Guild Starfire 4

Bought in 1965, Made in Hoboken, NJ, orignal stock humbuckers, 335 style, sunburst, cutaway, this model competed with the Gibson 335
I used it for a couple of years and bought a Gibson 335 and put this gem under my bed for 25 years,

well comparing it to the Gibson, there is no comparison unless you can compare it to a Vintage gibson because this sound is amazing,
I use it for Jazz styles and blues through a Victoria 20112-
and I can't get enough of this amazing tone

The finish is worn slightly, but new it had a very high gloss, still does with a few dings

well this where you cannot compare it to any new guitars today, this is built like a tank, the pickups our all hand wired, this guitar will last a lifetime,

never needed them

playing for 35 years, forgot about the guitar, when I started playing again I relized all these years the tone I was after was under my bed, if your lucky to find a Vintage one ,buy it

Bought in January of 2000, so probably made in 1999 in Rhode Island. Got at Guitar Center, with Guild case, which is very very good. More clasps than you can remember. Standard layout of 2 volume 2 tone controls for the two Guild humbuckers, 3 way switch.
Body is blond maple (lovely), classy black pickguard. Neck has that lovely wood strip down the back. Neck is great. Gloss finish. Check out the pictures around the net. I guess if it had coil taps it would get a ten. But it has all you need, other than talent.

This is a tone monster, jazz to rock.... I never shred or do any of that metal crap that disguises as music (sorry boys). But for purity of tone with the ability to growl and stomp, it's got it. Not too bright, but bright enough if you want to make music.
I use it with a Tech 21 TM 60 (super amp!), a micro cube, the Vox Da-5.

Flawless construction. The only problem was that the nut groove for the G string was too deep, so lazy me just put an extra chunk of G string under it and ta da! the action could then be lowered to the lazy height I like. That lowered the score a couple of points. Other than that (which took me awhile to figure out) it was all spot on.

It is strong, I play it where ever. I live in Thailand at the beach, and the corrosion that usually eats most hardware, strings, people, etc. hasn't been all that bad. Some spotting on the chrome, but not as bad as on some of my others. Climate there will rust plastic...
However, the little Guild G emblem on the tone knobs... one fell out. Near the beach (every guitar is a beach guitar, imho). Lose a point for that one.
Buttons are solid, but I put strap locks on anyway, so can't speak for the stock ones. I would use it without backup and have done so many times.

Guild was bought by Fender not so long after I bought this, and the geniuses there decided to discontinue Guild electrics. I guess they thought the Fender semi-hollows were good enough (that's a JOKE!). Wrote to Guild (acoustic only, tch tch) looking for that emblem for knob, they replied very quickly but had none.
Tried ebay and google: no luck. Finally by chance found at American Music in Seattle while I was resigned to generic knobs.... 6 of 'em staring me in the face!
Warranty is lifetime, but I am getting on in years.

I've been at it for 43 years, with a long break in the middle... Gear? Ibanez AF95, Hagstrom D2F, Ovation VXT, Yamaha strat, Hamer strat, Tacoma jumbo, Larrivie D3, Breedlove dread, amps I mentioned above, lots of other toys lying around...
I might have liked a sunburst... but GC didn't have and I wanted a Guild for my 50th birthday present to myself. Took home a SF 3 but the bigsby seemed to keep it out of tune to much, so kept this one instead.
There is nothing I hate about this. I has one of the most lovely electric tones you'd want to distort. What do I like best? Toss up between the neck and the pickups.
I give it a 9 because to me a 10 would be my Ovation VXT

1977 all mahogany, natural finish. Paid 1000 us dollars in mint condition with original case

This thing is my personal holy grail! I've always wanted a 335 and have played many from all different decades.. and was just about to but me one... had the cash and everything... then I saw this on ebay and just got a feeling.. you know? So I bought it and oohh my goodness gracious me lord praise be I'm in heaven! This thing cost me 1000 dollars, try getting a 1977 es335 for that kind of money.. and then try getting a 335 that plays and sounds like this baby... it's not gonna happen. This thing is pure butter to play.. I switch between 14's and 12's (strings) depending on what style I'm playing on the gig. I play straight up be-bop on this, I play loud, down home blues on this, I play funky ass shaking stuff on this, I play smooth jazz, soul, 70's rock, hard rock on this.. It's just so versatile! The original Guild pickups can go fro ear piercingly bright to mellow mellow round jazz sound. I have found my life long guitar.

Smooth as butter! It's such a pleasure to play. Kicks any and I mean any 335's arse I've ever heard or played ever ever ever! EVER! I don't wanna get too into Gibson bashing cus I dig their guitars, but Guild are the guitar worlds best kept secret and it really just is not worth paying the money for a vintage Gibson (modern day Gibbies are pretty shoddy made) when you can get something better and for a third of the price.. unless you're collecting, but if you're a real musican who wants a guitar to play it and not as a status symbol, look into Guild man! On top of all this, it looks so damn cool. Everyone asks me about this guitar... you just don't see that many around.. especially not here in Europe.

Solid. I gig this all the time and always clean it like an obsessed lunatic afterwards.. it was in such good condition when I got it that i cant stand to see it get smudged or anything.. I've gone crazy for this guitar. It was made to be played and won't let you down.

