Guild Bass pickups before 1971.

[fronobulax]

This is a recapitulation of the discussion started over here. Some information should be in The Guild Guitar Book although I don't have my copy at hand to confirm or verify.

The discussion ends with the oft maligned Guild Humbucker which was standard on all Guild basses by 1972.

There were four distinct pickups. The first is is called the "Mickey Mouse". It was allegedly named that because of the similarity to a guitar pickup, also referred to as "Mickey Mouse". The guitar pickup supposedly got its name because of its small size. It was NOT made by Hagstrom. It was used in the earliest JetStar basses but apparently on no other basses.

Below is what is presumed to be a Mickey Mouse PU in a JetStar.

Next was what might be called the small single-coil Hagstrom. It was used on early Starfires. It may, or may not, have been used on JetStars as well. Anyone know? I have seen it on three Starfires with serial BA-329 and lower.

Below is an example. Note that I have mistakenly called this the Mickey Mouse pickup in the past.

Next is the Hagstrom Bisonic. It was used in JetStars, Starfire I's, Starfire II's, M-85 I's, M-85 II's and JS II's. Someone on LTG claimed that the PU was not made by Hagstrom but they never replied to a request for more information.

Example below.

Finally, there is what might best be called the Hagstrom humbucker. As far as I know it was never used on a Guild bass outside of the bridge position. It has been seen on Starfire II's, JS II's and M-85 II's. It has been paired with both the Bisonic and the Guild humbucker.

Han's picture below.

So...

JetStars had one pickup. Mickey Mouse and Bisonics have been observed. Someone needs to tell me whether the small Hagstrom single coil was used or not.

Starfire I's had the small Hagstrom and the Bisonic. Was the Mickey Mouse ever used on a Starfire? I think not, but...

Starfire II's had a pair of Bisonics, a Bisonic and a Hagstrom humbucker and a Guild humbucker and a Hagstrom humbucker. Can anyone confirm my memory on this last combination? The Hagstrom single coil was never paired with anything and used on a Starfire II, correct?

Hollow M-85 I's had the Bisonic.

Hollow M-85 II's had a pair of Bisonics or a Bisonic and a Hagstrom humbucker.

Solid M-85 II's had a Guild humbucker and a Hagstrom humbucker or a pair of Guild humbuckers. I'm real fuzzy here so I'm hoping for confirmation corrections concerning all flavors of M-85.

JS I's had a Guild humbucker.

JS II's had a pair of Bisonics, or a Bisonic and a Hagstrom humbucker or a pair of Guild humbuckers.

Did I forget anything? What did I get wrong?

 

[hansmoust]

The first is is called the "Mickey Mouse". It was allegedly named that because of the similarity to a guitar pickup, also referred to as "Mickey Mouse". The guitar pickup supposedly got its name because of its small size. It was made by Hagstrom. It was used in the earliest JetStar basses but apparently on no other basses.

Hello Frono,

The 'Mickey Mouse' pickups, both the guitar and the bass version, were not made by Hagstrom!

Sincerely,

Hans Moust
www.guitarsgalore.nl

 

[fronobulax]

The first is is called the "Mickey Mouse". It was allegedly named that because of the similarity to a guitar pickup, also referred to as "Mickey Mouse". The guitar pickup supposedly got its name because of its small size. It was made by Hagstrom. It was used in the earliest JetStar basses but apparently on no other basses.

Hello Frono,

The 'Mickey Mouse' pickups, both the guitar and the bass version, were not made by Hagstrom!

Sincerely,

Hans Moust
http://www.guitarsgalore.nl

Fixed that. Thanks.

 

[hagmeat]

Hey Frono, very informative thread, your research is appreciated.
Cheers. Rob.

 

[bassmanpatsfan18]

Thanks for the research, Frono!

I'm in the process of tracking down pickups to put into my '69 fretless Starfire. It currently has 4 Bartolini J's, but I want something closer to what it had originally. I'm leaning toward getting a Dark Star (if I can find another) in the neck position or one of the new bisonic copies made by Daguet (in France) or the people in Sweden and then buying one of the hagstrom bass humbuckers from www.hagstromparts.se for the bridge position. Not only would it cut down on the cost of buying two Bisonic replicas, but I'm also very intrigued by how my bass will sound with both a bisonic type single coil and a humbucker.

 

[mgod]

The discussion ends with the oft maligned Guild Humbucker

Thank you - I do my best.

