Which electric should I buy?

[Eucatastrophe]

Which guitar should I get?
Guild Starfire 2 Newark St
Epiphone ES-335 Inspired by Gibson
Eastman T386

For 20+ years I've lead music for gathered worship from an acoustic guitar. Over those years, I've probably played electrics for less than 10 hours total!?! I've always wanted to play an electric for my own enjoyment and my recent purchase of the Pod Go pushed me over the edge.

After playing a few styles and brands I definitely prefer the semi hollow body style and tone. I have played both the Epiphone and the Eastman and like different things about each. But I haven't played the Guild. I really dig the body shape of the Guild and its history. Online clips seem to showcase the Starfire's ability to reproduce 50 and 60's rock and hint at its versatility.

Most Sunday's since the pandemic, I lead solo from guitar with occasional vocalists too. I don't see that changing anytime soon. But I'd love to move towards leading from the electric and not only my acoustic.

For reference, my musical style is 50% strumming and 50% fingerstyle. In addition to leading music in gathered worship, I'm really looking forward to using the electric in my pursuit of Celtic fingerstyle and DADGAD, alt tunings.

What do you think folks? Tell me which one I should get haha 🙂

[29er]

I owned the new version of the Epiphone ES-335 for a few months and it's a very nice instrument. I sold it because I decided I want a fully hollow electric. If you play a lot of finger style you may favor the Eastman due to it's wider nut width (1.75") Most electric guitars have a more narrow nut than that.

I haven't tried any of the newer Guild semi hollow guitars but they seemed to be very well made.

[Steve DeRosa]

Originally Posted by Eucatastrophe

Which guitar should I get?

• Guild Starfire 2 Newark St.
• Epiphone ES-335 Inspired by Gibson
• Eastman T386

After playing a few styles and brands I definitely prefer the semi-hollowbody style and tone. I have played both the Epiphone and the Eastman and like different things about each. But I haven't played the Guild. I really dig the body shape of the Guild and its history. Online clips seem to showcase the Starfire's ability to reproduce 50 and 60's rock and hint at its versatility...

For reference, my musical style is 50% strumming and 50% fingerstyle. In addition to leading music in gathered worship, I'm really looking forward to using the electric in my pursuit of Celtic fingerstyle and DADGAD, alt tunings...

Given your preferred musical styles the Guild Starfire II ST would be my first choice from your list; IME what you're looking for is near-acoustic clarity with a large helping of body resonance, and the LB-1 mini-buckers would be better-suited to your style than the thicker-sounding full-size humbuckers of the Eastman and Epiphone. Don't know if you're aware, but the Starfire II is also available with Dynasonic single-coils; these were featured on some of the iconic Gretsch and Guild hollowbodies of the 1950's, and are renowned for their crispness and "cutting power" - the ability to be heard in an ensemble setting without raising the amp's volume - which leads me to:

If you haven't yet done so, I'd strongly recommend adding the Korean-made (avoid the Indonesian and Chinese stuff - doesn't measure up in either QC or tone IME) Gretsch Electromatic 5400/5600-Series hollows and semis, and the Godin CW II - both of which fall within your price range - to your short list. As a Gretsch player since 1964 who's handled several hundred (no exaggeration) Brooklyn originals, the MIK E-matics are some of the finest instruments ever to bear the Gretsch name - fully-professional, gigworthy guitars that just happen to sell for intermediate/step-up prices - they're equipped with honest-to-Chet Baldwin-style Filter'trons (or the 5600-specific Super Hi-Lo'tron, based on a modified Baldwin FT), and if you've ever hankered for one of those classic Gretsch designs (White Falcon, Country Gent, 6120/Nashville, Country Club, Anniversary, "Nesmith" 12-string) they're all represented here..

In contrast, the Godin CW II is a deep-body single-cut 16" jazzbox with twin P-90 pickups, in the mold of the early-50's Gibson ES-175/Epiphone Zephyr Regent but, thanks to its lightweight construction, with an airier/more-acoustic tone than the typical "thud-&-mud" of its postwar-era predecessors (and somewhat reminiscent of the similarly lightly-constructed vintage Gretsch electrics in this respect). Since you're coming over from acoustic, you may in fact find this a better match than the thin-bodied instruments above: if you've ever owned/played one of the Seagull mini-jumbos you'll find the handling characteristics - neck width/thickness/string spacing, weight on the strap (mine scales in at just a tick over five pounds) - virtually identical, they're made to the same level of fit/finish (also fully-professional instruments at a Working Joe/Jane's price - Tony Bennett's guitarist used one on the road for a number of years), and if you're looking for that Sun Records sound these were the kind of guitars that the first wave of rockabilly cats (and their Bop-era jazzer counterparts) used to lay down those classic tracks. You'll want to set it up more like an acoustic though, especially if you're going to be using DADGAD or other dropped tunings: wound-G 12's - 13's if you can handle them - and flatwounds if you need the lowest possible action...

