's supposed to be & when playing, it will slide back where it was before. You'd think sanding the bottom of the lower bridge plate to match the arc of the top would remedy this (more contact area?), since there is daylight showing underneath it now. Second glancing; the headstock looked to be like it might have a slight crack (sigh). Upon examining it a little closer w/ a glass, I think it's only a lacquer crack, possibly from a fall...dunno? For his sake, I hope that's all it is.

Rich