starfire center block new and old

[powerwagonjohn]

I have been wondering about the center block in the starfire IV, V and VI My 1973 Starfire is a cherry mahogany and has a mahogany center block and my 2012 GSR Starfire has what looks like a maple center block. I was down at Willies guitar last fri. and played the the Starfire bass they have and it is a maple body and looks like it has a maple center block. My question is did they use different center blocks on different bodys or was it just chance?
I have also wondered about the average wight for the older starfires, my 1973 is approx. 8 pounds. Is this an average weight for a 70's Starfire? What do other years of Starfire's weigh?Thanks John

 

[GAD]

I would think that the center block would be made from the same material as the body of the guitar. Mahogany = mahogany, maple = maple, etc.

I don't have weights for my guitars, but all my Starfires have been weighty. The different eras were different thicknesses too. I have a pic of the difference between my '73 and my '00 somewhere...

 

[GAD]

Found it:

 

[Kslam]

I have also wondered about the average wight for the older starfires, my 1973 is approx. 8 pounds. Is this an average weight for a 70's Starfire? What do other years of Starfire's weigh?Thanks John

My 67 Starfire IV weighs 7 pounds. My 67 Starfire V weighs more.

 

[Los Angeles]

I would think that the center block would be made from the same material as the body of the guitar. Mahogany = mahogany, maple = maple, etc.

I don't have weights for my guitars, but all my Starfires have been weighty. The different eras were different thicknesses too. I have a pic of the difference between my '73 and my '00 somewhere...

I have a 1976 starfire with a mahogany center block and maple body.

 

[walrus]

Just as another example (although not a Guild example), my Gibson ES-135 has a maple body with a balsa center block...

walrus

 

[powerwagonjohn]

The Gibson ES135 are nice playing guitars with Chromolite [balsa] on the inside. They are a lot lighter than the earlier ES 137's
As for the Starfires I wouldn't assume anything. Hopefully we will hear from others. On the center blocks and the weight. Thanks John

 

[Los Angeles]

I had an ES135 and the top cracked - so I returned it. And they lost it.

THree months later, once they finally realized they owed me a guitar, I got a new one in the wrong color, sent it back, got yet another one and sure enough, the neck/body joint cracked inside of a couple of months.

Then Katrina happened and an old friend lost everything - including all of his guitars. I sent him the 135 and said "good riddance".

Guilds from here on out.

 

[walrus]

That sucks, LA!! I love my ES-135, never any problems with it, sounds great!

I've been lucky, no problems with guitars. I've had Epiphones, Fenders, Gibsons, and several Guilds, none of which gave me any issues, except a Starfire II (late 90's) that had a few issues, including needing a neck reset.

I'm left with what I consider my favorites, the D64 and the ES-135...

walrus

 

[GAD]

I would think that the center block would be made from the same material as the body of the guitar. Mahogany = mahogany, maple = maple, etc.

I don't have weights for my guitars, but all my Starfires have been weighty. The different eras were different thicknesses too. I have a pic of the difference between my '73 and my '00 somewhere...

I have a 1976 starfire with a mahogany center block and maple body.

That's interesting. Does it have a mahogany neck by any chance? Now I need to go look at mine...