Berry Oakley and Starfire Bass

sailingshoes72

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fronobulax

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Thanks.

16640826_839277459543488_4806806975666952887_n.jpg


I've seen a couple other Oakley with Starfire pictures but I was thinking the Starfire was not blond. My memory is probably at fault since I think the story is that he liked the sound but not the guitar, hence the Tractor Bass, rather than multiple Starfires.
 

fronobulax

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Got t'wonder: what ever happened to that bass?

Good question. Uncle Google is somewhat unhelpful. Oakley was using the Tractor Bass (Fender Jazz w/Bisonic) by the end of 1970. There are several interviews where he said he did not like the Guild bass but liked the pickup. It is not clear whether the PU was pulled from the bass under discussion to make the Tractor although there is a report that the PU was pulled and a roadie did the deed. In fact his son says the "white" Guild was scrapped or parted out to make the Tractor(s) here so maybe it is clear after all. A couple other articles suggest he was aware of/admired Jack Casady's playing but do not go as far as suggesting he tried the Guild because Casady played one.

It is amusing to see people correcting other people when they say "Hagstrom Bisonic" instead of "Guild Starfire".
 

Minnesota Flats

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"In fact his son says the 'white' Guild was scrapped or parted out to make the Tractor"

From our present-day perspective, we might be tempted to think, "wow, the members of that band must've been rolling in money: why would he cannibalize perfectly good bass instead of just buying another pickup from Guild?" My impression is that the original "Tractor" was modded around 1969. I that's so, then I should think that Guild had not yet switched to Humbucker bass pups, so you'd think that he could've bought a pup from Guild.

Then again, the Starfire was hardly a "vintage" piece at that point, so he doubtless was just taking the most expeditious route to getting the tone he wanted from a bass he found more comfortable to play.
 

mavuser

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nice one. looks like a '68 with that harp bridge and suck switch (and small headstock). I doubt Oakley though much about pulling the pickup and scrapping the Guild, he just wanted the long scale Fender i bet, didnt give it muchc thought at all.
 

Happy Face

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Have to agree with the Malevolent User on this. It was just a guitar!
 

Minnesota Flats

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Just for reference, in 1968, a brand new Starfire II Bass listed for $440. That might sound cheap, but adjusted for inflation, that's about $3132.80 in 2017 dollars. A sunburst Jazz Bass that year listed at $289.50 without case ($2061.79 in 2017 dollars).

That same year, a new Volkswagen "Beetle" listed for $1699 ($12,100.09 in 2017 dollars).

We tend to forget to make that adjustment when we wax nostalgic about the "cheap" prices of yesteryear's gear. I remember looking at guitars in the $400-$500 range back then and thinking of them as being utterly unobtainable. Once you consider the average wage of those times, that makes a bit more sense, especially when you figure that most teenagers were paid minimum wage (about $1.65/hour [$11.75 in 2017 dollars]).
 
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fronobulax

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"In fact his son says the 'white' Guild was scrapped or parted out to make the Tractor"

From our present-day perspective, we might be tempted to think, "wow, the members of that band must've been rolling in money: why would he cannibalize perfectly good bass instead of just buying another pickup from Guild?" My impression is that the original "Tractor" was modded around 1969. I that's so, then I should think that Guild had not yet switched to Humbucker bass pups, so you'd think that he could've bought a pup from Guild.

Then again, the Starfire was hardly a "vintage" piece at that point, so he doubtless was just taking the most expeditious route to getting the tone he wanted from a bass he found more comfortable to play.

Somebody get me a net because I am going out on a limb here but it is documented that there were actually two "Tractor" basses. The Hagstrom mounting positions are slightly different. The limb is that perhaps the decision to part out the Starfire was influenced by the fact that there was a home for both pickups?

I also note that the people I talk to about why they modify gear are generally unconcerned with economics. They think they can make something better and they have the resources to do so. Part of the motivation is creativity and it doesn't really matter that they could have achieved the same result with lower expenses.
 

sailingshoes72

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Somebody get me a net because I am going out on a limb here but it is documented that there were actually two "Tractor" basses. The Hagstrom mounting positions are slightly different. The limb is that perhaps the decision to part out the Starfire was influenced by the fact that there was a home for both pickups?

I think that you are right about there being two "Tractor" basses. Over the years, I have seen photos and videos of Berry Oakley playing two different Fender Jazz basses with the Bisonic pickup.

a) one is a sunburst finish with a bound fretboard and block inlays. The transplanted Bisonic is "squared up" to the strings.

b) the second is a natural finish with an unbound fretboard and dot inlays. The Bisonic pickup is at a slight angle to the strings.

Check out the video below: bass (b) is shown at the 2:50 mark; and bass (a) is shown at the 3:30 mark.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tRBz3xJWwGQ

Then 40 years later, Shaun Oakley is shown with a "mash-up" of the two basses.

http://www.letstalkguild.com/ltg/showthread.php?189473-Berry-Oakley-Tractor-Bass&highlight=oakley

I think that it is possible that the blonde Starfire bass is still floating around out there somewhere! Removing the two pickups, the pots and wiring wouldn't necessarily "trash" an instrument... unless you did the job with a pocket knife. But who knows what kind of pickups would be in it now. After all, someone found Duane Allman's Goldtop Les Paul in a pawn shop in Daytona Beach back in the late 70's.

http://www.guitarworld.com/guitar-lust-story-duane-allmans-long-lost-1957-gibson-les-paul-goldtop

Bill
 

Mosthigh

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There's a guy North of Seattle WA who posted a photo in Vintage Guitar magazine around 2001 of his Guild Starfire and Versatone amp collection (around a dozen basses and maybe half a dozen amps), and one of those Starfires is blond with the bisonic removed. Wouldn't be surprised if it was Berry's. I don't have the photo anymore or the guy's name, unfortunately.
 

fronobulax

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There's a guy North of Seattle WA who posted a photo in Vintage Guitar magazine around 2001 of his Guild Starfire and Versatone amp collection (around a dozen basses and maybe half a dozen amps), and one of those Starfires is blond with the bisonic removed. Wouldn't be surprised if it was Berry's. I don't have the photo anymore or the guy's name, unfortunately.


Welcome. I wish you had some details because just being a blond Starfire II with the Bisonics removed seems to be a pretty tenuous connection to me. But stranger things have happened and the best detective stories end up with a less likely hypothesis being the answer...
 

Nokomite

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Berry Oakley Jr. is playing Tractor on the Allman Betts tour right now. He says it has 3 pickups in it.
 

bassman10096

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Berry Oakley Jr. is playing Tractor on the Allman Betts tour right now. He says it has 3 pickups in it.
Yup. One Bisonic, one J bridge pu and a J neck pu routed in just north of the other J. Sort of like a Bisonic and a Musicman bucker, only not quite the same.
 

fronobulax

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From 2015, Sarasota, I believe.
Berry-Oakley.jpg

I'm not convinced the June 4, 2021 pic is of the same bass. But since, depending who you talk to, "Tractor" can refer to two different basses played by Barry Sr and one or more recreations crafted by Barry Jr. maybe they aren't supposed to be the same.
 

mavuser

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From 2015, Sarasota, I believe.
Berry-Oakley.jpg

I'm not convinced the June 4, 2021 pic is of the same bass. But since, depending who you talk to, "Tractor" can refer to two different basses played by Barry Sr and one or more recreations crafted by Barry Jr. maybe they aren't supposed to be the same.

4D277944-91A4-4D68-AA22-C58219902C14.jpeg
 
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