Here's some demos that'll let you sample the instruments mentioned above - please note that the two-pickup MIK Gretsch 5622 is currently available only as new-old-stock in '65 Chevy Impala lookalike Georgia Green (Guitar Center and Musicians' Friend seem to have bought up the last of them), and the CW II only in a late-60's Gibson-style teaburst Godin calls Cognac Burst (I own a 2012 blonde). FYI Gretsch also made a triple-pickup 5622 with cats'-eye soundholes for a short period - I've been using one exclusively as my gigging guitar for the last five years (mine's finished in Rosa Red), and if you can score a good used example for under $1K grab it - they're beginning to generate some serious collector interest (FWIW Gretsch made a half-hearted attempt at a reissue as part of their bargain-basement Streamliner Series, that isn't even worth mentioning in the same context ), and you're not likely to find a more versatile guitar for anywhere near the price:







Good luck...

[perttime]

Gretch was mentioned. They also have the 50 and 60's rock heritage and styling and in many cases sounds. If you have the chance, try some for yourself.

[Eucatastrophe]

Originally Posted by 29er

I owned the new version of the Epiphone ES-335 for a few months and it's a very nice instrument. I sold it because I decided I want a fully hollow electric. If you play a lot of finger style you may favor the Eastman due to it's wider nut width (1.75") Most electric guitars have a more narrow nut than that.



I haven't tried any of the newer Guild semi hollow guitars but they seemed to be very well made.

That’s a great point about the Eastman. I remembered liking the neck but didn’t realize it was 1.75! Thanks!

[Eucatastrophe]

Originally Posted by Steve DeRosa

Given your preferred musical styles the Guild Starfire II ST would be my first choice from your list; IME what you're looking for is near-acoustic clarity with a large helping of body resonance, and the LB-1 mini-buckers would be better-suited to your style than the thicker-sounding full-size humbuckers of the Eastman and Epiphone. Don't know if you're aware, but the Starfire II is also available with Dynasonic single-coils; these were featured on some of the iconic Gretsch and Guild hollowbodies of the 1950's, and are renowned for their crispness and "cutting power" - the ability to be heard in an ensemble setting without raising the amp's volume - which leads me to:

If you haven't yet done so, I'd strongly recommend adding the Korean-made (avoid the Indonesian and Chinese stuff - doesn't measure up in either QC or tone IME) Gretsch Electromatic 5400/5600-Series hollows and semis, and the Godin CW II - both of which fall within your price range - to your short list. As a Gretsch player since 1964 who's handled several hundred (no exaggeration) Brooklyn originals, the MIK E-matics are some of the finest instruments ever to bear the Gretsch name - fully-professional, gigworthy guitars that just happen to sell for intermediate/step-up prices - they're equipped with honest-to-Chet Baldwin-style Filter'trons (or the 5600-specific Super Hi-Lo'tron, based on a modified Baldwin FT), and if you've ever hankered for one of those classic Gretsch designs (White Falcon, Country Gent, 6120/Nashville, Country Club, Anniversary, "Nesmith" 12-string) they're all represented here..

In contrast, the Godin CW II is a deep-body single-cut 16" jazzbox with twin P-90 pickups, in the mold of the early-50's Gibson ES-175/Epiphone Zephyr Regent but, thanks to its lightweight construction, with an airier/more-acoustic tone than the typical "thud-&-mud" of its postwar-era predecessors (and somewhat reminiscent of the similarly lightly-constructed vintage Gretsch electrics in this respect). Since you're coming over from acoustic, you may in fact find this a better match than the thin-bodied instruments above: if you've ever owned/played one of the Seagull mini-jumbos you'll find the handling characteristics - neck width/thickness/string spacing, weight on the strap (mine scales in at just a tick over five pounds) - virtually identical, they're made to the same level of fit/finish (also fully-professional instruments at a Working Joe/Jane's price - Tony Bennett's guitarist used one on the road for a number of years), and if you're looking for that Sun Records sound these were the kind of guitars that the first wave of rockabilly cats (and their Bop-era jazzer counterparts) used to lay down those classic tracks. You'll want to set it up more like an acoustic though, especially if you're going to be using DADGAD or other dropped tunings: wound-G 12's - 13's if you can handle them - and flatwounds if you need the lowest possible action...

