DeArmond Starfire

Made in 2000 in Korea. Features covered by other reviews. Mine is black, with a high gloss poly finish that is super shiny, but which is very durable. I think it's maple throughout the body. I actually would love to have a blonde one!

The neck is kind of flat on the back, which took some getting used to, but now I find it extremely comfortable. The medium-jumbo frets are also comfortable, although they needed a little finishing.

The pickups are a little bright (I play mostly jazz) but they are very punchy and full when played through a warm amp. I usually use either a Fender Blues Junior (retubed for more clean headroom) or a Roland VG3 modeling amp, set to Jazz Chorus clean. You can get most sounds you'd get from a semi-hollow, from warm jazz to blues to twangy country. They've got a slightly Gretsch-like quality to them which is distinctive.

The electronics are very quiet and high quality and the pots are clean and smooth.

I actually raised the action a bit when I got it, since I use 11s with a wound G, and lowered the neck pickup slightly to make it less hot. This is a very comfortable instrument to hold and play, although it's a little heavy. The workmanship is excellent overall, and the equal of much more expensive guitars.

I have gigged with this somewhat over the past 9 years, and have no doubt this guitar would hold up on the road. The volume/tone knobs are kind of cheap, but those are easily replaced. The frets seem especially durable.

I've also noticed some of the binding discoloration others have reported, but it's not a real problem.

Never needed any repair. DeArmond was made by Fender (for the few years it existed as a brand), but it's long out of warranty.

This has been a great value for the small amount I paid for it. I've been playing about 30 years, gigging semi-regularly for about 7. I also have a 1999 DeArmond X-155 hollowbody (same pups), which is also very good, especially for jazz. I have a number of acoustics, including Giannini Craviolas and classicals, as well as a couple of Chinese-made Saga Gitanes. I got this guitar for remarkably little money and would find it hard to replace, even if I spent $1000, if it disappeared. It easily beats the Epiphones and other similar lower=priced instruments, and compares favorably to Gibson and Heritage. I've recently started playing it again, and am remembering how much fun it is.

Stock blonde MIK model, unsure of year. All maple, with rosewood f/board.

I play all kinds of styles on this guitar: rock, blues, soul/funk, afrobeat, fusion, even 'classic'(pre-90s) metal. Currently it serves as #1 gigging guitar in my rock band, where I run it into a couple of G2D overdrives and a Victoria Double Deluxe or Mesa Blue Angel head w/2x12 (occasionally both amps in tandem).

My Starfire has a very nice all-maple 335-like tone, dimensional and warm with enough brightness to cut through without sounding annoying. I occasionally consider upgrading the stock pickups, but never get round to it, which suggests they sound just fine.

This guitar is incredibly well made. The only flaw the guitar has is a slight discolouration in the binding at the 20th fret on the low-E side, and as this has become worse over time I suspect it's playing wear rather than a flaw. The frets are nicely seated, the binding is perfect and the finish is superb. I have owned several US-built guitars that were nowhere near as well put together as this guitar. The only guitar I have owned that had better build quality was a flawless mid-90s PRS CU22.

I received my Starfire from the previous owner with a buzzy ultra-low action and flatwounds, and immediately set it up with roundwound D'addario 10-52s and a more sensible take on low action. I once I had performed my quick 'setup' I quickly realised I had a superb player on my hands. I'd go so far as to say it's the best playing guitar I've owned.

After two years of solid gigging (3-8 gigs a month) and recording (1-2 records a year plus sessions), the only wear and tear I can notice is some fret wear, a spot of extra binding discolouration from my pick attack, and two tiny cracks in the neck pickup's mounting ring, again probably from pick attack over time. I'm pretty physical with this guitar and it still looks nearly mint and plays as good as when I first set it up. I replaced the strap buttons with Dimarzio clip-locs, just for that extra bit of safety. I have gigged it without backup, though usually I take another guitar along.

I have been playing for twenty years, and I own a handful of other guitars: Tele Custom, Reverend Flatroc, Custom strat-style. Over the years, I've gone through a ton of gear, including several MIA fenders, custom built guitars, Gibsons, Fernandes, Ibanez, and PRS. These days, I'm more of an amp guy, and the availablilty of killer MIK, MIJ and MIM guitars like this Starfire enables me to cover a few different 'food groups' with great sounding, easily replaceable guitars while freeing up limited resources for nicer amps.

I have to give this guitar a 10, considering the value for money, playability, ruggedness and tone. You could easily refinish the headstock with a Guild logo and experienced players would think they were hearing/playing a handbuilt MIA instrument. It's a shame they were discontinued, though they do pop up used fairly often. If lost/stolen I'd pick up another as soon as I could.

Occasionally I entertain thoughts of getting a 90s or fender-era Guild Starfire, but it'd have to be a very nice one to replace this DeArmond. I've compared my Starfire to 335/45/55s, lucilles, Epis, Tokai 335s and 60s and 70s Starfires, and while a couple of the Gibsons and old Guilds were perhaps a tiny bit more nuanced in terms of tone, the DeArmond aquits itself very well in all areas.

dont know the year, crafted in korea, maple neck and body rosewood neck 2 goldtone pups..335 style double cutaway...mine came with a bigsby style trem.

wow let me tell ya...I once owned a gibson 335 and this trashes that at a stroke the only thing the gibo had in its favour was a nicer action and neck. I play through a fender deville playing blues and garage rock and surf. those goldtones are to die for in my opinion, quite trebly but full sounding..turn down the tone on your pups if its a little to much. jazz, blues, rock, rockabilly (with the bigsby!)indie, country...probably not metal, but who cares

action is quite good, thickish neck, but I found with many guitars they need wearing in a bit before they feel right. I sorted out the action and intonation..very good even with the bigsby someone's fitted. the finish is execellent, love the art deco scratchplate pots could be better but you can change em easily.

only just got this and set it up...had borrowed one from a mate..thats why I was on the lookout for one. have used one live sounded fantastic...guitar number one is a 72 reissue telecaster thinline which i love but this guitar sounds so full....I feel like Im cheating on another woman...but I will be using it definately sooon!!

Extinct!!

been playing for about 20 years on and off, have owned gibson 335 and sg's and juniors, telecasters, epiphone sheraton,blah blah. various amps fender twin, bassman, deville, marshall bluesbreaker, vox ac30. I would hate to lose this guitar and would pay a kings ransom to get it back! Love everything about it especially the pups. I never thought I'd buy a guitar with a bigsby, and thought initially about searching for an original tailpiece, but the trem really works and ads to my style....great great, great!!!!!

Features have been completely covred by other more competent reviewers, I had all I needed, but I have to say that it was too bright for the jazz sound I was expecting. Then serendipity struck, the saddles were pretty cheap and were cutting through the strings.....I installed graphite saddles and althought the volume crashed, the sound got just to the right color.

I guess I expanded on the sound in the wrong part, but after the above modifications it played real nice, but needed a lot of amplification when trying to rock out with the kids.

