Starfire 5 -Build one or buy one?

[sonicreducer]

Hey everyone, im new. Ive been to no avail trying to get hold of a starfire v for years, but it's quite discouraging waiting so long. I need the master volume for my pedal steel style of playing. Ive seen more VI's around, but am turned off by the gold hardware and high price. Im considering buying and changing an SF-4 into a 5. My options are between a 4-d and a 4 with gibson style bridge and saddle. The 4d has a master volume and block inlays already, but ive never heard the dimarzios. My style is alt-country and rock n roll ala the Faces and Stones. Thoughts?

 

[matsickma]

Sounds like you would like a late 1960's SF5 with the mini humbuckers. These come up from time to time. A nice late '60s SF4 Special (Bigsby) just sold on ebay for around $1900. The late 1960's SF5's range in the $1500 to $2500 range.

M

 

[sonicreducer]

Would it be monetarily similar to turn a 4 into a 5, or to wait another 6 months to 2 years waiting for another one in the 1500-1600 dollar range in the right color to turn up?

 

[Paddlefoot]

Now you know what is going to happen. It's Murphy's Law. If you get a SF IV and modify it you will still not have what you really want and having spent your money, the PERFECT SF V will show up for a doable price. The problem then will be that you can't get your money back out of the SF IV because it's modified and everyone wants original.......Why not just stick a Hipshot B bender on that Tele and rewire the control plate in reverse so you can do vol. swells easier for right now? Save your bucks so you are ready to launch when the right SF V shows up.

 

[sonicreducer]

Paddle, that's very sensible advice. I thought about the consequence and ironic possibilities, but needed someone to reaffirm them. How does rewiring the control plate backwards make volume swells easier? Do you mean switching the tone and volume, or making it a mirror image so i can reach the volume with ease on my way up? Also, how are the X-170s with that style of music? I saw a beauty in orange with a guildsby and two switches and block inlays. I considered purchasing and installing a master but worried about feedback and whether it would be versatile for twangy country to slightly overdriven rock and roll ala the Stones and Faces

 

[Paddlefoot]

On the Tele you flip the plate and rewire so it is Vol., tone then the switch. It puts the vol. knob closer to where your hand normally is when picking so you just drop your pinky down and hook it around the knob to roll it. The Tele custom classic come that way if you want to see one. I find tha it can make the pickup switch hard to get to when it's on the neck position. The X-170 Manhatten is IMHO a very under rated guitar. I think it would work well for your style but I would pass on the master vol. and go with a volume pedal. Larry Carlton works his Gibson 335 that way so he doesn't have to roll knobs for a volume change and never get the balance of the pickups off from what he wants them to be. Check out his website for some good info on his guitar and pedalboard setup. Keep in mind that the various members of the Stones used a variety of guitars over the years and not all of them were even very good ones.

 

[Paddlefoot]

Hey Sonic, check out the Hellicasters on youtube and you'll see the Hipshot bender in use. They also have a setup that will put you right into dropped D tuning as well as bending the B. Nice thing is it's reversible too. You get tired of it or don't like it you take that puppy off and sell it. No mods to the guitar.