It's a 1977 guitar so no support available

I've been playing for 18 years. I'm a proffesional guitarrist/vocalist and play with many internationally known blues/jazz and soul guys. I've woned and still do own gibsons, fenders and many other guitars.. too many to list here... I have finally found my Holy Grail (at least for the electric guitar)... the only reason I'd buy something else now is cus I dig buying guitars.. maybe a larger jazz box for the old school freddie green style comping although I get away with it on the Starfire.

Basically if you're afetr a semi hollow 335 style guitar, then don't pass up a chance to at least try one of these.. you will be walking home with it afterwards I'm sure.

1967 USA Guild Starfire IV, Sunburst. Semi -hollow, original Guild pickups, past replacement (1970s?) of Harp tail piece with gibson TOM bridge. Grover tuners. Great guitar-- Neck is great thin and fast, small-medium frets (will put medium-jumbos on after the current frets are toast)Stellar body, sunburst is fading and checking, and it looks aged but beautiful--took off pickguard. Two giuls HBs. Had to stuff it full of foam for gig use (with a bogner) but it looks professional-I used memory foam mattress padding and covered the foam with black felt from the craft store. I give it a nine because its used and very old, and a past fret job ruined the biding in places.No case, but found a vintage one on bay for $150--wow!!thats expensive)

I play pop, hard rock and R&B with a couple of different outfits--always great, except when real real dirty stuff is needed, but this guitar isn't for that. It plays like a dream, and its great to play finger style. Full sound, its better (and cheaper) than a 335, the neck pickup is more versatile also. SOung great with a Bogner, but incedible with a SF Twin or Vibrosonic. I give it a 9 because the only truly versatile 10 rated guitar is a strat.

I had to have it set up when I bought it, the bridge was not installed correctly and it needed a new nut to stay in tune properly (its usually the nut, ot the tuners!!!) The pickup selector was sticking also, but hell, it 42 years old. 10 rating, for an old warhorse, this this played great, and plays even better now. Unlike most old guild the peghead inlay is NOT peeling or coming off, so Iam lucky.

Great to gig with. Harware is good now. the finish is naturally reliced, and will probably show more wear, but thats OK. Replaced strap with dimarzio quick release (all my guitars have them) Its depenable. i NEVER gig without a back-up--murphy's law can and will strike when ever it wants. I Give it nine, because its not a bolt on, so a neck break catastrophe can happen, and I would be beside myself

Old guild in Connecticut is gone, but I have a good luthier, find one and treat him nice, send a xmas card or b'day card.

I've been playing for 17 years, I have a couple strats, A old PRS CE22, and a tele. Amps are Bogner shiva, SF Twin, SF Vibrosonic, SF champ, EPI VJ and Leslie cab with amp and cab converted to guitar. If it were stolen, I'd seek out another. What do I love about it, well, its sounds and plays great but it grabs people's attention

great, heavy guitar.
build in the first half of 1980 in Westerly-RI, bought used in 2007. translucent antique burst f??nish, laminated maple archtop/back body, slightly flamed three piece maple/mahagony/maple neck, "nearly no grain" dark rosewood fingerboard with pearl block inlays, three way toggle switch, master volume, seperate volume and tone controls for both humbucking PU's. Guild Humbucking PU's wich have a bit more bite than the common ES 335 PU's but everything else is ES 335 style. semihollow with f-holes and maple centerblock, binding on neck & body, closed Guild tuners, harp tailpiece and adjustable rollover bridge but no whammy bar. very heavy for being a semihollow ( slightly over 5 kg! ) but tons of tone as well. lot's of tonal (bluesy) character!

i play blues, rock and a bit of jazz and this guitar fits those demands perfectly.
played through a Mesa Boogie DC 5 it's all you could possibly want in that area.
it has a very rich and deep wooden sound on the neck PU/clean (jazzy) and goes totally blues on the bridge PU in clean. distorted it's not a screamer like modern designs but more of a classic rock deliverer with deep growls and a bite when wanted. sustainwise it's nice and good but nothing for new sounds like nu-metal or something like that.
a typical semihollow "heavyweight". the mastervol. comes in handy when your are out for, say jazzsounds, as it makes the tone mellower without fiddling on the seperate controls -so you're able to switch back to full force with a flick in a gigsituation.

no idea about factory settings. everything was fine when i got her, i put the bridge down a bit for my fabled action and it works without buzzing. the neck has a comfortable c-shape, is tapered to the nut in a 60's style and very fast and easy to play. the finish is still perfect after 27 years (except the dings and dongs that result from being used). there is a very fine finishcrack where the fingerbaord is glued to the neck in the section of the 1rst to 5th fret but you cannot feel it it and it doesn't affect playing.
hardware is looking brilliant, chrome and screws as shiny as can be. gibson could've learned a lot about lasting metalcovers from former Guild???

well, ererything fine after 27 years. build very sturdy, even too heavy for some, but she will last, i'm shure.

i'm glad i got her. was looking for a good semihollow without success for a long time without knowing there are these SF 4's around. recently tried a 335 and this one side by side and liked the sound better ( but that's just tonetaste???). Gibson's are easier to reach in the "highest fretdepartement" but that's not decisive for me.
when it would break or be lost or stolen i would go for another 80's SF4 right enough.