FACTOIDS & TRIVIA

In 1965, the folk rock boom was well underway. One of the guitar sounds associated with this style of music was the electric 12-string. This sound and genre was typified by The Byrds and The Hollies. By 1966, nearly all the major guitar makers such as Fender, Gibson, Rickenbacker, Gretsch and Guild, offered an electric 12-string model. Guild’s entry into the foray was the Starfire XII which was introduced in late 1965. Unlike the purpose-built 12-string guitars by Fender and Rickenbacker, Guild took its cue from Gretsch and Gibson by simply used an existing 6-string model as the platform for a 12-string model. Electric 12-strings quickly faded from the marketplace as the folk rock boom waned. The bulk of the Starfire XIIs were made in 1966 and 1967 with very few being made in subsequent years until the model was discontinued in 1974. The guitar shown here was made shortly after the April 1966 acquisition of Guild by Avenet.

 Body: Semi-hollow; laminated 1-piece Sapele top and back, and laminated mahogany sides; single bound top and back

 Finish: Cherry Red, nitrocellulose lacquer 

 Neck: 3-piece mahogany/maple, set-in; black plastic headstock overlay with pearloid logo and Chesterfield inlay

 Fingerboard: Indian rosewood, single bound; pearloid dot markers

 Number of Frets: 22

 Pickguard: Acrylic

 Bridge: Adjust-a-matic on rosewood base (non-original) with Guild harp tailpiece

 Nut: Plastic

 Tuners: Grover Mini-Rotomatic, chrome (non-original)

 Pickups: Two, Guild small humbucking with adjustable pole pieces, chrome

 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 3/8 inches

 Body Depth: 1 7/8 inches

 Weight: 8.3 lb