Vintage Starfires

[mcarter]

Hi, a 1966 SF iv is for sale at a local shop. I have been thinking about buy a vintage SF, as the prices are inexpensive compared to Gibson etc. I have a Korean made SF 4 and like it. I am going to be using it for a blues band. Anything you can tell me about that guitar would be helpful, pickups, what to look for, is that a good year for Guild etc, I am going to try it out soon . It's listed at $2300. Thanks, Michael

 

[Walter Broes]

Try it, see if you like it! It's been my experience that a refret, new nut and a setup are usually not a luxury on a guitar that age. Some of that work might have been done already!
It'll probably sound like you Newark Street guitar, but with a lot more character and personality..

 

[BradHK]

I have a few 1960’s Starfire IV and V guitars and love them. If you can post some pictures here that would help provide some comments on that specific guitar. That price is fair if it is in good condition with no material mods.

 

[AcornHouse]

60s Starfire's are different from later Westerly SFs. They tend to have skinnier necks and are lighter. You hear/feel the woody hollowness (or semi) because of this compared to the heavier Westerly offerings which are more pickup centered, if that makes sense. I don't know how they compare to the imports, but if you don't like skinny necks you may not like them. I love them.

 

[mcarter]

 

[mcarter]

This is the only pic they have.

 

[BradHK]

No obvious mods from that photo. Hard to tell if the finish is original. Those look like the Japanese tuners that were used at the end of the 1960’s. Grover Sta-tites were used prior to these tuners and the kolb Guild tuners were used next. The tuner buttons in the photo don’t match either of those. If the mounting screws are a diagonal pattern then those are the Japanese tuners. Not the best tuners and no direct drop in replacement has been found. I have a set on one of my Starfires and they work fine but others have complained about theirs. Maybe I just got lucky. Also, check the action and the ability to lower the bridge. Guilds from this era have shallow neck angles. Good luck!

 

[GAD]

60s Starfire's are different from later Westerly SFs. They tend to have skinnier necks and are lighter. You hear/feel the woody hollowness (or semi) because of this compared to the heavier Westerly offerings which are more pickup centered, if that makes sense. I don't know how they compare to the imports, but if you don't like skinny necks you may not like them. I love them.

Note that in my experience at least, "skinny" on a '60s Starfire probably means "shallow" The '60s Starfires I've played have all been 1 11/16" wide at the nut while the '70s Starfires have all been 1 5/8". For me, I didn't like some of the '70s Starfires because they were thin AND shallow and I just couldn't do it. A little deeper and the '70s are fine for me. All the necks were hand-carved so there can be variations between guitars even though they're the same model.

 

[mcarter]

Does a 1966 SF have LB 1 pickups?

 

[GGJaguar]

Does a 1966 SF have LB 1 pickups?

Normally, yes (they were called Anti-Hum pickups back then). Exceptions do occur.

 

[GAD]

Does a 1966 SF have LB 1 pickups?

Normally, yes (they were called Anti-Hum pickups back then). Exceptions do occur.

I need to be that guy and point out that LB1s are not AntiHums and vice-versa.

AntiHums are US-Made awesome vintage pickups that are highly sought after.

LB1s are Korean-made copies of AntiHums.

Difference in gory detail here:

Guild Anti-Hum and LB1 Mini-Humbucker Pickups | GAD's Ramblings

One of my most popular articles is Guild Full-Sized HB1 and SD1 Pickup Variations where I put into writing all the nitpicky details about those pickups that I’ve learned over the years. I often get people asking me about the Guild “mini humbuckers” from the 1960s and thanks to a recent project...

www.gad.net

 

[secndshft]

I hope I’m not breaking a rule with this, but I thought it relevant for you @mcarter

I saw that you’re along the Hudson and I wonder if you might want to check out this Starfire in the city. It has the stop tail mod and a headstock repair, but I bet you’d save some money in the end. I have no affiliation with the seller. I did chat with him a bit about the guitar though because Guilddiction is real.

 

[mcarter]

I hope I’m not breaking a rule with this, but I thought it relevant for you @mcarter

I saw that you’re along the Hudson and I wonder if you might want to check out this Starfire in the city. It has the stop tail mod and a headstock repair, but I bet you’d save some money in the end. I have no affiliation with the seller. I did chat with him a bit about the guitar though because Guilddiction is real.

Thanks

 

[Zelja]

60s Starfire's are different from later Westerly SFs. They tend to have skinnier necks and are lighter. You hear/feel the woody hollowness (or semi) because of this compared to the heavier Westerly offerings which are more pickup centered, if that makes sense. I don't know how they compare to the imports, but if you don't like skinny necks you may not like them. I love them.

My 60's SFV has a 1 11/16" wide neck & is quite full, not shallow. It's also a fuller neck than my '96 SF4 which is also 1 11/16" wide. Can't say that it's a much lighter guitar either - it's a very solid piece. Never played a 70's Starfire but I believe GAD when he says they are narrower & shallower, just based om the 70s S100s I have owned or still own.

It's probably dangerous to generalise too much when it comes to Guilds )), but the 60's Starfires I think have a thicker body compared to the 90's one, at least in the case of the two I have.

 

[mcarter]

First off, thank you to the forum for all your help and knowledge! When I was checking out the above Starfire, they also had this 1981. I really liked it. I wanted to know if $2300 is too high for the guitar

 

[GAD]

Depends on condition. If it’s excellent then it’s OK. I’d try and talk them down to $2k.

 

[Bill Ashton]

@Default , are you watching this?

 

[mcarter]

Depends on condition. If it’s excellent then it’s OK. I’d try and talk them down to $2k.

thanks, I thought it was high.

 

[Uke]

I have a 65 SF 2. It is very light weight, very (almost too) good action, and the tuners suck. Other than that it's a nice guitar that I never play. The price on the one you're looking at seems fair to me. Oddly enough, I was wondering to myself this morning how much I would ask for mine should I ever decide to sell it, and the figure that popped into my head was $2300.00.

 

[chazmo]

Uke, if you're interested in selling it, definitely feel free to post an ad in the FS section. By the way, that sounds quite reasonable to me.