New Starfire I vs New Starfire IV

[Muckman]

I've been kicking around getting a Starfire. I'm curious about the difference in the electronics and, of course, overall mojo between these models. I lean towards the IV, I've loved every US made Guild I have owned....granted, they are older Guilds. I have seen a couple of videos on these two models, the IVs tend to have guys fingerpicking Jazz and Blues, while the demos of the Starfire I seem to be Alt Rock/Punk. I'd prefer lower output pickups, the demos and descriptions make me think the pickups in the import are hotter/more modern pickups..? Any comments/experience is much appreciated.

 

[Muckman]

Reading some other threads here, jumped the gun posting my own.....the IVs are not US builds.

 

[GAD]

The current IVs are nice guitars made in Korea. If you want US made you have to go used.

 

[Muckman]

The current IVs are nice guitars made in Korea. If you want US made you have to go used.

I've had great experiences with recent electric guitars made in Korea and China, as well. I'm sure the build quality is good, it makes sense that a $1400 Starfire isn't made in the US, given labor costs.......but, it really sounded good LOL

 

[7GuildsandanSG]

I have both the Newark St SF-1 (SC, ST, antique burst) and 4 (DC, harp TP, cherry red). The Korean made SF-4 is obviously of a higher build quality. The feel, the weight, the details. The Samick made SF-1 is a very decent guitar for the money but it just feels and sounds less substantial to me. I love them both. THEY BOTH SOUND AND LOOK GREAT!

 

[Muckman]

Tha

I have both the Newark St SF-1 (SC, ST, antique burst) and 4 (DC, harp TP, cherry red). The Korean made SF-4 is obviously of a higher build quality. The feel, the weight, the details. The Samick made SF-1 is a very decent guitar for the money but it just feels and sounds less substantial to me. I love them both. THEY BOTH SOUND AND LOOK GREAT!

Thanks for the response 7. I love the emerald green and the walnut!! I wish the iv was available in green with the tremolo! I may go with the SF-1, cost/color/bridge are are pointing fingers that direction!

Specifically output/tone wise, do the pickups sound similar? Does the SF-1 sound more modern/rock voiced?

 

[matsickma]

The SF1 DC does come in transparant green with a Guildsby. The SF 4 made in Korea is based on the '60's version. The SF1DC is based on the '70's -2000's version with one "improvment"...coil splitting humbuckers that add a single coil tone capability.

M

 

[KirkD777]

I just got a walnut Starfire I. I wouldn't say the pickups are hot. More of a medium-hot PAF. I get instant Malcolm Young tones straight into my Marshall. I've found med hot pickups to be the most versatile. Actually, these pickups are the very first time I've thought about keeping the stock pickups in a cheap guitar. I'm far more concerned about how the frets are going to act after a pro setup. I've returned a Streamliner and a Classic Vibe recently because of terrible frets. If you can afford the more expensive Guild then go for it. I'm over spending money upgrading guitars. You end up paying the same and don't get the resale value. And I'm the king of thinking it's smart to upgrade cheap guitars. Lol.

 

[Muckman]

I just got a walnut Starfire I. I wouldn't say the pickups are hot. More of a medium-hot PAF. I get instant Malcolm Young tones straight into my Marshall. I've found med hot pickups to be the most versatile. Actually, these pickups are the very first time I've thought about keeping the stock pickups in a cheap guitar. I'm far more concerned about how the frets are going to act after a pro setup. I've returned a Streamliner and a Classic Vibe recently because of terrible frets. If you can afford the more expensive Guild then go for it. I'm over spending money upgrading guitars. You end up paying the same and don't get the resale value. And I'm the king of thinking it's smart to upgrade cheap guitars. Lol.

I had heard nothing but good things about the pickups in the SF1s. I had a SF1 Jet 90 on order from Sweetwater, in the mean time a SF6 came up for sale on Craigslist for about the same money (after adding a hard case to the SF1 and the governor's share). I've had the SF6 for a couple of days now, it is just a wonderful instrument.

Congrats on the SF1! I love the look of the Walnut and the Emerald Green, I would have preferred those colors to the natural finish on mine....that's the trade off going used to save some money, I suppose.

 

[KirkD777]

I had heard nothing but good things about the pickups in the SF1s. I had a SF1 Jet 90 on order from Sweetwater, in the mean time a SF6 came up for sale on Craigslist for about the same money (after adding a hard case to the SF1 and the governor's share). I've had the SF6 for a couple of days now, it is just a wonderful instrument.

Congrats on the SF1! I love the look of the Walnut and the Emerald Green, I would have preferred those colors to the natural finish on mine....that's the trade off going used to save some money, I suppose.

Good call on the used upgrade. Always the best way to go if you can find it. The action on my SC-1 is ridiculously high. I can tune to C-standard and it's still too high. If I keep it I'll get a bone nut and think about changing out the wiring inside. I hear it's a rat nest. But everything works and so far I'm digging the pickups so that kinda work will wait for a bit. It is beautiful. I've got a Gotoh bridge that I bought for a Streamliner but I returned that guitar. Hopefully, it'll fit.

