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1967 guild starfire I

T

TheOldFlatwound

Supporting Member
Jan 26, 2005
946
355
Nashville, TN
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Endorsing Artist: D'Addario
#1
I just picked up a 67 Guild Starfire I--very cool bass. I have a Starfire II reissue that I really like and have used a lot, but my obsession with old stuff led me to trying an old one.....
So, wow, is that Hagstrom PU loud!!! I was expecting an almost p bass- like high end from it, but it doesn't quite have that. It does, however, have a HUGE sound with more focus than, say, a gibson or fender telebass PU from that era. It doesn't quite have the growl I expected either---i guess it's more "punchy" than "growly"--the dead LaBella flats I have on it could also have something to do with that.
So I'm going to play this bass a bunch and then make a call: keep the old one, or keep the new one and install 2 DarkStars....

-Has anyone been down this road (reissues/ reissues with darkstars)??
-Any old Starfire fans out there??
thanks--tim
 
#2
I gotta get one of these, played a '67 in Guitar Center last year, didn't even plug it in but the tone and feel blew my mind.

$600, don't know why I didn't get it.
 
#10
corinpills said:
Starfires have been my bass of choice for about 10 years. I'd much rather play one than any other bass available.
Click to expand...

what starfires do you play?? how much high end do those Hagstroms have on your basses?? This one I just got easily has more low end than anything else I have around....
 
#11
I have a '67 as well. When I was touring more, I had another late 60's one as a backup, but I sold that one. I'm all about low end, I don't play them looking for sparkling highs, you know? I like bottom.

The only bitch about loving them so much is that when the wooden bridfe saddles crack, it's quite a tweak to get a replacement. You essentially have to get someone to carve one out of rosewood or mahogony. i do feel it's worth it, though. You can't beat a set of Labella flats on wooden bridge saddles.
 
#13
timmarks said:
yeah--very cool---
I have had my reissue starfire II for a while---with the pickups being different, they're kind of different animals. I wonder what 2 darkstars in the reissue would do??
Click to expand...


Put the Dark Stars in - I had a reissue stock, sold it; now have a reissue with Dark Stars - there is no contest. Also had a 67 Starfire 1 which I sold last week . Great sounding bass with just the right amount of mojo - too close to my DS'd reissue in sound to keep both, so I opted for the newer bass - but it was a tossup.
 
#14
Yggdrasil said:
Put the Dark Stars in - I had a reissue stock, sold it; now have a reissue with Dark Stars - there is no contest. Also had a 67 Starfire 1 which I sold last week . Great sounding bass with just the right amount of mojo - too close to my DS'd reissue in sound to keep both, so I opted for the newer bass - but it was a tossup.
Click to expand...

thanks--that really helps--i guess you felt the same as me about it. it can easily go either way.....
so far i dig the old one, but the reissue always came thru for me...
 

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