Alembic Guitars Club

Alembic products => Showcase => Artists and Their Alembics => Topic started by: jseitang on November 18, 2008, 11:02:31 AM

Title: David crosby's 12 string starfire
Post by: jseitang on November 18, 2008, 11:02:31 AM

does anyone have any pictures of this? its on the cover of the 1973 the bryds album  and i do remember reading that it was alemicized, curious if anyone has any info or pictures..thx

Title: David crosby's 12 string starfire
Post by: lbpesq on November 18, 2008, 12:26:51 PM

It is a beautiful instrument, made of Brazilian Rosewood.  Not only did I see it earlier this year at a CSN show, but I actually had the opportunity to play it at the mothership a few years ago when it was in for a tune up.  Very Alembicized.  I believe this is one of the very first, if not the first instrument they ever modded.
 
Bill, tgo

Title: David crosby's 12 string starfire
Post by: jseitang on November 18, 2008, 02:59:29 PM

pictures? stories?

Title: David crosby's 12 string starfire
Post by: grateful on November 19, 2008, 02:54:56 AM

(http://club.alembic.com/Images/411/58694.jpg)
 
This was in The Guardian (British newspaper) a few weeks back:  only the headstock is visible.  I believe it was the very first.
 
Mark

Title: David crosby's 12 string starfire
Post by: David Houck on November 19, 2008, 12:18:50 PM

Is this (http://flickr.com/photos/goddette/2720854256/) it?  (Note; this is a copyrighted photo that the owner doesn't want copied.)

Title: David crosby's 12 string starfire
Post by: artswork99 on November 19, 2008, 12:23:29 PM

Nice find Dave!

Title: David crosby's 12 string starfire
Post by: David Houck on November 19, 2008, 12:26:57 PM

Thanks!  It took a little while to find.

Title: David crosby's 12 string starfire
Post by: zezozeceglutz on November 20, 2008, 08:09:17 AM

This is as good a time as any to stop lurking and contribute, right?  Hi guys, I'm Ken.
 
 
Here are a couple of pictures I've come across in the past that show Crosby's 12 string pretty clearly.  Both look to be from around '74 or so.
 
 
 In color (http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v199/zezozeceglutz/PN009682.jpg)
 
 ...and black and white (http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v199/zezozeceglutz/PN017503.jpg)
 
I wonder what the electronics package is inside there and whether it changed(functionally) through the years.  I know that it wears a different set of pickups these days.
 
(Message edited by zezozeceglutz on November 20, 2008)
 
(Message edited by zezozeceglutz on November 20, 2008)

Title: David crosby's 12 string starfire
Post by: David Houck on November 20, 2008, 09:42:15 AM

Hi Ken; welcome to the board!
 
Yes, those are very good pictures of the guitar; the color especially!

Title: David crosby's 12 string starfire
Post by: jseitang on November 20, 2008, 11:39:26 AM

dude that tailpiece reminds me of phil lesh's tailpiece from his starfire bass.... amazing. anyone know the electronics history of david's guitar? im surprised someone hasnt done a article on that guitar... truly a one of a kind!

Title: David crosby's 12 string starfire
Post by: mica on November 20, 2008, 12:44:01 PM

When David's guitar was here last, I took a few pictures. Here's the whole guitar:
(http://club.alembic.com/Images/411/58751.jpg)
  And here's some of the electronics as my dad disassembled them:
(http://club.alembic.com/Images/411/58752.jpg)
  I should do a Featured Custom on this instrument in the future and dig up all the details.

Title: David crosby's 12 string starfire
Post by: new2alembic on November 20, 2008, 02:09:49 PM

That guitar is indeed one of a kind; it is a beautiful instrument. That is an interesting board.  Mica is that a Centronics 36 connector in the pic that you posted?  Is it supported using a bi-directional printer cable?
 
Thanks
 
Carl

Title: David crosby's 12 string starfire
Post by: cozmik_cowboy on November 20, 2008, 03:00:49 PM

Yes, Mica, Please!!!  the only thing that could be better than a FC on this guitar would be if you could talk David into giving to me!
 
Peter

Title: David crosby's 12 string starfire
Post by: paulman on November 21, 2008, 07:32:53 AM

I'm only counting 12 pins on the one side so it's probobly a 24.  However this goes to show the sheer ingenuity in engineering they had in modular component design.  Just have your standard and wire the individual components to male and female side of the connector, then plug 'em together.  Then the electronics can come apart so you're not removing the whole thing at one time for service.  
 
This looks like a prime example of using the components that were available and showing the earliest modular designs that Ron and Co. came up with.  This was in 1968 or 1969 if the history books have it right.  
 
When I recently had my Further wiring harness in for service, it came out like that.  About 10 minutes worth of work to get them back in, plug in the stuff I didn't have to take out and wala!
 
