Guild Starfire IV Bass

4.5 (5)

1 Review

Find out who is using Guild Starfire IV

4 wishlisted

8 saved

Page last updated Apr 01, 2026

Pricing and availability

Store

Reviews

Price

^* Product prices and availability are updated by Equipboard every 24hrs and are subject to change. Equipboard may receive compensation for purchases made at participating retailers linked on this site. This compensation does not affect what products or prices are displayed, or the order of prices listed. For more information, please refer to our affiliate disclosure.

Description

Edit description

The Guild Starfire IV Bass is a 30.75" short scale, with great looks and vintage vibe to spare. With a single pickup (controlled by volume + tone knobs) it's a bit limited in capacity, but its sound is unmistakably 1960s -- you can practically conjure up The Jefferson Airplane, The Turtles, or heck, even Austin Powers just by cranking it up on a small tube combo and laying in with a pick. As a semi-hollowbody, it has a typical amount of neck heaviness, and the strap button placement on the heel of the neck may not alleviate this for some players. But overall it's a light instrument so this will not bother most. Also, the floating bridge has a limited amount of adjustment for either length or height, and without more invasive surgery, it will likely be impossible to intonate for most string sets. But that tone! The sacrifice may be worth it if you seek the groovy sound of yesteryear.

Reviews

Add review

Owner Insights

We analyzed real musician discussions from forums and Reddit to find what players love, question, and tweak about Guild Starfire IV Bass.

Value and pricing

0 0

Guild Starfire guitars with a "USED" stamp are often available at a significantly lower price, around $700, from Music Go Round's Reverb site.
Source

Features and functionality

0 0

The Starfire V includes a vibrato tailpiece ("Guildsby"), block inlays, and a master volume control, distinguishing it from the Starfire IV.
Source

Setup and maintenance

0 0

Starfire guitars from refurbishing centers typically arrive with flawless fit and finish and are well-set up out of the box.
Source

User experience

0 0

Owners appreciate the Starfire's lightweight yet solid feel, with the neck pickup being favored for its beautiful tone.
Source

Comparisons

0 0

The Starfire III is compared to a Gibson ES 295 for its similar tonal qualities, particularly in the context of blues and jazz music.
Source

Add review

4.5 out of 5

Based on 1 Review and 5 Ratings

5 star

4 star

3 star

2 star

1 star

stickster

272

almost 7 years ago

Limited, but unbeatable sound

The bridge has a limited range of adjustment. Tuners can be a bit dodgy especially in temperature changing situations. But the sound is absolutely unbeatable, especially with flatwound strings -- a beautiful, round, vintage tone with fantastic range in the tone control. With a pick, you can get pretty close to an early Beatles tone.

Roles:

Singer Bassist Composer

Genres:

Electronic Pop Stage & Screen

Artist usage

Add artist

Phil Lesh

Bassist

Grateful Dead

Verified via Reverb

Phil Lesh, renowned for his work with the Grateful Dead, used an Alembic-modified Guild Starfire, famously known as "The Godfather," as his main bass for several years. While he did play a Gibson EB-3 for a time, he primarily used a 1969 Guild Starfire II before transitioning to the modified version. It's important to note that there is no Guild Starfire IV bass, as clarified in Peter Schu's Reverb article, "The Gear of The Grateful Dead."

Sean Hurley

Bassist

John Mayer Trio

Verified via Twitter

Sean Hurley showcases his Guild Starfire IV Bass in a Twitter post captioned "Bass of the day."

Jack Casady

Bassist

Jefferson Airplane

Verified via Photo

It is mentioned in this article that Casady uses Guild Starfire Basses: "His earliest recordings, including his playing on Jimi Hendrix’s “Voodoo Chile,” were on a Fender Jazz bass. But he’s better known for heavily modding his Guild Starfire basses and the experimental Alembic Number One."

Theo Ellis

Bassist

Wolf Alice

Verified via YouTube

At 0:46 of this show it's clear from the bridge and pickup that Theo is playing this bass

Chris Chaney

Bassist

AC/DC

Verified via Photo

In an Instagram post showing off his collection, the Guild Bass can be seen 2nd to the left on the rack. In the comments section, Chaney recalls how he got possession of it

I got them from a guild artist relations guy in Europe about 15 years ago. He was a guitar player so these basses sat in a closet and were in impeccable condition. They both play and sound great. The old Brazilian rosewood necks have so much swirl.

Chris Hillman

Bassist

The Byrds

Verified via Photo

Despite being a guitarist, Hillman joined The Byrds as a bassist, going to Guild and asking them to make an efficient bass guitar. Guild makes a signature bass for him. This bass would be the most associated with Hillman, recording Eight Miles High, Turn Turn Turn, Chimes of Freedom, and many more. He would retire this bass and transition into his Fender Precision in 1967.