Guild Unveils Chris Hillman Byrd Bass and Starfire Bass II
Guild Guitars is introducing two new basses this summer with the Chris Hillman Signature Byrds Bass and the Starfire Bass II. The company revealed the instruments at the 2015 Summer NAMM Show in Nashville, Tennessee.
Chris Hillman anchored the Byrds during the mid-1960’s and used a Guild Starfire to record the songs “Turn, Turn, Turn,” “Eight Miles High,” and “The Times They Are A-Changing”. Guild is honoring that legacy with a signature bass featuring a semi-hollow all-maple body, a rosewood fingerboard, and a three-piece mahogany neck. The bass is also fitted with a single BS-1 BiSonic pickup. “I didn’t think you needed two pickups for what I did, [and] I never thought you needed more than four strings,” Hillman said at Guild Headquarters. Other features include flatwound strings, a Byrds logo inlaid at the 12th fret, and Hillman’s signature on the truss rod cover. Each bass includes a hardshell case and a numbered certificate of authenticity personally signed by Chris Hillman.
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<Guild’s second offering is a new take on their Starfire Bass II, which originally debuted in 1967. The semi-hollow model is defined by a dual pickup configuration with a pair of Guild BS-1 BiSonic pickups. Guild says the addition of the neck pickup gives a “warmer, smooth sound for added tonal flexibility.” Each pickup has individual tone and volume controls with a master volume and pickup selector for overall tonal shaping. It’s built with an arched laminate mahogany top and back, mahogany sides, and a three-piece mahogany neck.
The Guild Guitars Chris Hillman Signature Byrds Bass and Starfire Bass II will be available soon with street prices of $1,500 and $1,300, respectively.
Guild Guitars Chris Hillman Signature Byrd Bass Specs:
| Scale Length: | 30 3/4″ (781 mm) |
| Body Construction: | Semi-Hollowbody |
| Body Top and Back: | Arched Laminated Maple |
| Body Sides: | Laminated Maple |
| Finish: | Gloss Polyurethane |
| Guitar Weight: | 8.5 lbs |
| Body Binding: | Ivory White with Black/White Purfling |
| Purfling: | Black/Ivory White |
| Neck Material: | 3-Piece Mahogany/Maple/Mahogany |
| Neck Shape: | Vintage Soft “U” |
| Neck Finish: | Gloss Polyurethane |
| Nut Width: | 1 1/2″ (38.1 mm) |
| Nut Material: | Bone |
| Fingerboard Material: | Indian Rosewood |
| Fingerboard Radius: | 12″ (305 mm) |
| Fingerboard Inlays: | Pearloid Dot with Byrds 12th fret inlay |
| Frets: | 21 |
| Fret Size: | Narrow Jumbo |
| Tuning Machines: | Grover Vintage 142 Series |
| Bridge: | Guild Adjustable Bass Bridge with Rosewood Saddles |
| Strings: | D’Addario ECB81 Flat Wound Bass, Light, 45-100 |
| Case: | TKL Deluxe Hardshell |
| Pickup: | Guild BS-1 BiSonic Bass |
| Controls: | Master Volume, Master Tone |
| Strap Buttons: | Vintage-Style |
Guild Guitars Starfire Bass II Specs:
| Scale Length: | 30 3/4″ (781 mm) |
| Body Construction: | Semi-Hollowbody |
| Body Top and Back: | Arched Laminated Mahogany |
| Body Sides: | Laminated Mahogany |
| Finish: | Gloss Polyurethane |
| Guitar Weight: | 8 lbs 8 oz |
| Body Binding: | Ivory White with Black/White Purfling |
| Purfling: | Black/Ivory White |
| Neck Material: | 3-Piece Mahogany/Maple/Mahogany |
| Neck Shape: | Vintage Soft “U” |
| Neck Finish: | Gloss Polyurethane |
| Nut Width: | 1 1/2″ (38.1 mm) |
| Nut Material: | Bone |
| Fingerboard Material: | Indian Rosewood |
| Fingerboard Radius: | 12″ (305 mm) |
| Fingerboard Inlays: | Pearloid Dot |
| Frets: | 21 |
| Fret Size: | Narrow Jumbo |
| Tuning Machines: | Grover Vintage 142 Series |
| Bridge: | Guild Adjustable Bass Bridge with Rosewood Saddles |
| Strings: | D’Addario EXL165 Nickel Wound Bass, Custom Light, (.045-.105 Gauges) |
| Case: | TKL Deluxe Hardshell |
| Pickups: | Guild BS-1 BiSonic Bass |
| Controls: | Individual Volume & Tone, Master Volume, 3-wayToggle Pickup Selector |
| Strap Buttons: | Vintage-Style |
For more information:
Guild
Jeezus…play some solid notes on the demo….all this harmonic business……