I got seduced by the price and the finish, really a cool looker (but I have yet to see a guitar that I don't like the looks of). The string breakage got me sort of pissed off but after finding tossing those guillotine saddles I was pretty happy.

I'm sure that mine will last forever.....I've stopped playing it since I'm going through my second childhood and only play my Heartfield RR now. The DeArmond is in the case under the bed awaiting a reawakening of more 'mature' tastes.

N/A

What I wish I would have asked before buying it was a steeper discount! Should check out this site BEFORE buying a new ax to see what others are paying. I've been selling off the superfluous, but so far I find it hard to part with the DeArmond, I feel sometime down the road I'll be glad I kept it.

2000 01, 02, not sure they only made them three years. Natural Blonde Maple top back and sides, Korean ES335 copy very very nice. You have read the other reviews the purpose of this is to just confirm what others have said. How do you rate features on a guitar? It included a built in espresso machine a cigarette holder? What?

Boy Oh Boy! I have owned and played about everything and you know what? Just because it says Gibson made in USA and cost over $2,000 doesn't mean a thang. This guitar with the USA gold tone DeArmonds can go head to head with any, and I mean any Gibson ES335 for sound and playability, you name the place and the time. Sound wise it is a 10

Very well constructed as well as guitars costing eight times the money. The natural maple top and back is very plain no flame or curl. It is still quite attractive. If you get a black one, who cares and the sunburst are beautiful. Like I said cosntruction wise it is built as well as other "high end" guitars. For your extra $2000.00 you will get a prettier fancy top but it will not sound any better. So for what it's worth it's action fit and finish with the materials they cosntructed it with gets a 10 but because they put on some real cheap looking volume and tone knobs it gets a 9. I replaced them for les than $10.00.

It does withstand live playing. What kind of question is that? Say as opposed to dead playing? The finish I think is a urethane or something real hard.

Playing forever. If you want a es335 type guitar that has quality and is a real buy this is it. If you get a chance to get one these you won't be dissapointed. Why Fender stoped with the DeArmonds is not a mystery to me. They just were to good and the DeArmon solid bodies were just to close to the Gretsh solid body line and Fender has the Guild name to use for the Starfier es335 style.

Laminated top 335 type semihollow... comparable features to decent quality semihollow imports. Boasts DeArmond goldtone HB's, Have little means of comparison, yet they sound decent. Prefer this guitar to Washburn, and Epiphone Dot, Casino and Reviera models.. Sounds comparable to heritage, Still prefer the actual 335. Purchased a few DeArmond on closeout 2003, around $200 per guitar

Decent sound. Certainly not a cheap sounding guitar. Preferable to the Ibanez Arstar series IMHO

Good action, decent finish, nice weight

Too new to determine

Nonexistant

I'm a professional middle-aged musician. This is a fine example of how todays Korean imports are much better quality guitars, than the imports of 30 years ago... I'm satisfied with the guitar so-far

Maple neck (set) and body, sunburst finish, 2 volume and 2 tone controls, 2 stock humbuckers. Very nice construction for the price.

I am a guy from Denmark, who bought this guitar 3 years ago. I play almost everything that can be described as "Pop/Rock". I bought this this instrument for its good "clean" sound. The brigde pickup is full and bright and perfect for clean cutting rhythm guitar. I mainly use the neck pickup for leads (not metallica solos!!!), but every other kinds of clean lead guitar. As good as it is played clean, this is NOT the guitar for distortion though...you can get an okay crunch/overdrive sound with the bridge, but the neck pickup is WAY too Muddy, and sounds horrible when distorted. No attack at all, even if you try playing leads! But thats only to be expected with a semi-hollowbody. Overall I'm satisfied with this instrument.

The finish is VERY nice!!!Everything looks and feels beautyfull, and it seems to be solid like a rock! The neck is large so this is not a "fast action" guitar, but thats okay...its a matter of personal taste. The only negative thing is that the instrument is very heavy because its pure Maple (heavy Wood sort).

Rock solid!!!

I belive this is a very well buildt guitar for the price...sounds good too, as long you're not playing distortion based music.

Red semi-hollow-body copy of a Guild Starfire, itself a copy of an es-335. Specs basically the same as below. NOS pre-Fender.

Some people have complained that these pickups are too bright, but damned if I don't find them absolutely perfect. If I were a jazz player I might be irritated, but I play rock and roll. I'm playing small clubs, mostly solo indie-rock, through a Gibson Skylark. The sound is full, sound, cutting and beautiful. Piano-like, a bit like a solidbody through P-90's.

I like really high action, so that's where it's at. The bridge is at the very top of its range! Everything was too low when I bought it. The finish is really nice--I think it's poly, but it is even and deep, and lets the grain show through just a little. Fretboard fast and comfy, and though I generally prefer narrow high frets, these medium jumbos feel good.

Seems solid to me. I hated the knobs--they were obviously cheesy as hell--so I replaced them with some genuine 60's Guild Starfire black speed knobs. They look and feel great. I don't gig hard, so I can't tell you if the axe would withstand armageddon, but it feels very good. By the way, the Squier version of this guitar happened to be standing right next to my stool when I was trying this baby out in the store... Comparatively, the Squier is a piece of crap. Lousy finish, lousy binding, completely inapproproate pickups, snaggy frets. Why in the name of Pete did Fender do this? DeArmond was making some great guitars on the cheap!!!

They are n'more.

It seems impossible that this guitar is this good. For the money? Forget it. Grab one on eBay or ask your Fender dealer if he's got one up in the attic.

The one I bought was made in 2000 from Musician's Friend for $449 and came with a plush case. Overall it is a good quality instrument from Korea. It has the solid sustain block down the inside of the body and laminated top, back and sides. Good quality adjustable tension tuners are installed and the guitar stays in tune. The neck is chunky but not too much, actually just right for my playing. My Starfire is blonde, and affectionately named 'Helga'.

The GoldTone humbuckers are surprisingly good sounding and powerful. The volume and tone pots are very smooth sealed / fluid damped and not scratchy at all. The toggle is of fair quality and makes a little noise occasionally. No issues with the input jack; it is solid. Good humbucking bite on the back pickup and nicely mellow on the front pickup, about what you expect from a thinline archtop.

The finish is good; mine has 3 birdseye marks between the pickups, rather unique for this model. The f-holes are a bit rough edged and I had to gently smooth the edges with a fingernail file to remove some danglers. The action is light and responsive with the trapeze / harp tailpiece. The tailpiece was poorly mounted with the three screws not put in straight; this was easily corrected however.

