Newark St. Starfire III

GAD

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Next in line of the Starfire review-a-thon is the 2016 Newark St. Starfire III:

https://www.gad.net/Blog/2019/05/13/2016-guild-newark-street-starfire-iii/


Guild-2016-NS-StarfireIII-TopFull.jpg


As always, please PM me with errors or typos.

Thanks!
 

Walter Broes

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I thought the NS Starfire III's really caught some of the feel of the 60's ones too, even if they sound a little generic compared to the real thing. But that's been my experience with almost any current production electric hollowbody, when I really think about it.
 

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I thought the NS Starfire III's really caught some of the feel of the 60's ones too, even if they sound a little generic compared to the real thing. But that's been my experience with almost any current production electric hollowbody, when I really think about it.

Generic is a great way to describe the difference.

When I was hunting for a Gretsch Setzer model I played a bunch of Gretsch 6xxx and a bunch of Electromatics, and the Electromastics always left me feeling a bit underwhelmed. On their own they're fine instruments, but compared with the real thing they're just missing something. That's kind of how I felt about the NS SFIII, but I think Guild got it (whatever "it" is) much closer than the Electromatics do.
 

GGJaguar

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Outstanding review as usual, thanks! The pickup routes in the NS CE-100D also cut through the parallel braces as on the SF-III. My luthier took a look and said those cutouts weakened the braces by about 50%. He believes that this design "flaw" is what caused the tops on some (all?) CE-100D's to sink. However, this doesn't appear to be an issue on the NS SF-III (at least not on any I've inspected). One other tidbit about the SF-III is that the bridge is pinned. The posts on the rosewood base actually screw into holes in the top and it takes a small metric allen wrench to unscrew them from the body. I discovered this when I removed the bridge on my SF-III to replace it with a Bigsby bridge.
 

Walter Broes

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When I was hunting for a Gretsch Setzer model I played a bunch of Gretsch 6xxx and a bunch of Electromatics, and the Electromastics always left me feeling a bit underwhelmed. On their own they're fine instruments, but compared with the real thing they're just missing something. That's kind of how I felt about the NS SFIII, but I think Guild got it (whatever "it" is) much closer than the Electromatics do.
The Gretsch electros are solidly built, can be adjusted to play comfortably and in tune, look kinda cool, etc..., but the ones I've plugged in sounded anywhere from tubby to screechy, but never really musical. Not a fan.

As for the pro-line Gretsches....Gretsches are weird of course. The "golden era" ones really are shockingly badly built guitars. To use one as a main guitar it usually needs work that's between "more than a regular setup" and a partial re-build. I honestly can't believe they sold so many in the 50's and 60's - they were never cheap. Goes to show the power of star endorsers/users I guess.

The current "pro-line" Japanese-built guitars are well built, nice guitars, but I still think they lack some sweetness and "whatever IT is" compared to a well playing old one. But I get absolutely the same thing with newer Gibsons, Guilds and Gretsches, wherever they're built - they always sound and feel tighter, brighter, more generic and uglier (not in a good way) than the 50's and 60's guitars. Maybe guitars really do need 45 years on them, I don't know.
 

dbirchett

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Generic is a great way to describe the difference.

When I was hunting for a Gretsch Setzer model I played a bunch of Gretsch 6xxx and a bunch of Electromatics, and the Electromastics always left me feeling a bit underwhelmed. On their own they're fine instruments, but compared with the real thing they're just missing something. That's kind of how I felt about the NS SFIII, but I think Guild got it (whatever "it" is) much closer than the Electromatics do.

They were built in the same factory, SPG, as most of the hollow-body Electromatics. The Newark Streets are usually thought to be a little nicer, which is saying something.
 

GAD

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The Gretsch electros are solidly built, can be adjusted to play comfortably and in tune, look kinda cool, etc..., but the ones I've plugged in sounded anywhere from tubby to screechy, but never really musical. Not a fan.

