FACTOIDS & TRIVIA

In 2001, Guild decided to offer the Starfire III with single coil pickups - the first time since the switch to humbuckers in 1963. To be really accurate, Guild should have chosen the fabulous DeArmond Dynasonic pickups made for Gretsch or the DeArmond 2000 pickups, but instead the Starfire III was fitted with Seymour Duncan P-90 pickups.  This new version is identified by the "-90" suffix in the model name. The Seymour Duncan P-90s that Guild uses in the Starfire III-90 is a custom version of Seymour's “Antiquity” P-90 for both neck and bridge. The pickups are just like stock Antiquitys, except they lack the cosmetic aging and the neck is also reverse wound/reverse polarity (RW/RP) for hum cancellation when both pickups are selected.  These pickups use Alinico II magnets unlike Gibson P-90s which use Alnico V magnets.  This guitar was made shortly after production moved from the now defunct Westerly, RI facility to FMIC's Corona, California plant.

Body: Hollow; laminated 1-piece flame maple top, back, and sides; 5-ply bound top and back

Finish: Natural, polyurethane

Neck: 1-piece mahogany, set-in; black plastic headstock overlay with pearloid logo and Chesterfield inlay

Fingerboard: Indian rosewood, single bound; pearloid dot markers

Number of Frets: 20

Pickguard: Black backed Lucite

Bridge: Bigsby aluminum on aluminum base with Guild/Bigsby tailpiece

Nut: Plastic

Tuners: Grover Rotomatic, sealed, chrome

Pickups: Two, Seymour Duncan P-90 Custom Antiquity

Controls: Tone and volume controls for each pickup, 3-way pickup selector

Scale Length: 24 3/4 inches

Neck Width at Nut: 1 5/8 inches

Body Width at Lower Bout: 16 1/4 inches

Body Depth: 2 inches

Weight: 7 lbs.