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Conference napalm::guitar

Title:	GUITARnotes - Where Every Note has Emotion
Notice:	Discussion of the finer stringed instruments
Moderator:	KDX200::COOPER

Created:	Thu Aug 14 1986
Last Modified:	Fri Jun 06 1997
Last Successful Update:	Fri Jun 06 1997
Number of topics:	3280
Total number of notes:	61432

3052.0. "Starfield Guitars?" by GANTRY::ALLBERY (Jim) Fri Mar 10 1995 15:06

    I've been recently playing my Starfield ES-175 copy a fair amount.
    This is the guitar I use on those occasions that I pretend I'm a
    jazz guitarist.  I've been playing mainly acoustic over the last
    couple years, and its probably been a year since I last got it out
    of its case.  My recent purchase of a Fender Blues Deluxe, coupled
    by finding out that the jazz band I play with will have its first
    gig in three years have spurred me to dust of this instrument and
    start practicing my "Guitar George" imitation.
    
    I'd forgotten how surprisingly good this guitar is...  It's basically
    a straight knockoff of a Gibson ES-175.  It's all maple with a 
    natural finish and sounds and plays great.  Blind-folded, I doubt
    you could tell it from a Gibson 175.  I've often thought about
    getting a "real" archtop, but with the price of carved top guitars
    being so high, an ES-175 is about the best I could justify.  
    Wheever I try one, however, I walk away thinking "why spend the
    money?": other than the Gibson logo (and resale value), what would
    I get that I don't already have?
    
    I bought the guitar used for about $300 (I think) eight years ago.
    I don't know much about the instrument, but it supposedly came from
    the Ibanez factory (at least that's what I've been told).  I would
    guess it's probably from the mid/late seventies.  I've heard that 
    Ibanez made some pretty decent archtop copies in that time frame.
    
    I've seen a couple other Starfield archtop copies (another 175, and
    a carved top (L5 perhaps?)), but I haven't had the opportunity to 
    play any of them.  I don't know if I just got very lucky with this
    guitar or what, but it is a much better instrument than I would 
    expect out of a relatively inexpensive copy.
    
    Does anyone else know anything about Starfield?

T.R Title User Personal
Name Date Lines

3052.1 About Starfield guitars - from the alt.guitar newsgroup SEESAW::PILANT L. Mark Pilant, VMS Engineering Fri Mar 10 1995 15:21 164