 

[Muckman]

Good call on the used upgrade. Always the best way to go if you can find it. The action on my SC-1 is ridiculously high. I can tune to C-standard and it's still too high. If I keep it I'll get a bone nut and think about changing out the wiring inside. I hear it's a rat nest. But everything works and so far I'm digging the pickups so that kinda work will wait for a bit. It is beautiful. I've got a Gotoh bridge that I bought for a Streamliner but I returned that guitar. Hopefully, it'll fit.

I had a Streamliner for a short while too, it played great, but the pickups were just awful. I had an Electromatic that had the Blacktop Filtertrons in it, those are really great pickups.......I replaced them with TV Jones (Powertron/Classic) and wound up putting the Blacktops back in, if you can believe that! They cleaned up well with the volume knob and had this big chimey nasty sound for hard rock and metal.

I'd bet the bridge post spacing on the Streamliner is the same as the SF1, they may even both be made by the same company...? Those Walnut SF1s are pretty guitars, for sure. I was on the fence between that or the emerald green.......really, I was on the fence between P90s or the HB, as well. Nobody has SFs in stock close to me to compare them, this used one just popped up at the right time.

 

[KirkD777]

Funny, I bought a pair of blacktops for the Streamliner. I have them sitting here. I had A5 magnets put in before I installed them so don't know what they sound like unaltered. I read something about changing the magnets on a forum. Maybe I should try them in the Starfire sometime. What pots and caps did you use?

Alnico 5 Rough Cast Bar Magnet 2.25 x .5 x .25 Vintage Filtertron Pickup

Early 60's vinitage reproduction Filtertron Alnico 5 bar magnet. Rough cast.

www.philadelphialuthiertools.com

 

[Muckman]

In that electromatic, I left the wiring stock. I’m pretty sure they were 500k pots with the usual Humbucker/Gibson tone cap value, that’s .022 I believe.

I would think they should sound good with the A5s too. Scoops the mids out a bit

 

[KirkD777]

Yeah, I'm on the fence between keeping the stock, putting in the blacktops, or buying some "better" humbuckers. All I have sitting around is a Duncan Distortion and a 1985 Schaller Golden 50 that's F-spaced. Took those two out of a MIJ LP copy. If you're ever thinking of getting new humbuckers you should check out Brandonwound. I got a set from him and put them in that copy. Those are my favorite pickups I've ever tried.

 

[KirkD777]

The current IVs are nice guitars made in Korea. If you want US made you have to go used.

So do you know if you change out the hardware will the I models sound more substantial? I'm talking bridge and tailpiece really. Is the wood good enough to sound better with better parts?

 

[GAD]

So do you know if you change out the hardware will the I models sound more substantial? I'm talking bridge and tailpiece really. Is the wood good enough to sound better with better parts?

They don’t really sound bad to begin with. You can’t compensate for old wood with hardware, but you can change the timbre with different metals.

 

[Muckman]

My main reasons for passing on the MIC electrics were the likelihood of having to pull the harness to upgrade the wiring on the Chinese (see GAD's ramblings) and the neck carve and construction being more to my liking on the Starfire VI. Other than, maybe, fit and finish details/fretwork....I'd bet the difference in the "bones" from Chinese to Korean made are minimal.

They don’t really sound bad to begin with. You can’t compensate for old wood with hardware, but you can change the timbre with different metals.

This^^^ I'm trying to decide which bridge material I want from Compton. My only experience with bridge material swaps is on Tele saddles, I know brass always adds some warmth, as does copper (penny shim trick)....I have no personal experience with aluminum, stainless steel or titanium tho

 

[KirkD777]

They don’t really sound bad to begin with. You can’t compensate for old wood with hardware, but you can change the timbre with different metals.

Agreed, but there is a "clacky" sound you always get with cheap guitars. I would think that involves the hardware. I don't know what else would cause that sound. I guess it could be the wood. But I would think the quality of the wood would lead to less resonance not a "clacky" sound. I will never understand why somebody doesn't just make a line of cheap guitars that are just not covered in goop. I don't care what the wood or joints look like I just want it to sound more open. We all know the wood is ugly. I know inflation has gone up but I don't feel like the I is a $550 guitar. Feels more like a $350 guitar. But I'm old and grumpy. Lol.

 

[KirkD777]

They don’t really sound bad to begin with. You can’t compensate for old wood with hardware, but you can change the timbre with different metals.

I was fortunate enough to trade a Duncan Distortion straight across for a Gibson 61R and BB2. Will be picking those up tomorrow. Still have a Gotoh bridge and scored an aluminum tailpiece for like $15 off ebay. Theyre made in Korea but its a simple piece so its quality. I have quality pots and caps too. Curious, in your review you mentioned polishing the frets. Was that a simple task or did you have to go the whole nine yards?

 

[GAD]

I was fortunate enough to trade a Duncan Distortion straight across for a Gibson 61R and BB2. Will be picking those up tomorrow. Still have a Gotoh bridge and scored an aluminum tailpiece for like $15 off ebay. Theyre made in Korea but its a simple piece so its quality. I have quality pots and caps too. Curious, in your review you mentioned polishing the frets. Was that a simple task or did you have to go the whole nine yards?

Nah - just get some Gorgomyte cloth and rub 'em shiny. If they need more than that then it's probably time for a leveling.