need a new hardshell case for your starfire bass?

mellowgerman · Sep 4, 2014

I don't think this has been posted yet (at least not with photos) but the Epiphone Jack Casady hardshell case which is readily available from pretty much any major online retailer for about $120 is a PERFECT fit for vintage starfire basses. I figured the long-scale vs short-scale factor would be an issue (i.e. the casady case would be excessively long) but the bridge on the casady is set farther back toward the strap button end of the body allowing the overall length to be really similar between the two basses.
TKL now makes an official Guild Starfire bass case, but it's priced stupidly high at $199.99... no need to spend that much anymore!
Here's the photographic evidence:

twocorgis · Sep 4, 2014

That's the same case Greenie came with Ingo! That case is now living in Florida with Fixit and my old red Starfire I, and I kept the OEM case for Greenie. It is a great fit, if a bit long.

mavuser · Sep 5, 2014

good post mello, we have a couple threads on this, here is one-

http://www.letstalkguild.com/ltg/sh...re-bass-Thread&highlight=case+starfire+thread

the Cassady case, the current Newark Street/$199 Guild case, and the previous Guild B4 case are all likely the same exact TKL mold, or very very close. Possibly the B30 as well. The 90s Guild Starfire bass case however (red inside), will only fit a 90s Starfire bass (which is thinner than a vintage or Newark Street Starfire bass, by 1/4 inch).

mellowgerman · Sep 5, 2014

Ah I thought I remembered seeing a thread on this topic, but when I tried to search for it last night I couldn't find it. Guess I'll need to remember to do my searches before I start in on the gin and tonics

mavuser · Sep 5, 2014

No worries man,no such thing as too much luv for the Cassady case, or for gin and tonics!

fronobulax · Sep 5, 2014

Thanks. This has been discussed before but the pictures are much appreciated. I presume the NS OEM Starfire Case and the TKL Starfire case are the same cases, just different badges?

Just by appearance if you told me the JC case was my NS case, I'd believe it, although the NS case may have more room for the tuning peg ears...

twocorgis · Sep 5, 2014

fronobulax said:
Just by appearance if you told me the JC case was my NS case, I'd believe it, although the NS case may have more room for the tuning peg ears...

It probably doesn't. The Casady cases have a massive amount of room in the headstock compartment. Far more than is needed for a 34" scale bass, much less a shorty.

dapmdave · Sep 5, 2014

twocorgis said:
It probably doesn't. The Casady cases have a massive amount of room in the headstone compartment. Far more than is needed for a 34" scale bass, much less a shorty.

The headstone compartment? (Don't you love automatic spell correction?)

twocorgis · Sep 5, 2014

dapmdave said:
The headstone compartment? (Don't you love automatic spell correction?)

Damn auto-correct! Just fixed that...

fronobulax · Sep 5, 2014

twocorgis said:
It probably doesn't. The Casady cases have a massive amount of room in the headstock compartment. Far more than is needed for a 34" scale bass, much less a shorty.

OK. But the NS headstock is too big to fit into a 1970's Starfire case. Trust me on this, as documented elsewhere

wisconsindead · Sep 6, 2014

Yea I dont know why they chose those goofy looking tuners that stick out 4 inches on the NS starfires. Definitely wouldnt fit as my 67 starfire takes lil precision to get in its case.

Yggdrasil · Sep 7, 2014

mavuser said:
the Cassady case, the current Newark Street/$199 Guild case, and the previous Guild B4 case are all likely the same exact TKL mold, or very very close. Possibly the B30 as well.

No way a B30! (I have a 67 Starfire case, 2 Casady cases and a B30 case all sitting side by side).

mavuser · Sep 8, 2014

Yggdrasil said:
No way a B30! (I have a 67 Starfire case, 2 Casady cases and a B30 case all sitting side by side).

Thanks for posting, good to know.

chefothefuture1 · Nov 10, 2014

An Ibanez ASB100C case fits my '74 SFII perfectly. It's a snug fit but the padding has plenty of give.I was pretty disappointed in the quality of the new Guild case and for less money, the Ibanez case is the same build quality albeit with less latches. An NS Starfire would not fit since the tuners stick out further than the old Klusons do.

fronobulax · Nov 10, 2014

chefothefuture1 said:
An Ibanez ASB100C case fits my '74 SFII perfectly. It's a snug fit but the padding has plenty of give.I was pretty disappointed in the quality of the new Guild case and for less money, the Ibanez case is the same build quality albeit with less latches. An NS Starfire would not fit since the tuners stick out further than the old Klusons do.

What Guild case, specifically, are you referring to that you didn't care for the quality? The Newark Street case or something else? There's a thread around here about Starfire basses and Guild cases. The 1970's Guild case is too narrow to hold the Newark Street headstock with the stock tuners and there are a couple of other nuances as well.

chefothefuture1 · Nov 10, 2014

I should have been more specific.
The Newark St case was the one I'm referring to. When compared to the '90s TKL cases, these new ones seem pretty cheesy ( for $199). So, my point was if one is looking for a case that will fit a 90s or earlier Starfire, there are other options. It is nice to have a case that says "Guild" on it, but they seem pricy for what they are.
But yes, if you have a Newark St bass, you need the wider "bulb" to fit those large Grover tuners.

fronobulax · Nov 10, 2014

chefothefuture1 said:
I should have been more specific.
The Newark St case was the one I'm referring to. When compared to the '90s TKL cases, these new ones seem pretty cheesy ( for $199). So, my point was if one is looking for a case that will fit a 90s or earlier Starfire, there are other options. It is nice to have a case that says "Guild" on it, but they seem pricy for what they are.
But yes, if you have a Newark St bass, you need the wider "bulb" to fit those large Grover tuners.

OK. My NS case is by no means the cheesiest case I have with a Guild badge, but it is also true it was bundled with the bass so it is not like I think of it as a $200 case either. Thanks.

The great case thread is here and without rereading it don't think I would make a blanket statement suggesting the same case would fit all of the pre-2000 Starfire basses.

chefothefuture1 · Nov 10, 2014

fronobulax said:
OK. My NS case is by no means the cheesiest case I have with a Guild badge, but it is also true it was bundled with the bass so it is not like I think of it as a $200 case either. Thanks.

The great case thread is here and without rereading it don't think I would make a blanket statement suggesting the same case would fit all of the pre-2000 Starfire basses.

I'll check it out. I do own Starfires from the 60s , 70s, and 90s and have actually put each one in what ever case comes up. So I do not speak with out experience . Though the Grover Titans as used from the late 70s through the 90s might indeed give a tight fit. I forget about that since I change the Titans out for Klusons, so the extra width is no longer an issue.

chefothefuture1 · Nov 10, 2014

So here are pictures to set the record straight.
First, here's the case-

Here's a 67 SF in the case-

Here's a 74 SF-

And last, a 96 SF-

fronobulax · Nov 11, 2014

Thanks. My comment probably should have been more nuanced because what I was trying to remember is that the 90's basses are not as fat so a 90's case doesn't fit the others. But you clearly demonstrate this case works for all. If you told me that it fit a NS bass I'd believe you but if you asked my guess based upon pictures I'd say probably not. (I'm just looking at the '67 and noticing how much the headstock dimensions look like my 67 in a 70's case and that case will not hold the NS). Ibanez ASB100C case. Thanks.

need a new hardshell case for your starfire bass?

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