Guild Starfire IV 1(contact info removed) - Black

Body Color

Black

Type

Electric

Brand

Guild

This rare and striking semi-hollow was made in the last year of USA production at Guild's Westerly Rhode Island factory (would be late 1999 or early 2000 based on serialization). To my knowledge, the guitar is all original except for the pickups and the pickguard. It has a gloss nitro lacquer finish, and looks and feels incredible. Being a shiny black guitar it is annoyingly difficult to photograph. I have more photos in different lighting conditions if there is anything you'd like to see. It has a very lively and forward acoustic resonance especially in the upper registers and overall plays beautifully. The neck is a very comfortable and smooth playing C measuring approx .850" at 1st fret and .935" at the 12th. The neck has the same gloss nitro finish as the body which feels smooth and doesn't stick. The fretboard is a beautiful specimen of rosewood with lots of reddish-brown and contrasting streaks. I'm not a professional guitarist or technician, but I'd like to err on the side of more detail when it comes to condition. I believe l've rated it fairly based on overall condition, and will give more detail on anything that seems noteworthy. Please DM me if you would like more details on anything. Condition Notes (see photos): - The guitar has a fair amount of regular play wear throughout. The most prominent cosmetic issue is the scuff on the low E side of upper bout (see photo) which I'm sure could be repaired if one was so inclined. There are a few more noticeable marks on the back on the neck and headstock. Overall. the finish is glossy with light swirling and small blemishes throughout. - In direct light the finish on the back of the body and neck is slightly faded in places with lighter-looking patches (your audience might even notice if you tend to play guitar with the frets facing you). - The neck binding has hairline cracks at the 3rd and 5th fret markers, on the low E side of the 8th fret, and the high E side of the 7th fret. The cracks are stable and can barely be felt when playing. - Frets are perhaps 60-70%, with some flat spots. I have not had any problems with buzzing or intonation. - The pickguard is aftermarket. Several additional small screw holes were drilled on the lower edge of the guitar so that it would fit properly - The original Guild SD-1 neck pickup was already missing when I acquired the guitar. It would have been near impossible or least highly cost prohibitive to find a used matching SD-1 pickup, so I decided to replace with an aged set of Vineham "Vivids" PAF-style humbuckers which are hand-wound in Canada. The pickup mounting rings are original but have had an extra screwhole drilled to allow for installing standard humbuckers. The neck pickup mounting ring has two hairline cracks near the body screws. - The original hardshell case is included, but has some significant wear. One latch/buckle is broken/ missing. Specs (to the best of my knowledge): Finish: Black (Gloss nitro lacquer) * Body: Maple, semi-hollow body with laminated maple back, sides, and top * Neck: Mahogany (Two-Piece) * Fingerboard: Rosewood (Bound) * Neck Profile: "C" * Neck Thickness: Roughly .850" 1st fret, .935" 12th Fret Fingerboard Radius: 12" * Nut Width: 1-11/16"
Scale Length: 24.75" * Electronics: Vineham Vivid Humbuckers (Alnico |I) - Aged Chrome * Pickup Measurements: Bridge 8.1k - Neck - 7.2k - • Weight: 8lbs 6oz
Serial Number: AG001054 - Setup: 11-49 strings, low action