Here's some demos that'll let you sample the instruments mentioned above - please note that the two-pickup MIK Gretsch 5622 is currently available only as new-old-stock in '65 Chevy Impala lookalike Georgia Green (Guitar Center and Musicians' Friend seem to have bought up the last of them), and the CW II only in a late-60's Gibson-style teaburst Godin calls Cognac Burst (I own a 2012 blonde). FYI Gretsch also made a triple-pickup 5622 with cats'-eye soundholes for a short period - I've been using one exclusively as my gigging guitar for the last five years (mine's finished in Rosa Red), and if you can score a good used example for under $1K grab it - they're beginning to generate some serious collector interest (FWIW Gretsch made a half-hearted attempt at a reissue as part of their bargain-basement Streamliner Series, that isn't even worth mentioning in the same context ), and you're not likely to find a more versatile guitar for anywhere near the price:







Good luck...

Super great advice! I’ll definitely check these out. I’m definitely hankering for a more semi hollow sound than a full hollow. The new Guild Starfire 2 is technically a semi since it has a solid block under the tail. But it was originally listed as hollow. Seems it sits in between tonally. Thanks for helping me!!

[Eucatastrophe]

Originally Posted by perttime

Gretch was mentioned. They also have the 50 and 60's rock heritage and styling and in many cases sounds. If you have the chance, try some for yourself.

Thanks for helping me figure this out!

[Rudy4]

Originally Posted by Eucatastrophe

Which guitar should I get?
Guild Starfire 2 Newark St
Epiphone ES-335 Inspired by Gibson
Eastman T386

For 20+ years I've lead music for gathered worship from an acoustic guitar. Over those years, I've probably played electrics for less than 10 hours total!?! I've always wanted to play an electric for my own enjoyment and my recent purchase of the Pod Go pushed me over the edge.

After playing a few styles and brands I definitely prefer the semi hollow body style and tone. I have played both the Epiphone and the Eastman and like different things about each. But I haven't played the Guild. I really dig the body shape of the Guild and its history. Online clips seem to showcase the Starfire's ability to reproduce 50 and 60's rock and hint at its versatility.

Most Sunday's since the pandemic, I lead solo from guitar with occasional vocalists too. I don't see that changing anytime soon. But I'd love to move towards leading from the electric and not only my acoustic.

For reference, my musical style is 50% strumming and 50% fingerstyle. In addition to leading music in gathered worship, I'm really looking forward to using the electric in my pursuit of Celtic fingerstyle and DADGAD, alt tunings.

What do you think folks? Tell me which one I should get haha ��

Since you're posting on the "Acoustic Guitar Forum" you might think about getting a guitar that at least has an acoustic simulation built in...

One of the Fender Acoustasonics would do it. My favorite one would be the Jazzmaster version.

[BoneDigger]

Of the ones you mentioned, I would certainly go with the Guild if it were me. The Gretsch G5622t semi-hollow Electromatic is also a very nice guitar and worth a look. Of those two, I might place the Gretsch SLIGHTLY higher on my list, but not by much. I just happen to be a big fan of Gretsch electrics.

[mr. beaumont]

Of the 3 you picked, the Guild is the one I'd play if I had the choice. The other two are fine guitars, but they are copies of something else, whereas the Starfire is it's own thing, and it's a very cool thing at that.

[Steve DeRosa]

Originally Posted by mr. beaumont

Of the 3 you picked, the Guild is the one I'd play if I had the choice. The other two are fine guitars, but they are copies of something else, whereas the Starfire is it's own thing, and it's a very cool thing at that.

Beg to differ with ya here, Jeff - as a fellow Godin owner I think you'll be the first one to agree that your Kingpin, although a variation on the first-generation non-cut/single-PU theme adopted by many postwar makers, differs as significantly in both construction and tone from an ES-125 as my own CW II does from a P-90 175D (BTW I like ours better... ); by the same token, while the modern Starfire II's indeed have their own tonal thing going (although the Dynasonic definitely shares some mid-50's Gretsch DNA ), it's also clear that their thinline Florentine-cut design was originally conceived as a rival to the Gibson ES-225D/125DC in their mutual heyday. Maybe it's my personal bias as a lifelong Gretsch owner, but while the 2-PU 5600-Series E-Matics are variations on the semi-hollow theme popularized by Gibson (even more so since the new Chinese 5600's have gone to full-size humbuckers ), the only thing any 5400-Series E-matic copies is another Gretsch - in fact, the sole true original of the bunch is arguably the 3-PU 5622, and apparently enough so that Gibson was moved to try their hand at a similar (and far more expensive at $5K+) offering right around the time the Gretsch was discontinued:

[Eucatastrophe]

UPDATE
I bought the Guild Starfire II. Found one on Reverb close enough for a local pick up. It’s absolutely gorgeous and sounds fantastic.

