1970 JS Bass w Bisonic & Mini Humbucker

What mavuser said.

Guild marketing literature initially referred to the double cutaway body style bass as a JetStar and last time I looked at this there were examples of Guild calling that shape a JetStar as late as 1974 although the JS terminology was also in use as early as 1971. My '71 is lacking an internal label and Hans has said the control cavity labels were not consistently present until sometime after my bass was made.

The 1970 catalog scan here shows what we would describe as a two Bisonic JS bass. In discussion, I seem to recall that Guild swapped the bridge PU for a different Hagstrom when the supply of the Bisonics dwindled. I think it is safe to say that a JS body with any Hagstroms is rarer than one with Guild humbuckers and we know teh Guild factory used available parts regardless of the catalog specs.

I finally got the Rosewood saddles from Peteybass on there as well as the D'addario chrome flats light gauge medium scale strings. Also got the back cleaned up, all by my new luthier friend thanks to Twocorgis. All I can say is wow. Is like a completely different instrument. The neck pickup has the identical flavor tone of a Starfire, just not that super punchy acoustic resonance. In all honesty though, it is very close. Noticeably not exactly the same, but very similar. The bridge pickup is nothing like a Starfire! It is a funky punchy almost like a fret less or slap sound. Trebly but warm and punchy. I also have to say I havnt seen the bass in a while, and the 1 piece mahogany neck isn't quite as beefy as I recall. I remember the neck by the higher frets seemed quite beefy, but it seems now to be much closer in shape to the typical Guild short scale bass neck with the maple skunk stripe (although still a slightly different feel-by no means uncomfortable). Maybe since I have been playing more recently the difference doesn't seem as drastic now, as when I first got it. Anyway this thing absolutely should be in the hands of a professional bassist. I will likely part with it. The bass has its dings, scratches, and areas of light wear, but in a lot of ways it looks and plays like a new bass. My luthier cleaned it up as much as possible. The frets looked original but like new when I got it. And now it's been set up again (the way it should be this time) and it is quite the Guild bass now! Strings and saddles are brand new. I also have a hard case for it. The gig bag it came with is up for discussion but that is a whole different topic...is unclear if it is original to this bass or original Guild at all. (50/50 on both counts). I have been calling the bass the "Jetstarfire". don't shred me for that until you hear it!

just to clarify my previuos post, she definetly flirts with the tone of a Starfire, but has got the solidbody thing going on, not the hollow. she is no Starfire. I would put it's neck pickup right at the 50 yard line of the JS/Humbucker and the Starfire/Bisonic basses...which to me, sounds quite good (a side note to this is I moved into a new apartment that is much better for bass playing, and I have a new appreciation for the Humbucker equipped JS bass, in the "Deep" position, now that I can hear how its really supposed to sound...). the middle position sound using both pickups is really an amazing tone as well, on the '70 JS Bisonic/mini hum.

Finally got a chance for some pictures outdoors in the sun, now that the saddles are on and the bass is all set up and cleaned up. Thanks again to Petey bass for the rosewood saddles and Twocorgis for the luthier.











3 spooky Guilds...pick your witches broom!

Nice.

Thanks for the pix and further commentary.

i resized all my pictures. Happy Face its got your name on it!

mavuser said:

i resized all my pictures. Happy Face its got your name on it!

Click to expand...

Three's a crowd.

I hear you, you already have the Jet Dark Star JS bass. I will probably keep it until someone locally asks me about it. Could happen today, never, or sometime in between. The 68 Starfire 2 bass I should maybe sell but it's really nice. It's all a bit much for me though.

That starfire is a beeeeaaautty!!! I've got GAS and I own the exact same bass lol.