NAMM 2013: Newark St. Collection Starfire Bass

LTG discussion here. Feel free to join over there.

Dealer listing and specs here.

Picture from that listing:


Specs copied from there.

Features
Series: Newark St.™ Collection
Body Shape: Mid '60s Starfire™ Bass
Body Style: Thinline Hollow Body Archtop
Body Top: Arched Laminated Mahogany
Back and Sides: Laminated Mahogany
Body Finish: Gloss Urethane
Color: Transparent Cherry Red
Body Depth: 1.69" (47mm)
Body Length: 20.25" (514 mm)
Bracing: Center Block
Headstock: Newark St.™ Headstock
Neck: 3-Piece Mahogany/Maple/Mahogany
Neck Finish: Gloss Urethane
Neck Binding: Single-Ply Ivory White
Nut Width: 1.5" (38.1 mm)
String Nut: Bone
Fingerboard: Rosewood, 12" (305 mm) Radius
Frets: 21, 6105 (.055" Tall x .090" Wide)
Position Inlays: Pearloid Dot
Scale Length: 30.75" (781mm)
Hardware: Nickel-Plated
Bridge: Guild® Combo Bridge-Tailpiece with Rosewood String Saddles
Tuning Machines: Grover®
Strings: D'Addario® EXL165 Nickel Wound Bass, Custom Light, 45-105
Pickups: Guild® "Bi-Sonic" Bass (Bridge)
Truss Rods: Dual-Action Head Adjust
Truss Rod Nut: Hex
Controls: Volume, Tone

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Note the Guild branding of the bridge and PU, both previously sourced from Hagstrom.

Best guesses are it will be made in Korea.

If this is true then things are going to be very interesting especially if the PU sounds like the original. However there is also speculation that announcing this could be a tease to build up interest in what Guild actually releases at the NAMM show. So it might not be real.

Re: Newark St. Collection Starfire Bass

I was curious if perhaps the new bisonic was a collaboration/utilization of Fred Hammon's Dark Star design... maybe renamed to harken back to the old days. It would certainly be a smart move on their part if they could make these basses for $1K. I know there are loads of guys on the talkbass forum that would snag one up instantly without hesitation. Starfire basses have certainly made a big comeback in the last few years.

Re: Newark St. Collection Starfire Bass

its a little funny the humbucker (and alternate horn shape) is in the $3,500 bass and the Bisonic and traditional horn shape are available for $1,000. and Korea is not the same as China. these will be top of the line if they are assemled in Korea. even China has gotten better. we have an Epiphone "custom shop" allen woody bass, set neck and all. got it thru the epiphone refurb program. showed up brand new, set up, and unflawed. its totally nasty. cost in the low $300's...the axe is LOADED and mint. ready for Giants Stadium right now!
Fender's mexican stuff is great too.

There's all kinds of laws now with importing raw materials or anything other than the finished product on rosewood and some mohagonays and who knows what else (ebony). its not 1967 anymore. just look at all the BS Gibson had to deal with. a federal raid? 3 times? it just cost so much more $ in taxes (and a little more in labor) to assemble the instrument out of those specific materials in the United States vs. importing the finished product. its really just not even an option unless u are going to charge every single musician $3,500 for something that which is to be identical but assembled in any country other than the United States to be $1,000...worst case scenario it needs a set up when you get it. that can happen with any online purchase.

buy with confidence!

and who is in charge around here? they should be knockin down Cat Popper's door to get one in her hands!

Re: Newark St. Collection Starfire Bass

The alleged Bisonic in the new Starfire is unproven technology. The Guild humbuckers in the GSR bass are NOS and they have a history, regardless of whether you like them or not. Given the release dates I can argue that putting the humbuckers in the GSR was the safe move. As for the body shape, the GSR bodies were completed many years ago and the reasons for the change are lost in the mists of time.

IMO the GSR and the Newark Street Starfire basses are separate independent projects that might have benefited from some coordination but so what? The price difference pretty much means they don't compete and the GRS project used some completed bodies that were destined for a warehouse or a bandsaw.

Since Cat already endorses Fender I'm sure she could cut a deal to use the Newark Street Starfire if that was something she wanted.

Re: Newark St. Collection Starfire Bass

The alleged Bisonic in the new Starfire is unproven technology.

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my guess is it will be close enogh to a Dark Star (if not an actual Dark Star) for anyone that is willing to buy an Asian Guild. but still, u have a great point. we know zero facts.

The Guild humbuckers in the GSR bass are NOS and they have a history, regardless of whether you like them or not.

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they are still $3,500! thats for a Starfire ONE

Since Cat already endorses Fender I'm sure she could cut a deal to use the Newark Street Starfire if that was something she wanted.

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im not sure exactly how simple that is, the music industry is a funny business. it certainly does not happen overnight. i can tell u for sure if one shows up at her doorstep, she's not going to send it back!

Re: Newark St. Collection Starfire Bass

OMGOMGOMGOMGOMGOMGOMGOMGOMGOMGOMGOMGOMGOMGOMG.


And.. uh..