There is potential progress on the return of the Dark Star. News soon I hope.

I'm almost 100% certain that the so-called French pickup is a DS.

 

[bassmanpatsfan18]

The discussion ends with the oft maligned Guild Humbucker

Thank you - I do my best.

There is potential progress on the return of the Dark Star. News soon I hope.

I'm almost 100% certain that the so-called French pickup is a DS.

Great news about Hammon.

What do you mean by the last line? I've talked to Roger Daguet myself. He's currently making a bisonic replica that should be ready by the end of January. The cosmetic design will be different so that the pickup has a smaller footprint, but structurally, it should be very similar to the DS.

 

[bklynbass]

The first is is called the "Mickey Mouse". It was allegedly named that because of the similarity to a guitar pickup, also referred to as "Mickey Mouse". The guitar pickup supposedly got its name because of its small size.

Someone please correct me if I'm wrong, but I believe that the guitar MM pickup was so named because its pole pieces' pattern kinda looked like mickey mouse with two big "ears"...and even thought the bass pickup's polepieces didn't look like him, the name carried over because it had a similar look overall with the white center and whatnot.

here's a photo I found on the internet

 

[fronobulax]

Hey Frono, very informative thread, your research is appreciated.
Cheers. Rob.

Thank you. Sometimes I work to improve the "signal to noise" ration of my posts.

 

[fronobulax]

The discussion ends with the oft maligned Guild Humbucker

Thank you - I do my best.

There is potential progress on the return of the Dark Star. News soon I hope.

I'm almost 100% certain that the so-called French pickup is a DS.

*snicker*

Thanks for the heads up. I look forward to the news and hope it is good for Fred and all those who have been anxiously looking for Dark Stars.

 

[fronobulax]

The first is is called the "Mickey Mouse". It was allegedly named that because of the similarity to a guitar pickup, also referred to as "Mickey Mouse". The guitar pickup supposedly got its name because of its small size.

Someone please correct me if I'm wrong, but I believe that the guitar MM pickup was so named because its pole pieces' pattern kinda looked like mickey mouse with two big "ears"...and even thought the bass pickup's polepieces didn't look like him, the name carried over because it had a similar look overall with the white center and whatnot.

here's a photo I found on the internet

Somewhere in this thread are links to the places that claimed the name was due to the size but I don't always believe everything I read on the internet, especially since "Mickey Mouse" was never a synonym for "diminutive" to me.

 

[bklynbass]

Oops, I just checked out Hans' book, and I'm wrong...that picture I posted is not of the mickey mouse pickup.
You were, right, the original guitar pickup looked a lot like the bass pickup and according to Hans was named that because it was small. sorry... (it's on pages 31 and 32 if you're interested)

 

[mellowgerman]

To add to the discussion, I don't quite remember if this is how she left the factory but here's Steve Boone's bass...

 

[fronobulax]

To add to the discussion, I don't quite remember if this is how she left the factory but here's Steve Boone's bass...

From here.

As far as Steve Boone's bass is concerned, I probably have a little more information. I have early photos ( actually they are very low quality scans that are supposed to be from 1965) of him playing a single pickup (Bi-Sonic near the bridge) bass and also slightly later photos that show him with a double pickup bass with the rare 'small' Hagstrom pickups with big black pickup surrounds to cover up the holes for the earlier pickup(s). The quality of the photos is not good enough to see whether or not it is the same bass that's in the early photos.
When I saw Steve Boone's bass several years ago (when it was offered for sale) it had 2 'Mickey Mouse' bass pickups also with big black pickup surrounds and a Master Volume, and I can only assume it was the same bass. In a letter that came with the instrument Steve Boone wrote that it was the bass he played all through his 'Spoonful' period, so it may have been the same instrument that originally had one Hagstrom Bi-Sonic pickup. However the serial number of the bass dated it to 1966 and since the early photos of him with the single-pickup base were made earlier than that, Steve probably had more than one Starfire Bass during his career.

Sincerely,

Hans Moust
http://www.guitarsgalore.nl

I might guess that the picture shows the small Hagstroms but that is a guess based upon my perception that the stings look fatter when they pass over the PUs.

If I am not totally confused it would seem that if the Steve Boone bass with Mickey Mouse PUs was factory then it was extremely unusual because they were generally only seen on JetStars.

I also get the sense from reading old threads that some of the "celebrity" Starfire II's that predate 1967 were specials and not "off the shelf" or catalog spec instruments.