Guild Starfire bass

Jack Casady playing his second Guild Starfire at Michigan State University in May 1970. Photo Jim Mead

FlyGuitars When did you start using the Guild Starfire?

Jack Casady I think '67 I found one. I'd heard from someone about the Guild Starfire and I can't frankly remember exactly how I arrived at it. I was probably here in Los Angeles cause we did all of our recording in Los Angeles. We'd spend a month at a time down here and then you'd wander around. We used Studio A at the RCA building on Sunset and Ivy for the first album (Takes Off) we did in January / February 1966 and then later on in that year we did the second album Surrealistic Pillow and I think the third album Bathing At Baxters. We rented a place down here and we stayed for almost two and a half months off and on and then I did a lot of roaming around Los Angeles. One of the people in the studio I think, (told me about) that Guild bass and I bought that. I started playing around with it and brought it to the session, but I don't think I recorded with it. That third album was still a somewhat modified Fender Jazz bass. I really liked the nature of the f-hole tone but of course it was a short scale neck, it was deficient that way.

Fly Guitars So you changed the electronics?

Jack Casady I really wanted to get not only more power out of it but I wanted to get more quality of tone because with the 31 and a half inch scale I wasn't getting the low end like I would have liked to get. I mean the speaking length was part of the problem but also I wanted to take that tone and expand it. A friend of mine, Owsley Stanley, (famous for other things) was into electronics and he also knew a guy named Ron Wickersham who later on became involved with Alembic. And we started talking about that Guild bass. So that was when he suggested that we put a preamp and run it with a 9 volt battery and also use components that were of a higher quality, including the pots. I took the pickups, that was my idea, and flipped them out and added another Alnico magnet on the other side so each pickup had twice as much power. The other issue that expanded the quality of the tone that they suggested was to take it and bump it back down to low impedance. By low impedance I was able to expand the dynamic range and that's what Les Paul had used and still did use his whole career, he played a low impedance guitar. Though he didn't get the volume of the squashed up high impedance pickups, that became fashionable later on.

Jack Casady playing his first Guild Starfire

The idea with the Guild was to experiment a lot with the preamps and also tone variants. It was nice and fancy, the one Owsely worked on. He made a nice carving, and a modular inset for the electronics.

FlyGuitars That was the bass you're seen using at Woodstock and on various TV show clips on You Tube?

I think on You Tube there's a picture of the first bass with Jorma and I doing an NPR program. On that one you'll see the nice carved piece, beautiful the way I've stained it dark brown and it had all this inlay at the top.

FlyGuitars So what about the next Guild Starfire bass, the sunburst one?

Later on when the (first one) got stolen I had another Guild. I (had) bought two Guilds at Chicago Music in '68 I guess it was. They were 1967 and matching. I've got one upstairs that's never been touched, but the other I sent out to Ron Wickersham. I said I've got to get this thing back out on the road. He says I've got some new ideas. I said great, I don't care about what it looks like just saw the front of the thing put in the plate, and he says well it'll be crude, it'll be a hunk of aluminium. I said great, just saw it out and bolt it in. The way we were thinking at the time, we were thinking well if you go in to a recording studio you see a channel strip with all the tone variants, notch filters and all that kind of stuff, can we put that in the bass itself and that's basically what was done. We approached it that way as if you'd have a nice long panel in front of you with all your controls and tone variants, band pas filters, notch filters all that kind of stuff and boosts which basically turned up enough would be a distortion boost but a bass boost where you could control the low end so pretty much just like you had a channel strip you know. So that's what he did he used the highest end components in there and that was the approach to the instrument. It was more an experiment with the electronics than it was the instrument itself. It looks like I literally just put a piece of aluminium with a bunch of knobs on the front. That's the one I loaned to the Rock 'n' Roll Hall Of Fame, it's hanging there.

Video Clips

Jack Casady with his two Guild Starfire bass guitars - click the images to view clips. In these live recordings, the snarly mids of the Guild Starfire are completely apparent.

Four clips of Jack with his Guild Starfire basses. Top row, the first Guild Starfire. Left: live at the 1969 Woodstock festival with Jefferson Airplane; Right: Hot Tuna live on the NPR TV show, 1970. Bottom row, the second Guild Starfire. Left: Jefferson Airplane at the Altamont, December 1969; Right: Jefferson Airplane at "A Night at the Family Dog", February, 1970.

FlyGuitars Did you ever try other semi acoustic basses; the Gibson EB-2 or the Epiphone Rivoli?

