Incoming NGD. Middle-Aged Man Edition.

I got the red mahogany version of the Starfire IV earlier this year and LOVE it. I can play it unplugged on the couch, too - which is a big plus! I've since removed the pickguard. I like it better without.

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bsman said:
I got the red mahogany version of the Starfire IV earlier this year and LOVE it. I can play it unplugged on the couch, too - which is a big plus! I've since removed the pickguard. I like it better without.

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Ooooh! Tell me about the pickups...are they hot enough?

What about the neck/action? Can I grip down hard on an F# barre and then tap dance on the 17th fret?

The red Mahogany is gorgeous, btw!
 
Smoking hot. I seriously considered picking up one exactly like that about a year ago. Congratulations!
 
VoidTerraFirma said:
Ooooh! Tell me about the pickups...are they hot enough?

What about the neck/action? Can I grip down hard on an F# barre and then tap dance on the 17th fret?

The red Mahogany is gorgeous, btw!
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The pickups are not what I would call "hot", and paradoxically, the neck pickup is perhaps a bit hotter than the bridge - I find that there is not a noticeable volume shift no matter which position the selector is. I find that the middle position on the switch is the sweet spot for me -- I probably spend 75% of my time there. To me, they do not sound very PAF-like, but have a lot more treble "twang" to them that most HBs. They're actually a bit jangly. I haven't yet played around with the pickup height, but plan on doing that soon.

In terms of the neck and action - it's perfect for me. The neck is a "medium" C-shape -- not dissimilar to my 09 MIM telecaster, but a bit thinner from the fretboard to the back - and very comfortable. I have no problems getting clarity on barre chords, and it plays pretty much the same all the way up the neck. Oh - and unlike prior versions, the bridge is pinned, not floating.

Really, the only adjustment is that it is a BIG guitar -- in terms of the width and length of the body. Nice and thin from front to back, but a bit of a monster in terms of sheer size. I think it probably has almost an identical footprint as a Gibson 335.
 
I was going to get one of those beautiful green ones too, but got a deal I couldn't turn down on the red one ($350 less than I've seen anywhere else) by a dealer in Washington, which made up my mind for me! In the event, I am thoroughly enjoying the red one, and am thus not green with envy!
 
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