The finish, fretwork, tuners and volume/tone knobs of the Starfire II (Korea) are all a step up from the Starfire I (Indonesia) line.

The LB1s definitely have a sound all their own. I definitely dig em but not necessarily more or less than say the Eastman Kent Armstrong. Both seem to really work with my style. Plays super easy and I’m so impressed by the wide range of tones I can get out of it. But time will tell if these acoustic hands can get used to the 9.5” neck radius. If I can’t, then I may resell or trade towards the Eastman T386.

Thanks for the encouragement and advice folks. I’ll try to post some pics later today.

[Steve DeRosa]

FYI the 9-1/2" neck radius is not as bad as you might think - IME you'll hardly even notice, especially since your stated intended usage is chord-based and you probably won't be doing a lot of bends; don't know if your worship team uses/requires a silent platform, but as the purchaser (my wife is the proud and happy owner ) of a Newark St. Starfire IV 12-string you'll want to think in terms of a real-world amplifier to bring out the best from those LB-1 pickups, even if only for home practice - something with sufficient clean power/headroom (either tube or analog SS) to provide adequate dynamic range when used alone, and serve as a platform for your Pod Go...

Use it well, often, and LOUD...

[Eucatastrophe]

Originally Posted by Steve DeRosa

FYI the 9-1/2" neck radius is not as bad as you might think - IME you'll hardly even notice, especially since your stated intended usage is chord-based and you probably won't be doing a lot of bends; don't know if your worship team uses/requires a silent platform, but as the purchaser (my wife is the proud and happy owner ) of a Newark St. Starfire IV 12-string you'll want to think in terms of a real-world amplifier to bring out the best from those LB-1 pickups, even if only for home practice - something with sufficient clean power/headroom (either tube or analog SS) to provide adequate dynamic range when used alone, and serve as a platform for your Pod Go...



Use it well, often, and LOUD...

That’s wonderful your wife ilhas the Starfire 4 12 string...that must sound heavenly!!

I really appreciate all the input you’ve given in this thread. It’s been encouraging and a big help. I’m gonna give this Guild sometime for sure. I’ve been playing through my Pod Go with head phones and/or out an Ampeg BA115 bass amp. Sounds fantastic with the cleans and roars with the overdrives

We don’t require a silent platform but have the option for in ears. Since Covid I’ve lead nearly every week with my McIlroy without any monitors at all. But as we move forward I’ll be using in ears. I’ve only just begone the search for a well paired practice and stage/monitor amp.

I’ll try to post some videos and sound bites soon

Thanks!!

[Steve DeRosa]

Originally Posted by Eucatastrophe

That’s wonderful your wife has the Starfire 4 12 string...that must sound heavenly!!

...I’ve been playing through my Pod Go with head phones and/or out an Ampeg BA115 bass amp. Sounds fantastic with the cleans and roars with the overdrives ...

It does - bought it for her as a present for Christmas 2019 (she plays 12-string almost exclusively), used it on a gig for the first and last time in February 2020 before Corona (both the beverage and the virus ) drove our band down the tubes. Gets a nice quasi-acoustic tone from both pickups through my Fender Frontman 212R with a mono chorus pedal and a bit of 'verb; sounds like a fat Ricky 360 through the bridge pickup and a Vox MV50 AC Nutube micro-head, and looks kinda like John Lennon's one-off '66 Starfire XII from the Hard Rock Cafe - in fact we were set to do a Beatles tribute with several other bands when the lockdown hit two days before the show, and this was going to be our secret weapon...

FYI I'm an old Ampeg guy myself - rented a bunch of Gemini I/II combos for gigs back in the day (sorry I never bought one of my own ), still own the top-panel/no-verb Rocket I bought brand-new in May 1964 (still with the original tubes BTW, which the late Ampeg guru Dennis Kager - who said that mine was one of the very first amps he worked on when he started at the Linden plant in Spring '64 - told me show no signs of quitting) as well as an early-2K's Portabass 250 1x12" combo that serves as my go-to bass amp - and with 150 clean watts on tap you've got plenty of headroom and a solid platform for your Pod; only thing is that a piezo tweeter tends to make things metallic and harsh on the high end (above ~8kHz, AKA the "nails-on-a-blackboard" range ) so you might want to experiment a bit - try using the HF Cut to mute the tweeter, and kicking in the Ultra-Hi to restore/sweeten the upper-mids and highs that give the LB-1 pickups their character...