Jack Casady Yeah I did, only to my ears they were a little more muddy. I thought the Guild was a little thinner sound so when I modified it, it was a big full sound. If you listen to the sound on that first Hot Tuna album (Hot Tuna) you'll hear pretty much the pure sound of the first version of the modifications we used. That was the idea, to get a nice big full sound and have it articulate but not have it be too muddy.

The Guild V bass

FlyGuitars So the Guild V bass, can we talk about that?

Jack Casady A gentleman named Glenn Quan did what's known as the Badass bridge. Here's another guy that basically started out working on guitars and just refitting them and stuff like that. People were trying different things, they were trying brass nuts at the top and they were trying brass pieces for saddles and what not. He got the idea of taking a nice big huge plate like a plate on a Fender Telecaster you know, that big plate down at the bottom, the way it's anchored. The Badass bridge which was a big heavy brass plate, he would notch out in to a flat top guitar or bass and then the idea was get a little more sustain. Right everybody wants sustain?

He was playing around with V guitars and he had down there a Guild bass solid body [a Guild Jetstar] and he took that neck off and he made what he thought would be the appropriate size for a V Bass. Then he got his paint and colours together to make it what would be in a typical Guild dark maroonish red. He put two Guild pickups on it and a Badass bridge and I played that for a while. Again it was a short scale neck.

FlyGuitars And how did that sound?

Jack Casady Nothing like the Guild, you know it was a solid body instrument a whole different sound. There was no custom electronics or anything, stock electronics. The only thing I did as I did in the other basses, I would increase the Alnico magnets in the pickups.

FlyGuitars And that bass was being used around the mid to late 70's? That was when Hot Tuna were more rockier sounding?

Jack Casady Yes. It's a high impedance bass and it's more of a narrower sound, it's a little buzzy. It's not my favourite sound, I tend to go for a little broader sound but it had it's place and it was a lot of fun to play for a time. I think as you go through different pieces and a band develops that you're always ready to try a little something different. At that later period of Tuna where going a little more, from my point of view, to a more solid bass sound and a little less notes.

Guild bass guitars for sale

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Guild Mini II Bass EB-E Acoustic-Electric Bass Natural - Gently Used

Columbia, Maryland, 210**, UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

$300

Gently used - Arrive in original box
This Cordoba Guild Mini II Bass EB-E is a fantastic instrument for any musician looking for a high-quality, versatile bass guitar. With its beautiful natural finish and acoustic-electric design, this bass is perfect for any style of music. The Guild Mini II Bass EB-E is a must-have for any bass guitar enthusiast. Its unique blend of style and functionality makes it an excellent choice for musicians of all skill levels. Whether you're a beginner or an ... more

Vintage 1967 Guild Starfire Bass Black

New York, 100**, UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

$2795

Vintage original 1967 Guild Starfire Bass that has been refinished and a pickguard fashioned to it as well as other signs of work that has been done.
We don't see any cracks or repairs which is a big plus
Neck angle is good and action is good and it plays well
The pickups are original and they have a real warm and organic tone
Looks like the F holes have been enlarged a bit and the headstock re-shaped. They saved the serial number prior to sanding for a refinish and re ... more

De Armond By Guild STARFIRE BASS Guitar Sunburst Semi Hollow w Case Korea Made

Hawthorne, California, 902**, UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

$1000

✈️FREE SHIPPING✈️
De Armond By Guild STARFIRE BASS Sunburst Semi Hollow / Case Included
IN EXCELLENT CONDITION
WILL SHIP IT WITH THE CASE ( not the original case for DeArmond but it fits )
HARD CASE IS FOR EPHIPHONE BASS
NOT FOR DE ARMOND
IM USING IT ONLY FOR PROTECTION
PLEASE CHECKTHE PHOTOS CAREFULLY FOR MORE DETAILS
FEEL FREE TO MESSAGE ME IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS
... more

Guild Starfire Bass - vintage 1972 - super clean

Nolensville, Tennessee, 371**, UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

$3349

One of the cleanest ones you'll find, and it even has its original bridge cover (good luck finding another one with the cover!) It's been well-taken care of, to say the least. Comes with a newer Epiphone case, though I can't tell how old it is. There is an old, wonderful sounding set of flats on it - just what the doctor ordered!
Its sound is wide-ranging, and the factory bass boost toggle (not sure what Guild called this) will make you think you're playing
though a wall of Sunn stacks in... more

Vintage, 1978 Guild B-301 Bass Guitar Husk Luthier Build Project

Orange, California, 928**, UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

