NBD Guild Starfire II

[PapaBearBass]

Meditated on this one for a few years. Found a great deal on Reverb. Finally pulled the trigger.

I’ve been a Phil Head forever. Love that classic 60s / Dead vibe. I didn’t have a semi-hollow. Didn’t have a short scale. I loved the tones I heard on every YouTube video I could find. Got some valuable feedback from a couple of TB folks - much appreciated thank you. This one came up on my Reverb feed at the right time so I jumped on it.

Build quality is top notch. The Bisonic pickups are beautiful and warm. I think a lot of magic comes from pickup position. The clarity of the bridge pickup pairs nicely with the fatness of the neck pickup. The mahogany body resonates and the wood grain is gorgeous. The fretboard is narrow… like noticeably narrow… but for me that’s cool. Yes there is neck dive (shout out to @LowEndLobster) but I’m going strap shopping this weekend. It arrived with rounds and those sound good but I also ordered a set of flats and will put those on soon. Seller also included some replacement bridge saddles too just in case.

Bottom line - I love it even more than I expected.

 

[ghostdog93]

Sweet! She's a beauty. Enjoy.

 

[bholder]

Mmm mmm mmm - themmer good eatin'! So tasty!!

 

[bholder]

I do like the Guild BiSonic Reissues well enough, but I would love love love to take one of these and slap a pair of Curtis Novak BS/DS with full switching in there!

 

[PapaBearBass]

I do like the Guild BiSonic Reissues well enough, but I would love love love to take one of these and slap a pair of Curtis Novak BS/DS with full switching in there!

I’ve heard about those. I saw one on Reverb with Novaks about 6 months ago. What’s the story with them? How do they sound?

 

[nixdad]

Meditated on this one for a few years. Found a great deal on Reverb. Finally pulled the trigger.

I’ve been a Phil Head forever. Love that classic 60s / Dead vibe. I didn’t have a semi-hollow. Didn’t have a short scale. I loved the tones I heard on every YouTube video I could find. Got some valuable feedback from a couple of TB folks - much appreciated thank you. This one came up on my Reverb feed at the right time so I jumped on it.

Build quality is top notch. The Bisonic pickups are beautiful and warm. I think a lot of magic comes from pickup position. The clarity of the bridge pickup pairs nicely with the fatness of the neck pickup. The mahogany body resonates and the wood grain is gorgeous. The fretboard is narrow… like noticeably narrow… but for me that’s cool. Yes there is neck dive (shout out to @LowEndLobster) but I’m going strap shopping this weekend. It arrived with rounds and those sound good but I also ordered a set of flats and will put those on soon. Seller also included some replacement bridge saddles too just in case.

Bottom line - I love it even more than I expected.
View attachment 7436334View attachment 7436335

Congrats, @PapaBearBass!
Yep, these wide bodied beasties are built for FLATS.

Enjoy!

 

[PapaBearBass]

Congrats, @PapaBearBass!
Yep, these wide bodied beasties are built for FLATS.

Enjoy!

That’s what my gut was telling me. Can’t hardly wait

 

[Gilmourisgod]

Gorgeous Bass, warm and woody goodness.

 

[scuzzy]

i love hollow and semi-hollow basses. they do something in the tonal dept that a solid just can't cop.

 

[EdwardofHuncote]

Congratulations & Compliments! Love my old '67. I had a 2017 Newark St reissue too, that was just fantastic. It was hard to believe there was 50 years between them.

 

[bholder]

I’ve heard about those. I saw one on Reverb with Novaks about 6 months ago. What’s the story with them? How do they sound?

They sound pretty great from the recordings I have heard. I have two sets for projects but to be honest they got put in storage and I've got to get them restarted, so I don't know what they sound like myself. But the BiSonic side is supposed to sound like the vintage Classic BiSonic (fuller than the reissues) while the DS setting is more like the Fred Hammond Dark Star pickup which is also a very great but different sound (fewer active wraps in coil) I forget which one is thicker but both pretty amazing form what I recall, very meaty for single coils.

 

[Ostie]

I came close to buying one on FB MP last year. Couldn’t come to terms with the seller and I ended up getting a Gretsch 5142 hollow-body. But maybe someday….

 

[bholder]

This might be useful



Compares Guild BS-1 BiSonic reissue against the Curtis Novak BS/DS with coil tap.

 

[SwansonEricJohn]

Cheers!

 

[Gilmourisgod]

Always loved the look and tone of these, but a lot of hollow bodies are brutal neck divers, how’s the Starfire balance? Weight?

 

[Mustang Surly]

Trouble with those dang things is, once you let one into your house, they start in t'multiplyin'!!!

 

[PapaBearBass]

Congratulations & Compliments! Love my old '67. I had a 2017 Newark St reissue too, that was just fantastic. It was hard to believe there was 50 years between them. View attachment 7436687

Beautiful

 

[PapaBearBass]

Always loved the look and tone of these, but a lot of hollow bodies are brutal neck divers, how’s the Starfire balance? Weight?

It’s true there’s a bit of neck dive but I’m getting a better strap this weekend. Weighs in at about 8 pounds. So she feels resonant but substantial

 

[Pimpernel Smith]

Those are great looking and well appointed basses. I've often thought of getting one. I think it would be a nice addition to my lone Hofner bass; but at my advanced age, and with more and more hand ailments every few years it might be pointless.
How does the neck on these feel?

 

[PapaBearBass]

Those are great looking and well appointed basses. I've often thought of getting one. I think it would be a nice addition to my lone Hofner bass; but at my advanced age, and with more and more hand ailments every few years it might be pointless.
How does the neck on these feel?

Go for it! I absolutely love the tone - it’s just smooth and rich as all get out. The neck is a short scale. This is the first time I’ve ever played one so that’s a new thing. No big deal though. What I will say is the fret board is narrow. For me noticeably narrow. I have a Warwick Streamer. It’s that narrow at the nut and basically stays that narrow all the way down. For some it might be too narrow but for me that’s exactly what I was looking for with this bass. Just my 2 cents