OffsetGuitars.com

After enjoying the archtop/hollowbody thread, I had a look at some Guild guitars. I am digging these Guild Newark St. Collection models:

Starfire I Jet 90

https://guildguitars.com/g/starfire-i-j ... tin-black/


https://guildguitars.com/g/starfire-i-j ... tin-white/


https://guildguitars.com/g/starfire-i-j ... atin-gold/

Starfire I DC - I like the pelham blue...

https://guildguitars.com/g/starfire-i-dc-pelham-blue/


https://guildguitars.com/g/starfire-i-d ... ge-walnut/


https://guildguitars.com/g/starfire-i-dc-cherry/

X-175 Manhattan Special - Malibu Blue

https://guildguitars.com/g/x-175-manhattan-special/

X-175B Manhattan in Blonde

https://guildguitars.com/g/x-175b-manhattan-bigsby/

Jetstar - Not archtop/hollowbody but quirky cool for me to want to try.

https://guildguitars.com/g/jetstar-in-vintage-white/


https://guildguitars.com/g/jetstar-in-seafoam-green/


https://guildguitars.com/g/jetstar-in-black/

I like all of them, but if I were to pull the trigger when feasible, it would be the Starfire I Jet 90 (probably black or white) and the Jetstar (probably the vintage white or black).

Anyone have any of these Guild guitars? Pros/cons?

I don't have much experience with these but every old Guild I've ever played has had some kind of unique magic. I have a 1980 D-25 that is lovely. Well worth playing at least.

Yeah, I want one of the Starfire IVs now. Pretty sure that’s my next guitar.

Not sure what your budget is, but I'd encourage you to take a look at some of the 70s Guild stuff. The solid bodies (S-100, etc) are generally in the $1500 range in good condition. Those 70's HB-1 humbuckers are just /awesome/, hot and chimey, cleans up well with the volume rolled back. An entirely different animal from the MIK stuff, but still an awesome MIA guitar for not a ton of bones (relatively speaking).

Guilds are underrated. The current ones are great guitars and the vintage models can be a bargain.

I really like the Starfire III and X-175 models. The new Surfliner model looks decent too.

I'm a big fan of Guild guitars! Every one I've ever picked up had the perfect neck carve for my hands, both MIA and newer MIK models.

There are times when I think I would keep this 1997 X-170 as my only guitar if I had to sell all my other guitars (I've got to get better photos of it):


If you haven't already discovered it, this is an awesome website to learn about Guild guitars:
https://www.gad.net/Blog/gads-guilds/

I'm not normally into 3-pickup hollowbodies, but the easy switching on those Jet 90s looks very appealing. While there's a part of me that thinks vintage is somehow more desirable, there are a lot of brand new guitars coming out these days which look like they could satisfy in a similar but different way.

Fender/Guild are boxing clever here with the Korean production; why buy a Reverend when you can have an historic name on the headstock for a similar outlay?

Depending on budget I would also look at the vintage ones from 60s-70s. They can still be had at bargain prices compared to similar build quality from say Gibson. I paid slightly north of $1500 for my ‘64 Starfire IV this past winter, and it is the best guitar I’ve owned (better than the three vintage fenders I’ve had).

I’ve also had a couple of early 70s Guild acoustic guitars, a D25 and a D35. Both great, wish I had kept at least one of them. Paid between $500-$700 for them.

Looking great across the board (apart from that Jet Star shape, ugh)