$400

Genuine Guild Bass Husk for projectdates to 1978Serial # 185794Guitar Body / neck only as seen - includes original pickguard and knobs but pickguard has a hole in itincludes non original pots - untestedinlcudes nut & Strap buttonsNO OTHER PARTS
neck has been repaired at the headstock - a good solid repairbody has been routed for another P-Bass style pickup - Professional Rout Job
neck is straight, frets show some wear but are OK, Truss rod working
Sold AS-IS, No Returns because of ... more

1977 Guild 301-b Bass Guitar With Case Stunning !!!

Godfrey, Illinois, 620**, UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

$2350

This is a beautiful 1977 Guild 301-b Bass Guitar comes with original case. I searched for years looking for the right one. Many I saw in the world market had blemishes and warped necks, and serious scratches but when I found this one, I knew I found the right one. The body and neck are in excellent unmolested shape. It produces a rich and warm sound. It is in excellent working condition and has been well-maintained. Shipping in the 48 states is $125. Reach out with any questions it also ... more

1980's Guild B30E - BEST SOUNDING ACOUSTIC BASS EVER! - Large Body, Giant tone

Dayton, Ohio, 454**, UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

$2200

For your consideration is this 1980's Guild B30E in a Natural finish. Overall the guitar is in very good shape with only light to moderate play wear. NO CRACKS! The original pickups deliver excellent sound across all playing styles, truly capturing the iconic tones of your favorite players. This is one of the best sounding acoustic basses ever! The size and playability give this an amazing tone and deep bass even acoustically. This is the acoustic bass to have if you are a serious player! ... more

Univox Badazz Bass 1970s Red Guild Copy

Marshall, North Carolina, 287**, UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

$600

Cool Univox Badazz Bass. Some nicks and scrapes, see pics for details. Precious owner added a shim under the neck and looks like changed neck screws out. Screws for thumb rest also seem unoriginal. The bridge pickup has some dents in it, but sounds fine. Tried to show in pics. Otherwise seems stock. Electronics work fine, pickups are really strong and sound great. New flatwound strings. Too many basses , just bought an Eko so this one has to go.
For sale locally so reserve the right to end... more

GUILD M85 Bass, Sunburst, Spruce Top, circa 1968 / 69, VERY HARD to FIND MODEL

Agoura Hills, California, 913**, UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

$3750

1968 or 69 Guild M-85 Bass in Sunburst and Single Pickup These original vintage Spruce -Top basses with the Hagstrom Bi-Sonic Pickup is veryhard to find today vs. the Humbucking equipped, solid body M85 models that came after
The bass plays really well and sounds fat, deep and strong as expected with it'ssemi-hollow construction and Flat Wound strings The Scale is 30 5" and this one has very comfortable action and plays well all overthe neck. Like the early style Gibson Eb-2 basses, this... more

1980s GUILD PILOT BASS - made in USA Four String Fretless

Spring Hill, Florida, 346**, UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

$800

1980s GUILD PILOT BASS - made in USA Four String Fretless. Good condition. Plays well. Does have some scratching and minor marks in the paint mostly on the back. Please see pictures. Will ship FedEx ground fully insured with tracking shipping to the lower 48 states only. No Alaska Hawaii, Puerto Rico, Guam or PO boxes international shipping provided by eBay global
... more

Guild Starfire Bass 1966

Marino, 00***, ITALY

€3500

GUILD STARFIRE BASS 1966!!! Awesome vintage bass in perfect condition considering it is almost 60 years old . SOUNDS GREAT!!! The hinge straps on the case are a little worn but they close and open without problems
... more

Vintage 1960's Van ghent bass tuner 2R + 2L for Burns bison / Baldwin / Guild

Dannelbourg, 57***, FRANCE

€170

Vintage 1960's Van Ghent bass tuner 2R + 2L for Burns bison / Baldwin / Guild / hagstrom and other vintage basses models
Good original functionnal condition . Complete with ferrules and screws
55 for shipping overseas... more

70's GUILD JET STAR JS / SG BASS CASE - Made in USA

COLOGNE, GERMANY

£299

70's GUILD JET STAR JS / SG BASS CASE - made in USA :
* unique neon yellow interior
* bottom is loose in 2 places & needs glueing
* tolex has rips
* latches are rusty
* super hard to find !... more

Guild B301 4 String Bass Guitar 1979

Northampton, NN6***, UNITED KINGDOM

£1200

I have had this bass for quite a while now thinking about selling it as times are tough and I don't play bass anymore bit scratched up but looks beautiful in my opinion  She is still amazing and has no major problems at all.... more

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