OMGOMGOMGOMGOMGOMGOMGOMGOMG

Re: Newark St. Collection Starfire Bass

I was talking to an acquaintance today at the main music arcade in Seoul, Nagwon.. he's kinda my go-to bass guy and I was asking him about this. His sense was given the difference in price between the US model and this one, it'd be made in China, not Korea. Top-of-the-line Korean basses like Moollon fetch somewhere around 3 grand but I'm not familiar enough with other less costly lines like Cort and such. But I asked him to keep an ear open for me, although I'm sure I'd end up paying a nice premium on the listed North American prices.. maybe if it comes out as pictured (having the wooden saddles would totally put this over the 90s RIs for me, and if they've re-engineered the Bisonic, well, there you go) I'll wait 'til someone sells one used.

No hollowbody basses in Korea at the moment, though.

But anyway, I am definitely excited to see if this turns out.

Re: Newark St. Collection Starfire Bass

dlenaghan said:

His sense was given the difference in price between the US model and this one, it'd be made in China, not Korea.

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WTF? While it is perhaps reasonable to compare the "U. S. model" to the Newark Street model there is no rational reason to do so. The U.S. model is a limited edition of under 40 basses worldwide, that aren't going to make any more and the only reason they made these is because the parts and the body were lying around. While the price may reflect the manufacturing cost I am certain the pricing had more to do with what someone thought the market would bear.

All of the informed rumors have these made in Korea, not China. Since the NAMM Show opens tomorrow, by the weekend rumors and speculation should be replaced by some hard facts. Too bad the two LTG members known to be going to the show don't play bass :wink:

Re: Newark St. Collection Starfire Bass

I certainly hope so, not that there haven't been some rather lovely basses coming out of China lately. It's just if they're made here I can knock off a truck on it's way to Incheon airport! :lol:

Re: Newark St. Collection Starfire Bass

dlenaghan said:

I certainly hope so, not that there haven't been some rather lovely basses coming out of China lately. It's just if they're made here I can knock off a truck on it's way to Incheon airport! :lol:

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What's more likely to happen is that you will be begged to try and get a factory tour and take pictures, or at least tell us about it.

Re: Newark St. Collection Starfire Bass

I did notice from the specs that the Newark St has a bound
neck.
Hmm...

Re: Newark St. Collection Starfire Bass

fronobulax said:

What's more likely to happen is that you will be begged to try and get a factory tour and take pictures, or at least tell us about it.

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YES. I hadn't thought of this. I need to try to find some more info.. one week left until winter break is over, I can do it..

Re: Newark St. Collection Starfire Bass

If there are amps at NAMM, I'll play one tomorrow.

I'm skeptical of modern Guild from experience, but if its good, its good.

Re: Newark St. Collection Starfire Bass

mgod said:

If there are amps at NAMM, I'll play one tomorrow.

I'm skeptical of modern Guild from experience, but if its good, its good.

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Please, please. If it's isn't too much, crappy cell phone photos would be appreciated as would any comparisons to vintage Starfires even if you don't get to hear one. If you want to email photos to me I can host and link for you :wink:

Re: Newark St. Collection Starfire Bass

mgod said:

If there are amps at NAMM, I'll play one tomorrow.

I'm skeptical of modern Guild from experience, but if its good, its good.

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Go get 'em mgod! And go introduce yourself to Kim... he's "good people," and that's a ridiculous understatement.

Re: Newark St. Collection Starfire Bass

YYYYOOOOOOOOOOWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWW
http://www.musicradar.com/news/guitars/ ... n-569941/2

Also, I'm curious to see how, if at all, this will affect the vintage market

Re: Newark St. Collection Starfire Bass

aaannnndddd ZAP!
http://www.guildguitars.com/instruments ... Contained1

Re: Newark St. Collection Starfire Bass

mellow's links pretty much remove any cynical speculation that the information was leaked or that the instruments are not really happening.

As for the vintage market for Starfire basses from 65-70...

The most important question is how well does the Guild Bisonic nail the sound of the Hagstrom Bisonic. If the general consensus is "no" then I would expect vintages to hold or climb in value because the discriminating bassist is going to demand an original.

If the sound is close enough then the next question is "fit and finish". If the consensus is that they are a good, well made instrument, regardless of the country of origin, then I expect the vintage market to cool off. If the differences between Newark Street and vintage are subtle or undetectable by an average player then simple economics are going to favor the less expensive and more easily replaceable instrument.

I suspect the market for 71-77 and the 90's reissue is going to hold or cool regardless unless people actually think the Guild Humbucker sounds better than the Guild Bisonic :wink:

IMO. YMMV.

Re: Newark St. Collection Starfire Bass

Will this compare to the experience after the D'A Starfire was issued and a number were retrofitted with DarkStars? Those sold for about $950. The build was nice, but the headstock did not read "Guild" in large letters.

They certainly should appeal to those who want a Starfire to play rather than collect.

Re: Newark St. Collection Starfire Bass

demo video! now they just need one with flatwounds to really see how close it sounds (at least for me to make any kind of a judgement)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e2_mDGKn42M