91 starfire and bigsby

[chazmo]

Well, given that you now know the correct Bigsby variant(s) for your '98 SF IV which Hans provided for you, you have a choice to make... Do you want to mod the guitar or not? It's hard to say if you'd affect the value much, but these days anything from Westerly is considered a vintage (and highly desirable) Guild. However, as you say you've owned it a long time, you obviously want to keep it. So, my advice is install that Bigsby and have at it.

That's just my 2 centavos, and welcome aboard! BTW, that's a very nice guitar!!!

 

[mavuser]

Only install the period-correct Guild branded "Guildsby" on that guitar, if anything at all...if you are concerned about value.

There is also a possiblitly that the neck angle on your SF-4 was not set to accomodate a Bigsby, and so the results of such may be 'hit-or-miss.' Ask your luthier to look at it.

I myself am a fan of Bigsbys and other soft tails. I have not changed anything though. I would just put the money and energy towards a second guitar that came stock with a Bigsby (Guildsby), like a SF-5 or 6. But that is just me...Good luck!

 

[GSFV]

Two options to do that without damaging the guitars value would be a duesenberg Les trem. It goes on the studs for the stop tail. Amazing piece of kit. I’ve put one on a Les Paul and it’s pretty astonishing. My only grip is that the space behind the bridge can get a little cluttered.

Other option would be a vibrate plate for a B7. Guildsby or bigsby.

Technically duesenberg makes a b5 style with an adapter plate. But they’re hard to come by. It fixes the cramped space issue of the Les trem.


I say go for it!! I love the bigsby stuff. A little big bends nut sauce lubricating the nut and you’re good to go with the wiggle stick. I’m all for non permanent modifications. If I can be put back to stock with no scars or bruises, give a try!! and let us know how it goes.

 

[Guildedagain]

My concern is that it'll reduce the value of the guitar going forward, as it won't be stock.

Simple. Don't do it.

Especially if this guitar had great action/neck angle, the Bigsby will change it, make string bends uncomfortable and slow, add a lot weight, and endless tuning instability.

Nevermind restringing nightmares.

And why is that?

Because the string tension is a balance between the strings and the spring, and if you lose some tension, going to dropped D or breaking a high E string, the balance point changes in the springs favor and you're no longer in tune.

Do you not have a single other guitar with a trem?

If you need to quaver a chord once in a while or drop one in pitch, push or pull on the headstock a little bit, you'd be surprised how much pitch drop you can effect doing that, it's not going to break anything.

Really nice Starfire, cheaper and better to leave it be and just play it.

The Duesenberg system is prob the way to go if you have to have it, but it's not as sexy as a Bigsby, which looks like it was invented in the distant past, going on 100 years ago.

 

[joped]

It looks like your tech is mistaken. It is relevant because a Starfire IV from 1991 would have gold parts and consequently would need a gold Bigsby to look right. Your Starfire IV appears to be from around 1998 or a year close to that. The Bigsby you would need is a model B-9, or a B-7 if you don't mind the Bigsby brand on it.

Sincerely,

Hans Moust
www.guitarsgalore.nl

Hi, it is a 1997, looked it up, not being familiar with starfires. Do you know which bigsby would fit this guitar, and who might sell the guild branded ones? I have read that they do have vibramate kits available for some bigsby models which could mean no drilling or tech needed. Thanks.

 

[LesB3]

I love me a good Bigsby, and have pretty much put them on every guitar I can force to accept one. That being said, I also have a late 90's SF-4 like you, and have elected to keep the stop bar in place. For one, the stop bar makes it complicated - the vibramate options for that style of replacement are ugly, and not worth the potential playability issues. Second, buying the kit and a B7 could be expensive ($300) unless you get lucky. If you had a trapeze / G style tail, I'd say go for it, but you don't, so I'd recommend some other path to Bigsbytown.

Honestly, you could loiter on the GC / MF page and wait for a modern (Korean) SF-IV / V / VI (that already has a Bigsby) to pop up. The $300 (or more) you'd spend on hardware for the other guitar, almost gets you half way to a Korean one. And then you'd have 2 Starfires!

Five minutes on there and I found two SF-V's, one red, one black, both around $750:

https://www.guitarcenter.com/Used/Guild/Sfv-Hollow-Body-Electric-Guitar.gc
https://www.guitarcenter.com/product-detail-page?productId=site5118921657

Good luck!

 

[GSFV]

You’d have to find an old American guildsby. The new ones are metric and my understanding is the vibramate kits are only imperial spacing.

If it were me, I’d look into a Göldo or Duesenberg unit with a conversion plate. More like a Bigsby B5, but it’s an amazing piece of kit!!

 

[GSFV]

I love me a good Bigsby, and have pretty much put them on every guitar I can force to accept one. That being said, I also have a late 90's SF-4 like you, and have elected to keep the stop bar in place. For one, the stop bar makes it complicated - the vibramate options for that style of replacement are ugly, and not worth the potential playability issues. Second, buying the kit and a B7 could be expensive ($300) unless you get lucky. If you had a trapeze / G style tail, I'd say go for it, but you don't, so I'd recommend some other path to Bigsbytown.

Honestly, you could loiter on the GC / MF page and wait for a modern (Korean) SF-IV / V / VI (that already has a Bigsby) to pop up. The $300 (or more) you'd spend on hardware for the other guitar, almost gets you half way to a Korean one. And then you'd have 2 Starfires!

Five minutes on there and I found two SF-V's, one red, one black, both around $750:

https://www.guitarcenter.com/Used/Guild/Sfv-Hollow-Body-Electric-Guitar.gc
https://www.guitarcenter.com/product-detail-page?productId=site5118921657

Good luck!

Or do this!! The Korean Guilds I’ve played are quite good!

 

[chazmo]

Do you know which bigsby would fit this guitar, ...

Joped, this question has been answered and reiterated several times already as well as several suggestions having been offered that you should read through earlier in the thread. To wit:

The Bigsby you would need is a model B-9, or a B-7 if you don't mind the Bigsby brand on it.

Good luck with your choices and decisions, @joped.