Starfire bass

[fronobulax]

anyone in Richmond (Indianapolis) would take this for me? :roll:

http://indianapolis.craigslist.org/msg/2135044881.html

Interesting. Can't tell if knobs are original or not. Bridge, absence of tone switch, Hagstrom and PU position suggest 1966 or early 1967 to me. Wonder what the serial # is? I have trouble distinguishing between a factory "natural" finish and a refin in natural but it looks pretty sweet either way. Ad says nothing about a case. Not sure who is in the area. At that price it might be worth a long phone conversation and trusting the seller and your own ability to ask the right questions. Posting a 1970 date might keep "under the radar".

 

[saemola]

called the seller, he said he's the second owner, purchased from an old man he knew and the bass is stock.
I didn't go on too long asking questions cause I won't be in the US til the 17th again and he doesn't accept paypal.
you're right though, should have asked about the case.

edit:
- case is not included.
- just got the serial: OB-1765
can't find any in the guild history though...

 

[fronobulax]

- just got the serial: OB-1765
can't find any in the guild history though...

Serial number has to start with BA. BA-1765 would make it a 1968. I am concerned because it appears to have the straight bridge and tone switch. Not counting this bass, every bass I have seen with serial number over 1472 has had a curved bridge and a tone switch. If I were buying it I'd ask about the label and the headstock. The serial numbers in both places should agree and the label may help identify the original finish.

 

[saemola]

his answer was: "The serial number is OB-1765. That is as close as I could make it out to be. The paper label inside the hollowbody is 40 years old and it is starting to fade."

gotta ask him about the headstock.
sounds hard to me to mistake OB for BA though...
hmmm doesn't smell that good... :roll:
some pics:
http://img340.imageshack.us/i/guildstarfirebass1.jpg/
http://img80.imageshack.us/i/guildstarfirebass2.jpg/
http://img717.imageshack.us/i/guildstarfirebass3.jpg/
http://img831.imageshack.us/i/guildstarfirebass4.jpg/
http://img407.imageshack.us/i/guildstarfirebass5.jpg/
http://img717.imageshack.us/i/guildstarfirebass6.jpg/
http://img577.imageshack.us/i/guildstarfirebass7.jpg/

 

[fronobulax]

I'm puzzled, but I'm not trying to scare you off. Everything that I can see in the pictures is consistent with Guild Starfire I bass that was made between 1966 and 1970. It may, or may not be the original finish. I can't tell from the picture and I have guessed wrong enough times that I have learned not to guess. One of the newer pictures makes me think that the knobs are original. I couldn't tell either way from the earlier pictures. The thumb and finger rest are both gone and it is hard to tell whether the screwholes have been filled or not. Headstock laminate does not seem to have started shrinking, which is good.

The label on my 1967 is legible :wink: One picture shows a label in the F-hole and what I can see is consistent with an original label. I'd love a close up of the label and a close up of the back of the headstock but that would just help me with the serial number which is a personal obsession and not a reflection on the authenticity.

 

[saemola]

"The pots are original , there is no serial number on the back of the head stock. I took a better flashlight and looked inside the hollow body and the serial number looks like it is OB 4765."

 

[hansmoust]

"The pots are original , there is no serial number on the back of the head stock. I took a better flashlight and looked inside the hollow body and the serial number looks like it is OB 4765."

Hello folks,

Just a wild guess:

OB 4765

The 'O' might be the lower loop of the 'F' in Starfire
The second letter is a B
The '4' might be an 'A'

What's left is 765 and the complete serial number could be BA-765.

Would that be a possibility?

Sincerely,

Hans Moust
http://www.guitarsgalore.nl

 

[fronobulax]

"The pots are original , there is no serial number on the back of the head stock. I took a better flashlight and looked inside the hollow body and the serial number looks like it is OB 4765."

Hello folks,

Just a wild guess:

OB 4765

The 'O' might be the lower loop of the 'F' in Starfire
The second letter is a B
The '4' might be an 'A'

What's left is 765 and the complete serial number could be BA-765.

Would that be a possibility?

Sincerely,

Hans Moust
http://www.guitarsgalore.nl

I like that explanation. It dates the bass to early 1967 and that makes it consistent with the physical features observed.

 

[saemola]

another case solved by the LTG community. 8)

 

[twocorgis]

another case solved by the LTG community. 8)

Now all you need to do is buy it. I can't tell you how much I love mine! 8)

 

[saemola]

if anyone's interested: http://www.talkbass.com/forum/showthrea ... t=starfire

I've had my experience with cracked headstocks...

 

[fronobulax]

if anyone's interested: http://www.talkbass.com/forum/showthrea ... t=starfire

I've had my experience with cracked headstocks...

Interesting. Serial number is obscured and bass has a lot of non original features. However a working bass with two Hagstroms and a HSC for $925 seems to me to be a bargain.

 

[saemola]

I almost DID IT!

I convinced the guy of the 900$ 70's starfire to create a PayPal account!
all I need to do now is taking care of the shipment.

I have never shipped a bass guitar in the US.
any suggeston anyone in companies and cheap methods?

the bass comes with the original hsc.

 

[fronobulax]

I almost DID IT!

I convinced the guy of the 900$ 70's starfire to create a PayPal account!
all I need to do now is taking care of the shipment.

I have never shipped a bass guitar in the US.
any suggeston anyone in companies and cheap methods?

the bass comes with the original hsc.

Congratulations (almost).

Source and destination cities?

There are folks who have done a lot of shipping and should be able to offer opinions and possibly help. I'll cross post in Members Only.

Edit: Here you go.

 

[saemola]

the bass should travel from La Crosse, WI to Boston, MA.
fingers crossed.

 

[saemola]

finally managed to make the guy check out paypal, he agrees to create an account and tells me he's going to the UPS to check the shipping price.
then he writes me back saying that he stopped by a vintage instrument store in his area who estimated the bass 900$ (which is what I would have paid him) and he left the bass there and went back home with a big fat check...

this is a sad, sad day...!

 

[zulu]

:shock:



sorry to hear that.

 

[fronobulax]

I'm sorry. I feel like the seller is lacking something in integrity although I fully understand preferring a local sale over one that requires shipping. It would have been nice if he had stopped at the store before advertising it or maybe there is some kind of game where the store lowballed him the first time. In any event, I guess you have to keep looking.

 

[saemola]

yeah, he sent me an email when the baby was sold already... sigh...

but this is not gonna stop my quest. 8)

there's that natural SFII with Hags on TalkBass with a crack in the headstock which I must RESIST.

 

[fronobulax]

yeah, he sent me an email when the baby was sold already... sigh...

but this is not gonna stop my quest. 8)

there's that natural SFII with Hags on TalkBass with a crack in the headstock which I must RESIST.

You noted your past experience with headstock repairs was not good but a lot of folks have claimed that a good repair is often more structurally sound than the original. Not sure I'd give up if I didn't have a Starfire bass... Can always buy one now and trade up later, right? :wink: