Guild Starfire III Model Thinline Hollow Body Electric Guitar (1967), made in Hoboken, NJ, serial # EK-2553, cherry lacquer finish, Laminated mahogany body, mahogany neck, rosewood fingerboard, original black hard shell case.
A lovely example of a 1967 single cutaway Starfire III, the highest-ranked single cutaway guitar in the Starfire line with the Guild-logo Bigsby tailpiece and bridge and Guild Humbucking pickups. This model is a fully hollow thinline body with cherry finish, triple bound top and back. A great '60's Rock and Roll guitar from the end of the 'Beat Boom' era, and one of the few remaining compatitively affordable original classic American guitars. This model was extensively used by many mid-1960's groups including the Kinks, Beau Brummels, Music Machine, Dakotas and many more and was easily Guild's most popular professional grade electric guitar in the era.
Overall length is 40 11/16 in. (103.3 cm.), 16 1/4 in. (41.3 cm.) wide at lower bout, and 1 7/8 in. (4.8 cm.) in depth at side, taken at the end block. Scale length is 24 3/4 in. (629 mm.). Width of nut is 1 11/16 in. (43 mm.). A very nice all-original example; just some light finish wear overall and a couple of cosmetic ageing issues. The ivoroid heelcap has been replaced (with period materials!) but there are no other binding issues at all. The finish is bright and unfaded with only a few scrapes and chips overall, most notably some very small spots on the back of the neck and near the bridge. The plastic headstock facing has shrunken up to the point where some edges look bound, with some lifting and pull-up by the top tuning pegs and the black paint on the underside of the Lucite pickguard is fading oddly, giving it a slightly "snowy" aooearance in spots. Overall this is a good player, the action is low with the bridge fully adjusted down. Includes a nice original HSC that a bit battered in appearance but fully functional. Excellent - Condition.
