{"product_id":"guild-starfire-v-semi-hollow-body-electric-guitar-1968-7848","title":"Guild Starfire V Semi-Hollow Body Electric Guitar (1968)","description":"Guild Starfire V Model Semi-Hollow Body Electric Guitar (1968), made in Hoboken, NJ, sunburst lacquer finish, laminated maple body, laminated mahogany neck with rosewood fingerboard, original black hard shell case. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThe Starfire series has been Guild's most consistently successful electric guitar since its inception in the early 1960s, and is still a brand mainstay today. This Starfire V from early 1968 is a double cutaway semi-hollow instrument reminiscent of Gibson's ES-335 series but with many subtle and distinctly Guild touches. Like the ES-335, the Starfire V has a solid block running through the center of the double-cutaway thin hollow body, cutting down on feedback and giving the guitar a brighter tone. The wiring is also basically Gibson-like with the useful addition of a master volume knob just behind the selector switch. The Starfire V was introduced as the most expensive Starfire series guitar at the end of 1963, although the even more deluxe (and very rare) Starfire VI was soon added in mid-'64. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThis Starfire V carries a stock Guild Bigsby tailpiece (with a roller bar to provide improved tension over the saddle), Bigsby aluminum bridge, and the typical mid-1960s Guild Humbucking pickups. The thinline body has a bright black-red-orange sunburst finish and is triple bound top and back. The bound fingerboard has pearloid block markers; the plastic-faced headstock carries the Guild \"Chesterfield\" inlay and stock Grover Rotomatic tuners. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eJust around this time, Guild altered these Starfires with a solid block by extending the neck joint out from the body, giving better access to the higher frets. Many players prefer these 1967-1969 examples with any other variant, as they combine the brighter earlier-style pickups with the longer, more accessible neck. This style of Starfire has long been a favorite among players of many styles, and is particularly well thought of as an electric blues instrument. Vintage Starfires remain one of the most comparatively affordable classic American guitars; this is a nice example of one of the best variants.\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003eOverall length is 41 3\/4 in. (106 cm.), 16 1\/4 in. (41.3 cm.) wide at lower bout, and 1 3\/4 in. (4.4 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\u003eOverall a very nice example; there are some very small finish dings, chips, and checking, but the lacquer is on the whole very nice with a great unfaded sunburst and nice patina. There is some slight shrinkage to the binding in a couple of the cutaways, but no binding disease. There are a couple of finish chips off the back of the headstock on the volute; the headstock facing has had some typical shrinkage issues; there are a few errant glue marks showing on the front. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThis guitar is all original and unaltered except for two minor oddities. For some reason, someone drilled a strap button into the treble side of the neck heel (even though the base of the heel already has one!) and the mark still remains; the heel strap button is not the original Guild piece. Even more inexplicably, the outside edge of the truss rod cover is painted in a \"crinkle\" effect -- why, we have no idea, but it's kind of whimsical and you have to look pretty closely to notice anyway! This is a great-playing and sounding example of one of our most popular '60s guitars; still a great value in a vintage semi-hollow instrument and a very eye-catching and ear-catching performance guitar. Excellent - Condition.","brand":"Guild","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":46853280071820,"sku":"7848","price":2950.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0672\/8702\/3756\/files\/01_be6f69f3-7f2d-463b-84e9-9868ec24d6e8.jpg?v=1774332889","url":"https:\/\/retrofret.com\/products\/guild-starfire-v-semi-hollow-body-electric-guitar-1968-7848","provider":"RetroFret","version":"1.0","type":"link"}