1967 Starfire I - Does this look right?

I am interested in checking out this bass for local sale only (lucky me its about 1.5 hours away).

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Vintage-196...698?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item25937e4c02

Its going for a pretty fair price but I'm curious about a few things, for example the fretboard looks awfully dark. Could this be original? Everything else looks good for the most part. The label inside the F hole is destroyed from the refinishing process. It looks like its probably a nasty refinish job.

Im awaiting a message back on the serial number. Lil worried this may have been a stolen bass as its tough to see anything on the back of the headstock and the destroyed label.

But I'm considering picking this up for a good deal and doing a proper refinish on it plus maybe some crazy mods. Green!? Natural!? Purple!? Oh the options!

My current sunburst starfire is so pretty (minus the god awful headstock break) I wouldn't dare consider a refin or major changes. So maybe this bass could be my Franken-fire

wisconsindead said:

Lil worried this may have been a stolen bass as its tough to see anything on the back of the headstock and the destroyed label.

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Not sure how much the label is unreadable, the picture is just terrible out of focus.
The serial on the back of the headstock looks definitely removed, however that could have happened during the repair of the broken headstock.
The fretboard looks like ebony but I thought they came with rosewood fretboards. Maybe a replaced fretboard?
Ralf

This bass has been on eBay before. It was actually in even worse shape at the time, the finish was worse and when one of our forum members bought it (for around 600-700 or so, or thereabouts) they returned it because they said it wouldn't tune up right or the bridge popped off or something. It looks like someone else wound up with it and refinished it a lot better than it was (which isn't saying much), maybe they set it up to play good...who knows. Hard to put a price on that. Id also have a hard time driving 3 hours round trip for it unless it was an offer I truly couldn't refuse.

actually now that I read the add it might be the same seller and the bass might be in the same condition as pervious. It says selling for parts, and the local pickup only is likely so no one will try to return it again. The previous forum member got lucky they got their money back. It was advertised "as is" at the time. Now it says "for part/project" so plan on keeping it if u buy it. If u get it cheap and set it up nice it could be something. By cheap I mean a fraction of the asking price.

Interesting. Any idea where I could find that info on where it was at previously?

I doubt it's even worth your time. Id offer like 300 and settle on 350 or so of I had to drive 3 hours for it. And definetly test the electronics while you are there! It's local pickup, no one else is bidding. Make sure there is nothing wrong with that pickup before you drive there. Ask a lot of questions online about how it sounds are the pots scratchy, all that. Could be a keeper (with some work!) but could be a parter outer if it just can't come together. It's a very botched refinish job from what I recall and the headstock repair is ugly. There was definitely some tweaking that thing needed the first time around. It could play great I just don't know what kind of work is involved

mavuser said:

the headstock repair is ugly.

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You should see my starfire! :frown:

Thanks for the advice.

All I mean is it is likely a countless hour job to take the entire thing apart and do everything that needs to be done which I don't even know what that is but it's a whole lot. I remember there was several layers of finish that didn't dry right. Like more layers than there should be. Just to drive there and back, take it apart, list all the parts and sell them again is a job in itself. I also have to say, your plan to mod it and all kills the deal for me. For me it's a gamble if u like to roll the dice and have a ton of time on your hands...just to try and keep it original. If someone could do all the work, and keep it all together, (once it is put back together...) and get it to be as close to what it originally was in sound and playability (and looks)...for CHEAP, that is a home run. Don't start cutting it up that will be the final nail, all your efforts would just kill any value to it. It is a major project just to try and restore it. U have to have a ton of time on your hands. But if it's good enough that it's worth modding upon repair and refin, than it's good enough to keep it a SF1...which is a much better idea, at least if u make it nice. At the end of the day it's still a 67 SF1 and technically still in one piece, or close to one piece. I just can't guarantee it's not too far gone to ever play right again. It honestly could be fine....or somewhere in between...

if the pickup works it might be worth a lowball offer, considering it's local pickup only, and the rest of the circumstances. All he can do is say no. He might be ready to cut his losses. It looks like a failed project. I'd ask him to play it thru an amp over the phone to hear the strength of the pickup. U could jazz up a 70s Starfire bass real nice with that Bisonic if the project doesn't work out. If those kind of stars start to align it could very well be worth the drive. It's all about the pickup, it's the only value there right now. A few bucks for the rest of the hardware and the neck/body, but that is all neutralized by a 3 hour drive and the necassary refinishing and other labors. Assess and appraise the pickup and If it's all there, make your offer, if it suits you.