I love that 12 string guitar, but you can let Cozmik have it after David's done with it ha ha.

Title: David crosby's 12 string starfire
Post by: terryc on November 21, 2008, 07:51:50 AM

Is that Stephen Stills in the background of the colour pic.
I missed the 60's..I was too young!(don't believe me..check my profile you disbelievers!! LOL)
The B/W pic shows the huge crowd, what a buzz that must be, the stadium looks absolutely packed out.

Title: David crosby's 12 string starfire
Post by: David Houck on November 21, 2008, 08:19:59 AM

Thanks Mica!!!  It's a beautiful guitar!  An FC is a great idea!

Title: David crosby's 12 string starfire
Post by: paulman on November 21, 2008, 03:47:07 PM

Yes, then we'll know what the little extra pointer knob is for.  It's just below the bridge in the pic that Mica posted, but not in the color and b/w pics.  
 
Loving this thread!  Do it Mica...long overdue FC!

Title: David crosby's 12 string starfire
Post by: cozmik_cowboy on November 21, 2008, 07:32:57 PM

Yes, Terry, that's Stills at the piano in the color pic.  And thanks for the second, Roger.  
 
Peter

Title: David crosby's 12 string starfire
Post by: jseitang on November 22, 2008, 09:57:32 AM

PLEASE- FC...!

Title: David crosby's 12 string starfire
Post by: foth on November 22, 2008, 11:15:00 AM

Oh, this guitar is soooo beautiful!!  Thanks for this thread, you made my day!

Title: David crosby's 12 string starfire
Post by: jseitang on November 22, 2008, 06:10:59 PM

wow this thread turned out better than i thought!

Title: David crosby's 12 string starfire
Post by: edwin on November 24, 2008, 10:51:02 PM

My guess is the pointer is the pickup selector knob.
 
Edwin

Title: David crosby's 12 string starfire
Post by: altgrendel on November 25, 2008, 05:54:51 AM

This thread should be moved to the Artists and their Alembics section.
 
Love the thread.

Title: David crosby's 12 string starfire
Post by: altgrendel on November 30, 2008, 04:33:28 PM

Just noticed that the pickups in the photos linked by zezozeceglutz are different than the ones in Mica's pictures.  
 
Maybe the mystery switch has something to do with the new pups.

Title: David crosby's 12 string starfire
Post by: grateful on July 01, 2009, 02:35:52 AM

He was playing it at Glastonbury at the weekend.
 
(http://club.alembic.com/Images/411/66837.jpg)
 
They covered Uncle John's Band but it wasn't televised.

Title: David crosby's 12 string starfire
Post by: sonicus on July 01, 2009, 08:59:11 AM

David Crosby's music surely makes  it on my  list of greats.
 His album ' IF I COULD ONLY REMEMBER MY NAME  _____I love this one !!!

Title: David crosby's 12 string starfire
Post by: David Houck on July 01, 2009, 11:26:22 AM

Wow!  Very cool picture!!  And they covered Uncle John's Band!!

Title: David crosby's 12 string starfire
Post by: shae on September 13, 2010, 05:28:47 AM

There is a nice article in the latest edition of Guitar Aficionado about this guitar and some of David's others. It started life out as a 1970 Gibson Crest. Luthier Mario Martello added the new neck and fingerboard and Ron and Rick did all of the other modifications. This is also the first guitar to feature LED's.

Title: David crosby's 12 string starfire
Post by: sonicus on September 13, 2010, 12:51:33 PM

That is an interesting looking centronics type connector in the picture of the electronics in Mica's post #  5702 . It looks like it  might function as an internal disconnect from  rest of the harness.
 
(Message edited by sonicus on September 13, 2010)

Title: David crosby's 12 string starfire
Post by: jacko on September 16, 2015, 01:43:40 AM

Saw this guitar at last night's show in Glasgow. Looked and sounded fantastic. The roadie was treating it with an awful lot of respect has he handed it over for Wooden Ships.
 
Graeme

Title: David crosby's 12 string starfire
Post by: David Houck on September 18, 2015, 06:26:57 PM

Title: David crosby's 12 string starfire
Post by: ed_zeppelin on September 19, 2015, 12:09:40 AM

I'd never heard of the Gibson Crest (not surprising, since they only made 162 of them). Here's a rundown on it from Vintage Guitar, with very cool closeups):
 
http://www.vintageguitarandbass.com/gibson/Crest.php (http://www.vintageguitarandbass.com/gibson/Crest.php)
 
Here's a rundown of the Guild Starfire SF-XII
 
http://www.vintageguitarandbass.com/guild/Starfire_XII.php (http://www.vintageguitarandbass.com/guild/Starfire_XII.php)