Guild Starfire I Jet 90 - Satin Gold Review

Quite possibly the perfect guitar

As a player of mostly PRS guitars, I wanted a large, semi hollow that would also have a lot of tone options. Tried a couple of Gretsch models but nothing really grabbed me. Took a chance on the Guild and it checked all the boxes. The Franz p90s are spectacular. But where this guitar really shines is the pickup selector. So many options. The 2nd position (bridge and middle) offers… read more a beautiful strat-like quack while the neck pickup alone screams blues. I have my amp setup to the edge of breakup. The pickup selector along with the volume know gives me everything from pure cleans to raunchy dirt, especially on the bridge. The Bigsby trem is amazing. Stays in tune when adding a little vibrato (this is not a deep dive trem) and the vibrato along with a nice analog delay creates a huge soundscape that fills the mix. Comfort is key with this guitar. Sits perfectly on a strap with zero neck dive. As well, the neck is comfortable and familiar. The only thing I might do is swap the bridge pup for a Virtual p90, simply to add a little more grit plus to get rid of noise (which isn't terrible stock btw) This is a guitar that is suited for anyone, pro or novice. I've played it live about a dozen times and it's always been a pleasure. As well, it's one of those guitars that evolves with the player. I get more and more feel every time I use it. Great mid-priced instrument.

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Terrific guitar!

I first heard of the Jet 90 in September 2020, when a thread was posted about it on the Telecaster Discussion Page. I found the gold option very tempting...I love P-90s, I'm crazy about the tonal options with 3 pickups, and when I found out it came stock with a neck + bridge option, I was sold. However, various pandemic-related circumstances meant I couldn't get it then. Flash forward… read more 10 months, things have improved, and I couldn't get the gold Jet 90 out of my mind. RJ Ronquillo's demo video certainly didn't help! I decided it would be a perfect belated birthday gift and called Jared at Sweetwater. The quality of the Jet 90 is outstanding. Fit and finish are perfect, it plays like a dream. I read reviews that said the neck is skinny and the vibrato spring is flimsy. That's not what I found. The neck has a nice 'U' shape that is very comfortable. And the spring feels perfectly sturdy to me. Of course, you're used to dive-bombing, it's not made for that! The Franz P-90s sound incredible. They can growl or chime with the best of them. I wish I'd had the Jet 90 and it's THREE noise-cancelling options back in the day. I was gigging with a P-90 equipped Les Paul and I would have to bring a LP with humbuckers just in case the wiring in the club was dodgy, which would cause the P-90s to hum so loud the guitar was unusable. Just as important, this guitar is a looker! Absolutely gorgeous. Definitely worth the wait. My first Guild, not to mention my first Bigsby-equipped guitar! I'd be remiss if I didn't give a shout-out to Sweetwater. Jared put a D'Addario Humidipak free of charge in the Gator case I ordered to maintain the proper humidity while shipping. And the strings were properly detuned when it arrived at my house. The packing was outstanding and the Jet 90 got home safe and sound. I've bought my last three guitars from Sweetwater, and unless some other vendor had an exclusive that I just had to have, I can't imagine a reason why I'd shop anywhere. But excuse me...I need to get back to playing my Jet 90!

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Made To Be Played

I've had my eye on owning one of these since November when I saw they were coming out. I called Brad Jahn, my sales tech, and ordered the satin gold and a case in the middle of December. For the 3 months I waited, if I needed a fix, I just would go online and watch RJ Ronquillo put it through its paces. After receiving it in March, I'm happy to say it's every bit the instrument… read more I thought I was getting. The Sweetwater setup was wonderful out of the box. After plugging it in, it was noticeable immediately that my Marshall didn't have to be turned up much to get the growl from the P 90's. It's a great rock and roll guitar and you can also dial in a variety of tones with 6 different pickup selections. It has a cool retro kind of look and as Guild says, "Made To Be Played". A very enjoyable, playable guitar at a great price. And the Gretsch strap was made for it! You can find it here, too!

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Man this guitar is sweet

What a value this guitar has it all. First gorgeous vintage look very classy. P90s are ridiculous how great the sound. The 6way rotary switch tones for ever. Devon Cunningham always a class act at Sweetwater If you don't get this guitar you're missing out

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Five-Starfire Jet 90

There's just no downside to this guitar. The Guild Starfire Jet 90 delivers way beyond its price point. The three P90 pickups and the 6-way switch, when considering features, already set this guitar apart from other semi-hollows. I was able to dial in many preferred settings with ease. The satin finishes are all wonderfully understated--I was partial to the gold top. The satin finished… read more neck is a big bonus and just feels right of the bat. The Jet 90 is simply a beautiful guitar. Love the design of the headstock.

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