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WTB/WTT 1963-65 or '90s Westerley Guild Starfire III

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PigknowsPigknows Frets: 39
edited July 2021 in Guitars £
Must have mini-humbuckers or later SD humbuckers. Bigsby or Guildsby. Ideally red.
Must play well with no issues. 
Could swap or part ex a 1964 Guild F30.
Cheers
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Comments

  • jacklawteyjacklawtey Frets: 284
    I've a '64 Starfire III and I can understand why you'd be after one. Godspeed! 


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  • PigknowsPigknows Frets: 39
    Ooh, nice! I had a 63 or 64 back in the day, a ii that had a Bigsby added like yours, and shouldn't have sold it. Only thing I didn't like were the vintage low flat frets. Have had a couple of others since, one of which was a 66,  but for whatever reason they didn't sound as good.

    See you have an S100 too. Me too, and an S300. You have impeccaccable taste my friend!
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  • jacklawteyjacklawtey Frets: 284
    Pigknows said:
    Ooh, nice! I had a 63 or 64 back in the day, a ii that had a Bigsby added like yours, and shouldn't have sold it. Only thing I didn't like were the vintage low flat frets. Have had a couple of others since, one of which was a 66,  but for whatever reason they didn't sound as good.

    See you have an S100 too. Me too, and an S300. You have impeccaccable taste my friend!
    Takes one to know one! Best of luck with the search. Mine has the low, flat frets which also need redoing. Think this week will be a good time to get that booked in actually, the time has come. 
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  • PigknowsPigknows Frets: 39
    I liked the Starfires anyway, but then I later discovered the band CAKE and was really blown away by their guitar sound, and guess what, it's mostly a Starfire.

    There's not much wrong with Lera Lynn, either. Exactly how I remember my old one sounding.  Enjoy!




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  • PigknowsPigknows Frets: 39
    Bumperoo, in search of Guild goodness!
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  • Timeline88Timeline88 Frets: 78
    Hey @Pigknows, had you already ruled this one out? https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/254903713566?hash=item3b5971ff1e:g:z6wAAOSwRRpgT3lH ;

    It's 1993, so probably would have the SD pickups or maybe even a pair of old HB1s... Another Guild fan here. I had an S100 that was only a few serial numbers away from Jack's! I couldn't get on with the narrow nut though so I sold it to a chap in Iceland. Had a T100 too and now I'm down to an F-30 acoustic in change.

    Good luck with your search! 
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  • PigknowsPigknows Frets: 39
    Hi @Timeline88, yes, I've seen that one thanks. I submitted an offer, heard nothing back, sent another message with a view to negotiating a mutually acceptable price, but again nothing. Either the seller, Hank's (J Harrison) in Denmark St, isn't checking their messages, or they don't want to budge on the price. It looks like a nice example and probably has the SDs or HB1s as you say, but I'd have to factor in the cost of adding a Bigsby. I wouldn't be prepared to pay £1899 for it - even in the current market: that's very much a dealer price. It seems to have been sat there forever, waiting for someone who is prepared to pay that much. Hey ho.   A shame, because in some ways I might even prefer to have a later Westerley model as they're slightly more solidly built and don't have the wide flat frets of the vintage SFs.

    Strange that you mention that your S100 has a narrow nut - my '70s S100 has a really wide, flat neck - great for bends.

    Love the F30s - have my '64 F30 up for sale (am in the process of selling my vintage acoustics) but will be keeping my Tacoma rosewood F30CE that is my giging workhorse.

    Cheers!
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  • DB1DB1 Frets: 5024
    Just looking at your post above, do have a read of this before you go any further. I'm assuming that it's one and the same.

    https://www.thefretboard.co.uk/discussion/comment/2654187/#Comment_2654187
    Call me Dave.
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  • Timeline88Timeline88 Frets: 78
    Wow. Pretty stark warning there.

     I did think £1900 for a 90s Starfire was very much a dealer price and then there’s the Bigsby to consider. 

    Mine S100 was an early 1973 model but I just couldn’t get on with the neck. Shame because I really wanted to love it!  My F30 is a Tacoma build too. Absolutely stunning guitar.