Looks like a '67 with a probable serial number less than BA-1440. I am pretty sure the PU has been flipped relative to the factory install. Bridge pics are unclear but if you told me the bridge had been bent when it was off the bass I'd believe it. It's hard to guess what it is worth as parts since Newark Street parts may eventually be readily available and are believed to be suitable replacements for vintage parts. Fretboard might be dark, but it could also be the lighting.

It might be worth it as a project if that's what you do in your spare time but I'd either pony up a bit more and get a NS or save my money for a vintage in seriously better condition. My opinion only.

wisconsindead said:

Any idea where I could find that info on where it was at previously?

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Yes, use "Advanced Search" and use creative words and dates to find it and spend some time there ;-)

But I did that already and here it is: http://www.letstalkguild.com/ltg/showthread.php?177622-1967-Starfire-I-bass
An this is the post where Mike reported why he sent it back: http://www.letstalkguild.com/ltg/showthread.php?177711-1953-x175&p=1597473&viewfull=1#post1597473

Whoever sells it now has definitely worked on it as the headstock from behind looks a bit different now (like the area with the removed serial number). And last time the BIN was "only" $700, now the seller wants $950! Crazy...
It might be a different seller as Mike bought and returned it in July 2013 already.

Ralf

Oh wow that was Brindell that originally bought and returned it, it must have been legitimately un-playable!

and Ralf when I first looked at the pics I thouht it looked a little different too. But then I read the sellers description and it sure reads the same, or very close, to last time. "Needs to buffed..." If this is indeed the second guy giving up on it and now selling it "for parts or project" plus Brindell who only wanted it to play in tune and cared about nothing else...it sounds to me like it probably needs to be parted out.

Well I already have a nice original SFII. I would purchase it as a project which could take a number of routes. I'm not really interested in it as a collector piece as it hasn't been that for sometime. The idea isn't for it to be original, but to turn it from a god awful attempt at restoration into a franken-fire. Depending upon how long it stays up I may make an offer. If the pickup is in good condition that makes it worth at least $300 as a whole. Purchasing it for a bit more than that may make it worth it.

Thanks for the link Ralf.

Understood, absolutely. The point of what I was tryin to say though was more that there is a chance it really needs a lot of work, to the extent that u would wind up with a very nice "frankenfire" in the end just to get it to play at all...if that makes any sense...but I really don't know. All speculation of course. Brindell couldn't work with it and that guy has more guilds than, well I don't know how many guilds he has but that is not a good sign. He is a member here but if u are on Facebook u can join his page "my guild guitars" and message him about the bass.

Im with u on the pickup, electronics and hardware. If it's all there it has value. This bass has a history though, there is a chance there have been some changes. Just proceed with caution, that's all. Could def work out! If it doesn't though u can get a reissue harmony hollow body bass or Allen Woody Epiphone hollow bass brand new or slightly used at around the same price range and, mod those.(or a used cassady, or used Newark street Starfire bass)

Right on.

Something like this comes to mind...
http://s217476017.onlinehome.us/2007/10/12/1960s-guild-starfire-bass-refinish/

wisconsindead said:

Right on.

Something like this comes to mind...
http://s217476017.onlinehome.us/2007/10/12/1960s-guild-starfire-bass-refinish/

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Or this.



But my opinion is that you would be taking a $300-$500 project and making it into a $1000-$1300 bass. Until we see concrete information on Newark Street parts I would be leery of a valuation based on parts since the part with the most value is the Bisonic, assuming it works.

Yea thats such a sweet starfire. Well if all of the parts are in working order, including the case I'd say $400-500 would be worth it. Then theres the body which IMO has a value of its own, how to judge the value of a part-less body idk.

Someone has made an offer on it, wonder how much it was.

Its sold.

Wonder what will become of this bass.