I'm the original owner of a mid '60's Starfire III. Over the years I've used it for Jazz, Rock, Fusion and all manner of music formats. Needless to say, I've modified it a lot over the years. Currently it's in 70% original condition with the following mods: Alembic hot-rod kit in the neck pick-up, Seymor Duncan high output humbucker in the bridge position, new wiring and pots done about 2000, replacement volume and tone knobs and Schaller tuners that I installed in the mid '70's. It has the usual finish wear but no major structural problems. My question to you and myself is should I leave it "as-is" or modify it to a single pickup with volume control thin-bodied "jazz-box" with trapeze tailpiece and ebony bridge? Thx in advance, TJ.
My old Starfire III
- Thread starter thomj513
- Start date
I second alpep's sentiments...
walrus
walrus
They're wonderful guitars and remarkably versatile.
Mine is a SFII that had a Guildsby added years ago. I play mostly jazz now, so I replaced the Guildsby with an original harp tailpiece (the screw holes matched up perfectly) and the bridge is Rosewood. Not surprisingly, you get a much woodier jazz tone w a wood bridge.
I never liked the Guildsby (call me crazy) and never used it so I was glad to lose the weight and break angle. I use the neck pup almost exclusively but there are times in a band setting when I need a little extra punch and I'm glad to have a bridge pup.
Mine has the mini-buckers and I like them; almost P90ish but quiet, rich and great for jazz IMO. I'm usually running it through a Princeton in smaller venues... not exactly 'traditional' jazz gear but it sounds great to me (if I'm playing OK). It's more about skills than gear anyway.
I wouldn't lose any parts or make changes that can't be undone, but the tailpiece and bridge are reversible if you hang on to the parts.
Mine is a SFII that had a Guildsby added years ago. I play mostly jazz now, so I replaced the Guildsby with an original harp tailpiece (the screw holes matched up perfectly) and the bridge is Rosewood. Not surprisingly, you get a much woodier jazz tone w a wood bridge.
I never liked the Guildsby (call me crazy) and never used it so I was glad to lose the weight and break angle. I use the neck pup almost exclusively but there are times in a band setting when I need a little extra punch and I'm glad to have a bridge pup.
Mine has the mini-buckers and I like them; almost P90ish but quiet, rich and great for jazz IMO. I'm usually running it through a Princeton in smaller venues... not exactly 'traditional' jazz gear but it sounds great to me (if I'm playing OK). It's more about skills than gear anyway.
I wouldn't lose any parts or make changes that can't be undone, but the tailpiece and bridge are reversible if you hang on to the parts.
southernGuild
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I'll agree with that as well..............and Joe, Your coments are very hepful and insightful too. ( as usual :wink: ) Great info.alpep said:
NEONMOONY
Member
I really can't understand why you would run a poll about such a very personal decision. You are the one who will be playing it, not us.
guildman63
Senior Member
What NEONMOONY said! The way I see it is that with different pickups, wiring, tuners and tone knobs you have already replaced everything but the pickguard and Bigsby, which to me is about 70% modified and 30% original. At this point, even if we were playing the guitar, there isn't much more left to do with the guitar aside from putting stickers all over it :lol:
Thx for the input. I will be leaving it "as-is". For me I just needed the validation of others, for whatever reason, for this decision. I can appreciate AlohaJoe's view as I've done a similar mod in the 90's; it was lighter and had, for me, an oddly "wooden tone" to it that I wasn't used to with the original Guildsby. So semi-original it will be until I come across an original mini-bucker for the bridge position and some Guild volume and tone knobs. TJ.
NEONMOONY
Member
I've modded guitars to make them the way I wanted or envisioned them. I wanted a resonator with a pickup taht had some distortion. If I listened to others, I never would have got there. While waiting to play at a venue, I told a couple other musicians I intended to take a dremel tool and cut a whole in a brass resonator to put a SD rails pickup in it. One of them said, " You would do that"? Not only would I, I have more than once and never regretted it. I have a guitar that has a sound I want.