Starfire bass

[HunterBrodt]

How did you find the guild starfire basses you have. I have been looking and yet to find one for sale. I am asking for future purposes because I just got a jaguar. But am wondering.

Also I dont like the stock pickups in the jaguar, what would you put in there instead. I like a warm tone.

 

[LM Bass]

Grammar police here. When asking a question use one of these (?)
Consider yourself warned!

 

[jmjbassplayer]

Thank you, grammar police

I am not familiar with Jaguar pickup replacements.

My Guild Starfire basses are the closest thing to my personal voice on a bass. They are very dear to me. It is difficult for me to be objective, but suffice to say, they are special instruments, with a very warm character. I love the way they respond to the softest touch.

JMJ

 

[Kenner]

ebay..........always seems to some there.........

except today.....

 

[HunterBrodt]

Haha, Ya I wrote that a bit fast. What I am trying to ask is how did you get a hold of yours? I rarely see them for sale. Hopefully Guild will do a reissue, but I doubt it. Seems like they mostly make acoustic guitars now.
As far as my jaguar I am think Emg's, but I am not to sure.

 

[jmjbassplayer]

I got my two reissues back in '98 directly from Fender (who own Guild), and my original '66 in about 2004. One of my issues has Darkstars in it. All of them are great, and different from each other.

 

[LM Bass]

(Actually, I was curious about the Starfires too, so I hope I didn't hijack too much with my policing. ..

 

[HunterBrodt]

A reissue would be nice.

 

[bklynbass]

One of the cool (though admittedly frustrating) things about Starfires is that you can't just go online and find one for sale at any price like you can pre-CBS Fenders. You've really got to put in the time. I first tried a starfire in 2001 after I discovered hollowbody basses and realized that they were the ones to look out for. At that point you could find reissues but this was the pre-Dark Star era and I wanted one from the 60s with the original Hagstrom pickups. They've always been hard to come by because they only made a few thousand of them and anyone who has one usually is in love with it. But I looked consistently for at least a year and eventually spotted a cherry '68 Starfire II in lovingly beat up condition on ebay for $800. That was a deal even ten years ago. I snatched that up and it's been my absolute favorite electric bass ever since. They're such beautifully crafted, soulful basses. So just keep looking, it will be that much more satisfying when you finally get it.

Or you could have crazy stupid luck like a friend whose next door neighbor had one lying in her basement and sold it to him for $100.

 

[bklynbass]

actually, I just saw two on gbase...one's a 60s SF I and the other's a cheap dearmond reissue. maybe they're gone now though.

good luck

 

[Bass_Trax]

JMJ,
Do you have the maple or mahogany body reissues? Which one did you install the Dark Stars in? I love my pair; it's hard to beat the WOOF of big hollowbody tone! Here's a photo of mine...

I got my two reissues back in '98 directly from Fender (who own Guild), and my original '66 in about 2004. One of my issues has Darkstars in it. All of them are great, and different from each other.

 

[jmjbassplayer]

I have a maple w/ Dark Stars and mahogany with stock. Wouldn't change either. Nice basses you have there!!

J

 

[whitespike]

When I worked in music retail there was a Starfire RI in sunburst that was one of the best sounding and playing basses i have ever touched. I wish to this day that I could have afforded it at the time.