Guild X-175 Manhattan

October 2013 Guitarist 103
GUILD STARFIRE IV & X-175 MANHATTAN £1,006 & £862
ElEctrics
they sound like mini-
humbuckers. There’s plenty of
brightness and airy top-end
zing, but it’s no eyeball-slicer;
for instance, where the Gordon-
Smith Ghostrider reviewed
elsewhere in this issue had the
capacity to make us wince, with
the same amp settings, the
Starfire IV’s bridge pickup does
a fantastic Revolver-era Beatles
impression. Sure, the lower
output of these Guild pickups
makes them a little less in-your-
face than many ’buckers, but
this, in combination with just
the right amount of smoothness
and sparkle, amounts to a
seriously versatile sonic palette.
Both instruments offer
convincingly fat blues lead
tones in their respective neck
pickup positions, but as you
might expect, it’s the Starfire
that’s built to travel further
forward through time via
Cream, Jimi and beyond into
muscular hard rock territory.
A very impressive range.
Verdict
Grappling with the X-175 feels a
little like guitarcheology, but for
a player used to more
mainstream solid and semi-
hollow electrics it’s a really
interesting left-turn and a very
rewarding experience. Indeed,
its very quirks and limitations
become a source of great
inspiration in a studio context.
The Starfire IV, meanwhile,
could have been a contender
for a Gold Award if they’d only
pinned the bridge at the factory.
As it is, it’s still a serious ES-335
alternative that’s just one mod
away from greatness, especially
when you consider the fact that
current street prices mean that
you can get two Guilds for the
price of one Gibson. Sure, it’s
made in Korea, and the siren
song of an American-built
guitar will forever drag many of
us into troubled financial
waters, but the reality is that it
would be impossible for Guild
to bring a guitar of this quality
in at this price point were it
crafted in the USA. Instead, the
company has breathed new life
into old designs that still have
much to say in a contemporary
context and are better value
than ever. Welcome back!
Guild X175
Manhattan
PRICE: £862 (w/ hard shell case)
ORIGIN: Korea
TYPE: Hollowbody single-
cutaway electric
BODY: Laminated spruce top with
laminated maple back and sides
NECK: 3-piece mahogany/
maple/mahogany
SCALE LENGTH: 24.75” (628mm)
NUT/WIDTH: Bone/42mm
FINGERBOARD: Rosewood
FRETS: 20, jumbo
HARDWARE: Compensated
rosewood bridge with floating
rosewood base, nickel-plated
‘Harp’ trapeze tailpiece, Grover Sta-
Tite die-cast tuners
STRING SPACING, BRIDGE: 53mm
ELECTRICS: 2x Guild ‘Frequency
Tested’ Single-Coil pickups,
3-way toggle pickup selector
switch, individual pickup volume
and tone controls
WEIGHT (KG/LB): 3.2/7.0
LEFT-HANDERS: No
FINISHES: Antique Burst gloss
urethane only
Fender GBI
01342 331700
www.guildguitars.com
Guild Starfire IV
PRICE: £1,006 (w/ hard shell case)
ORIGIN: Korea
TYPE: Semi-hollow double-
cutaway electric
BODY: Laminated mahogany with
spruce centre-block
NECK: 3-piece mahogany/
maple/mahogany
SCALE LENGTH: 24.75” (628mm)
NUT/WIDTH: Bone/42mm
FINGERBOARD: Rosewood
FRETS: 22, jumbo
HARDWARE: Nickel-plated
adjust-o-matic bridge with floating
rosewood base, nickel-plated ‘Harp’
trapeze tailpiece, Grover Sta-Tite die-
cast tuners
STRING SPACING, BRIDGE: 52mm
ELECTRICS: 2x Guild ‘Anti-Hum’
Dual Coil humbucking pickups,
3-way toggle pickup selector
switch, individual pickup volume
and tone controls
WEIGHT (KG/LB): 3.8/8.4
LEFT-HANDERS: No
FINISHES: Cherry Red gloss
urethane only
GUITARIST RATING
Build quality
Playability
Sound
Value for money
Guitarist says: Purists and
musical tourists alike can find
inspiration in limitations. Less is
definitely more!
GUITARIST RATING
Build quality
Playability
Sound
Value for money
Guitarist says: A grand to
spend? Put this straight at the
top of your double-cut semi
shopping list
Both guitars use Guild’s ‘raised section’ headstock design, first seen in 1956
GIT373.rev_guild.indd 103 9/5/13 11:47 AM