Guild Reintroduces Starfire Bass

Guild has reissued the Starfire Bass along with eight other models as part of their Newark St. Collection. Introduced in the ’60s, the original Starfire Bass was made popular by bands including the Byrds and Jefferson Airplane.

Guild Starfire Bass

The new model sports an extra-thin, semi-hollow body made of laminated mahogany finished in Cherry red and accented with black and ivory purfling. Its neck is a 3-piece laminate (two layers of mahogany and a center of maple) with a vintage soft “U” shape. The rosewood fingerboard holds 21 frets wiith pearloid dot position inlays.

The Starfire Bass is fitted with a Guild “Bi-Sonic” with Volume and Tone controls. Hardware includes a combo bridge-tailpiece with rosewood string saddles, Grover tuners, and dual finger rests on either side of the strings.

The 2013 Guild Starfire Bass carries an MSRP of $1,599. For more, check out the Guild Guitars website.

Guild Newark St. Collection Starfire Bass Specs:

  • Body Material: Laminated Mahogany
  • Body Shape: Starfire Bass
  • Body Back: Arched Laminated Mahogany
  • Body Sides: Laminated Mahogany
  • Body Top: Arched Laminated Mahogany
  • Body Finish: Gloss Urethane
  • Bracing: Center Block
  • Purfling: Black/Ivory White
  • F Holes Sound Holes: Unbound F Holes
  • Body Depth: 1.69? (47mm)
  • Body Length: 20.25? (514 mm)
  • Body Width Lower Bout: 16.38? (416 mm)
  • Body Binding: Ivory White with Black/White Purfling
  • Neck Shape: Vintage Soft “U”
  • Number of Frets: 21
  • Fret Size: 6105 (.055? Tall x .090? Wide)
  • Position Inlays: Pearloid Dot
  • Fingerboard Radius: 12? (305 mm)
  • Fretboard: Rosewood
  • Neck Material: 3-Piece Mahogany/Maple/Mahogany
  • Neck Finish: Gloss Urethane
  • Nut Width: 1.5? (38.1 mm)
  • Scale Length: 30.75? (781 mm)
  • Headstock: Newark St.
  • Neck Binding: 1-Ply Ivory White
  • Truss Rods: Dual-Action Head Adjust
  • Truss Rod Nut: Hex
  • Bridge Pickup: Guild “Bi-Sonic” Bass
  • Controls: Volume, Tone
  • Hardware Finish: Nickel-Plated
  • Bridge: Guild Combo Bridge-Tailpiece with Rosewood String Saddles
  • Tuning Machines: Grover
  • String Nut: Bone
  • Pickguard: Opaque Plexi Pickguard with Guild Logo
  • Truss Rod Wrench: Yes
  • Strings: D’Addario EXL165 Nickel Wound Bass, Custom Light, (.045-.105 Gauges)
  • Unique Features: Thinline Double Cutaway Semi-Hollow Body; Guild Combo Bridge/Tailpiece; Dual Finger Rests; Chesterfield Headstock Inlay
  • Control Knobs: Black

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Leave a Reply to Hans van Dongen Cancel reply

  1. I want a long scale Starfire.

  2. Interested to know the specs on that ‘bi-sonic’ p/up. Is it a faithful repro of the famous Hagstrom one that was also reproduced by Doug Hammon or does it just ‘look like one’?

  3. Oh dear. I got a fever. A bass buying fever.

  4. I remember seeing Jack Casady’s modified Starfire at the Rock n’ Roll Hall of Fame. I also remember hyperventilating at the sight of it.

    Yet another bass to put on my list.

  5. If they had made this a 34″ scale ___________________.

  6. I know this pickup looks like the old bi-sonic but how does it sound… Does anyone know if it’s even single-coil?

  7. I’ve been a pbass player for years. I have a “59 and “60 and occasional play my guitar players “56, all vintage intruments. I just keep coming back to these. I love Phil Lesh’s sound circa 1971-73. I even own a DarkStar pickup. I am thinking about buying one of these and putting the darkstar in it… What do you guys think… or should I spend the extra $ and buy a real 66 or 67?

  8. Oh yeah… all my basses get strung with Flats.