Guild Starfire IV Rhythm PU

[spakuloid]

So I picked up this gem a of a guitar at my GC a few days ago for just under a grand - dead mint - practically un-played as far as I can tell. It says Westerley made in USA on the inside the F hole sticker - and - after some research I am guessing it is one of the 2003 models. Anyhow - it plays and sounds fantastic - better than any Gibson 335 I have ever tried - BUT - the rhythm pickup is super mellow. It has almost no treble and zero bite to it at all - just very jazzy and old fashion sounding like a 1940's recording. So I was wondering from any who have experience with these guitars if that is the normal tone of this pickup. It almost seems like it does not match the rest of the guitar. I was thinking of swapping out the pickup - but I don't have the first clue how to do the electronics on these arch-tops - and I don't want to mess with the guitar at all if that is how it is supposed to sound. The lead pickup and middle position sound perfect. It just seems that the rhythm PU is from another era.

[nmiller]

Guild humbuckers are not what I'd call super mellow. They're chimier than a PAF, with more treble than most similar units in the neck position. I'd check rest of the electronics (pots, switch, etc) before swapping it out; maybe someone modded the tone control.

[John C]

By 2003 wouldn't the Guilds be using Duncans instead of their original pickups? Seems like they switched over in the 1990s after Fender acquired them.

[RussB]

My Westerly Bluesbird from 2000 used Duncan '59's in both the neck & bridge. Check the wiring, someone may have monkeyed with it

[spakuloid]

I'm going to have to take it in to a shop then because I have no clue as to how one goes about tinkering with the wiring on an arch top guitar. The pickups are stock - serial number on this one is AG-001549

[GAD]

Sho a pic of the pickup and I'll tell you what it probably is.

Guild moved from Westerly in 2001. If you post the serial# on LetsTalkGuild.com, Hans will be able to tell you when it was made.

[spakuloid]

Thanks GAD - here are some pics:

http://i234.photobucket.com/albums/ee72/spakuloid/GuildStarfireIV1.jpg
http://i234.photobucket.com/albums/ee72/spakuloid/GuildStarfireIV2.jpg
http://i234.photobucket.com/albums/ee72/spakuloid/GuildStarfireIV3.jpg

[John C]

Nice Starfire IV; those look like the Guild pickups to me, not the Duncans.

[Boogie92801]

I love and have owned a few Starfires and other Guild hollow guitars including a SFIV pretty much identical to yours and I would not describe the pups as dark or mellow. The neck pup should have lots of bounce and chime. I have to agree that except for a few individual guitars most starfires were consistently better sounding to me than most of the 335s I played for that very reason; they were not dull or dark but very alive. Especially the modern ones.

[GAD]

Those pickups are Fender-made HB1s. They have absolutely nothing in common with the original HB1s other than looks. This is what they look like on the back:

http://www.gad.net/GAD/Guitar/Guild-X170-Mars/_B0Z6358_800.jpg

Starfires (and most Guild electrics) have the following possibilities with HB1s:

Vintage HB1s - the real deal
Fender HB1s - boring IMO
Seymour Duncan SD1s in HB1 covers - very nice, though different than vintage.
Seymour Duncan SD1s (look like regular humbuckers)

Of all the possibilities, I'm afraid yours are the least desirable. I have almost the exact same Starfire (about 100 difference in s/n) and disliked the pickups so much that I had them rewound for big bucks. I love the look of them, and now I love the sound too. It's one of my favorite guitars now.

[RussB]

Great info, GAD!

[spakuloid]

Are the Guild pickups replaceable with standard sized humbuckers ? I may just replace them both with SD Antiquities or 59's.

[tapeworm]

If I were you i would search high and low for a set of vintage HB-1's for that thing!

[GAD]

Are the Guild pickups replaceable with standard sized humbuckers ? I may just replace them both with SD Antiquities or 59's.

Yup. Any humbucker will fit in there except for...

If I were you i would search high and low for a set of vintage HB-1's for that thing!

Vintage HB1s won't fit in there tapeworm. I tried. :) That's why I was so excited to get the Bluesbird. It's the only modern model I know of that will take vintage HB1s.

If you do replace the hums, remember to replace the rings as well unless you get pickups with the proper mounts like the one I pictured above.

[spakuloid]

So it turns out that there must be a wiring or switch issue on the rhythm pickup causing the dull tone. Picked up the guitar today and the rhythm pickup was out completely. After playing for a few minutes and jiggling things around it came back on full throttle and actually sounded pretty good. Then it slowly degraded into the soft dull sound and finally went out completely again. There is no crackle on the switch which makes me think maybe just a loose soldering point? Called GC and they said bring it in no problems for them to fix it since there is a 30 day warrantee on it. I would just do it myself but this is a hollow body and I don't want to futz with it.