Find Your Own Voice

Our mod squad chief, Dave Burrluck, gets told his bridge pickup sound isn’t very good by someone who’s never heard it! What’s going on?

Back in 2016 I bought a Guild Newark St Starfire V from Fender who graciously gave me an artist deal discount. I’d been very impressed with these Fender-created, made-in-Korea recreations of Guild’s past and this Starfire was no exception. Sure, it was heavier than I’d have liked but I needed a thin line semi hollow and certainly wasn’t in the market for the real thing.

Personally, I’ve had a soft spot for Guild for many years. Their slightly different take on the electric guitar had always appealed and Hans Moust’s The Guild Guitar Book, signed by the author in 1996, is a very well-thumbed tome.

I have to admit that after I bought the Starfire I aged it a little by cutting back and hand-buffing the finish, but I liked it so much I didn’t feel the need to touch anything else. It was swiftly put into action and got a lot of positive reaction both for its looks – “the old ones are the best” – and its sound.