T.R	Title	User	Personal Name	Date	Lines
3052.1	About Starfield guitars - from the alt.guitar newsgroup	SEESAW::PILANT	L. Mark Pilant, VMS Engineering	`Fri Mar 10 1995 15:21`	164
	Article: 40714 Path: nntpd.lkg.dec.com!crl.dec.com!pa.dec.com!decwrl!hookup!olivea!spool.mu.edu!howland.reston.ans.net!pipex!uunet!zib-berlin.de!news.th-darmstadt.de!fauern!btr0x1.hrz.uni-bayreuth.de!btr0x1.hrz.uni-bayreuth.de!not-for-mail From: [email protected] (M. Diewald) Newsgroups: alt.guitar Subject: Starfield Guitars Date: 6 Dec 1994 13:32:48 +0100 Organization: Universitaet Bayreuth Lines: 10 Message-ID: <[email protected]> NNTP-Posting-Host: btr0x1.hrz.uni-bayreuth.de X-Newsreader: NN version 6.5.0 #9 Hi there, I was offered a Starfield American Cabriolet guitar the other day. It plays fine and the hardware is of high quality. Any opinions on that guitar or Starfield? Has somebody been playing Starfield guitars and can comment on the long time experience/performance? Cheers Martin Article: 41077 Path: nntpd.lkg.dec.com!jac.zko.dec.com!crl.dec.com!crl.dec.com!bloom-beacon.mit.edu!usc!howland.reston.ans.net!swrinde!pipex!uunet!news.sprintlink.net!news.primenet.com!slip171.lax.primenet.com!user From: [email protected] (Scott Jennings) Newsgroups: alt.guitar Subject: Re: Starfield Guitars Date: Fri, 09 Dec 1994 23:35:47 -0800 Organization: Route 66 Guitars, U.S.A. Lines: 22 Message-ID: <[email protected]> References: <[email protected]> NNTP-Posting-Host: slip171.lax.primenet.com In article <[email protected]>, [email protected] (M. Diewald) wrote: > Hi there, > > I was offered a Starfield American Cabriolet guitar the other day. It > plays fine and the hardware is of high quality. Any opinions on that > guitar or Starfield? Has somebody been playing Starfield guitars and > can comment on the long time experience/performance? > > Cheers > Martin They are a division of Ibanez. Some are made in the U.S., but most are not. Scott -- Route 66 Guitars * 21 North Altadena Drive * Pasadena, CA * 91107 * USA tel: (213) GUI TARS (484 8277) * fax: (818) 683 8693 Postal, email & fax stocklists available...Right & Left Handed Stringed Instruments Article: 41093 Path: nntpd.lkg.dec.com!pa.dec.com!decwrl!hookup!caen!math.ohio-state.edu!howland.reston.ans.net!torn!news.ccs.queensu.ca!qlink!3sds4 From: [email protected] (Sitcoff Steven D) Newsgroups: alt.guitar Subject: Re: Starfield Guitars Date: 10 Dec 1994 17:59:18 GMT Organization: Queen's University, Kingston Lines: 15 Message-ID: <[email protected]> References: <[email protected]> <[email protected]> NNTP-Posting-Host: qlink.queensu.ca X-Newsreader: TIN [version 1.2 PL2] Scott Jennings ([email protected]) wrote: : In article <[email protected]>, : [email protected] (M. Diewald) wrote: : > Hi there, : > : > I was offered a Starfield American Cabriolet guitar the other day. It : > plays fine and the hardware is of high quality. Any opinions on that : They are a division of Ibanez. Some are made in the U.S., but most are not. Does anyone know of any US outlets that still stock them. I regret not buying one when I tried it last summer, before the line was pulled. Article: 41141 Path: nntpd.lkg.dec.com!crl.dec.com!crl.dec.com!bloom-beacon.mit.edu!spool.mu.edu!howland.reston.ans.net!news2.near.net!noc.near.net!bigboote.WPI.EDU!wpi.WPI.EDU!trucks From: [email protected] (Matthew Cross) Newsgroups: alt.guitar Subject: Re: Starfield Guitars Date: 11 Dec 1994 18:22:56 GMT Organization: Worcester Polytechnic Institute Lines: 28 Message-ID: <[email protected]> References: <[email protected]> NNTP-Posting-Host: wpi.wpi.edu X-Newsreader: TIN [version 1.2 PL2] M. Diewald ([email protected]) wrote: : Hi there, : I was offered a Starfield American Cabriolet guitar the other day. It : plays fine and the hardware is of high quality. Any opinions on that : guitar or Starfield? Has somebody been playing Starfield guitars and : can comment on the long time experience/performance? : Cheers : Martin I own a Starfield Altair Custom SJ. It is a very beautiful guitar and I got a great deal on it. I have a few probs with it. The neck was made too small for that style of guitar and I have had some minor problems in that area with buzz. The trem on mine bites but some have wilkinson trems which are very smooth. I like the tone and the playability. The control setup is good too. By the way the Cabriolet American is the best guitar that they made so you shouldn't have any problems. Ibanez sorta absorbed the company and usted most of the design ideas on the talmans that are out now. I hate those... BUY IT..(if it is less than five hundred bucks) -- Searching for the world through a hole in my eye... cardBoArDbob Article: 41214 Path: nntpd.lkg.dec.com!crl.dec.com!crl.dec.com!bloom-beacon.mit.edu!spool.mu.edu!howland.reston.ans.net!swrinde!pipex!uunet!psinntp!uprc.com!europium!z036215 From: [email protected] (Franks Jr S. A. (Stacy)) Newsgroups: alt.guitar Subject: Re: Starfield Guitars Date: 12 Dec 1994 14:45:52 GMT Organization: Union Pacific Resources Corporation Lines: 24 Distribution: world Message-ID: <[email protected]> References: <[email protected]> Reply-To: [email protected] NNTP-Posting-Host: europium.uprc.com In article [email protected], [email protected] (M. Diewald) writes: > Hi there, > > I was offered a Starfield American Cabriolet guitar the other day. It > plays fine and the hardware is of high quality. Any opinions on that > guitar or Starfield? Has somebody been playing Starfield guitars and > can comment on the long time experience/performance? > > Cheers > Martin > They're nice guitars, but Starfield has gone out of business. They were built and distributed in the U.S. by Hoshino, they same (Japanese) company that builds Ibanez guitars. Part of the line was built in the U.S., and part in Japan. The American Cabriolet was one of the American made models. I believe this instrument originally listed for well over $1000, so if you could pick it up for a decent price it would probably be a good deal. They are well made, nice playing, good sounding guitars - especially the American made models. They just couldn't find their niche in an already overcrowded marketplace. s.f. - f/w

