I worked with so many artists back then as
Rock and Blues started to come into vogue;
Eric Clapton, Buddy Guy, Muddy Waters, Richie
Havens, Bob Weir, Phil Lesh, Steve Boone, and
Zal Yanovsky of the Lovin’ Spoonful and Felix
Pappalardi. Steve Boone played our Starfire
bass, and through him, we got Zal to play the
S-200 Thunderbird. I also worked with Jack
Casady of Jefferson Airplane, Mississippi John
Hurt, Dave Van Ronk, and Santo & Johnny,
who had the hit, “Sleepwalk.”
I went to see Buddy Guy at the Newport Folk
festival and he was playing some terrible guitar.
I told him he should be playing a Starfire, so
we gave him one and he used it exclusively
and successfully for years before going back
to a Stratocaster, a guitar we never really
understood at that time.
[CG] I’m sure you’ve been asked about the
John Lennon Guild Starfire 12 string, but can
you tell us the story?
Mark: I was a Beatles fan, and John Lennon
was my favorite. In 1966 on their last tour, I
knew someone in a small NYC advertising
agency who told me about a press conference
The Beatles were having at the Warwick Hotel
in Manhattan. You have to understand that
there was no security in those days. I walked
right in and handed the guitar to John, my
idol. That now famous photo was taken right
at that moment. You can see a bit of a scowl
on George Harrison’s face. I guess he thought
Mark Dronge holding the
first Guild guitar ever made.
he should have been given the guitar. That
Starfire 12 is hanging in the Hard Rock Café
in Honolulu.
Hawaii. Were you personally involved with any
He put the Merle Travis model headstock on it,
of the guitars designed by Guild?
as well as that idiotic folding stand in the back
that was so unstable. Those guitars used to fall
[CG] I know all about it. I worked for Guild from
1979 to ’81 doing artist relations and customer
Mark: Yes, I was involved with the flattops, and
over and break because of that thing. It was an
service, as well as the grunt work Neil Lilien
with the design of the S-200 Thunderbird, our
unfinished guitar. I never had time to develop
(then Guild vice president) didn’t want to do.
first solidbody guitar. We were late entering the
it properly. Zal Yanovsky loved it, and so did
John gave that Starfire 12 to Tony Cox, Yoko
solidbody market, because my father didn’t
Muddy Waters, but it wasn’t a big seller for us
Ono’s first husband. One day, Tony called me
understand them. Here’s what happened with
at that time.
out of the blue and asked me to send him a
that guitar: I was involved with that design, but it
letter verifying that the guitar was given to him
wasn’t finished, and then I went on a two week
[CG] Those original S-200s are now selling
by John. I wrote the letter that accompanies the
sales trip. When I came back, my father had
for four and five thousand dollars apiece on
guitar that is now on display at the Hard Rock in
put it into production without my knowledge.
the collectible market. Dan Auerbach of the