tsarter
Junior Member
I was pointed this way from a new online friend I was discussing basses with. Tim Sarter from Northern California here. By way of introduction, here’s my pair of ‘68s:
New member - just saying hello.
- Thread starter tsarter
- Start date
Guildedagain
Enlightened Member
Sunburst Alley
So nice, I can smell the old wood. Great exposure on the sunburst/s, hard to do actually without just the right kind of daylight. Great side by side shot with a rarely seen model.
More lusty comments from other members to come forth shortly ;]
So nice, I can smell the old wood. Great exposure on the sunburst/s, hard to do actually without just the right kind of daylight. Great side by side shot with a rarely seen model.
More lusty comments from other members to come forth shortly ;]
Last edited:
krysh
Guildarist in the mod squad
Welcome and congrats, what an entry. Post well post often!
tsarter
Junior Member
Thanks to you both for the warm welcome! Glad to have found this corner of the internet.
-Tim
-Tim
ruedi
Senior Member
Hi Tim, welcome! That's a nice pair for sure.
Are you the original owner?
Are you the original owner?
Happy Face
Justified Ancient of MuMu
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chazmo
Super Moderator
Great introduction, Tim. Coupl'a' beauties there! Welcome to LTG!
fronobulax
Bassist, GAD and the Hot Mess Mods
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Very nice. Thank you, and welcome
I expect you are almost uniquely qualified to discuss the similarities and differences between comparable Starfires and M-85s. So what are they? Which one do you grab and why? What makes you switch to the other one? If you could only keep one.... Etc.
My limited experience is that a '67 SF I and a '70 M-85-I sounded similar enough that I wasn't sure I could justify having both. The Starfire ergonomics worked better for me so I have yet to pay the asking prices for a M-85. But you have both so...
I expect you are almost uniquely qualified to discuss the similarities and differences between comparable Starfires and M-85s. So what are they? Which one do you grab and why? What makes you switch to the other one? If you could only keep one.... Etc.
My limited experience is that a '67 SF I and a '70 M-85-I sounded similar enough that I wasn't sure I could justify having both. The Starfire ergonomics worked better for me so I have yet to pay the asking prices for a M-85. But you have both so...
mellowgerman
Senior Member
Very nice duo of Guilds there! It's posts like this that make me debate if I should maybe invest in an M-85 to go with my Starfire. Did you flip the neck pickup of the M85 for a particular reason? As a means of getting more of a contrast between the two basses? Or perhaps the deeper hollow body's resonance calls for the pickup poles being closer toward the bridge?
Anyway, Herzlich Willkommen!
Anyway, Herzlich Willkommen!
tsarter
Junior Member
The word Lusty is always welcome when talking about nice basses!
tsarter
Junior Member
I'm not. I've had my M85 II for twenty years or so. Just got the Starfire II a couple of weeks back.
tsarter
Junior Member
Thank you!
tsarter
Junior Member
They are similar, but at least with mine, also quite different. My M85 has a more focused attack and tone. It tends to cut much more. If you'd like I can shoot a video comparing the two. Timing would be good as i have them both strung with similar strings. Let me know if you'd like me to do that.
tsarter
Junior Member
I didn't flip the bridge pickup on the M85. Was like that when I got it years ago. I like it though. Doing so results in the magnets being more towards the center of the bass. For me that's a more usable tone.
bassmyf
Member
Very nice pair! Welcome, you came to the right place. I have a few Starfires, and a M85, but never had the chance to try the hollow body.
tsarter
Junior Member
What are most of the M85 tops made of?
mavuser
Enlightened Member
the hollow and chambered/semi solid variant of the M-85 from around 1968-1970 is pretty rare in any configuration (top wood, pickups). to have any of those is quite rare i'd say. of those, I would guess maple is the most "common" (not the right word but whatever) then i've seen maybe 2-3 spruce tops and as best as I can recall 1-2 mahogany tops. After 1970 the M-85 became a *solid body mahogany body for all M-85s thru the end of that run at the end of the 1970s. fast forward to 2012-2014 where the Guild GSR M-85-II (Made in USA factory, between 12-25 pieces very limited) is fully hollow and fully mahogany including the top (although top is advertised as spruce in all literature!). around the same time an M-85-I "Newark Street" reissue series made in Korea bass is released and those i believe do have the laminated spruce top, or else it is maple- this last one made in Korea is the first M-85 built to the same shape and size of the original design like yours, however the new Korean one is semi solid/chambered and yours is fully hollow (noted by the binding on back as well as the top, together with the spruce top). yours is nice!!