Article: 40714
Path: nntpd.lkg.dec.com!crl.dec.com!pa.dec.com!decwrl!hookup!olivea!spool.mu.edu!howland.reston.ans.net!pipex!uunet!zib-berlin.de!news.th-darmstadt.de!fauern!btr0x1.hrz.uni-bayreuth.de!btr0x1.hrz.uni-bayreuth.de!not-for-mail
From: [email protected] (M. Diewald)
Newsgroups: alt.guitar
Subject: Starfield Guitars
Date: 6 Dec 1994 13:32:48 +0100
Organization: Universitaet Bayreuth
Lines: 10
Message-ID: <[email protected]>
NNTP-Posting-Host: btr0x1.hrz.uni-bayreuth.de
X-Newsreader: NN version 6.5.0 #9

Hi there,

I was offered a Starfield American Cabriolet guitar the other day. It 
plays fine and the hardware is of high quality. Any opinions on that
guitar or Starfield? Has somebody been playing Starfield guitars and
can comment on the long time experience/performance?

Cheers
	   Martin

Article: 41077
Path: nntpd.lkg.dec.com!jac.zko.dec.com!crl.dec.com!crl.dec.com!bloom-beacon.mit.edu!usc!howland.reston.ans.net!swrinde!pipex!uunet!news.sprintlink.net!news.primenet.com!slip171.lax.primenet.com!user
From: [email protected] (Scott Jennings)
Newsgroups: alt.guitar
Subject: Re: Starfield Guitars
Date: Fri, 09 Dec 1994 23:35:47 -0800
Organization: Route 66 Guitars, U.S.A.
Lines: 22
Message-ID: <[email protected]>
References: <[email protected]>
NNTP-Posting-Host: slip171.lax.primenet.com

In article <[email protected]>,
[email protected] (M. Diewald) wrote:

> Hi there,
> 
> I was offered a Starfield American Cabriolet guitar the other day. It 
> plays fine and the hardware is of high quality. Any opinions on that
> guitar or Starfield? Has somebody been playing Starfield guitars and
> can comment on the long time experience/performance?
> 
> Cheers
>            Martin

They are a division of Ibanez. Some are made in the U.S., but most are not.

Scott

-- 
Route 66 Guitars * 21 North Altadena Drive * Pasadena, CA  * 91107 * USA
tel: (213) GUI TARS (484 8277) * fax: (818) 683 8693
Postal, email & fax stocklists available...Right & Left Handed Stringed Instruments

Article: 41093
Path: nntpd.lkg.dec.com!pa.dec.com!decwrl!hookup!caen!math.ohio-state.edu!howland.reston.ans.net!torn!news.ccs.queensu.ca!qlink!3sds4
From: [email protected] (Sitcoff Steven D)
Newsgroups: alt.guitar
Subject: Re: Starfield Guitars
Date: 10 Dec 1994 17:59:18 GMT
Organization: Queen's University, Kingston
Lines: 15
Message-ID: <[email protected]>
References: <[email protected]> <[email protected]>
NNTP-Posting-Host: qlink.queensu.ca
X-Newsreader: TIN [version 1.2 PL2]

Scott Jennings ([email protected]) wrote:
: In article <[email protected]>,
: [email protected] (M. Diewald) wrote:

: > Hi there,
: > 
: > I was offered a Starfield American Cabriolet guitar the other day. It 
: > plays fine and the hardware is of high quality. Any opinions on that

: They are a division of Ibanez. Some are made in the U.S., but most are not.

