Starfire II vs. T100D...Hans?

[walrus]

As I look through the "Guild Guitar Book" and a few old catalogs I have, it's hard to see what the difference is between the T100D and the Starfire II. In the 1968 catalog I have they are both offered, and appear to be the same. Was it the adjustamatic bridge vs. the rosewood bridge? Or were they essentially the same guitar until the T100D was "phased out"?

I guess the same question applies to the Starfire I vs. the T100, too...

walrus

 

[hansmoust]

As I look through the "Guild Guitar Book" and a few old catalogs I have, it's hard to see what the difference is between the T100D and the Starfire II. In the 1968 catalog I have they are both offered, and appear to be the same. Was it the adjustamatic bridge vs. the rosewood bridge? Or were they essentially the same guitar until the T100D was "phased out"?

I guess the same question applies to the Starfire I vs. the T100, too...

walrus

Hello Walrus,

If you read the book carefully you will notice that the Starfire I, II & III were orinally based on the T-100(D) superstructure. Just different pickups and slightly better hardware. During 1962 the Starfire models did get binding around the backside of the body and consequently the Starfire and the T-100(D) models drifted a little further apart in the model line.

Not too long ago there was a thread about some of this:

http://www.letstalkguild.com/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=3422&highlight=t200

Sincerely,

Hans Moust
http://www.guitarsgalore.nl

 

[jp]

The T-100s came first ca '58 and the Starfires were created (ca 1963?) to be the high-end model. I think the main differences were the type of wood, appointments, and color schemes. Although some of the earliest Starfires had laminated maple tops, for the most part they were all rosewood. The T-100s have maple back, sides, and top, often have the less expensive tuners, and different PUs: Franz, Mickey Mouse, white-topped Dearmonds, silver Dearmonds, Guild humbuckers both, first small then large. The Starfires came were completely rosewood, had Dearmond Dynasonics, and Guild humbuckers, both small and large. With Starfires, one also had the option to choose the model by number: Starfire I (one PU), Starfire II (two PUs), or the Starfire III (two PUs and Bigsby). Besides the classic red, Starfires could also come in green, black,and I think walnut. T-100s came in blond and a variety of sunbursts: cherry, dark, and tobacco.

Also check out the small details in Hans' book, such as truss rod cover, pickguard, and knobs.

 

[jp]

Oops! Hans answered while I was writing my post.

 

[walrus]

Thanks, jp and Hans!

walrus