Starfire dreams

[edwin]

I think most people here know all about my Starfire. I have struggled forever with trying to get it to play in tune and I finally sat down with my local luthier and we discovered that the frets are just in the wrong place. So, my thought is that if I'm going to get this fixed, I should go to the best place and then perhaps get everything done I would ever want or need to have done.


So:


For sure:
New fingerboard. I'm thinking ebony with MOP inlay and perhaps LEDs. Which I would love. Of course, in a for a penny, in for a pound, so maybe abalone.
Electronics upgrade. This bass buzzes. It's directional. It's frustrating. Hopefully this won't require new pickups, but it shouldn't as it has a recently manufactured set. OTOH, maybe look into getting low impedance pickups, as I really loved the tone of the caramel pickups that are no longer functioning.


Maybe:
I'm thinking perhaps that while I'm dealing with the fingerboard, maybe new headstock? I know some people have done this and I'm wondering how much of a difference did you notice and what sort of difference? Only thing that really keeps me from going there are the Lesh and Casady signatures on the back. Maybe there's a way to incorporate them, but that seems a bit crazy.


Everything else seems pretty good, but I'm always open to ideas. I only want to do this once!

[edwardofhuncote]

If it's me Edwin, I'm 200% in for a new fingerboard to get the intonation right. Abalone inlay; abasolutely. Electronics upgrade; you can't go wrong.


As for Lesh and Casady siggys on the headstock though... I can think of a couple creative ways to incorporate them into a new headstock, but I'm not sure if I'd do it. I've taken original headstock faces off and grafted onto new necks before to save old intricate inlay. Never the reverse side. It might be tricky, but I bet do-able for Alembic. Mica may be about to put out a hit on me now...   

[cozmik_cowboy]

Sorry to hear the caramels died, Edwin; they sounded great.  Absolutely on the fingerboard (or, I suppose you could have them fill the slots like a lined fretless with matching wood & then refret in the proper place to stay more original - and Gregory thought Mica would have him whacked....)
But if it were mine, (assuming you're talking Alembic-style ovals) I'd go MOP.  And fer shur LEDs for side markers*, but I wouldn't go with front ones myself.

*As someone who used to tune guitars for a living, I can tell you that red LED markers with the stage lights on a low blue wash made me wonder how any of you non-bedroom players do without them.

Peter

[tbrannon]

Agreed on the side LED markers.  I have amber ones on a non Alembic bass I own and can't believe I ever survived without them.

[edwin]

Right now it has some glow in the dark thingies on the side fret markers that work pretty well, assuming the bass gets to see some light. But yeah, LEDs are really the best. Hm, colors, colors, colors. Amber sounds good.

[lbpesq]

I have red on my '77 Series 1 12 string.  On my Custom Further, I went with red and double amber at frets 12 & 24.  I also have green fretfx on my Alembicized Fernandes Masterhand, and color changeable fiber optics on a custom Moses graphite neck that I've tried with red, green, and white.  My suggestion is to go with red as red degrades night vision the least.  Those bright blue and white side LEDs can blind you to everything else on a dark stage.  With red, you can still see everything else. (Notice in zoo exhibits of nocturnal animals, they use red lighting).  The amber at 12 & 24 is kind of cool and not so bright as to offset the benefits of the red.  Either way, the first time the lights go out on stage, you will be glad you got LEDs installed.

Bill, tgo

[rv_bass]

I have green with amber at 12 & 24; And one with violet and red at 12 & 24.  Both are nice.  I had red all the way on another one and I liked red the best.

[edwin]

I had red side and front LEDs on my cocobolo shorty that geepee has. I could have done without the front ones, but the red side LEDs were really helpful.

Maybe red with violet at the 12th fret?

[rv_bass]

Red with double violet at 12 & 24 would be very nice!

[edwin]

Red with double violet at 12 & 24 would be very nice!

Yes, except the Starfire has no 24th fret!

Can you post a picture of your violet LEDs, please?

Thanks!

[rv_bass]

Ah yes, I forgot. ... I have Alembic on the brain! 

I’m traveling through Monday, so I’ll post a pic on Tuesday, otherwise you can get a glimpse of them here: 

http://club.alembic.com/index.php?topic=8344.60

[adriaan]

For reference, check the Custom options page.

[rv_bass]

Here are a couple of photos from today. They appear a little brighter in these photos than they actually are, but they give you a general idea of what they look like.

[edwin]

Thanks! That is very cool. Lovely abalone, too!

[Bassman8416]

It seems the intonation(misplaced frets) problem is common with these old Starfires...because I have the same problem on my 67'. I may wait a couple years before going for a new fingerboard, which I agree I would go to the best place and have many of the options added that you are mentioning Edwin. I still have the original bisonics on my bass, and have been planning on Alembicizing it electronically as well. But as of right now I have my eye on a really nice Series I under 11 lbs that a club member may sell me. Looking forward to seeing and hearing your final decision.