Starfire Questions :)

[jeffmac]

Hello all!

I picked this up from gc today and I had a few questions just to clear up some puzzles. I should mention that I realize at least this is a players grade guitar with heavy mods done (I've always wanted to try a full hollow starfire)
so questions.
1. Did guild ever use actual bigsbys ? or were they all the bigsbys marked guild ?
2. Does this headstock look original? Ive seen some like this with the open book style but the logo was a little lower than this one.
3. Just curious if someone knows what was put in place of the pickup selector?

It looks super cool with all the mods even for me. I couldn't afford one in original shape anyway. Ill know more when it arrives and im not sure what the serial is just yet.

I really appreciate any responses. You guys are really great !

 

[beatcomber]

That Bigsby was not installed at the factory.

 

[Norrissey]

Congrats on the new purchase! Your guitar and your questions had me diving back into my "Guild Guitar Book" by the amazing @hansmoust
I'm not an expert but based on the book, your guitar looks like an early Starfire II or III. Hans will be able to date it for you and identify it once the guitar arrives and you can post better pics but I'm guessing it's a 1960 (the first year Starfires were made) or a '61. There is a picture of a headstock in the Guild Guitar book that looks exactly like yours so I'm pretty sure it's original. The truss rod cover on your guitar also points to early '60s.
The early Starfires DID use original Bigsbies. Your one looks like a B-6. The photos you provided from GC are not so great so it's hard to tell if it was installed in the Guild factory or later. In the "Guild Guitar Book" Hans mentions that in the early '60s there was a distributor who would buy Starfire 2s from Guild and fit them with Bigsbies and then add a roman numeral to the guitar label and resell them as Starfire IIIs for a bigger profit! It's possible your guitar is one of those : ) This practice prompted Guild to start ordering Guild branded Bigsby tailpieces in 1961 but they continued to offer Bigsby branded vibratos in their catalog for some time after that.
That's all for now.

 

[beatcomber]

^^Good knowledge!

 

[adorshki]

Hello all!


3. Just curious if someone knows what was put in place of the pickup selector?

Welcome Jeffmac! Congrats, nice piece! Wonder if it could be a stereo switch? Guild offered it ca '67 IIRC but possibly a retrofit for the harness? Otherwise a phase switch? (Possibly more likely). Keep us posted!

 

[jeffmac]

Congrats on the new purchase! Your guitar and your questions had me diving back into my "Guild Guitar Book" by the amazing @hansmoust
I'm not an expert but based on the book, your guitar looks like an early Starfire II or III. Hans will be able to date it for you and identify it once the guitar arrives and you can post better pics but I'm guessing it's a 1960 (the first year Starfires were made) or a '61. There is a picture of a headstock in the Guild Guitar book that looks exactly like yours so I'm pretty sure it's original. The truss rod cover on your guitar also points to early '60s.
The early Starfires DID use original Bigsbies. Your one looks like a B-6. The photos you provided from GC are not so great so it's hard to tell if it was installed in the Guild factory or later. In the "Guitar Guitar Book" Hans mentions that in the early '60s there was a distributor who would buy Starfire 2s from Guild and fit them with Bigsbies and then add a roman numeral to the guitar label and resell them as Starfire IIIs for a bigger profit! It's possible your guitar is one of those : ) This practice prompted Guild to start ordering Guild branded Bigsby tailpieces in 1961 but they continued to offer Bigsby branded vibratos in their catalog for some time after that.
That's all for now.

thanks for the detailed response! looks like the pickups are dimarzio super distortions so not ruling anything out Ill post some more when it arrives.

 

[jeffmac]

Welcome Jeffmac! Congrats, nice piece! Wonder if it could be a stereo switch? Guild offed it ca '67 IIRC but possibly a retrofit for the harness? Otherwise a phase switch? (Possibly more likely). Keep us posted!

will do! thanks. looks like there's little studs around it like the other volume and tone knobs.

 

[Norrissey]

looks like the pickups are dimarzio super distortions

Those might sound very cool on that old Starfire. My '64 Starfire II was also modified, it has Gibson Patent Number pickups on it and it sounds absolutely amazing. I hope your guitar does too!

 

[jeffmac]

Those might sound very cool on that old Starfire. My '64 Starfire II was also modified, it has Gibson Patent Number pickups on it and it sounds absolutely amazing. I hope your guitar does too!

here's hoping! does yours feedback ?

 

[GAD]

here's hoping! does yours feedback ?

I've never met a hollowbody that didn't feed back under volume. How much depends on the guitar, the volume, and the position of the player relative to the amp, but they all do it.

 

[jeffmac]

I've never met a hollowbody that didn't feed back under volume. How much depends on the guitar, the volume, and the position of the player relative to the amp, but they all do it.

I figured as much . Just trying to wrap my head around the pickup swap . Why put a super distortion pickup in a guitar that’s already prone to feedback ?

 

[Norrissey]

here's hoping! does yours feedback ?

It will if I'm playing super loud in a rehearsal space but it's manageable. Playing medium loud at home is no problem.

 

[GAD]

I figured as much . Just trying to wrap my head around the pickup swap . Why put a super distortion pickup in a guitar that’s already prone to feedback ?

If you think that's baffling, have I got a thread for you:

Hot mess mods

letstalkguild.com

 

[adorshki]

will do! thanks. looks like there's little studs around it like the other volume and tone knobs.

IIRC those studs are the position markers, and it may have been a master volume there formerly.

 

[jeffmac]

If you think that's baffling, have I got a thread for you:

Hot mess mods

letstalkguild.com

I kinda blame evh wow!

 

[jeffmac]

IIRC those studs are the position markers, and it may have been a master volume there formerly.

Never seen a position marker with more than one stud ? Also would that indicate it was done at the factory ? Interesting. I’ll know better and post more when I get it .

 

[adorshki]

Never seen a position marker with more than one stud ? Also would that indicate it was done at the factory ? Interesting. I’ll know better and post more when I get it .

These are factory, 1 stud each:

More than one? Yep, that's kind of puzzling. Maybe owner installed for convenience in id'ing a volume level by touch?

 

[jeffmac]

These are factory, 1 stud each:

More than one? Yep, that's kind of puzzling. Maybe owner installed for convenience in id'ing a volume level by touch?

yeah.. if i had to guess id say its some kind of pickup selector with the 6 options combining the pickups. question is was it done factory or aftermarket and if aftermarket kind of interesting to put 6 markers into the wood like the volume and tone ones.

 

[adorshki]

yeah.. if i had to guess id say its some kind of pickup selector with the 6 options combining the pickups. question is was it done factory or aftermarket and if aftermarket kind of interesting to put 6 markers into the wood like the volume and tone ones.

Don't recall ever hearing of such an arrangement for Starfires.

 

[jeffmac]

Don't recall ever hearing of such an arrangement for Starfires.

the only thing throwing me off is the studs. if its after market its pretty detailed to do something like that? there's also a toggle installed between the volume /tone knobs.. so who the heck knows now