A HOLLOW-BODY ELECTRIC GUITAR, STARFIRE II "EMERALD"

Mark Knopfler purchased this guitar from Rumble Seat Music in Ithaca, New York, in April 2005. On first arrival, every guitar would spend time in Mark’s hands so he could get an idea of the sound and where a particular guitar might fit in a particular song. Both this Starfire II and the Starfire III (the following lot) were present during February 2014 recording sessions at British Grove Studios for Knopfler’s 2015 solo studio album Tracker, as seen in a shot by keyboardist and album co-producer Guy Fletcher for his online studio diaries, which shows Mark surrounded by a cluster of similar archtop guitars. Although likely tested for a particular use during the recording process, it is not known whether either model made it on to the final record.

GUILD GUITARS
Founded in New York City in 1952, Guild Guitars Incorporated originally focused on the manufacture of electric and arch-top jazz guitars. By 1956 production had been moved out of Manhattan across the Hudson River to Hoboken, New Jersey. The swift growth of folk music in American popular culture forced an alteration in Guild’s production with an emphasis on flat-top acoustic guitars. Guild was highly successful in making this production shift and managed to excel in a market that was deeply competitive and demanded high quality standards in its product. Guild instruments were recognised then, as they are now, for being well-made utilitarian instruments for the professional player. Guild continued with the production of archtop electrics with a number of successful models. The single cutaway, two-inch-deep body Starfire line is among them. Launched in 1960, the Starfire II would remain in production until 1976. In 1993, the model would be re-introduced and produced until 2003. A twin to the Starfire II was the Starfire III, differing only in being fitted with a Bigsby tailpiece.