What kind of Starfire is this?

[Cherry Starfire]

I was checking out some tunes on you tube and found this Five Americans clip and notice the guild. I haven't seen one like that. What type of headstock inlay is that? Also the tailpiece looks different. Not to mention it looks like the other guitar player is playing a black Country Gent, some pretty cool guitars check out the videohttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KCktDweSRxY

 

[dapmdave]

I was checking out some tunes on you tube and found this Five Americans clip and notice the guild. I haven't seen one like that. What type of headstock inlay is that? Also the tailpiece looks different. Not to mention it looks like the other guitar player is playing a black Country Gent, some pretty cool guitars check out the videohttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KCktDweSRxY

Bound headstock, G-shield, master volume, block inlays, all say Starfire VI in that period. But that tail piece has me scratching my head, too It should be a Guildsby, right? Looks to have some sort of a cover over it.

Dave :?

 

[SFIV1967]

Bound headstock, G-shield, master volume, block inlays, all say Starfire VI in that period. But that tail piece has me scratching my head, too It should be a Guildsby, right? Looks to have some sort of a cover over it. Dave :?

As Dave said, beautiful Guild Starfire VI ! Bound f-holes as well.
16th fret neck to body joint makes it 1965 or early 1966, also the Grover tuners were only introduced in 1965 according to Hans' book. (1964 had Kolb tuners with pearloid diamond shaped knobs, also written in Hans' book). (see minute 5:59 for view of Grover style tuner knobs).
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KCktDweSRxY
Now in minute 5:43/5:44 you can guess that it still has the original golden aluminium bigsby/Guildsby bridge on it (see minute 6:25/6:26), means it came with Gildsby but the player did not like it and replaced the Guildby with a different tailpiece he got his hands on. In 7:07-7:16 you see the tailpiece a bit more, I looked through tons of early 60ties tailpiece pictures but was not able to locate one that looks like that one.

Anyway, another video showing that Starfire VI, I wish the quality would be better!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xJ4RUJorwyI

Here's a nice 1965 Starfire VI: (really looks pretty close to the new 2012 GSR Starfire VI...if you imagine it without the Bigsby, or?)

Ralf

 

[kakerlak]

To me, it looks like a regular trapeze with something in the middle of it. Kind of along the lines of the Gibson artist model guitars from the '60s (Barney Kessel, Trini Lopez, etc.) that had a woodgrain insert