It's back!

edwin

Member
Joined
Jan 3, 2009
Messages
187
Reaction score
77
Bass.jpg

Headstock.jpg
 

adorshki

Reverential Member
Joined
Aug 21, 2009
Messages
34,176
Reaction score
6,790
Location
Sillycon Valley CA
What'd I miss?
It's gorgeous, even if the faceplate work does remind me of some patterns they used to use on Superballs.
Sincerely, no snark intended, it's genuinely evocative of the psychedelic era.
 

edwin

Member
Joined
Jan 3, 2009
Messages
187
Reaction score
77
What'd I miss?
It's gorgeous, even if the faceplate work does remind me of some patterns they used to use on Superballs.
Sincerely, no snark intended, it's genuinely evocative of the psychedelic era.

This is Jack Casady's first starfire, modified by Alembic, mostly Bear. Shortly after Woodstock, it was stolen in Seattle. It was missing for 47 years and it has finally been returned. For those of us who love the Alembic modified Starfires, this is the alpha bass. This and Phil's Big Brown are pretty much the quintessential versions of that idea. As your sig says, you never forget your first Guild and for many of us, this is it.

So, you have it just right. It is not just evocative of the psychedelic era, but definitive!

Since it has taken its journey, it has been refinished and some modification to Bear's carved bits.

Here it is back in the day, in Golden Gate Park, courtesy of Rosie McGee, a wonderful photographer who was also Phil Lesh's girlfriend back in the halcyon psychedelic days. Her book, Dancing With The Dead, is highly recommended.

69K3GGPCasady.jpg
 

adorshki

Reverential Member
Joined
Aug 21, 2009
Messages
34,176
Reaction score
6,790
Location
Sillycon Valley CA
So, you have it just right. It is not just evocative of the psychedelic era, but definitive!
Aha! While I'm a big Jack/Airplane/Hot Tuna fan, and not quite as much of a Dead fan, and I'm familiar with Alembic's "gestation" (and knew of the "lost bass), I don't recall ever seeing it before.
I thought it was yours, back from some work, LOL!
And I actually had a superball with that pattern when I was about 9 or 10.
Makes ya wonder if that really was the inspiration for that headstock.
It never occurred to me before but can you imagine how much fun it would have been for stoned hippies to play with one of those things?
Or try to play hackysack with one?
 
Last edited:

Happy Face

Justified Ancient of MuMu
Joined
Dec 11, 2007
Messages
916
Reaction score
239
I covet that instrument. Though, it truly belongs in better hands than mine.
 

mellowgerman

Senior Member
Joined
Sep 21, 2008
Messages
4,100
Reaction score
1,506
Location
Orlando, FL
WHHHHAAAATTT!!!!!!!?????! where has it been?!

EDIT: I have found out from an undisclosed source that the bass is indeed back in the hands of Jack.
 
Last edited:

Daghdha

Junior Member
Joined
Mar 17, 2016
Messages
10
Reaction score
1
Location
KFMH
Per one of the 2 guys responsible for getting it back to Jack:
"Jack's 67 Guild Starfire bass is indeed back in Jack's arms ! It looks different as someone refinished it after it was stolen. It was stolen after a Jefferson Airplane show at the Seattle Center Coliseum October 11th, 1969. In 1979 my dear friend and bass player bought the guitar from a fellow employee. He had no idea of its history. January 5th this year, I saw a post that Jack had written and somebody shared. I took one look at that picture and said that's Leroy's bass ! I called him right away, and asked if he wanted me to contact Jack to get it back to him. Leroy paid $1800 for it in 1979. He said do it. So after a lot of chatting with people that knew Jack, I finally spoke with Jorma. We made a little funny plan , to surprise the hell out of jack. I'm not going to tell the whole story here, because I have written the story already. To wrap this up, I shipped Jack's bass to him about a month ago ! Jack is very happy !"
 

Mungi

Junior Member
Joined
May 21, 2013
Messages
61
Reaction score
23
So happy for Jack!!!

It seems to have lost some of the wood carvings over the years though. :sad:´Wonder what happened there.
 

adorshki

Reverential Member
Joined
Aug 21, 2009
Messages
34,176
Reaction score
6,790
Location
Sillycon Valley CA
So after a lot of chatting with people that knew Jack, I finally spoke with Jorma. We made a little funny plan , to surprise the hell out of jack.
I literally cried when I read that.
Welcome aboard Daghda, and I think you have just submitted the all-forum all time best first post.
 

Daghdha

Junior Member
Joined
Mar 17, 2016
Messages
10
Reaction score
1
Location
KFMH
I literally cried when I read that.
Welcome aboard Daghda, and I think you have just submitted the all-forum all time best first post.

Just passing on info I recieved on FB.
The guy who contacted Jorrma and Jack to get the bass back to it's rightful owner deserves the praise.
 

chazmo

Super Moderator
Joined
Nov 7, 2007
Messages
25,457
Reaction score
7,114
Location
Central Massachusetts
That's a hell of a story. 47 years! I'm amazed that such a unique and famous axe took so long to find its way back to Mr. Casady.
 

adorshki

Reverential Member
Joined
Aug 21, 2009
Messages
34,176
Reaction score
6,790
Location
Sillycon Valley CA
Just passing on the info I got on FB since Edwin posted about it.
The 2 guys that got it back to Jack deserve the praise.
You're right I did lose track that you didn't personally arrange the return, but it's still a great story and thanks for posting it!
It's the knowing just how close Jack and Jorma are, for so long, that started the tears flowing.
"Better love hath no buddy than to surprise his buddy like that", or something like that, I guess.....
 
Last edited:

ric426

Junior Member
Joined
Apr 29, 2015
Messages
48
Reaction score
0
Location
S.E. Michigan
It *is* pretty cool and amazing that it made it's way back to JC after all that time.

Out of technical curiosity, does anyone know what the control layout is? I remember reading that it was all passive electronics, but there's a lot there for all passive circuitry without a lot of signal loss.
 
Top