GGJaguar
Reverential Member
Similar yet different. That cliché pretty much describes this comparison between my Starfire IV ST-12 (aka Starfire XII) and Gretsch FSR G5422G-12. They were both made in 2018 in the same Korean factory - Sound Professional Guitar Co, Ltd. BTW, this Gretsch was a short-lived factory special run, and differed from the regular G5422G-12 in cosmetics only. Other than the fingerboard inlays, natural finish and gold hardware, it’s the same as the regular model.
Special Note – I just learned that, as of 2022, the Gretsch G5422G-12 is being made in China! I have no idea if the Chinese-made Gretsch is of the same quality, uses the same parts (tuners are different for sure) or has the same sound and playability as my Korean version. So, keep in mind that my comparison is only for the Korean version.
The Gretsch has a fully hollow , double cutaway laminated maple body with a small sound post under the bridge (see pic below). It is mated to a maple neck with rosewood fingerboard. The tuners are same Hanchang diecast units found on the Guild and the 6-saddle bridge is also the same as on the Guild. The bridge, however, sits on a pinned rosewood base and the strings are anchored by a Gretsch “G” tailpiece. Scale length is 24 ¾” (same as the Guild). The black top FilterTron humbuckers have ceramic magnets and are fed through a 3-way selector with Master Volume, Master Tone, and Volume controls for each pickup.
The Guild has a double cutaway laminated sapele body with a mahogany neck and unstained ebony fingerboard. As you may recall from my NGD post for the Starfire XII, it does not have a full center block body. It is more like a hollow body guitar with big parallel braces connecting the top and back with a block under the bridge as shown below. The Guild has a more traditional control layout with 3-way selector and tone and volume controls for each LB-1 humbucker.
The necks are built differently, too. The maple neck on the Gretsch is made up of 3-pieces for the heel, main section and headstock using scarf joints. These are very easy to see in the photo. The Guild uses a traditional 3-piece mahogany-maple-mahogany laminate neck.
Special Note – I just learned that, as of 2022, the Gretsch G5422G-12 is being made in China! I have no idea if the Chinese-made Gretsch is of the same quality, uses the same parts (tuners are different for sure) or has the same sound and playability as my Korean version. So, keep in mind that my comparison is only for the Korean version.
The Gretsch has a fully hollow , double cutaway laminated maple body with a small sound post under the bridge (see pic below). It is mated to a maple neck with rosewood fingerboard. The tuners are same Hanchang diecast units found on the Guild and the 6-saddle bridge is also the same as on the Guild. The bridge, however, sits on a pinned rosewood base and the strings are anchored by a Gretsch “G” tailpiece. Scale length is 24 ¾” (same as the Guild). The black top FilterTron humbuckers have ceramic magnets and are fed through a 3-way selector with Master Volume, Master Tone, and Volume controls for each pickup.
The Guild has a double cutaway laminated sapele body with a mahogany neck and unstained ebony fingerboard. As you may recall from my NGD post for the Starfire XII, it does not have a full center block body. It is more like a hollow body guitar with big parallel braces connecting the top and back with a block under the bridge as shown below. The Guild has a more traditional control layout with 3-way selector and tone and volume controls for each LB-1 humbucker.
The necks are built differently, too. The maple neck on the Gretsch is made up of 3-pieces for the heel, main section and headstock using scarf joints. These are very easy to see in the photo. The Guild uses a traditional 3-piece mahogany-maple-mahogany laminate neck.