Massillon, OH, United States
About this listing
Up for sale is a stunning, exceptionally well-preserved 1972 Guild Starfire IV in its original deep Cherry finish. Crafted at the legendary Westerly, Rhode Island factory, this golden-era semi-hollowbody is a masterful player’s instrument and a phenomenal piece of vintage Guild history. Professionally set up with frets polished, crowned, leveled, and dressed.Serial Number & Authenticity:Headstock Stamp: 74503 (Crisp and legible under light)Internal Label: 74503 (Original oval Guild Guarantee label intact)Both serial numbers match perfectly, confirming absolute structural integrity and factory pairing.Electronics & Hardware:Pickups: Original factory Guild HB-1 humbuckers. These are highly coveted for a reason—offering incredible top-end clarity, a punchy midrange, and an articulate chime that easily outshines period Gibson equivalents.Controls: Standard 3-way toggle, independent volume/tone controls, and the highly useful factory Master Volume knob on the lower treble horn.Tailpiece & Guard: Original chrome factory "G-Shield" harp tailpiece and original staircase-style black pickguard with clean gold-stenciled Guild lettering.Tuners: Period-correct Grover Rotomatic tuners. Note: There are faint footprints/lacquer shadows from an early transitional set of factory Kolb tuners on the back of the headstock, a very common sight for late '72 builds.Bridge: Upgraded to a modern Tune-o-matic/Adjusto-matic style bridge with individual metal saddles. This is a common and highly practical upgrade that vastly improves intonation precision and tuning stability compared to the original standard roller bridges.Condition & Modifications Disclosure:The Honduran Mahogany body features a gorgeous, deep grain visible beneath the lacquer. The finish is in spectacular vintage condition with an incredibly clean back—virtually free of the typical buckle rash or deep gouges found on instruments of this age.Hardware History Note: There are two small, cleanly exposed screw holes visible under close inspection inside the cutout loop of the harp tailpiece. This indicates a top-mount Bigsby vibrato was installed at one point in the guitar's past before a previous owner properly restored it back to its factory-original Guild harp tailpiece setup. The frame of the original harp tailpiece perfectly masks these holes from almost all viewing angles.The robust 3-piece laminated neck (Mahogany/Maple/Mahogany) is straight, stable, and offers a comfortably slim profile with beautiful action.Original Hardshell Case Included:The guitar comes housed in its factory-original 1960s/70s Ess & Ess hardshell case (built in Brooklyn, NY). It features the iconic royal purple/plum plush interior flocking and the absolute signature giveaway for a factory Guild case: the embossed black faux-alligator vinyl accessory pocket flap. All latches and hinges function perfectly. The small rectangular metal exterior logo badge is missing, leaving a clean footprint on the neck section of the outer Tolex shell.This is a clean, resonant, and investment-grade Westerly Guild that performs beautifully on stage or in the studio.
Price$2,599
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