Author Topic: Guild or DeArmond Starfire, or Lakland hollowbody sought. (Read 485 times)

crgaston · « **on:** July 31, 2006, 02:32:43 PM »

I am thinking about acquiring one of these as a platform for either Darkstar pickups or Alembics. If anyone has or knows of one, I would really appreciate a heads up.
Thanks,

Charles

bigredbass · « **Reply #1 on:** July 31, 2006, 09:38:50 PM »

Crag, didja know you LakLand offers that hollowbody WITH DarkStars as an option?

J o e y

flaxattack · « **Reply #2 on:** August 07, 2006, 10:03:02 AM »

i have a black dearmond starfire
email me
jeff

crgaston · « **Reply #3 on:** August 07, 2006, 05:56:51 PM »

Thanks for the response, Jeff!
I tried emailing you, but it bounced back as undeliverable.

(edited to add) Because I spelled it wrong...Doh! I just re-sent it.

If it still doesn't work you can reach me at trw66118@yahoo.com

Thanks,
Charles

(Message edited by crgaston on August 07, 2006)

(Message edited by crgaston on August 07, 2006)

yggdrasil · « **Reply #4 on:** September 07, 2006, 12:14:07 PM »

There's a Lakland Skyline HB on Talkbass right now with factory installed Dark Stars. The guy wants 1175 shipped. he has it on ebay as well.

http://www.talkbass.com/forum/showthread.php?t=271533

crgaston · « **Reply #5 on:** September 08, 2006, 12:44:44 PM »

Thanks, Frank!

I ended up buying Jeff's DeArmond, and Darkstars are on the way. I put some Pyramid flats on it and played it at a gig last night, and got a ton of compliments on the sound.

Thanks again, Jeff!
Charles

yggdrasil · « **Reply #6 on:** September 08, 2006, 06:42:28 PM »

You'll love it - short scale is the way to go!
Fred's a great guy - he has my old Alembicized Starfire.I have a Westerly Guild late 90s Starfire reissue with Dark Stars and am very happy. I had a 67 Starfire at the same time - and sold the 67,keeping the DS'd reissue. TI Jazz flats on mine. Are you using the short scale Hofner Pyramids?

(Message edited by Yggdrasil on September 08, 2006)

crgaston · « **Reply #7 on:** September 08, 2006, 10:08:34 PM »

Yep, they're the short ones. I had heard that the silk ends would end up in the nut, but there's plenty of clearance. Maybe they changed how they make them?

Have you owned a DeArmond? I am wondering how much of a difference there is between the maple DeArmonds and the mahogany Guilds, sound-wise. I am still sort of looking for an actual Guild so I can hear the difference myself. There's two on ebay now, but one has only one pickup (great price, though) and the other is a bit too high for one without the Hagstroms.

flaxattack · « **Reply #8 on:** September 08, 2006, 11:31:44 PM »

glad you like it!
told ya
i still have my gibson 68 eb2d mint red
that one stays here

yggdrasil · « **Reply #9 on:** September 09, 2006, 09:02:58 AM »

Never owned a DeArmond. My Guild RI is maple, though. I had another reissue a few years ago; it was also Maple - I sold it because it did not have the sound, The Dark Stars MAKE these basses.I had a mahogany but it had Alembic pups in it, so apples & oranges.

crgaston · « **Reply #10 on:** September 11, 2006, 08:07:46 PM »

Jeff,

Just curious...
Is that patchouli? Just played the Starfire for a while and can still smell it on my hand. I have come to love opening up that case just for the wonderful aroma that issues forth from it!

As an aside, I have contacted a luthier about an Alembic-style bridge/tailpiece for it. It seems my right hand sort of outruns the sound when I play fast stuff with a pick. I'll post a thread when it has the Darkstars and the bridge.

flaxattack · « **Reply #11 on:** September 12, 2006, 05:53:35 PM »

beats me

yggdrasil · « **Reply #12 on:** September 15, 2006, 01:26:14 PM »

Is that patchouli? Just played the Starfire for a while and can still smell it on my hand. I have come to love opening up that case just for the wonderful aroma that issues forth from it!

Charles - i suspect you have one of the rare Starfires with the coveted Aroma Star pups!
Fred demands you pass a pop quiz before he'll sell these.

You'll find that each string triggers a different scent, with variations dependant on fret position, popping, slapping, fingerstyle or pick (further subdivided depending on hard or felt). Gibson had one using this pup, but with a 6 position variscent knob.

The holy grail, of course, is the Alembicized Starfire with CVS (Continuously Variable Scent), only found on a few basses from 1971 or so.

If you're getting patchouli, you must be playing primarily hippy laid back stoner music. Try some blues & see what wafts on up!

Frank

(Message edited by Yggdrasil on September 15, 2006)

crgaston · « **Reply #13 on:** September 15, 2006, 05:10:59 PM »

ROTFLMAO!!!
Thanks Frank! I was wondering about that!

I think there might be a problem, though. I'm playing mostly alternative country, and according to Wikipedia, the Aroma Stars should be producing a cigarette and stale beer scent from the neck pickup and essence of whiskey from the bridge. Maybe it needs an Aromatronics upgrade???

Charles

edwin · « **Reply #14 on:** September 17, 2006, 07:08:53 PM »

Actually, aromatronics have been done! My wife is a perfumer (www.dshperfumes.com, also a good source of pure lemon oil...) and our friends in Zilla hired her to do scent improvisations for a few shows. She used diffusers and brought a variety of oils. It was pretty cool, although probably only the first 15 rows or so got the full effect. There diffusers with fans behind them in front of each muscian, so she was able to put different smells in each and blend them through the air in response to the music each was playing!

Edwin
PS I don't think she's available for country gigs. She likes whiskey, but not cigarettes!