That uncommon single coil

Daghdha

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Wondering if anyone has any info on these rectangle pole pickups.
Seems they were used on a few early Starfire basses before Bi-Sonics, and interchangeably used on some early (Gumby) Jet Star basses as well.

In my case, it is the bridge pickup on a 1970 SF II bass. It seems to me Guild was just trying to use up remaking stock of these, Bi-sonics and some Hagstrom humbuckers so they could move on fully to there own humbuckers.
 
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nmiller

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That pickup was built by Hagstrom as well. My understanding is that the Bi-Sonic was used from the beginning and this single-coil was used a couple of years later. I've never seen one paired with a second pickup on a Guild; usually they're the lone pickup somewhere around the middle position.
 

fronobulax

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In the first year of Starfire production I recall two, possibly three pickups being used. One was the Bisonic, one was the pickup pictured and one was similar in appearance to the pickup pictured. They may be the same pickup but I have a vague recollection of claiming they were and being corrected. In any event I think the lowest serial numbers had Bisonics, then one or both of the others for "newer" basses and then by 1966 it was always Bisonic (until 1970).

I have pontificated on the subject before and don't remember what I said.

http://www.letstalkguild.com/ltg/archive/index.php/t-169929.html

I have no idea where I found the pic but below shows what I believe to be a Hagstrom bass in the foreground and a Starfire in the back.

I concur with the idea than in 1970 Guild was trying to use up old parts in stock so they could standardize on the Guild humbucker.

hagstrom.jpg
 

Daghdha

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Thanks Frono. I believe my 1970 Starfire II bass originally had a Bi Sonic in the neck position and this in the bridge position like the one in your pic. The neck pickup is currently missing, but the wear marks and screw holes line up well with a bisonic and mounting ring.

Interestingly enough, when I pulled this bridge pickup recently to look, it appears to have had an additional magnet add to the back. I assume this was an attempt at boosting the signal.

b97a5136-a68b-4c21-b41b-09082ca90f76.jpeg
 
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adorshki

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I concur with the idea than in 1970 Guild was trying to use up old parts in stock so they could standardize on the Guild humbucker.
First thing I thought, too, remembering a thread in which early Westerly "build anomalies" were discussed and there seemed to be an unusually high occurrence in early '70's electrics in particular.
It was hypothesized it could be related to finally finding or just unpacking old Hoboken inventory and using it on recently produced bodies.
It's also been said that Al Dronge was pretty adamant about never throwing good parts away.
 

fronobulax

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Interestingly enough, when I pulled this bridge pickup recently to look, it appears to have had an additional magnet add to the back. I assume this was an attempt at boosting the signal.

There were some experiments with adding another magnet to a Bisonic so it is not a total surprise.
 

mavuser

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That pickup was built by Hagstrom as well. My understanding is that the Bi-Sonic was used from the beginning and this single-coil was used a couple of years later. I've never seen one paired with a second pickup on a Guild; usually they're the lone pickup somewhere around the middle position.

have seen this pickup in the bridge position with a Bisonic in the neck, in a 1970 JS-II
 

mgod

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That pickup was built by Hagstrom as well. My understanding is that the Bi-Sonic was used from the beginning and this single-coil was used a couple of years later. I've never seen one paired with a second pickup on a Guild; usually they're the lone pickup somewhere around the middle position.

RT and I actually think “Bi-Sonics” (a truly meaningless name) were actually built FOR Hagstrom.
 
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