UPDATE (12/06/2021) - Converting a Starfire II to III

[secndshft]

Is there anything I need to know beyond finding a vintage Guildsby? The guitar in question is a 65 Starfire II. I’m not saying I’m diving in but I do miss having a guitar with a trem.

 

[GAD]

The only things that would concern me:

1) You will lower the guitar's resale value

2) You may have to drill holes in a vintage instrument (see #1)

Many will argue that #1 isn't true because so many people want that mod and if it's done right then it's good, but as someone who's bought way too many Guilds, I can tell you that I dismiss outright buying II-III conversions.

That's from the collector side of my brain. The player part of my brain doesn't understand why SFIIs exist in the first place.

 

[secndshft]

Hahah. Thanks GAD.

I’ve done a lot of buying and selling over the years. I sold this once. I was lucky enough to get it back. I suspect if I had to grab one guitar because of a fire the 68 tele would roast and this would be in my hands as I ran. Maybe that statement is enough to push me to leave it alone.

 

[DeArmond Hammer]

Is there anything I need to know beyond finding a vintage Guildsby? The guitar in question is a 65 Starfire II. I’m not saying I’m diving in but I do miss having a guitar with a trem.

Please don't mod your II. It's perfect as it is.

 

[dreadnut]

I would also vote for leaving it as is, if I get a vote.

 

[zizala]

I have a nice '61 Starfire II that had a Bigsby installed by a previous owner....which I guess made it functionally a Starfire III.
Being a non-Bigsby using type of player, I happily replaced it with a proper early 60's harp.
Now its even nicer!

I know it takes all kinds.....

 

[twocorgis]

If it were me, I'd just get a Starfire III. I saw a nice late Westerly blonde for $899 on Reverb yesterday, but it looks like it sold. Not surprising for that price.

 

[Guildedagain]

It probably shouldn't be done. I've had guitar long enough now that I regret some of the things I did to them, and in fact, want to change them back, but you can't undo holes.

 

[Default]

If you get a vintage Guild bigsby, there is a very good chance that the hole pattern will be the same. I bought a harp tailpiece and did not have to mod the guitar at all - the holes lined up perfectly.
Ymmv

 

[AcornHouse]

That's from the collector side of my brain. The player part of my brain doesn't understand why SFIIs exist in the first place.

Because there are those of us who don’t like wiggle sticks!

 

[guitarlover]

Maybe you should check first whether the neck angle is ok for installing a bigsby... I am by no means an expert but I was told that the neck angle on vintage guitars is not always very consistent.

 

[secndshft]

I’m convinced. The II will remain a II. Thanks all!
Now to find a Bigsby equipped Starfire to join it.

 

[matsickma]

As a matter of reference I added a Guildsby to a late 90' SF2 and the attachment holes lined up perfectly with the harp attachment holes. I was also very reluctant to drill holes in a stock pristine guitar so the modification was 100% reversable. BTW...just like on the late 80's X160T and X161 the wooden bridge seems to work well with the added vibrato.
M

 

[secndshft]

I'm resurfacing this, a little over a year later, in the event someone else wants to cross this bridge (pun intended) in the future.

Last week someone posted a Guildsby that popped up on Facebook marketplace. The price was such that I figured if I got the item and it was going to require excessive mods (extra holes, etc), then I could back away and resell it, not loosing too much if any money. While waiting for it to arrive, I did a very unscientific Photoshop overlay of the existing II, and the hole pattern from the ad.



Not too bad. And while traveling I reread @Default 's post above. That got me even more excited. See, I'm a Jazzmaster fan, but I was (without the Guildsby) without any guitar with the ability to warble.

When it arrived I took these two. Promising. And man oh man doesn't it look good.



So while my beloved Georgia Bulldogs were failing to get off the bus for the game, I went to work. I completed this just in time to head to GA to help my father post-surgery. (He's doing well.) I haven't had much of a chance to play it through an amp, but I am smitten. No extra holes. It lined up perfectly, and start to finish (half watching the game) the swap was done in under an hour.



This is the Starfire I've wanted. And to the points made above, fear not, this isn't going anywhere. This is my Jazzmaster now. In fact, it's as good if not better than every Jazzmaster I've owned, which includes my old 59'.

Thanks all for the advice, opinions and so on. I love this board.

 

[GAD]

Congrats! That's a great update!

 

[Brian J]

Congratulations. I'm glad a member here got it instead of one of the parts resellers.

 

[secndshft]

Thanks @Brian J. I appreciate you posting the original message.

 

[GGJaguar]

Looks great! Nicely done!

 

[mavuser]

thats great! how does it play? is the neck angled enough?

 

[secndshft]

Thanks all. It's funny how it plays just like it did before I put the Guildsby on. The neck angle is great. This thing has me smiling ear to ear.