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Up for sale, a 1962 Guild Starfire III in 100% original, collector-grade condition and in perfect working order, complete with the original hardshell case, polish cloth and and vintage advertisement.
Marketed to the “young artist with a flair for showmanship,“ this genuine vintage USA-made Guild was crafted at the company’s Hoboken, NJ factory, loaded with its original pair of DeArmond Dynasonic “white-face” single coil pickups. The fully-hollow thinline mahogany body is paired with a mahogany set neck and bound Brazilian rosewood fretboard, yielding a broad, deep natural acoustic resonance with a rich lower-midrange character and good treble definition. When plugged in, the DeArmond Dynasonic pickups deliver full, fat single coil tones with plenty of sparkle, and a harmonically complex midrange presence. They’re remarkably clear and articulate pickups, responding very well to overdrive, with a creamy, thick breakup. This Guild is featherweight at 6lbs 10oz, professionally setup here at Mike & Mike’s Guitar Bar with 11-49 roundwound strings, low action, and accurate intonation.
The two-piece mahogany neck with maple center stripe has a medium C-shaped profile carve with full shoulders in every register, measuring .845” deep at the 1st fret and .950” at the 9th. The bound Brazilian rosewood fretboard is a very dark, tight-grained cut, and the slender fretwire benefits from a level and crown, only exhibiting a touch of wear beneath the plain strings on the crowns of frets 1-3. This guitar plays cleanly up the 24 3/4“ scale with a straight neck and a responsive, optimally-adjusted truss rod, and the nut measures 1.675” in width, just fractionally shy of a full 1 11/16”. The headstock is notable for being Guild's earlier and shorter "open book" shape that more closely mirrored a Gibson, and the headstock veneer (complete with Guild logo, Chesterfield inlay, and the distinctly-shaped truss rod cover) sits flat on all edges. The original Grover open-gear butterbean tuning machines are present as well, functioning smoothly and reliably.
All of the electronics work as intended, with dedicated Volume and Tone knobs for each DeArmond Dynasonic humbucker. All of the original hardware is intact and quite clean, including the Guild-branded Bigsby vibrato tailpiece, floating aluminum Bigsby bridge, and chrome pickup surrounds. The original Bigsby B6 vibrato accentuates smoothly and bounces back to pitch quickly, perfect for shimmering warbles. Plastics comprise the original quartet of transparent DeArmond reflector cap knobs and the one-ply black pickguard, which has a pristine Guild star graphic. The serialized oval label is intact and visible through the F hole, with a serial matching the number imprinted on the headstock, noting "Made in USA" and Hoboken factory provenance.
The original Cherry Red gloss nitro lacquer finish is 100% original with no touch-up or overspray, exhibiting broad vertical lacquer checking across the body. Cosmetic wear includes some minor nicks and finish scratches on the body as a whole consistent with careful use, most prominent along the lower bout perimeter and on the back, along with buckle rash central to the back and some light scuffing on top along the strum path. The neck profile retains its smooth gloss with palm wear in the 1st position.
The original Guild-branded hardshell case with red plush interior is included. The case features the Guild badge on the exterior, functional latches, and a taped over original handle. A vintage Guild advertisement for the model is also included, along with the original polish cloth.
Marketed to the “young artist with a flair for showmanship,“ this genuine vintage USA-made Guild was crafted at the company’s Hoboken, NJ factory, loaded with its original pair of DeArmond Dynasonic “white-face” single coil pickups. The fully-hollow thinline mahogany body is paired with a mahogany set neck and bound Brazilian rosewood fretboard, yielding a broad, deep natural acoustic resonance with a rich lower-midrange character and good treble definition. When plugged in, the DeArmond Dynasonic pickups deliver full, fat single coil tones with plenty of sparkle, and a harmonically complex midrange presence. They’re remarkably clear and articulate pickups, responding very well to overdrive, with a creamy, thick breakup. This Guild is featherweight at 6lbs 10oz, professionally setup here at Mike & Mike’s Guitar Bar with 11-49 roundwound strings, low action, and accurate intonation.
The two-piece mahogany neck with maple center stripe has a medium C-shaped profile carve with full shoulders in every register, measuring .845” deep at the 1st fret and .950” at the 9th. The bound Brazilian rosewood fretboard is a very dark, tight-grained cut, and the slender fretwire benefits from a level and crown, only exhibiting a touch of wear beneath the plain strings on the crowns of frets 1-3. This guitar plays cleanly up the 24 3/4“ scale with a straight neck and a responsive, optimally-adjusted truss rod, and the nut measures 1.675” in width, just fractionally shy of a full 1 11/16”. The headstock is notable for being Guild's earlier and shorter "open book" shape that more closely mirrored a Gibson, and the headstock veneer (complete with Guild logo, Chesterfield inlay, and the distinctly-shaped truss rod cover) sits flat on all edges. The original Grover open-gear butterbean tuning machines are present as well, functioning smoothly and reliably.
All of the electronics work as intended, with dedicated Volume and Tone knobs for each DeArmond Dynasonic humbucker. All of the original hardware is intact and quite clean, including the Guild-branded Bigsby vibrato tailpiece, floating aluminum Bigsby bridge, and chrome pickup surrounds. The original Bigsby B6 vibrato accentuates smoothly and bounces back to pitch quickly, perfect for shimmering warbles. Plastics comprise the original quartet of transparent DeArmond reflector cap knobs and the one-ply black pickguard, which has a pristine Guild star graphic. The serialized oval label is intact and visible through the F hole, with a serial matching the number imprinted on the headstock, noting "Made in USA" and Hoboken factory provenance.
The original Cherry Red gloss nitro lacquer finish is 100% original with no touch-up or overspray, exhibiting broad vertical lacquer checking across the body. Cosmetic wear includes some minor nicks and finish scratches on the body as a whole consistent with careful use, most prominent along the lower bout perimeter and on the back, along with buckle rash central to the back and some light scuffing on top along the strum path. The neck profile retains its smooth gloss with palm wear in the 1st position.
The original Guild-branded hardshell case with red plush interior is included. The case features the Guild badge on the exterior, functional latches, and a taped over original handle. A vintage Guild advertisement for the model is also included, along with the original polish cloth.
