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Can anyone recommend strings for Guild Starfire II bass?
- Thread starter Admiral Akbar
- Start date
The current Pyramids just fit, 640 “short scale” set
Remember that the set Casady used is the same set as the Hofner set, which needs a little longer string to get over the bridge to the tailpiece. So with the added length for the tailpiece, the set of strings fits both the "short scale" Hofner and the "medium scale" Guild. Remember the Mantra: measure from the ball anchor to the tuner side of the nut, then measure from the ball anchor to the middle of the E (or B if a 5- or 6-string) tuner post, and use a string that has a wound length, or speaking length before the silk or taper, that fits between those two measurements.
They need an absolute minimum of 33.25" winding, ball to nut (about 2.5" from ball-end to G-string saddle, the least compensated, plus 30.75").
As shown by Doug, Pyramid “short-scale” (Beatlebass-length) flats clear the inner side of nut just fine. [However, you could happen into an oversilked specimen, hence the (innocuous) shaving-back hack. Some Casady-Lesh fan bassists just order "medium-scale" (=slightly longer) Pyramids directly from Germany, so that they are certain not to have to do any peelback.] Höfner-brand strings are probably the same.
Short-scale strings by other companies tend to be 32" to 32.75" in winding length, so they do not clear the nut on the Guild.
By the same token, other strings that would/should/could work on the Starfire are DR “short-scale” strings (their rounds are 33.75"; their flatwound set 33.5", reportedly), medium-scale strings by other companies (usually 34"-34.25") including Rotosound and GHS (slightly longer at 35.25" and 35.5", respectively), and Thomastik-Infeld's confusing “short-scale - 32"” (also 35.5").
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I got a nice 3-4 winds on all the strings, except only 2 on the A string. Holds just fine though, stays in tune.
Pyramid Gold flatwounds. Medium scale. Tonal nirvana.
Thanks guys!
So to tally the consensus:
pyramid gold flats medium scale — for Lesh/Casady vibe
LaBella 760FL
any rounds come to mind?
So to tally the consensus:
pyramid gold flats medium scale — for Lesh/Casady vibe
LaBella 760FL
any rounds come to mind?
the thing with hollowbody's is they have a woodiness and bottom that resonants with flats or tapewounds. i found that rounds didn't sound "right", like it worked fine but tonally it just didn't mix well with the inherent tone. if you want something brighter try a tapewound, they are nylon covered roundwounds that will have that nice bottom but will have more top end.
Thanks — I use D’Addario tapewounds on my Sadowsky fretless - and you’re right the roundwound “zing” is there.
I’m going to go by your recommendation for flats — I think your comment regarding the “wood” properties of the semi hollow Starfire and flats makes a lot of sense.
which flats do you recommend specifically?
pyramid flats are the classic. i had them on mine, and they sounded great. justin Meldal-johnson played Guild Starfire II with Beck and he used Chromes and it sounded great too.
Wish I looked here first.
I have a set of LaBella 760FS-S short scale flats coming in for my new Starfire II.
According to LaBella... Short Scale Set: Distance from Ball-End to Silk is 32 1/4″
The Starfire scale is is 30.75. Fingers crossed that they might juuuuust make it with that 1/2" difference.
I have a set of LaBella 760FS-S short scale flats coming in for my new Starfire II.
According to LaBella... Short Scale Set: Distance from Ball-End to Silk is 32 1/4″
The Starfire scale is is 30.75. Fingers crossed that they might juuuuust make it with that 1/2" difference.
Measure the distance from the saddle to where the ball end is seated. If it's more than 1/2", you might be out of luck.
It might have been mentioned already, but Medium Scale D'Addario Chromes fit perfectly on a Starfire and sound great (IME).
After eight months of daily playing and a couple of recent gigs, the TI flats on my Starfire II had lost some of their luster for me. I still like(d) the way they played and the general tone, but they'd lost their "sparkle" and reminded me more of other flats I've used (Rotos and Fender) that were past their prime. I know many like their flats in this condition and yes I've saved the TIs for possible future use or sale. For me though, a really dead flat makes me yearn for rounds again.
