Dearmond Guild Jetstar Bass - Tyrean purple

I saw one of these around 20 years ago in a local music store. I thought it was cool (I've always been drawn to unusual looking instruments) Back then, I was a guitar player so I didn't buy it but when I started play bass more seriously about 10 years ago, I tried to find one of those DeArmonds but they are rarer than hens teeth. I'm not even sure if they're any good but I'd still like to have one.

 

Nice Bass. I like the color.
I can't speak to many specifics but in general the DeArmond instruments were well made.

Another source of information may be found at the Guild Forum:
Let'sTalkGuild

Good luck and party on!

 

Haven't played one of those, but do have a DeArmond Starfire bass. It's a nice instrument, though I like the Guild Starfire necks, which are slightly narrower, better.



If I had your bass, I'd probably enlarge the pup cavities and slap in some Bi-Sonics. But then, I've never tried any of those little stock single-coils, so what do I know?


Old Guild Jet Star with single Bi-Sonic and un-angled bridge base plate. Note also narrower, unbound neck and clover-leaf tuners.

 

So, are the controls on your Jet Star "volume-volume-master tone"?

 

Is that Susannah Hoff?

 

I owned one of these in a black finish (would have preferred the purple!), less than 10 years ago. Nice basses. Stock controls were volume, volume, tone. Made in Korea. Great single coil pickups and I thought they sounded particularly nice with flatwound strings. I enjoyed it but ultimately let it go to fund other purchases. In any case, definitely rare and quality instruments. Not necessarily one I feel that I need to track down again, but if one came up for sale locally at a cheap price, I might be tempted.
I should note, there was a cheaper, long-scale model that had a bolt-on neck and a split coil (which I believe was made in Indonesia). The build quality was not quite as good, but still a decent, funky bass in its own right.

 

@mellowgerman ... this is not an attempt to hijack this thread but ...
Are these the pickups that are commonly referred to as the "micky-mouse pickups"?

 

Kinda sorta... I think a lot of Guild junkies (like myself) would consider the "Mickey Mouse" pickups to be specifically the 6-pole guitar pickups from the 60's and 70's that look a lot like these. Though there were also bass pickups in 1965 and 1966 almost identical to these Dearmond pickups, I seem to remember there being debate on the Guild forum as to whether or not they could rightly be called "Mickey Mouse" pickups. I would say these Dearmonds are definitely relatives/descendants, but I still not exactly Mickeys

 

@mellowgerman Thank you for that information. I think I caught a bit of that discussion on the Guild forum (without complete understanding.) Again, thanks for the clarification.

 

"Is that Susannah Hoff?"

Her name is Charlotte Kemp Muhl.

 

This PIC better illustrates the differences between the bridges on the Guild bridge vs. the DeArmond Star Fires. This one belongs to a member of this forum, or at least it did at one time:

 

Oh! She is Sean Lennon's sweetie.
That's cool. And she appears to be a "real" bass player, not just a model.
(No, sorry. I didn't read the whole bio.)

Sean's father changed the course of my life.
I wept openly when he passed.

Anyway ... back to the Jetstar.
I love Guild basses.

*edited for spelling of Mr Lennon's name ... doh!*

 

One day at the Guild factory, some luthiers were looking at the Salvador Dali painting in the break room, and...

 

"That's cool. And she appears to be a "real" bass player, not just a model."

And purdier than all of us combined, I'll wager...

 

Indeed.
However ... I took a couple minutes to read the bio at the usual source.
I don't think it would be inaccurate to say that she is Musician first and a fashion model second.
If I weren't chin deep in a move to a new house, I'd take the time to find some music.

 

Here is some footage/audio of Kemp Muhl playing that particular bass:

 

Ah, hey. Thanks for that Bro/Sister.
To be honest, I got a limited amount of enjoyment out of that.
My speakers and headphones are packed away and my laptop just didnt do the audio justice.
But thanks for posting just the same.

Yes ... Jetstar Bass!
I've new found respect for the JetStar ... DeArmond or Guild.
There's just somethin' about a pretty girl playing a cool bass.
(See ... Catherine Popper )

The DeArmond appears to have a FMIC bridge like my '90s reissue Starfire.
The earlier bridge had rosewood saddles as do the new reissues.


(my Guilds .. apologies if I've posted before)
Everybody likes pics.