*GASP*!!!! Is that a REAL Bi-Sonic!?!?!? And it's mahogany w/a three-piece neck?
Can someone w/inside info check this out? Oddmetersam, can you swing by the Guild booth for a second?
I'll take 2!
http://www.guildguitars.com/instruments/details/?partno=3792400866#simpleContained4 (http://www.guildguitars.com/instruments/details/?partno=3792400866#simpleContained4)
This is awesome ! I looked for a 2 pickup model but did not find one. I may pickup one of these my self.
(Message edited by sonicus on January 24, 2013)
Adding a 2nd pickup is doable. As long as it's well built, it's probably cheaper to add extra stuff later. 2 pups would cost a bunch, and if that's not a real Bi-Sonic it's gonna need one anyway.
I will inquire with Guild and asked a few questions ! Cheaper is not usually the best option as far as quality goes. LOL ____
I agree with the cheaper isn't better statement, my comment was poorly worded. I meant it's probably cheaper to have Guild make a decent quality bare-bones bass and then make it super-deluxe once it's on my bench. Then the cost of the parts is the only issue; not parts, labor and expenses for a business.
Maybe I have it wrong, I didn't actually do any math to back this up. This is the way it seemed to work when I built my guitar and with the bass I'm working on now.
I understand what you mean. My reasoning is that a few extra potentiometers and switches plus another Bi-Sonic pickup might not add up to that much . One of my questions is , where is this instrument manufactured ?
These have been offered on ebay recently , NO Bi-Sonic pickups!
http://www.ebay.com/itm/2012-GUILD-STARFIRE-SF-1-BASS-LIMITED-EDITION-2-OF-11-CHERRY-/221180920778?pt=Guitar&hash=item337f6903ca (http://www.ebay.com/itm/2012-GUILD-STARFIRE-SF-1-BASS-LIMITED-EDITION-2-OF-11-CHERRY-/221180920778?pt=Guitar&hash=item337f6903ca)
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Guild-GSR-Starfire-II-Bass-Cherry-Special-Run-/261149232230?pt=Guitar&hash=item3ccdb50c66
I have joined the Starfire club! I now have Dadabass's 73' stereo 2 p-up bass. Are they selling reissue bi-sonic's? If so, Can someone down there get 2 for me?
Thanks, Nick
Nick, Did you get her already?
All the best,
Mike
I can only assume these are foreign, as the made in New Hartford ones run on average 5x more. Kind of like their bluegrass series of acoustics.
Looks nicer than a Dearmond, but I'd hold out for a Westerly Starfire even if these reissues drive their price up a bit.
Wow.... I eagerly await reviews once someone gets their hands on one.
Wolf, the ebay basses seem to be a different model. the Let's Talk Guild forum indicates that the non-Bi-Sonic models were a limited run of some kind, made in the US. Best guess on these (1 Bi-Sonic) is Korea, maybe China but hopefully not...
Has Fred H. got a better deal with Guild? IIRC the Lakland pair-up didn't go so well.
I think Mike's right; the price puts these among the Chinese Guilds. On the other hand I played two of them a few weeks ago - M-120 & D-125 (Chinese-made, all-mahogany, concert & dreadnaught respectively) - and was pleasantly surprised. While they're not what you could call spectacular instruments, there's not a thing wrong with them; very nice for the price. I would expect the same from the Starfire. I do wonder who's making the p/ups, though (Hagstrom's Chinese-made now, as well).
Peter
Peter - that's the first time I've heard the Hagstrom name brought up in discussions of these new Guilds - most of the time people mention Fred Hammon/Dark Stars. Still not a sure bet that the Guilds will be made in China though...
Anybody at NAMM see these?
http://www.warwick.de/modules/produkte/produkt.php?katID=22043&cl=EN (http://www.warwick.de/modules/produkte/produkt.php?katID=22043&cl=EN)
Warwick has been making that bass for at least 3 or 4 years now, never played one but sure love the look.
as far as the Guild, it'd be a lot cheaper to grab one of these reissues and have it Alembicized if they are decent instruments without the loss of the vintage/collectible value. could be something to look into for those interested
~Taylor
I think the Warwick model is long scale . I bet you would get awesome results if you were to have the Warwick Alembicized. Have some custom Activator Pickups made ! That's it , nothing else. Just the pickups. Even perhaps BETTER then the Bi- Sonic pickups or DARKSTARS ? How about Activator replacements on a GUILD STARFIRE ? Better yet perhaps!
Nick you might be able to get Activators for the Guild Starfire that you just purchased from MIke ! What do you think ?
Wolf
I just had that conversation w/ Nick Haas, Wolf. I also talked to Mica and Ron about this.
My original solution was shot down by Ron. The idea was to make a box and put some stratoblasters in it and run that thru my amp chain. If the battery is not right on top the p-up = no good. Then we went to 'how about a stereo blaster cord. Doable, but it does not exist (yet)!
Now, I'm thinking about finding some p-ups and making a new mounting plate as per your suggestion. Either way it will be running thru a SF-2.
I am excited about trying to make this bass sound good. The fact that it is so light is very appealing.
Nick
Nick , yes the pickup rings to mount the pickups. These can be tricky on a Guild Starfire because of the contour of the top surface of the Starfire. The wooden ones on my remaining Starfire were made for me by Doug Irwin when I installed the then experimental Hi-A (now called Bartolini) pickups back in the mid 1970's. I now wish I would have kept my Original Guild Bi Sonics around. I would really like to get hold of one to build a Berry Oakley Tractor Bass!
Wolf
(Message edited by sonicus on January 25, 2013)
Peter, interesting mention of Hagstrom. I was considering a Viking (Concord) bass for a while. Is there a possible connection between these two companies again?
Maybe it would be good to wait an see if the pups are available separately, as they are rumored to be.
Well the links that Wolf offered up surprised me, mainly because the non-bisonic US/New Hartford ones ARE NOT as pricey as the some of the other models (the Patriarch Line) built there... So maybe I jumped the gun by assuming these are foreign, but in comparing the GSR Starfires to the Newark St. Starfires, I don't see a $2k cost savings in materials alone.
Pace,
GSR are made in New Hartford. Let's Talk Guild & Talkbass have pretty much confirmed Newark St. is MIK. That's where $2K comes from, saving materials is what make the Newark St. series $1500 instead of $2000ish (probably).
On the Hagstrom thing again, the new Guilds look a LOT like the new Hags...
I have a pickup ring or two lying around, if anyone is interested.