Does anyone know of any US outlets that still stock them. I regret not 
buying one when I tried it last summer, before the line was pulled.

Article: 41141
Path: nntpd.lkg.dec.com!crl.dec.com!crl.dec.com!bloom-beacon.mit.edu!spool.mu.edu!howland.reston.ans.net!news2.near.net!noc.near.net!bigboote.WPI.EDU!wpi.WPI.EDU!trucks
From: [email protected] (Matthew Cross)
Newsgroups: alt.guitar
Subject: Re: Starfield Guitars
Date: 11 Dec 1994 18:22:56 GMT
Organization: Worcester Polytechnic Institute
Lines: 28
Message-ID: <[email protected]>
References: <[email protected]>
NNTP-Posting-Host: wpi.wpi.edu
X-Newsreader: TIN [version 1.2 PL2]

M. Diewald ([email protected]) wrote:
: Hi there,

: I was offered a Starfield American Cabriolet guitar the other day. It 
: plays fine and the hardware is of high quality. Any opinions on that
: guitar or Starfield? Has somebody been playing Starfield guitars and
: can comment on the long time experience/performance?

: Cheers
: 	   Martin

I own a Starfield Altair Custom SJ. 
It is a very beautiful guitar and I got a great deal on it.
I have a few probs with it.  The neck was made too small for that
style of guitar and I have had some minor problems in that area with 
buzz.  The trem on mine bites but some have wilkinson trems which are
very smooth.  I like the tone and the playability.  The control setup
is good too.  By the way the Cabriolet American is the best guitar
that they made so you shouldn't have any problems.  Ibanez sorta
absorbed the company and usted most of the design ideas on the
talmans that are out now.  I hate those...
BUY IT..(if it is less than five hundred bucks)
--
Searching for the world through a hole in my eye...

     cardBoArDbob

Article: 41214
Path: nntpd.lkg.dec.com!crl.dec.com!crl.dec.com!bloom-beacon.mit.edu!spool.mu.edu!howland.reston.ans.net!swrinde!pipex!uunet!psinntp!uprc.com!europium!z036215
From: [email protected] (Franks Jr S. A. (Stacy))
Newsgroups: alt.guitar
Subject: Re: Starfield Guitars
Date: 12 Dec 1994 14:45:52 GMT
Organization: Union Pacific Resources Corporation
Lines: 24
Distribution: world
Message-ID: <[email protected]>
References: <[email protected]>
Reply-To: [email protected]
NNTP-Posting-Host: europium.uprc.com

In article [email protected], [email protected] (M. Diewald) writes:
> Hi there,
> 
> I was offered a Starfield American Cabriolet guitar the other day. It 
> plays fine and the hardware is of high quality. Any opinions on that
> guitar or Starfield? Has somebody been playing Starfield guitars and
> can comment on the long time experience/performance?
> 
> Cheers
> 	   Martin
> 

  They're nice guitars, but Starfield has gone out of business. They were built and
  distributed in the U.S. by Hoshino, they same (Japanese) company that builds Ibanez
  guitars. Part of the line was built in the U.S., and part in Japan. The American
  Cabriolet was one of the American made models. I believe this instrument originally
  listed for well over $1000, so if you could pick it up for a decent price it would
  probably be a good deal. They are well made, nice playing, good sounding guitars -
  especially the American made models. They just couldn't find their niche in an
  already overcrowded marketplace. 

                                     s.f. - f/w