As for the pro-line Gretsches....Gretsches are weird of course. The "golden era" ones really are shockingly badly built guitars. To use one as a main guitar it usually needs work that's between "more than a regular setup" and a partial re-build. I honestly can't believe they sold so many in the 50's and 60's - they were never cheap. Goes to show the power of star endorsers/users I guess.

The current "pro-line" Japanese-built guitars are well built, nice guitars, but I still think they lack some sweetness and "whatever IT is" compared to a well playing old one. But I get absolutely the same thing with newer Gibsons, Guilds and Gretsches, wherever they're built - they always sound and feel tighter, brighter, more generic and uglier (not in a good way) than the 50's and 60's guitars. Maybe guitars really do need 45 years on them, I don't know.

After some experimentation I am convinced that a large part of the vintage Les Paul sound is the pots. I had an R7 that just sucked on the neck pickup until I swapped the post and then holy cow! 525k pots all around changed the entire character of the guitar.
 

Quantum Strummer

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After some experimentation I am convinced that a large part of the vintage Les Paul sound is the pots. I had an R7 that just sucked on the neck pickup until I swapped the post and then holy cow! 525k pots all around changed the entire character of the guitar.

This along with non-standardized pickup winding & magnets. Once those things got standardized the amplified sound changed from alive! to generic.

-Dave-
 

Quantum Strummer

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One of my guitar purchases last year was a 1960 Gretsch Duo Jet (6lbs, 15.5oz, exactly the same weight as my old Tele, in case you're interested.) Finally, a birth year guitar! (I wasn't really looking for one…) It took me a long time to find an old Duo Jet in solid structural shape and with intact binding for exactly the reason Walter notes above. I've tried out a handful in person since c. 1995, each with neck/body joints about as wobbly as an old SG Special after a dozen shows' worth of Pete Townshend's yanking & thrashing.

Anyway, this one just reeks of character…the back of the neck is smoothed out by decades of hands sliding up & down it, the body resonates the way old wood that loves being a guitar does and the Filter'Trons sound like TV Jones Classics that've been left outside to bake in the sun for years. The top even tells you when you've positioned the bridge properly…move the bridge too close to or far away from the bridge pickup and the top starts buzzing. Get it right and the buzzing stops. It's a gem. :)

-Dave-
 
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shihan

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Thanks for the excellent (as usual) review. Re-reading the other SF III reviews, it was interesting to note the dfferences and similarities between the models. I’ve never had the pleasure to play any model SF III, but, now I really want to check one out. I think a Westerly is on my short list. Thanks for the GAS!
 
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parker_knoll

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The Gretsch electros are solidly built, can be adjusted to play comfortably and in tune, look kinda cool, etc..., but the ones I've plugged in sounded anywhere from tubby to screechy, but never really musical. Not a fan.

As for the pro-line Gretsches....Gretsches are weird of course. The "golden era" ones really are shockingly badly built guitars. To use one as a main guitar it usually needs work that's between "more than a regular setup" and a partial re-build. I honestly can't believe they sold so many in the 50's and 60's - they were never cheap. Goes to show the power of star endorsers/users I guess.

The current "pro-line" Japanese-built guitars are well built, nice guitars, but I still think they lack some sweetness and "whatever IT is" compared to a well playing old one. But I get absolutely the same thing with newer Gibsons, Guilds and Gretsches, wherever they're built - they always sound and feel tighter, brighter, more generic and uglier (not in a good way) than the 50's and 60's guitars. Maybe guitars really do need 45 years on them, I don't know.

Funnily I've recently been coming round to newer guitars, but by newer i mean one from 1989 and one from 2000. I'm appreciating the playbility and perhaps that they don't have 'relic' status so I can feel a bit freeer.
 

Aleph

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Thanks for review GAD. I've always fancied an old Starfire II and this new NS Starfire III seems to be the closest. Maybe I should just get one and a guild harp tailpiece and be (happily) done with it.

Cheers!
 

AcornHouse

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Thanks for review GAD. I've always fancied an old Starfire II and this new NS Starfire III seems to be the closest. Maybe I should just get one and a guild harp tailpiece and be (happily) done with it.

Cheers!
They have a NS Starfire II.
 
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