New Chris Hillman Signature Starfire Bass?

idealassets

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Sweet!, Now what would be the ultimate, would be if John Jorgenson begins playing Guild's. That would be too good.

Next question: did Chris Hillman come up with this, or is it just for PR?

Also: is that a new bass? I can see the knob indicator brads on the guitar, as though its an old bass or an authentic reproduction. Nice touch if it is.

Craig
 

idealassets

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Two more things: 1. These 2 gents are smiling big time, I have many pic's where they don't quite seem this happy.

2. Nice vest on Mr Hillman, was he out deer hunting, or did he just come in from flagging in jets at LAX? I know I'm a wise guy, but don't you feel the love, I have liked both of these players ever since I could remember.

CG
 

SFIV1967

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Also: is that a new bass? I can see the knob indicator brads on the guitar, as though its an old bass or an authentic reproduction. Nice touch if it is.
Craig: It's a yet to be released potential future model of the Newark St. bass as we discussed above, and the knobs on the Newark St. models have tone and volume written on the knobs as you can see in the link here.
Ralf
 
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fronobulax

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Craig: It's a yet to be released potential future model of the Newark St. bass as we discussed above, and the knobs on the Newark St. models have tone and volume written on the knobs as you can see in the link here.
Ralf

And the brads that ideal noted are also standard on the only version of the Newark Street Starfire bass currently available.
 
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idealassets

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lungimsam

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I wonder if the back of the neck is sunburst, too?

I would love to get a sunburst Starfire.
 

lungimsam

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I wonder if this means no standard sunburst Starfire and you have to buy signature if you want a sunburst.
I would not want to own a signature. I want my basses to be mine, and you can't do that with someone else's name on it.
Maybe it will be a limited run and they will then start standard model bursts.
 

johnbiscuti

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I wonder if this means no standard sunburst Starfire and you have to buy signature if you want a sunburst.
I would not want to own a signature. I want my basses to be mine, and you can't do that with someone else's name on it.
Maybe it will be a limited run and they will then start standard model bursts.

Ahem. Les Paul? ;-)
 
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lungimsam

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Ahem. Les Paul? ;-)

No, sir. I do not own a Les Paul. But not for that reason. I just don't like them, is all.

Now, no one can escape having a maker's name on an axe all the time. But that is ok with me. I just don't want an artist/signature model. Nothing is wrong with signature models, of course. I am just weird that way. I would just feel funky playing a bass with someone else's name on it. And that is my deficiency, not the bass's.

And that Hillman Starfire is definitely drool material. A beautiful bass. Sunburst Starfires are my favorite Starfires to look at. But I will just wait for a standard model to come out in burst, if ever.

I have a '61 RI Gibson SG with Lyre Vibrola, Fender Blue Flower Stratocaster, Fender Blue Flower Precision Pbass, Fender American Vintage 62' RI Pbass. No signature models.
I bought them because I love how they sound and play and look, not because they aren't signature models.

Even if they had a Jack Casady signature Starfire bass (my favorite rock bassist) I wouldn't buy it. I just don't like people's names on my axes. I am ok with the builder's name being written or stamped in the neck pockets, though.
 
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twocorgis

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I wonder if this means no standard sunburst Starfire and you have to buy signature if you want a sunburst.
I would not want to own a signature. I want my basses to be mine, and you can't do that with someone else's name on it.
Maybe it will be a limited run and they will then start standard model bursts.

Actually, I really like this one more and more as I look at it. The burst and vibe remind me so much of gilded's '66 that I played at GuitArlington 2010. That's the one that got me started on the whole Starfire Bass thing (thanks, Harry!). The ghost label doesn't heart, either!

FWIW, I was never a fan of "signature" instruments either, but that all changed when I got my D18 David Crosby Signature. It's still the best square shoulder dread I've ever played, and is so good my luthier wants it.

4679662013_36612945b2_b.jpg


It's also a thing of beauty to behold
icon_mrgreen.gif
 

idealassets

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I wonder if this means no standard sunburst Starfire and you have to buy signature if you want a sunburst.
I would not want to own a signature. I want my basses to be mine, and you can't do that with someone else's name on it.
Maybe it will be a limited run and they will then start standard model bursts.
Just for conversation, 2 sig guitars that I would definitely consider are the Martin OMJM (John Mayer), and the OM28 EC (Eric Clapton). Both have unique features, and they are in demand new or used.

Craig
 

twocorgis

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Just for conversation, 2 sig guitars that I would definitely consider are the Martin OMJM (John Mayer), and the OM28 EC (Eric Clapton). Both have unique features, and they are in demand new or used.

Craig

The guitar player in my band just bought a John Mayer, and it's very nice. I've played a few ECs that didn't really move me though. One was at the local GC, and sat there a very long time.
 

Happy Face

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I had a Chris Squier Ricky for a little while. (I got it incredibly cheap ($1900) on Ebay because everyone else was afraid to buy from a Japanese seller. I sold it on because I didn't like the neck profile as much as the Ricky I already owned.

Briefly thought that the signature was tacky, but realized that, outside of other bass players, who would notice, much less care? Anyway, I am so handsome and have so much stage presence & charisma, no one even notices what I am playing!!
 

gjmalcyon

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John Jorgenson just added this (via his FB page): "I believe Guild will likely soon make a 2 PU version of the Starfire bass"

More: "Indeed Chris played with a pick back in the Byrds days using flat wound strings with the tone knob rolled back, and usually plugged into a Fender Bassman or Showman amp. His original Guild bass was lost when a van full of the Byrds' gear was either stolen or in an accident late 1966. For the Byrds' 1st album "Mr Tambourine Man" Chris had a Fender Jazz bass (he played on all the tracks except Mr Tambourine Man, that was Larry Knechtel) but by the time the group started doing TV appearances and live shows to promote it in mid 1965 he had gotten the Guild. Its first recorded appearance would be for the "Turn, Turn, Turn" album sessions which started in late May 1965. Guild did reproduce the original style PU and went to great lengths to copy the original sunburst pattern too. The Byrds' logo is inlaid on the 12th fret and Chris' signature will appear on the truss rod cover."

I am not crazy about a Byrds logo at the 12th fret, but a sunburst two-pickup version? I'M IN.

Just saw the documentary film, "The Wrecking Crew" about the band of L.A. studio musicians behind a lot of '60's hits (I also participated in the Kickstarter campaign that finally got the film released), and they talk about sitting in for the rest of The Byrds on "Mr. Tambourine Man". It turns out the lineup for "Mr. Tambourine Man" was:

Webster, Roger, E. (Leader)
Bridges, Russell (Piano) AKA Leon Russell
Knechtel, Laurence, W. (Bass)
Blane, Hal (Drums)
Pitman, William (Guitar)
Kolbrak, Jerry (Guitar)
McGuinn, James, J. (Guitar)
 

One Drop

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Looks like they got the S/B colours right- my '66 has a bit wider black spray all around the burst, and the one Bi-sonic is at the neck.
 
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