1964 Guild Jet Star Electric guitar

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Does anyone know anything about these Guild Jet Star guitars? I've had this one for many, many years but I know very little about it. The few photos I've been able to find do not show it with a whammy bar on it. Does anyone out there have a guitar like this one?
 

hansmoust

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phillieg said:
Does anyone know anything about these Guild Jet Star guitars? I've had this one for many, many years but I know very little about it. The few photos I've been able to find do not show it with a whammy bar on it. Does anyone out there have a guitar like this one?

Hello phillieg,

Welcome! I have a Guild Jet Star but not the one with the Hagstrom vibrato unit. The version you have is somewhat unusual. If you give me the serial number I can see if I can find your guitar in the original Guild production ledgers.

Sincerely,

Hans Moust
http://www.guitarsgalore
 
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Hi Hans,
I will have to get the number when I get home. I did look it up on one site and I found out it was made in 1964. It's a fun guitar to play, isnt' it?
-p
 

matsickma

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Well that is the Guild model I was weened on-Hagstrom Tremar and all.

Mine was red and had the all-chrome small soapbar type single coil pup. I loved that guitar but in the early 1970's sold it to buy a Fender Coronodo 12 string. I have seen one like mine once on ebay a few years ago but passed on it.

Back in the mid 1960's many of my friends had the Polaras. Mine was the Jetstar. When my brother and I went to pick out a guitar with my parents our budget was around $250 for one guitar to be shared. The manager at the Guild dealer offered us a new red Jetstar or a Sunburst T100D with the white mickey mouse PUPs without the chrome surrounds (i.e., similar to GoG first Guild). My brother wanted the T100D and I the Jetstar. We ended up with the Jetstar which, in my way of looking at things even today, was the better choice because of the music of the day. We were all trying to do the Hendrix songs and the Tremar made that a possibility (gulp!). Having been raised on that guitar I still have a strong like of a Tremar vibrato. I was very suprised and annoyed the first time I played a Strat and found the vibrato arm didn't stay put like a Tremar or Bigsby.

Today I own a pair of Polaras (early model with chrome pups and a later model with MM and the Thunderbird like preset switch). One of the features of a Jetstar that the Polara doesn't have is the single pickup position in the middle of the guitar. It seems to me that the center of the body is great sounding place to locate a pickup.

That Jetstar brings back memories...
 
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Wow, you've all been very helpful. Thanks, I appreciate it. Hans, the serial number is #38446. Like I mentioned, the page I found dated this to 1964 but if you can dig up more info that would be great. I wish I had my other Guild, the 2 pickup S-100. Mine was like the 3rd one down from the top in a dark cherry red...
guild71.jpg

These are what I play now. the one on the far right is a FirstAct GarageMaster VW guitar. I picked it up for $50, can't beat it for the price.
1380155688_4aa81f657f_m.jpg


All of this Guild talk is making me appreciate my Jet Star all the more. Thanks again guys.
-phil
 

hansmoust

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phillieg said:
Wow, you've all been very helpful. Thanks, I appreciate it. Hans, the serial number is #38446. Like I mentioned, the page I found dated this to 1964 but if you can dig up more info that would be great.

Hello phillieg,

OK, I found your guitar. Like you said it is a 1964 serial number, but the guitar was finished a little later. Here's a little information that I posted before. It explains why the serial number does not automatically give you the year of manufacture:

Guild guitars were made in batches of 6, 12 or 24 etc. From a manufacturing standpoint it was easier to make them in batches because of the change of tooling necessary to produce the different models. When the superstructures were completed they were serial numbered, which took place in the 'finishing' dept. After that the finish was applied and the guitars were hung to dry. After sufficient drying they would be buffed and placed in racks, where they would stay till an order came in. Obviously, if they started production they already had orders, but not always for the complete batch. Only the guitars they had orders for (plus the guitars that could be put in inventory because they were ordered on a regular basis) would be taken to 'final assembly', where the superstructure would get all the necessary parts to become a musical instrument and where it would be set up. Now the order in which they were taken from the racks was random, so it was possible for a higher serial number to come through 'final assembly' before a lower number. A lower serial number could stay on the racks for a very long time while a later serial number would already be hanging on a dealer's wall. I have several instruments in my collection that have serial numbers of which I know they were applied in a specific year; I also know that some of the hardware on these instruments was introduced years later, which shows that these instruments stayed on the racks for a very long time before they came through 'final assembly'. This usually happened with instruments that were not very popular during a specific period or with instruments that were already discontinued.

So the serial number on a guitar doesn't automatically tell you when a guitar was completed and in some cases this explains some of the quirky stuff you might come across.


Anyway, your S-50 was finished in 'final assembly' on February 5, 1965.

Hope you find this of interest!

Sincerely,

Hans Moust
http://www.guitarsgalore.nl
 
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That's great Hans. It's nice to know more about the process. I just missed it's 43rd Birthday but I think I can still buy it a beer to celebrate. I have not seen any others that have the type of tremelo bar on it. Can you tell me anything about that feature?
:lol:

And Dane and matsickma, thanks for your comments and info
 

danerectal

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phillieg said:
Wow, you've all been very helpful. Thanks, I appreciate it. Hans, the serial number is #38446. Like I mentioned, the page I found dated this to 1964 but if you can dig up more info that would be great. I wish I had my other Guild, the 2 pickup S-100. Mine was like the 3rd one down from the top in a dark cherry red...
guild71.jpg

These are what I play now. the one on the far right is a FirstAct GarageMaster VW guitar. I picked it up for $50, can't beat it for the price.
1380155688_4aa81f657f_m.jpg


All of this Guild talk is making me appreciate my Jet Star all the more. Thanks again guys.
-phil
Isn't the 3rd from the top an S-90? I almost preferred the hot rod feel of the stripped down S-90.
 
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Dane, you are probably right. It was a very long time ago that I had that guitar. I probably got rid of it in late 1970's or very early 80's. I had gotten into acoustic guitar and figured I wouldn't miss it. I was wrong. I don't even have any photos of it either.
 

swamp2

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phillieg said:
These are what I play now. the one on the far right is a FirstAct GarageMaster VW guitar. I picked it up for $50, can't beat it for the price.



-phil

It's a little off topic, but those VW Garagemaster's are actually very decent guitars if you take a little time and set them up properly. Really, an amazing bargain. Obviously, not a Guild - but pretty fun and quite usable - play well, look pretty neat and the pickups aren't bad. I've got a few of 'em...
 

coastie99

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swamp2 said:
It's a little off topic, but those VW Garagemaster's are actually very decent guitars if you take a little time and set them up properly. Really, an amazing bargain. Obviously, not a Guild - but pretty fun and quite usable - play well, look pretty neat and the pickups aren't bad. I've got a few of 'em...

Fear not, Swamp !

"Off Topic", Thread Veer" is de rigueur here !
 
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Swamp2,
I agree although I have not done anything to set up my GarageMaster. One thing I dislike though is how it is weighted when you stand and use a strap. It seems top heavy and the neck is always falling towards the ground. One thing I really like is that with the built in preamp you can just plug in some headphones and play away. For the $$ it was a steal. But when all is said and done, it's not a Guild...
I am looking at getting a fret job for my JetStar. I've never had one done before. What does something like that cost about?

Coastie, nice line up of guitars.
The clowns leave on 01.20.09
~The End of an Error~
 
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