GGJaguar
Reverential Member
I have a very nice Gretsch electric 12-string, but I’ve been very curious about the NS Starfire IV ST-12. Also, I figured at the very least I can play the “compare and contrast” game with them. But for now, this is a NGD post so let’s go!
The model was formally introduced in 2018. Here’s the splash page from Guild’s website that year. Exciting, no?
The Starfire IV ST-12 (herein referred to as “SF-XII” because that’s what it is, dammit) is basically the hardtail version of the SF-IV with a 12-string neck… or is it? I don’t have the hardtail version to directly compare, but I do have a 2012 harp tail SF-IV. Other than the necks, I also noticed that the SF-IV (a very early example) has ivory colored binding while the 2018 SF-XII has tinted “aged” binding. But there is another huge difference so read on.
According to Guild’s website, it had a rosewood fingerboard for the first year before switching to an ebony board sometime in 2019. However, my guitar is from early 2018 and it has an unstained ebony fingerboard so go figure. Unlike the harp tail version of the SF-IV that has a floating bridge, the ST versions (both 6 and 12) have the bridge mounted directly into the top. I would have much preferred the harp tail and floating bridge, but I guess the TOM and stop tail is easier and cheaper to make.
You might expect the center block to be a long chunk of wood that runs from the neck pickup route all the way to the butt end of the body, just as on the US-made Starfire IV. However, on the Korean-made SF-XII, the “block” isn’t a block. Instead, there are two boards that run the length of body and the top and back are glued to them. They have been carved out as needed for pickup fitment and wiring. The bridge and stop tail appear to be on a completely solid block of wood that has been placed between the two boards. Tapping the top and the back reveals that the body is hollow from just behind the stop tail to the butt end of the body.
Here’s a pic of the neck pickup route. You can clearly see how the route cuts right through the parallel braces. I’m not a fan of that at all. Note the cavity is sprayed with shielding paint.
The body appears to be a “full” parallel braced guitar where the two braces are connected to the back as well as the top. A “block” of wood, composed of three stacked pieces, approximately 3.5” (8.9 cm) long is placed under the bridge and stop tail for added support. This can be seen in the photo below. It too is glued to the back as well as the top. Okay, so it’s a cheater way of doing things, but it works and the guitars aren’t stupid heavy as a result. It also results in a nicely resonant guitar!