I never tried the rounds that came stock on my then new Starfire II, as I'd had the store where I purchased it set it up the TI flats as part of the deal. I decided to try a set of the TI jazz rounds (JR324) as I knew they'd fit perfectly and the tension is similar. The E strings have the biggest difference, .106 for the flats compared to .93 for rounds. Having used the JR344 long scale rounds before on a fretless, I had some idea of what to expect.
I've only had the JR324s on for a couple of days but for me, these rounds are a vast improvement. They're not clanky and fret noise is minimal, they have a very nice balance between the strings with good low end and mids.
They're easy to play, somewhat similar to DR Sunbeams (which I've used a lot) but better (imo) and the green silks on each end look nice. And yes, they're very expensive in the US ($82 was the best price I found).
Thinking back as best I can to when the TI flats were new like this to compare, my instinct is to say that I like these rounds better than those flats on this bass. It's early and I haven't had a chance to play it in a live setting yet but I'm liking my Starfire II more than ever with TI jazz rounds. As always, ymmv.
I never tried the rounds that came stock on my then new Starfire II, as I'd had the store where I purchased it set it up the TI flats as part of the deal. I decided to try a set of the TI jazz rounds (JR324) as I knew they'd fit perfectly and the tension is similar. The E strings have the biggest difference, .106 for the flats compared to .93 for rounds. Having used the JR344 long scale rounds before on a fretless, I had some idea of what to expect.
I've only had the JR324s on for a couple of days but for me, these rounds are a vast improvement. They're not clanky and fret noise is minimal, they have a very nice balance between the strings with good low end and mids.
They're easy to play, somewhat similar to DR Sunbeams (which I've used a lot) but better (imo) and the green silks on each end look nice. And yes, they're very expensive in the US ($82 was the best price I found).
Thinking back as best I can to when the TI flats were new like this to compare, my instinct is to say that I like these rounds better than those flats on this bass. It's early and I haven't had a chance to play it in a live setting yet but I'm liking my Starfire II more than ever with TI jazz rounds. As always, ymmv.
Hey should one order the short scale or the long scale version for the Guild Starfire?
Thanks in advance.
Thanks in advance.
Short scale for Pyramid and TI. Medium scale for most other brands. That’s for the Starfire 2. I’m not sure about the newer Starfire I but looks about the same extra tail behind the bridge.
D
The standard short scale set has worked fine for me on my Starfire II but it was VERY close (silk almost into the nut slots).
The long scale Pyramid Gold sets are heavier gauge. Personally I don't like them at all. The long scale sets are very unbalanced and have an extremely "dead" E-string, to the point where it gets difficult to even intonate it.
The Pyramid Gold short scale set is PERFECTLY balanced and the one to get IMO. They're my favourite short scale strings BY FAR.
I know Pyramid have made slightly longer (than short) scale sets specifically for Starfire basses on request. They're usually very helpful if you contact them about custom sets. But the short scale set should work fine, at least based on my personal experience. Maybe you will have to remove a tiny bit of silk.
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On my Guild Starfire I ? Based on their performance on several other basses, I just put a set of GHS MS 3120 Precision Flats on it, as soon as I could get whatever strings it came with, off. They feel - and sound - great; the 45-95 gauge tames any tendency towards Old School Thump (well, most of it, anyway), and they have plenty of low-mids and mids. Even a halfway decent amount of high end... I did think about putting my extra set of TIJF 324s on the Guild, but IME? I play all but a couple of my 23 basses with a pick, and trying to change my technique to accommodate "flexible" strings just isn't worth the time - or the effort. I'm just too used to playing stiffer flats with a pick... Besides, what I like to play on this Guild just... sounds better when picked. So, its the Precision Flats for me...
