dlenaghan
Member
Hi all,
It's been several months since I picked up my first Guild - a 1970 JS-II with the Hagstrom pair, one single coil bisonic, one humbucker.
EDIT: I've heard that Fred Hammon, maker of Darkstars, is still in business - which means that if you've got a JS-II from '71 after the pickup changeover or later, I'd be interested in talking.. fretted and fretless are both of interest to me, but a JS-I is not so much; changing pickups is one thing, but I don't want to route the body for a bridge pickup installation.
Needless to say, by other basses aren't getting much play, and I don't think they're going to. It's a bit of a cliche, but I've owned enough other instruments to know it's true when I say I've never been so captivated by the sound and overall character of an instrument.
I've looked into mods and options to get the other two even into the same neighborhood as the JS-II, but they'd all involve routing, and even then there are serious hardware differences, especially with the body wood, set neck construction, wooden saddles on that Hagstrom harp bridge, and so on..
Long story short, I need another one to act as a twin/backup/stand-in for any times (knock on wood) that my current JS-II is in the shop, or damaged, or in transit.. you get the idea.
I know they're hard to find, and hard to part with. But I'm on the lookout. It's not urgent, but if you've got one, specifically with the paired Hagstrom pickups (if you've got one with two bisonics or two Darkstars, that'd be totally acceptable as well), I'm prepared, standing offer, to buy it for its fair market price. Original hardware is a plus, but the only things that are crucial to me are the bridge setup (the wooden-saddled Hagstrom bridge, either harp or straight style as on older Starfires and Jetstars), the pickups themselves (unless they're Darkstars, as I've just described), and overall playability. Cosmetic condition is a non-issue for me. I'm buying it to play, not to look at. If it's got dents and dings and even repairs, as long as they're stable and it intonates as it ought to, I'm in. As for JS-IIs with the Guild Goldtone pickups... well, if you've got one, shoot me an email or message and I'll think it over. Mostly it's those early ones I'm really interested in.
EDIT: Goldtone is apparently just for the 90s era reissues by Dearmond. If you've got a Starfire you want to part with... well, twist my arm. ;-)
Fair warning: I live in Seoul, Korea, and I know the cost of shipping here, and I'm familiar with the import duties, and it's worth it to me to have a bass that sounds as the JS-II does. But being so in love with this sound has gotten me worried, too - what if it breaks, what if it's stolen (in the process of getting it insured along with the rest of our stuff now), and so on... But that's it, it's done, I'm over. I hunger for no bass but this one. I have no gas for even a 100-dollar custom Pedulla. I've found my bass soulmate... and it needs a partner! ;-)
Anyway, I will pay shipping and insurance. No funny business, just a guy seriously in love with this instrument and freaked out at the thought of losing the one I've got.
Thanks for reading, and thanks for all the help you've all been in shedding some light on these much-unappreciated instruments.
Dan
PS - I did consider buying an old Gibson EB-3... but only for a moment. ;-)
It's been several months since I picked up my first Guild - a 1970 JS-II with the Hagstrom pair, one single coil bisonic, one humbucker.
EDIT: I've heard that Fred Hammon, maker of Darkstars, is still in business - which means that if you've got a JS-II from '71 after the pickup changeover or later, I'd be interested in talking.. fretted and fretless are both of interest to me, but a JS-I is not so much; changing pickups is one thing, but I don't want to route the body for a bridge pickup installation.
Needless to say, by other basses aren't getting much play, and I don't think they're going to. It's a bit of a cliche, but I've owned enough other instruments to know it's true when I say I've never been so captivated by the sound and overall character of an instrument.
I've looked into mods and options to get the other two even into the same neighborhood as the JS-II, but they'd all involve routing, and even then there are serious hardware differences, especially with the body wood, set neck construction, wooden saddles on that Hagstrom harp bridge, and so on..
Long story short, I need another one to act as a twin/backup/stand-in for any times (knock on wood) that my current JS-II is in the shop, or damaged, or in transit.. you get the idea.
I know they're hard to find, and hard to part with. But I'm on the lookout. It's not urgent, but if you've got one, specifically with the paired Hagstrom pickups (if you've got one with two bisonics or two Darkstars, that'd be totally acceptable as well), I'm prepared, standing offer, to buy it for its fair market price. Original hardware is a plus, but the only things that are crucial to me are the bridge setup (the wooden-saddled Hagstrom bridge, either harp or straight style as on older Starfires and Jetstars), the pickups themselves (unless they're Darkstars, as I've just described), and overall playability. Cosmetic condition is a non-issue for me. I'm buying it to play, not to look at. If it's got dents and dings and even repairs, as long as they're stable and it intonates as it ought to, I'm in. As for JS-IIs with the Guild Goldtone pickups... well, if you've got one, shoot me an email or message and I'll think it over. Mostly it's those early ones I'm really interested in.
EDIT: Goldtone is apparently just for the 90s era reissues by Dearmond. If you've got a Starfire you want to part with... well, twist my arm. ;-)
Fair warning: I live in Seoul, Korea, and I know the cost of shipping here, and I'm familiar with the import duties, and it's worth it to me to have a bass that sounds as the JS-II does. But being so in love with this sound has gotten me worried, too - what if it breaks, what if it's stolen (in the process of getting it insured along with the rest of our stuff now), and so on... But that's it, it's done, I'm over. I hunger for no bass but this one. I have no gas for even a 100-dollar custom Pedulla. I've found my bass soulmate... and it needs a partner! ;-)
Anyway, I will pay shipping and insurance. No funny business, just a guy seriously in love with this instrument and freaked out at the thought of losing the one I've got.
Thanks for reading, and thanks for all the help you've all been in shedding some light on these much-unappreciated instruments.
Dan
PS - I did consider buying an old Gibson EB-3... but only for a moment. ;-)