I have played this guitar alot and it is very durable. The bridge, tuners, and frets are still in new condition after 3 years of use. The finish shows no signs of wear yet so good here. I replaceed the strap buttons with Dunlop straplocks and they are the weakest point of the guitar; they seem to wear out too fast; maybe should switch to another brand.

no data here

Overall I would recommend this guitar to anyone. I played it side by side with the american made Guild Starfire ($1200) and the important differences were negligible. In fact, the hardware on the Guild was inferior to the DeArmond. This is a player's guitar, not worth collecting but it has it where it counts to gigging musicians.

nice guitar...the build quality is incredibly good ,esp fer the
price. the usa goldtones to the binding ,neck etc., all fine quality.this axe is a sleeper in a guitar flooded market.try one
to really know its got the basic workin axe features and thats all a guitar player needs.

the sound,...well at first i thought it was going to be too bright for my tastes,....but then i discovered the brightness excess was coming
from the trapeeze style (harp) tail piece.one option was to change
it to a bigsby or a stop bar,but i tried a slab of leather under the
strings at the tailpiece where the string ball end goes.......woe...
it instantly became warm and nicely full while eliminating the odd
overtones(high pitched too),from the tail. man it works for me and i
didn t have to alter the original perminantly.
now the only other deal you need is a DSL100 half stack...deep
swith in and adjust yer eeqq. this axe can make better use of the
bass in an amp than any axe i have put to er. a fender fat strat(american), ..way too muddy, had the bass at o and no deep use.

way better than epiphone sheratin,and dot....tones better than squire
and even better than guild starfires......i even seen a gibson es335
not as clean on build q.

so far...very good

playin 35 years...i like it a lot. its a keeper
thanks Girard for the great axe and good service at surrey long and
mquade. .............
catfish steve

This is a 1999 Dearmond Starfire made in Korea semi-hollow bodied guitar with 2 USA made Dearmond humbuckers a harp tailpiece and 22 medium guaged frets. It is similar to a Gibson ES335 in its configuration with a volume and tone control for each pickup and a three way toggle switch.

The hardware appears to be made by Gotoh (Japan), and it is very solid. The tuners work great. My only concern is the potentiometers and the wiring which appear to be of questionable quality.

I believe that the top, sides, back and neck are all laminated maple. The fretboard is rosewood with pearl dot position markers. The headstock has nicely executed mother of pearl inlays.

I ordered this guitar in red. It is fully bound in an attractive cream colored binding (neck included). You can see some photos of it at:

http://home.attbi.com/~drjeffreyb

I played the guitar with the original DeArmond USA Gold Tone humbuckers for about three months. They sounded fine...nothing spectacular, a bit brittle in the high end. I had a pair of Gibson 490's in my parts bin, so I decided to try them out on this Starfire. I like the sound of the 490's better than the Gold Tones. The have more mid range and drive my Vox AC 15 better. My guess is that this guitar could sound even better with a pair of Burst Buckers or a similar Seymour Duncan pup. I'll bet a good pair of P-90s would really make this guitar rock.

I am happy with the 490's for now, though. With these pickups I can go from a clean rhythm sound to a ballsy crunch and everything in between. All of the sounds on my guitar are on the dark side, which I personally prefer on a semi.

I did not like the harp tail piece. I thought that it contributed to some wierd sympathetic overtones that ruined the sound, so I installed a Bigsby Model B-7 with the string tension bar (I think you could get by with a B-6). This made a huge difference in the sound of the guitar because the heavy aluminum Bigsby is attached to the top of the guitar as well at the end. I am impressed with the tuning stability of the Bigsby and I would recommend this modification unless you are thinking about selling this guitar in the future.

I take these user reviews seriously, and I think it is totally ludicrous to give 9's and 10's to imported, budget oriented guitars--no matter how well made they might be. These scores should be reserved for really special instruments that clearly stand out from the pack (listen to Tom Petty and Mike Campbell playing twin Gibson Firebirds on their current live DVD, or Angus Young's SG's). I often see users rating cheap pieces of firewood as having sound ratings of 9 or 10 (check out the reviews of the infamous Essex guitars in HC). Gimme a break. I am very picky about the sound of the guitars and amps in my collection and I will only keep guitars that have exceptional tone.

With the two modifications (pickups and Bigsby) that I made on this Starfire, it has exceptional tone. I give this a very respectable 7.

This guitar is quite refined and a credit to the quality of instruments coming from Korea. The areas that are typically troublesome on imports (frets, bindings, finish, hardware) show a fair amount of attention to detail.

As I mentioned earlier, the only thing that worries me is the qualtiy of the pots. I hate having to replace them on a semi (it requires major sleight of hand), but eventually I will probably do so. Also the wiring is really flimsy...but neatly done.

The finish deserves particular praise. The red is a very nice shade, and it is evenly applied with just enough transparency to see a bit of grain.

The neck has a rather obvious joint behind the third fret, but it looks solid and is consistent with another guitar that I own (Hamer import) that must have been made in the same factory.

Again, the best made guitars that I own in terms of fit and finsh are my three Rickenbackers, and by comparison, this DeArmond is quite respectable; but, again, let's reserve the 9's and 10's for the handmade beauties and give this thing a well deserved 7.

Yes, it will, and I have gigged it a bunch. It's solid, and there are no fatal flaws that cannot be fixed or upgraded with a soldering iron and a few dollars worth of parts.

No idea.

You can see some of my collection at:

http://home.attbi.com/~drjeffreyb

My guitars are mostly US made premium grade instruments featuring solid woods and high quality hardware. In order to meet the standards of my collection, a guitar has to be far above average in both build quality and tone. This DeArmond sits along side two Gibson Les Pauls, two Rickenbacker 360's (6 and 12 string), a US made Fender 52 Tele reissue, an American Standard Strat with Custom Shop pickups, a couple of excellent Martin flat tops, and some other odds and ends. It holds its own, and works great.

It sounds best through my Vox AC 15, but it can also drive my Marshall JCM 2000 valve amp into very smooth overdrive. Bottom line: well made guitar, Korean origin makes it prime candidate for modifications (Bigsby!). Fills a void in my collection. I think I'll keep it.

See the 7/21/01 review where the lousy factory setup is mentioned. That was me. I've now had these guitars for over a year and feel competent to submit a meaningful review (as opposed to, "I jsut bought this two hours ago and it gets all 10 ratings").

Features are covered in the other reviews. Two Alnico V DeArmond Gold Tone humbuckers. Separate volume and tone controls per pickup, as it should be. Features are good. No need to overkill.

I purchased two of these guitars - one in the cherry finish and one in the natural finish. I also purchased two DeArmond S-73s (SG style bodies) right before I bought these Starfires. The S-73s also came equipped with the DeArmond Gold Tone humbuckers. I like to play a lot of Brit pop, power pop (The Jam, Badfinger, The Who, Raspberries) some punk (Clash, Buzzcocks, etc.) and oldies.

The DeArmond Gold Tones are the best humbuckers I have ever heard in a solid body guitar. They give a very musical yet powerful PAF tone that is spectacular. In a semi-hollow, the bridge Gold Tone is just over powering and too bright. And yes, I played with height adjustment, string gauges, etc. You could not resolve the problem without height or pole adjustments that ultimately robbed you of some tone. The neck sounds very good for jazz. I use Ernie Ball .11/.48s or D'Addario .11/.49s on these.

I'm not saying the Gold Tones sounded bad in this guitar. They sounded pretty good, but just a little too bright. The stock set up gets an 8.

My solution:
I stuck a pair of Harmonic Design Z-90s in the natural finish Starfire. Wow! Amazingly clear and full tones with plenty of punch. This is a 10.

