8/1/2023 0 Comments Guild starfire![]() Over the course of the 70s, the Japanese output improved dramatically, and in many ways these early 70s models are a low point for the brand. These new Epiphones were based on existing Matsumoku guitars, sharing body shapes, and hardware, but the Epiphone line was somewhat upgraded, with inlaid logos and a 2x2 peghead configuration. The Matsumoku factory had been producing guitars for export for some time, but the 1820 bass (alongside a number of guitar models and the 5120 electric acoustic bass) were the first Epiphone models to be made there. Note the new Guild humbuckers and larger headstockĬlick through to have a look at each vintage Guild catalog.īy the end of the 1960s, a decision had been made to move Epiphone guitar production from the USA (at the Kalamazoo plant where Gibson guitars were made), to Matsumoto in Japan, creating a line of guitars and basses significantly less expensive than the USA-built models (actually less than half the price). Iii) 1969 Starfire bass II in custom Emerald Green finish Ii) 1965 Starfire I, with Hagstrom Bi-Sonic pickup in the bridge position I) The Grateful Dead's Phil Lesh on the cover of the 1969 Guild catalogue Cherry red Starfire bass II Some of the different variations of the Guild Starfire bass taken from catalog images over the period 1966-1975. Sunburst, Cherry, Emerald Green, Ebony Grain, Amber, Brown, Black, Walnut, Blonde, Natural Mahogany Push-button bass boost, replaced by a tone switch in 1970 Hagstrom bridge, Guild tuners, 2 volume and 2 tone controls, master volume, pickup selector. Hagstrom bridge, Guild tuners, volume and tone control, hand rests Initially one-piece (later three piece) Peruvian Mahogany, rosewood 21 fret fingerboard with pearl dot position markers Hagstrom Bi-Sonic pickups, replaced by Guild humbuckers in 1970īound Maple (Sunburst and Blonde finishes) or Mahogany (all other finishes). The main features of the Starfire bass are summarised in the table below. It remained a feature of the Starfire throughout it's production run, with only a slight shape change in 1968. The Starfire's bridge was also made by Hagstrom, and consisted of a metal baseplate with rosewood saddles. Later (1966), these were reversed, with the pickup moving to the neck position (see a 1968 Starfire Bass I, also left). The earliest single pickup Starfire basses had a single pickup in the bridge position, with finger rests positioned above and below the strings in the neck position. These are really great pickups, but for some reason, instruments fitted with these humbuckers are not as desired by collectors as older examples fitted with Bi-Sonics. The Bi-Sonics continued to be fitted to Guild Starfire (and JS) basses until 1970, when Guild finally replaced them with their own brand new humbuckers. Hagstrom had been fitting them to their Coronado solid body bass from 1963, but by 1966 had moved on to a new smaller unit. ![]() ![]() ![]() The Hagstrom Bi-Sonic was a single coil unit, with a very unique design. In fact it was the clarity of response of these pickups that meant Alembic kept these in place when modifying the circuitry of the Casady / Lesh basses of the late 1960s. The Starfire pickups of the 1960s were made by Hagstrom ( Bi-Sonic), and were very highly regarded. ![]()
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