{"product_id":"guild-starfire-iii-amberstar-thinline-hollow-body-electric-guitar-1962-4198","title":"Guild Starfire III AmberStar Thinline Hollow Body Electric Guitar (1962)","description":"Guild Starfire III AmberStar Model Thinline Hollow Body Electric Guitar (1962), made in Hoboken, NJ, Honey Amber natural lacquer finish, laminated maple\/mahogany body: mahogany neck with rosewood fingerboard, original black hard shell case. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eAn extremely rare and beautiful example of an early Starfire III, equipped with the great-sounding white-topped DeArmond Dynasonic pickups (the same pickup Gretsch employed on their 1950's classics) used only from 1960-63. This guitar is finished in a light natural hue Guild called \"Honey Amber\" over the striped \"Sapeli\" mahogany body, giving a distinctive and very attractive look. This was a rare custom order finish option and the model name is noted on the label as \"AmberStar III\". \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eHans Moust's THE GUILD GUITAR BOOK reports: \"For a short time in the early '60's some Starfires with a color other than the standard cherry red finish had a different model name written on the label. No instruments from this series with a Honey Amber finish have been reported.\" Well, here's one, and if you'll pardon our pun she's a real honey all over! \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThe single cutaway fully hollow body is body triple bound front and back and the pearl dot-inlaid rosewood fingerboard single bound. Hardware includes original Grover 'Sta-tite' tuners, early style rounded edge back-painted pickguard with Guild logo, amber \"G-logo\" knobs, and Bigsby with original Bigsby bridge marked \"Guild\" on the base bottom. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eA great-playing and spectacular-sounding guitar, with a tone you could describe as a 1950's Gretsch crossed with a Gibson ES-330, with an additional high-end 'snap'. This guitar has a particularly good neck set angle and rates as probably the best-sounding and playing Starfire III we have had. Included is the original fleece-lined black HSC and the warranty card\/hangtag-for a different AmberStar with a serial # that is 1200 instruments away...whether this is a factory error or a later addition we don't know!\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThe Starfire series has been Guild's most consistently successful electric guitar line since its inception, and these previously under-appreciated 1960's guitars have recently become better respected by collectors and players alike. This guitar dates to mid\/late 1962 and is one of the most interesting Starfires we have seen. A much rarer guitar than the post-beat boom mid-60's version, especially in the custom-ordered Honey Amber finish. This is a very classy thin-body electric; compared to equivalent Gibson or Gretsch models, the early Starfire models are still rather undervalued guitars.\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003eOverall length is 41 1\/4 in. (104.8 cm.), 16 1\/4 in. (41.3 cm.) wide at lower bout, and 2 in. (5.1 cm.) in depth, measured at side of rim. Scale length is 24 3\/4 in. (629 mm.). Width of nut is 1 11\/16 in. (43 mm.). \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eAll original and very clean overall; some finish missing along the back of the neck and general light finish wear, but a very well-cared for guitar. Generally Excellent + Condition.","brand":"Guild","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":46853718540428,"sku":"4198","price":2800.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"url":"https:\/\/retrofret.com\/products\/guild-starfire-iii-amberstar-thinline-hollow-body-electric-guitar-1962-4198","provider":"RetroFret","version":"1.0","type":"link"}