    Good luck with it all the same, I’ll keep my eyes peeled and if you should come across a Starfire IV or V of a similar vintage on your travels, give me a shout!
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  • PigknowsPigknows Frets: 39
    edited June 2021
    Thanks chaps, I did note the name and recall the MG controversies and will certainly take care or just avoid. That particular angle seems to be going nowhere anyway. 

    Interestingly, two '60s SFs have just appeared on Ebay, one with Dearmonds for 3k, and a SFii in NKR Vintage Guitars with a changed bridge and no pickguard and added Bigsby for 2.2k. Spooky! 

    Used to have an SFii with Dearmonds but didn't care for it much. It didn't sound as good as the the two Korean Dearmonds I've also owned, a SF3 and T400, both of which were excellent. Some folk love them though, so it might be just have been a matter of horses for courses or it might just have been a dog.

    Will let you know if I come across a nice IV or V. Again , I used to have a IV and a really beautiful and rare VI, but concluded that semi hollows weren't for me (perhaps the association with Blues). Leslie Feist rocks them out though. Ah, the VI - something else I should probably never have sold! Cheers
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  • rze99rze99 Frets: 2261
    Pigknows said:
    I liked the Starfires anyway, but then I later discovered the band CAKE and was really blown away by their guitar sound, and guess what, it's mostly a Starfire.

    There's not much wrong with Lera Lynn, either. Exactly how I remember my old one sounding.  Enjoy!




    Superb.
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  • rze99rze99 Frets: 2261
    Tell me about the SD pickups please. 

    I imagine they are like mini humbuckers. 

    I fancy a Guild. 

    Gord Tough who plays guitar for Kathleen Edwards uses a 60s starfire II with Bigsby and sounds sublime. 
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  • rze99rze99 Frets: 2261
    I like CAKE and agree the guitar sounds are great. But the singer can’t sing. Shame. 
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  • BasherBasher Frets: 1198
    I think the Starfire was only on the first two Cake albums. I remember getting Fashion Nugget and loving Greg Brown's tone and guitar parts. His replacement, Xan McCurdy, mainly used a Gibson Chet Atkins IIRC. 
    I've no problem with John McCrea's "talk singing" - it's just part of the splendid, slightly mad Cake sound.

    A fully hollow Starfire would be a dream guitar for me. Still regret selling my Westerly X170 "Manhattan". They used to have lots of Guilds for sale at Frailers in Runcorn but the supply seems to have dried up. Haven't tried any of the new ones but would like to. Probably not up to the build of the US models but look interesting nevertheless. Good luck with the search!
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  • PigknowsPigknows Frets: 39
    edited June 2021
    rze99 said:
    Tell me about the SD pickups please. 

    I imagine they are like mini humbuckers. 

    I fancy a Guild. 

    Gord Tough who plays guitar for Kathleen Edwards uses a 60s starfire II with Bigsby and sounds sublime. 
    GAD is the best source of info on the Guild SD1, HB1 and other humbuckers:

    https://www.gad.net/Blog/2011/11/25/guild-full-sized-hb1-and-sd1-pickup-variations/

    I'm had also read that hat the SF is only on the first couple of CAKE albums. Tbh, I don't think that a SF is necessary to cop that sound, though using a thinline hollowbody of some kind would help. I think it's more about about attitude and style. I always thought Mccurdy did a great job of continuing Brown's guitar style. I don't mind Mcrea's 'singing' either, all part of the vibe for me along with that excellent trumpet. 

    Will check out Kathleen Edwards, thanks!

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  • PigknowsPigknows Frets: 39
    Bump. Nothing suitable seen yet
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  • luked86_luked86_ Frets: 33
    I have an original 63 for sale if your intetested
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  • PigknowsPigknows Frets: 39
    Grateful if you could PM me. Ta
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  • PigknowsPigknows Frets: 39
    Bumparoo. Nice guitar but looking for one with mini-humbuckers. 
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  • PigknowsPigknows Frets: 39
    Bump
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