On the cherry Starfire, I installed a pair of Seymour Duncan Alnico II humbuckers with coil taps. These also sound exceptional.

8 Stock. 10 modified. 9 for an average.

I decided almost 3 years ago that I was not going to spend the money on an ES-335, so I set out to find a good semi-hollow. The Guild Starfire IV impressed me. But then I checked several of them out side by side with the DeArmond version. I was amazed at how I consistently was seeing better finish work, better detailing, better joint work, etc. on the DeArmonds. It had me thinking that it might be worth it to save a few hundred $ and go with a DeArmond Starfire instead of a Guild Starfire IV. The blowout prices on the DeArmond made my decision easy. BUT REMEMBER, THE BUILD QUALITY OF THE DEARMOND IS WHAT INITIALLY CAUGHT MY ATTENTION.

The factory set up was ...well...there was none. Didn't matter. I have all guitars set up by a tech I like. Once I got the neck tightened (for .11s) and the bridge intonatation tweaked everything else was perfect. The workmanship on these is obviously better than on the Epiphones. I own both an Epiphone Sheraton II and a Dot, so I can easily compare. I have had no problems with the bridge, tuners, etc. They may not be name brand parts, but they work as they should. Everything is properly installed and aligned. No fret buzz. No finish flaws.

See comments in prior section.

Finishes are holding up fine. They still look brand new. Hardware does everything it should. No signs of failures or problems.
Strap buttons stink, but that is a minor point. These are well made, great sounding quality guitars that will probably be handed down to my children and grandchildren.

I do not recommend gigging without a backup...no matter what guitar you play.

No experience. Fender owns DeArmond and Guild, so I would expect them to stand behind the product.

Been playing something like 23 years. Over time, I've owned something like 23 guitars including Rickenbackers, Fenders, Gibsons, Parkers, Epiphones and others.

These would be difficult guitars to replace if lost or stolen because they are now discontinued. They are currently being marketed under Squier, but I don't think they are of the same quality. I understand a different overseas manufacturer is now involved.

Comparisons: Guild Starfire IV; Ibanez AS 80, 120 & 200; Washburn HB 35; Epiphone Sheraton II and Dot; other similar double cut semi-hollow guitars.

Sum of the ratings is synergistic: 10. For $299 a piece, these were an absolute steal! These are great guitars and would have been a steal at twice what I paid for them. Probably two of the best guitar purchases I have ever made.

2 USA Goldtone humbuckers on a double cutaway semi-hollow body. Captures the rockabilly/Gretsch look rather than the Gibson 335. Thick black high-gloss finish. Harp tailpiece. Love-it or hate-it overall vibe. Bound neck and body with no discernable faults. I've owned this guitar for about 6 months now.

This is simply the best sounding guitar I've played. I use it for home recording with a POD and a small recording tube amp. The character of the pickups cut through and add a real tonal vibe to any recordings. Sound is halfway between PAF and P90. As such it it excels at the borderline clean/dirty blues and classic rock genres. Needless to say, selecting the neck PU with a clean sound and reverb nails the rockabilly sound. Might be a little too bright for some but it's a great addition to the sonic arsenal.

The sales material boasted a setup by Fender but I saw no evidence of it. Tweaking the truss rod got rid of a slight bottom end fret buzz and slapping on some Ernie Ball 10-46 seemed to pull the neck into near perfect relief. After lowering the action a touch and resetting the intonation it plays like a dream. Neck profile is shallow but not especially wide. Radius is medium - I'm guessing around 10 inches.

Tuners are great - they seem to have a lower ratio then many orintal imports. The nut is OK. The bridge looks much better made than most imports with a machined rather then cast appearance. I'd give it 8/10 overall but it has to be 10/10 when compared with other guitars in the price range.

All set neck semis are going to be bit vulnerable to knocks and this no exception. If you want a guitar to abuse then buy a Strat. This is a fairly tough item but you need to treat this kind of guitar with some respect.

Never had to deal with them.

Great sounding and plays well - bloody well if you consider the price. Ignore the claims of a pro Fender setup and expect to do it yourself or take it to a tech.

Overall, it is fantastic value for money.

Don't know year of production - bought it in 2002. Guitar was manufacted in Korea which is no stigma for me at all. Description of features see all comments above. This is just the same.

This is what I like most! The Humbuckers are strong, warm and clean. We compared it with a Gibson LP Standard. I don't like to tell you it is better but at least it is more than comparable.

Guitar is well crafted. Nice finish. I like it very much. Factory setup: Couldn't find one. Had to adjust everything (action, pu, bridge).
This could be better.

New guitar - no experience up now

I had some questions concerning the neck. I asked Fender's website but didn`t get an answer till now. So this is worst as it can be.

I started playing guitar again (paused for nearly two decades). Owm a Crafter GAE-30 which is Made in Korea as well (and this is a real great deal). Like my Starfire very much and shurely would buy another one if this one would be stolen or break. I`ve tried some Epis (Dot / Sheraton) but I didn`t really love these. So I bought the Starfire which is much better than the Epis (and has a lower price).

1999? model made in Korea by Guild/Fender. Laminated maple top, sides and back. Very nice natural finish with a little flame and beautiful grain. Two volume, two tone and 3-way selector. Typical 335 style body with harp tailpiece and stepped Guild style black pickguard. Nice dark rosewood fretboard with medium jumbo frets. Other than the cheap looking volume and tone knobs, this is a very attractive guitar.

I've always wanted a 335 style guitar but most of the import models I could afford looked OK but sounded lousy. The US made Goldtone humbuckers on this sound wonderful and blow the doors off any Epi, Washburn, Ibanez or import Hamer that I have ever played. Its not perfect for all style's but does most everything (except real metal) very well. I play mostly blues/rock and and it sounds like heaven IMO.
It's a little on the trebly side but I play it thru a Tech 21 amp and I can really tweak it to my liking. It's not as nice as a Gibson 335 or a Guild Starfire but its very good and it doesn't cost $2000 either.

Action was a little high for me but I did buy it used so I just adjusted it down. The pickups themselves are not height adjustable but there are individual adjustment screws. The body and neck are nicely bound and the fit and finish are as nice as any american made guitar I've played. I do get a little buzzing in the saddle when I bend the G string and I'm not quite sure why. Maybe it's time for a pro setup. The tuners are not as precise as the ones on my G&L but once they are in tune they stay in tune. Not perfect but a solid 8.

I don't gig so I can't say if it will withstand live playing but I can say it's fairly heavy and very well put together. I'm sure that with minimum care it will be remain reliable and durable.

N/A. Bought it used and I'm not sure if Fender still supports this product. By the way, this guitar is MUCH better then the Squire Starfire that Fender is currently selling.

I've been playing for 3 years and I also own a G&L Legacy and a Yamaha APX-10 acoustic/electric. Like I said before, I've always had a yearning for a 335 style guitar but could not afford a Gibson or a genuine Guild and did not care for any of the imports. When I picked this up I knew my search was over. DeArmonds are no longer made so who knows, maybe one day these will be collectable. In the mean time I plan on playing the hell out of this one. If I lost this I would definitely buy another one.

