BIGFOOT said:
I have been looking for a hollow or semi-hollow for sometime, not sure of what I really wanted. Looked at a lot of Guilds, Gibby's, and Gretches, even Epiphones. Then this one jumps out with a buy-it-now price.
I jumped on it because it looks very clean, which was a key requirement. I paid a lot, and the BIN price went up $200 just as I was pushing the button.
It has the DeArmonds, but looks like it has been used very little.
Will the neck be thin or thick? What should the p'ups sound like?
Should I be happy? Wish I could have tried it first. :shock:
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?Vi ... ingPayment
Okay Bigfoot, take a deep breath. Calm. . . calm. . . calm. . . happy place. . .OOOHHHMM. . . now.
If everything is as claimed in the auction description, you have purchased yourself a very coool guitar! Gorgeous! I saw this one too. This guitar with these appointments is not something seen too often--particularly black Dearmonds, Kluson tuners, and a plum(? never seen) finish.
First off, I always thought the Starfires came out a year or two later, but the label clearly shows it as such. Comments by Hans (author of the Guild Book and LTG member) may shed some light on the stamped "STARFIRE" on the label. I've never seen that either. According to the serial number and headstock shape, it is definitely a 1960 model. Never seen a Starfire with Klusons before. They look original. Bigsby story is correct. Guild didn't start putting branded Bigsbys on until some retailers would put one on a Starfire II and sell it for the price of a III. Pickguard is older-style (my fave) and the stairstep-style didn't come until around '64.
The Dearmond story is also correct. Gretschs had black and Guilds white. Another Hans question. All examples I've seen with black have been swapped out. If those are original Dynasonics, they should sound great! People pay big bucks for those nowadays. The classic red mid-60s SFs are known for their smooth toneful mahogany tops. Since the SF took its base from the T-100, a laminated maple top, some of the earliest SFs actually have maple tops instead--a bit brighter sounding. Yours is quite visibly maple.
The 50s Guilds had thicker neck profiles, but not as chunky as a Gibson. They generally tend to become slimmer starting at '62-'63. Many, like myself, love the feel of Guild necks which instantly feel natural and comfortable. Yours will probably feel slimmer than a Gibson, but not at all thin--you know Guild perfect.
Ultimately, it is an extremely cool guitar that I hope you hate and want to sell to me instead.
Seriously, that's the look I'm going for with my '65 Starfire, but with a branded Guild Bigsby and a master volume. I'm curious to hear what the finish looks like in person. If you don't like it, you should have no problem getting your money back. However, I think you'll love it.
Hope this helps and post pics when it comes. Oh yeah, and welcome to LTG. :wink: