Guild Starfire V Model Semi-Hollow Body Electric Guitar (1967), made in Hoboken, cherry lacquer finish, laminated mahogany body and neck, rosewood fingerboard.
The Starfire series has been Guild's most consistently successful electric guitar since its inception in the early 1960's. This Starfire V from 1967 is a double cutaway semi-hollow instrument in the general style of Gibson's ES-335 series but with many subtle Guild touches. Like the ES 335, the Starfire V has a solid block running through the center, cutting down on feedback and giving the guitar a brighter tone. The wiring is also basically Gibson style with the addition of a master volume knob just behind the selector switch.
The Starfire V carries a stock Guild Bigsby tailpiece and bridge and Guild Humbucking pickups, and was the next to top of the line in the Starfire series. The thinline body has a bright cherry finish and is triple bound top and back. The bound fingerboard has pearloid block markers; the headstock carries the Guild "Chesterfield" inlay and stock Grover rotomatic tuners. This particular style of Starfire has been a perennial favorite among players of many styles, and is particularly well thought of as an electric blues instrument. Starfires in general remain one of the most competitively affordable original classic American guitars.
Overall length is 41 5/8 in. (105.7 cm.), 16 3/8 in. (41.6 cm.) wide at lower bout, and 1 3/4 in. (4.4 cm.) in depth at side, taken at the end block. Scale length is 24 3/4 in. (629 mm.). Width of nut is 1 5/8 in. (41 mm.). Some general play wear and a couple of spots of buckle wear to the back; back of neck refinished (nice job, the color is very well matched). Very fine professional refret with vintage-style wire but slightly taller. The Pickguard is missing but all other hardware original except the small master volume knob. A really good player at a very affordable price for a 1960's instrument of this quality. Overall Very Good + Condition.