Made in Korea in 2001. Licenced generic copy of a Guild Starfire. Laminated maple, centre blocked, thinline semi-hollow body with a set maple neck. Dot inlayed rosewood fingerboard with 22 medium gauge frets. 2 DeArmond Goldtone USA humbuckers, 2 Volume and 2 Tone controls in the usual place and a 3 way gibson style selector switch on the lower horn. Tune-O-Matic style bridge with a harp tailpiece. Sealed unbranded Grover style (kidney buttoned)tuners. Pretty much what you would expect for this style of guitar.

My band plays original "Indie" style rock and for the cleaner sounds the Starfire works well. This guitar is suprising bright for the style of instrument it is. With the supplied factory strings (which I understand are Guild's) the tone was rather flat. However once I switched to the D'Addario 10-46's which I usually use on all my electrics it really came alive. The bright tonality means that this guitar has a voice of it's own. Through my Marshall JMP1 it sounds great, somewhere between a Gretsch and a P90 equipped guitar. I know from other reviews this doesn't suit everyone but I like it a lot.

On the day I bought my Starfire I tried 3 other Starfires, an Epiphone Sheraton and 2 Epiphone Riveria's. The DeArmonds were all head and shoulders above the Epi's in terms of quality of construction and hardware. The setup from the Box wasn't fantastic, but then I've never bought a guitar where it was. Even my Les Paul (which cost far more that the Starfire) needed some tweeking to get it as I like it. The Volume/Tone knobs are rather cheap and nasty looking (although having said that 8 months on they have given me no trouble) but that is the only blemish on the visual front. My guitar is finished in translucent cherry and it looks superb. The binding on both neck and body is very well executed and the Mother of Pearl inlays on the headstock are very well done. The only problem I have encountered in 8 months of ownership is a rattle from one bridge saddle (which was cured in 5 mins with a little loctite).

I originally bought this instrument as a "House Guitar" with no intention of using it in a band situation, but as it sound appealed to me so much I have used it at a number of rehearsals with no problems. I would quite happily gig with it as it seems pretty tough (it has been knocked off it's stand twice and I managed to drop it onto a wooden floor whilst putting the strap on and all it suffered was a small chip in the finish on the headstock). I would never gig any guitar without a backup, but I would not be worried that it would let me down, it feels every bith as good as my Les Paul my Strat or my Thinline Tele.

I've never had to deal with the UK Distributors of Fender so I can't comment.

I've been playing Guitar, Bass and Keyboards for the last 25 years. I have owned instruments by Musicman, Rickenbacker, Aria and Ibanez and I currently own instruments by Gibson, Fender, Hamer and a couple of custom instruments and with the exception of the customs this guitar is as good as any I own. It has a unique voice, which is something I think can't be praised too highly. In my opinion this lifts it from being merely a copy to a valid instrument in it's own right. If it were stolen or lost I would most certainly buy another, if I could still get hold of one!! It is way better than the Epiphones I tried it against at the time I bought it. Better built, better looking with better quality hardware and better sounding. I don't think there is anything on the market to touch it at the price I paid.

Korean spin-off,see other entries for # of frets etc .Nice maple body and neck,two Dearmond Humbucking pups Same features as other entries(Forgive me Im lazy today)

Running it through a Marshall20 watter practice and a Vox "Bass" t-25 It sounds pretty good and clean for kicking aroundAlso using a Morley Wah at times.Its a shame to adulterate the sound.A bit thin at times,may be my amp so with the bass amp very warm.

Heres where it gets good. I opened the box like it was Christmas Day to see this very gorgeous red guitar without a mark on it.Nothing short of absolute beautiful.I'm still not over it.Go to play away and what happensThe fu------ volume control disintigrates in my hand!So infuriated that they would pike on such a nickle/dime itemI was ready to blow.An extremely well made guitar and 10cent knobs,now I know why they went under.After a day of cooling down I strutted down to the local music store ,spent 10 bucks (retail,their cost would have been 30 cents)on a set of Tele chrome knobs and now it looks complete Well made needs tweeking as far as set up.Good clear sound Good smooth controls(with me all I need is a on off switch)Ussually adjust at amp

This guitar would hold up with the bestIve been through Fender ,Gretsch Gib sgSpec's and this feels every bit as good

I guess out of or going out of business with the line.The only squawk would have been the knobsWhy bug them for it and get four more bad ones

Ive been banging around on and off at least 25 years,went through Gretsch,Gibs,Fender(Strat and Jag) and recently bought a Dearmond M77t and liked it so much I bought this one on close out.This guitar matches anything I had before.It seems very well made,good finish if people just get over the Korean thing.Its not from a 12 year old from China.If it was lost or stolen I would definately get another.It would be a deal at twice the price.Check them out if you see any more laying around the music stores.The first thing you do though is dont frustrate yourself,change the knobs as soon as you get it

Sam Ash "blow out sale" '99 DA Starfire, made somewhere off the USA shoreline. This is a typical Guild Starfire/Gibson ES335 twin cutaway copy. Laminated maple semi-solid body (this one's in natural finish), twin DA Goldtone humbuckers, sealed tuners (Gotoh, w/chrome bow tie buttons), small headstock, r/w board, really small dot marker inlays, harp tailpiece. Just the right features you'd expect from this style of guitar.

Unplugged, it has that nice acoustic tone you'd expect from a large 17" semi-hollow thin body. Plugged into my 50watt Carvin Nomad, the Goldtone pups are quite trebly and (to me) not quite balanced, or what you'd expect from this style of guitar. Somewhat Gretsch-like in tone, very hot and ballsy. To me, they're just okay, but I'm going to replace them (read further). The overall tone is *almost* there and to my complete liking.

This particular guitar totally shines for playability, build and finish. Read my closing rap.

Flawless on all accounts - nothing else to say.

None. They're pretty much out of business, anyhoo. I do all my own repair work anyway.

FWIW (not much, really), I've been playing and building/assembling guitars since the mid 50's. Here's some of my past rap about this DA Starfire .......

Arrived late yesterday via FedEx (huh? I only paid for UPS ground - cool!). I was more than a bit apprehensive when opening up the double box, I've seen more than a fair share of way-less-than-stellar "offshore" gits, particularly the Korean kind. It immediately looked and felt very good, as my eyes flashed her over, looking for blatant flaws ... none so far, so I started a thorough check ... nope, couldn't nit-pick a thing - dang! Damn nice! Wow! This git has a very "quality" feel to it, know what I mean? Real nice neck that's not too thin and definitely not a baseball bat. Good fretwork, nicely cut nut, my fave superb Gotoh sealed SG tuners but with metal Gibson keystone tuning buttons, action was a very playable low/med and the wood grain and finish are quite loverly. Nice 'n' light at 7lbs 9ozs. The Goldtone pickups sound okay - need to spend some more time with them, see what they're capable of in terms of sonics. Bottom line - for $299 delivered, geez I STOLE this guitar - she's a keeper! ........

What I didn't like about the Goldtones - too trebly and not balanced and warm enuf for my humbucking tastes.

Removing them was a SNAP - the internal routing and wiring is as neat as pin and super clean, with no finish polishing compound to be found anywhere. Sharp, smooth pup routs, very clean internal wood, neatly dressed wiring (they even used heat shrink tubes to neatly bundle wires and seal off ends - this is the kinda detail work you'd only find on a real high end git ... impressed the hell outta me!).

There's a LARGE measure of build design difference between a solid body and a semi or full hollow git. Typically, those set or through necks are so much more difficult to build really well and really *cheaply*, that you'll see lots of fudging and these types will have some kinda inferiority compared to the planks. Absolutely NOT so with the DA Starfires I've seen so far! Wow.

Again, the build and workmanship on my Starfire easily rivals that of a Guild or Gibson, no lie. I've literally had hundreds of guitars over the last 4.5 decades, with many semi-hollow and hollow Gibsons, Guilds, Gretsches, Heritages - you just about name it. I've scratch built and assembled hundreds of plank guitars (and a few acoustics, too). This DeArmond Starfire is a total *steal* for $300/delivered. My bud also ordered one and it arrived last week (curiously, both of ours arrived in days via FedEx - but we paid for ground UPS!) - his is another natural Starfire - a 2000 model with large headstock, kidney bean Grover-style Guild tuners and Guild stairstep pickguard (mine is the '99 model with metal bow tie Gibson tuners, small headstock and ES335 pickguard) ... and get this, his headstock truss rod cover sez "Guild Starfire"! Yeah! I'm pretty well convinced that they're (Fender) just dumping inventory and literally assembling DA gits from whatever's on hand. Their loss (well, not really), our gain (yes! really!).

If you can find a DA Starfire left (not all that easy to do!) from Sam Ash or Musician's Friend or Guitar Center, and you wanna know what to do with Uncle George's $300 tax rebate - kids, get a Starfire!

Oh, what did I replace the Goldtones with? Armstrong AlNiCO Vintage humbuckers - a PAF for the neck and a Hotrod for the bridge. Both with chrome cases. Smoooooooth, warm and kick-ass vintage humbucker tone. Woke this Starfire up! I may be neglecting my Strats and Teles for awhile! YIKES! ;=]

As always, this is such subjective stuff - YMMV. -- Rob

I have been keeping an eye on this model and the Guild Starfire IV for about two years. I have been surprised at how many of the DeArmonds that I have played and checked out appeared as well finished as the Guild version - some better.

The humbuckers on the Guild sound O.K., but they did not blow me away. That tipped the scales and helped me decide that I would eventually pick up a less expensive DeArmond Starfire and replace the pickups with some Harmonic Design Z-90s. Now that the DeArmond Starfires are being cleared out, I ordered two of these.

I have to return one because it apparently was damaged in the shipping. It was set up O.K. The other guitar was set up terribly. I'd bet that no one ever set it up. The last review here, where the reviewer noted buzz on all 20 frets, pretty accurately describes my situation. Fender throws in some flyers cogratulating you on your quality purchase and the usual propoganda, but here is the kicker:

"All DeArmond Instruments are set up at our factory with Guild
strings."

If this set up is any indication of the competency of their staff or their commitment to quality, the message Fender, DeArmond and Guild are sending is not a good one.

I'll do a thorough review on the guitar later, but I wanted to point out my experience similar to the prior reviewer's. If you buy one of these and it comes in this condition, don't be too alarmed. Take the time to set it up properly and you ought to be O.K.

A classic ES 335 knockoff, made in Indonesia probably y2k, the DeArmond version of the Guild Starfire;
22 frets, 2 new DeA alnico pickups,1 vol 1 tone for each of 2 pickups, natural finish. Average (not skinny) neck, sculpted pickguard, harp tailpiece, gotoh type tuners, lower front toggle.Looks kind of like an Epiphone Dot, too, now that I think of it.

I own both a Starfire Special and a Gibson es335; this guitar sounds different than both. Sounds more like an acoustic than either of the above, but I noticed, with those pickups, it will SCREAM. If you want something that has a wide range and can shred, go try one

This is where, HI FENDER!!!!, my other reviews of DeArmonds have gone exactly the same. Nice wood, gorgeous finish. My neck pickup tone switch was unusable until I messed around with it. Strings suck - they're Guilds. Surprisingly, I think the bridge saddles are pretty close to perfect. The Action, string height, bridge height SUCKED BIG TIME. Neck is good - can you say BUZZ ON 20 FRETS???? I've said it before, I'll say it again - DeArmond guitar setup is HORRIBLE. Who gets paid to do this?????????

I'm giving a bad score here mostly because the out-of-box setup is so bad, that if this was my first or second guitar, I would never look at a DeArmond again.

It feels like a Guild. Solid, although it ain't no ES335. If I had to pick between a Starfire Special and this, I would get the Special first. ( I have both). Durable? I don't know. At this typing, I haven't installed the neck strap button yet ( it came in case with button to be attached). It would withstand live performance, as long as you don't pummel it.

No knowledge yet. Need to send the warranty registration in; I live near Fender in Scottsdale. I will go there if I need to.

I've played 20+ years, taught 15+ years; I have a bunch of jazz/rock guitars, numerous brands. I play jazz/blues/rock in various venues
whenever I can get out.

This guitar, with a hard case, was a steal. It has Guild quality and finish all over it, but this is not a Gibson es 335 or 340 by any stretch of the imagination. An excellent value in a guitar, if you skip the fact that you will have to likely take it out of the box and make it playable yourself 99% of the time. FENDER - why don't you guys just hire somebody to do setup right??? What a concept.

It's still new, but I can tell you if something happened to it I would consider replacing it.

Nice axe. Negotiate for some setup before you order it.

New De Armond Starfire - hollow body, two big pickups each with separate vol and tone knobs, CHROME hardware, toggle switch for neck pickup/bridge pickup/or both- so you can mix the pickups any which way you want - unique tailpeice, but I removes the pickguard.
nice photo at http://www.musiciansfriend.com/ex/shop/home/010226230226211018117046783432?bigpid=510814
think of it withouth the zig-zaggy pickguard.

Every amp I've used, this guitar sounds great (Big Marshal Tube Stack, '65 Fender Band Master, Fender M-80, Rocktron something-or-other)
Run it througha tube mic pre-amp staight into tape multi track and it sounds just like the soundtrack to DEADMAN (Johnny Cash did the whole soundtrack with just guitar and that's all)
This guiatr sounds like that. Rent that movie and listen to the music the whole way through.
Plus you can fuck with the tailpeice and make some crazy sounds.

I put heavy gauge strings on and tune it down 5 notes usually, and this guitar can handle it and sound like it is going to kick you in the teeth. Using a Big Muff intensifies this effect. And yes, it looks nice, too. looks better if you take off the pick-guard.

Never screws up, never braks strings (heavy gauge might contribute to this) never any problems for 2 years of staight road use.

never needed

For 500 bucks you get a 1500 guitar. bam.

Brand new made in Korea with USA-made DeArmond brand bass humbucking pickups, inspected and set up at Fender USA (DeArmond makes some Guild reissues and Fender owns Guild to my understanding). This is a remake of the old Guild Starfire played by Jack Cassady of the Jefferson Airplane. Big, ES-style hollowbody with two f-holes, two humbuckers w/3 way switch, two vol & two tone controls, hefty chrome Guild bridge, nice tuners as far as I can tell, rosewood fretboard w/dot inlays, bound fretboard and body, nice pearl DeArmond logo inlay on headstock. I bought black but they are available in cherry and vintage burst also. I give it a 10 for features because it has everything it needs, no contemporary bullshit, and you can get a good variety of tones.

This sounds incredible. Punchy, warm, deep, everything a good hollowbody bass should have.

This came from Musician's Friend and I imagine it sat in their warehouse for a good six months before I got it so the neck was not as straight as it should have been, but that's easily corrected with a twist to the truss rod. Action is great, neck smooth and easy to play. Electronics were flawless. Cosmetics were very nice, as I have seen from the Korean Epiphones (although almost every Epi I've played new in stores has had electronic problems). Beautiful finish and detail. Some very fine scratches here and there, but it's a black finish and shows everything. It would be impossible to construct an instrument with a black gloss finish absolutely flawless. Don't buy black if you're the type to obsess about these things.

Had it only a few days, we'll see.

Never called them.

I've been playing guitar and bass for over 15 years, I own two basses and 12 guitars, mostly vintage stuff. I've played other hollow body basses such as Fender Coronado, Vox teardrop, Gibson EB3, and this beats them all. I got an incredible close-out price from Musician's Friend (they had two left and I took one), and they sent it with a very nice Guild soft case which I wasn't expecting. These list at $1000, sell new for around $650, and I got it for $300. For this price and quality I'd consider this the best deal on any instrument I've had.

Bought used in 1999, blond finish, Harp Tail piece, maple laminate top sides and back, beautiful BTW, maple neck with ebony fret board, dual dearmond humbuckers, 3 way switch w/2 vol and 2 tone controls, these are made overseas and imported and set up here by fender.

I was looking for a great blues/jazz guitar and this guitar was my finale choice, I compared the epi dot, the yamaha, and the ibanez and this guitar was better than all of them, better than a 335? not hardly! but then I didn't have a couple of thou to spend either. This guitar can really wail with no feedback, and you can get a really great smooth jazz sound out of it, the deamond pickups is what seperates it from the others, they all played great, but none came close to the great sounds of this guitar! I give it a 9 only because it is not a 335!

Fit and finish was perfect on this guitar, and believe me, with the figured maple on this axe, it is a real head turner, and the action, intonation and neck are great!

This guitar is solid as a rock with the solid center block in the body and the thru neck construction!

well, it's fender, and as far as customer support goes, forget it, they don't have any, except through e-mail on thier web page.

I have been playing off and on for 30 years, but a little over a year ago started taking it up serious again, I went through many guitars, as you will see my name alot here...lol...and came down to owning 2 electric guitars that covered all the styles of music I care to play and those are my ASAT Deluxe, and this DeArmond Starfire, try one, you won't be disappointed, and if I ever lost this on, Yes, I would buy another in a Heartbeat!

'99 DeArmond Starfire, basically the Korean import version of the Guild Starfire IV. I got this a year ago to augment my '93 Hamer T-51 Tele. Basic 335-style semihollow features: two "Gold-Tone" humbuckers, twin volume and tone knobs, tune-o-matic style bridge with Guild-style harp tailpiece and stairstep pickguard, maple neck with dot inlays, maple body in flawless cherry finish with nicely done cream binding. No bells and whistles, just a good looking, good sounding guitar. Initially I strung with Ernie Ball 10s, but have since put on D'Addario flat-wound 11s.

Well, I'm pretty much a traditionalist. I was looking for a basic 335-style guitar to play jazz, blues and some rock on, that would'nt burn too big a hole in my wallet. After comparison shopping with Epiphone Dot, Washburn, and other import semihollows of similar ilk, I selected the DeArmond because it seemed better built and was the only one that really had a sonic personality. It provides a solid meat-and-potatoes 335 sound: moderate output, full humbucker sound, nice sustain and dynamics, a bit brighter than other 335-style axes but not lacking in warmth. The Gold-Tones, while not vintage PAFs, certainly more than hold there own against more expensive makes, and are definitely clearer and punchier sounding than those on the Epiphone Dot and other imports. They are also reasonably quiet, even around TV or PC. I didn't feel the need to replace them with Duncan '59s or other aftermarket pickups, which was a big selling point for me.

Played through Ibanez TS-5 Tube Screamer at various settings and inexpensive Fender solid-state 1-12" combo w/reverb, overview of basic tones is as follows: neck pickup has a good warm sound, not tubby or flat sounding. With tone knob down about halfway and volume backed off a little, it provides a quite servicable if not authoritative jazz tone in the Grant Green/Kenny Burrell tradition. With controls on full you can get a decent Claptonesque Cream/Blind Faith lead sound. Both pickups, very impressive sound--bright but not lacking in depth, nice roundness to sound, good for blues leads, Dickey Betts Allman-style lines, R&B/Funk chording. Good jangle there too if that's what you require. Sweep of volume and tone controls isn't particularly even, so it can be tough (but not impossible) to mix tone of each pickup; I prefer both on full when in this position. Bridge pickup, again a pretty impressive sound for an import guitar. Back tone knob off just a bit for punchy '70s rock lead sound, full on for agressive blues tone a la Freddie King/Son Seals. Also good Alvin Lee "I'm Goin' Home"-style lead sound, and decent for medium-overdrive power chords.

Not the greatest setup out of the box (no real surprise there) but with a little setup work playability and intonation good if not spectacular. Overall very decent worknamship, to me signifigantly better than other imports. Nut, bridge, and other hardware are not top-shelf, but good quality for this price range. Grover-style tuners work OK but are not the greatest, I'll no doubt replace them at some point in the future. Volume and tone knobs are cheap but do the job alright.

Fretwork is more than decent, although the 5th fret has been lifting a bit as of late. But I can't really fault DeArmond's workmanship for this, as the climate of the area in which I live (DC Metro) is brutal on guitars: cold damp winters, hot humid summers. Of course, this problem might be compounded by the fret not being properly seated in the first place, but this really isn't too big a deal.

I play the DeArmond primarily around the house, but I've used it at a few club shows and jam sessions and it has fared well. The finish is the best I've seen on a Korean import and indeed better than many Guilds and Gibsons, and the chrome hardware and strap buttons, while not the greatest, are decent. The guitar is neck heavy, but that goes with the territory. I don't gig very often and when I do rarely bring a backup. In short, while certainly not as durable as my T-51 Tele (which is a rock), with a little TLC that all set-neck guitars require,the Starfire is a solid enough instrument and quite able to hold its own on any stage. I would even venture to say that I would prefer taking the DeArmond to a bar or club over a $3000 genuine 335.

Never dealt with them, although Fender (which controls Guild and DeArmond) has a less than stellar reputaion in this area.

I've been playing twenty years now, since the Ronald Reagan era, and have played in all sorts of bands and situations over the years. Lately I've been getting into the jazz side of things more and more, and sometimes I wish I had gotten a full hollow-body like the DeArmond X-155, although the feedback problems with such a guitar would probably be unworkable, considering what stage work I do remains pretty much loud rock. Maybe if the Starfire falls out of my hands by hook or crook I will get a hollow-body, who knows. But I must confess that, while the Hamer T-51 Tele remains my bread-and-butter axe, I really enjoy the DeArmond Starfire, especially for those late evening times when I just want to play some Wes Montgomery-style chords or mellow blues riffs. The DeArmond is not the ultimate in its class, but it doesn't claim to be. It is what it is: a functional 335 type guitar with good tone, handsome looks, and decent build quality. That's really all I was looking for, so I'm satisfied.

This is an update on my previous update !
I've borrowed a digital camera and now have pics of the bigsby tremolo fitted to my Starfire. So if anyone is thinking of doing the same thing and would like to see how it looks 'post-op' then feel free to contact me.

This guitar is a semi-hollow guild copy, made in korea. It features 2 Dearmond humbuckers. Mine is finished in transparent crimson red. Volume and tone controls for each pickup and a 3 way selector. Binding on the outer body. Case was included.

I play this guitar through a Fender Deluxe 112. I have played other guitars through this amp (Tele, Strat)and never cared for the sound of them. I thought maybe it was just the amp. The Starfire set me straight on that! This guitar sounds great. It has a real nice blues tone to it. The semi-hollow body and the Dearmond pickups really make this a keeper.

Guitar was set up fine. No adjustments were needed. Fit and finish are exelent. Everything was put together well. This guitar is beautiful.

Guitar is only a few weeks old, so I can only say it feels rock solid so far.

Have'nt had a need for them yet.

I've been playing for about 8 years now. I've owned 8 different guitars. All types and brands. I now have 2 guitars. This Dearmond and a Guild F4ce. I would'nt trade either of them. Ever! The Starfire is the best sounding electric guitar I've ever owned.

This is an update on my previous post.
Well I did it ! I bought a DeArmond bigsby from the importer and I'm happy to say that it screwed straight on. It needed an extra two screws on the top of the body but that was it.
I am so chuffed with this modification that I have to increase the score for this category to a 9.

I'm still playing the same mix of 1960's pop through to electric blues but I also bought a new amp.
The amp is a Tech 21 Trademark 60 combo which for a solid state amp sounds great. There is also a Marshall Vibrotrem in the loop as well which satisfies my 'jangly' guitar cravings too. I've got into REM recently and this set up works for me in emulating some of Peter Bucks sounds.
The bigsby is as subtle as you might expect but I was pleasantly surprised by the range, both up and down, of this great device. It doesn't affect me when I'm strumming merrily away either so I'm happy with the best of both worlds.

With the bigsby fitted the guitar just looks complete. The action hasn't changed as far as I can tell, at least it still feels the same to my fretting hand.
I think my only gripe would be that re-stringing is a little more fiddly trying to get the string ends over the little pins on the bigsby but that's it.

Since the mod I've been playing this guitar an awful lot and am very happy with it's tuning stability. Okay the bigsby is only subtle but has caused me no problems at all.

Still no need to contact them.

My guitar is just great. It sounds great, it looks great and it plays great. I'm very happy with the new bigsby and would recommend this modification to anyone.

I bought it around Easter this year so I suppose it was made 98 or 99. It is a Korean made semi-acoustic guitar, a modern take on the classic Guild Starfire. They are apparently set up and inspected by Fender in California but mine had a set up at the shop where I bought it from.
The set maple neck has 22 medium frets on a rosewood fretboard. Mine is a vintage honey colour topped off with a laminated top.
Two DeArmond humbuckers are controlled via indvidual tone and volume pots and a 3 way switch. The strings are held in a "D" shaped harp tailpiece, going over a tunamatic style bridge and anchored by some unbranded tuners.
I didn't get any extra's with this guitar but I got it for what I consider a good price and a fair trade in on a Regal RD-45 resonator.

When I play electric guitar I tend to play a mixture of 1960's pop through to some electric blues.
I put it through a solid state Vox Lead 60 amp with no effects at all. I just add a little reverb from the amp then try and use the amp for my sounds. I tend to stick to a bright clean rythmn and a crunchy lead and that does me for most of my playing.
I used to play a Gibson SG and although I liked the guitar it didn't really suit my style. This DeArmond sounded perfect for me right from the start. The neck pickup has some beautiful lead sounds for my slow blues numbers and the bridge gives me some sparkling arpeggio's. I get a great rythmn sound with both pickups on together. Noise from the pickups has not been a problem though my amp is on it's last legs, a Laney LC30 is on the cards for Christmas time.
It won't do metal or hard rock but then again I don't play those styles.

The finish of the bodywork and neck was a superb gloss straight from the box. The dot markers on the fingerboard show a little filler but this blends nicely into the rosewood anyway. All the frets ends are smooth and tidy.
One gripe is the body edging inside the cutaways close to the neck where there is a bit of bleed. There are also a few wires which are hanging loose which can be seen through the lower f-hole. I wouldn't be too concerned about this but I can see that other wiring is neatly cable tied away.
The action when I played it in the shop was a bit too low for me though that was remedied in the set-up.
I also admit that in the first few weeks of ownership I knocked it off it's stand and it landed on the G-string tuner which rewarded me with a nasty buzz all along the string. I sorted this by removing the tuner on the next change of strings and re-attaching it. Since then I have had no problems.

Till now the guitar has only been played at home and for a few jams with like minded friends. I'm looking for a band in the New Year where I intend to use the Starfire in a more appropriate setting.
It's a strong guitar but I'm not overly keen on the harp tailpiece. I'm intending to install a bigsby in the next few months for that vintage vibe, hopefully without losing it's tuning stability.
I also play a lot of acoustic guitar so I guess my Takamine will be a likely back up for gigs.

I haven't had any problems needing to involve DeArmond...I mean Fender.

I've just turned 30 and I've been playing for about 5 years now. I've been in a folk rock band and now I'm playing acoustic guitar and looking after the vocals in a duo with my wife on flute - very ballady don't you know !
Strings wise I also own a Takamine EG-332C, an old beat up Hohner 12-string and a Gremlin A-style mandolin. I'm also beating up on an Irish bhodran and shaking a tambourine when the mood takes me.
Ampwise I play through a Vox Lead 60 and a little 5-watt JHS practice amp.
I've always wanted a semi and I love the look of this guitar. The Starfire shape is more appealing to me than the more common Epiphones (can you believe the size of their headstocks ?). The best feature is the excellent DeArmond pickups and the worst feature is that harp tailpiece.
If you want anymore info then feel free to e-mail me. If you live in the Cambridgeshire are and want to jam then get in touch.