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Guild starfire6/17/2023 With its lightweight, thin and mainly hollow design, the Starfire II ST Dynasonic sits nicely between a true hollowbody and a centre-blocked semi. Yes, it looks like the real deal, but where that original design used fully height-adjustable magnetic polepieces, this current design has a very different and simplified architecture with rather limited height adjustment of the individual magnetic poles. It was the same pickup that Gretsch had famously used for nearly a decade before the arrival of the Filter’Tron, but where Guild used a white-topped version, Gretsch used a black top.īack to the present, then, and this contemporary version plays a bit hard and fast with the design. Guild also used the Model 2000 from 1961, according to Guild historian Hans Moust. Listening through both clean Vox- and Fender-style combos we seem to have dropped right back into the 60s or before The DeArmond brand is now owned by Cordoba, and this is the first new electric design – the Tone Boss acoustic soundhole pickup has been with us for a couple of years.Īs we documented recently in our Pickup Lines column (see issue 448), the Dynasonic started life in the 1940s, originally called the Model 2000 and used by Epiphone, Martin and most famously Gretsch, who originally called it the Fidelatone and later the Dynasonic. It really is only the pickups that have changed as far as the electric side is concerned. Like the standard II ST, this Dynasonic version goes for a classic two-volume/two-control setup with shoulder-placed toggle. Incidentally, these pickups are also available nickel-plated with white or black tops. However, the bridge pickup is taller than the neck pickup (14mm versus 11mm), which certainly helps. All in a perfectly glossed polyurethane finish.The Dynasonics mount on top of the guitar with only a spacer to provide any overall height adjustment. Left-handed version also available in Cherry Red. Available with maple top, back, and sides in Vintage Walnut, and with Mahogany top, back, and sides in cherry red. Pull up on the Volume Knob to reveal the push-pull vintage switch-a feature that adds presence with rolled down low frequencies, reminiscent of the parallel pickup configuration on vintage Hollowbody basses. Combined with the woody nature of semi-hollowbody tone and the volume and tone control, these pickups allow the player to dial in anything from modern, cutting bass tones to wooly, round, vintage tones. Guild’s own BC-1 BiCoil pickups adorn the bass, complete with hum resistant nickel covers and Alnico 5 magnet construction. Stable tuning and easy adjustability are provided by the Tune-o-matic bass bridge, and the harp tailpiece adds a touch of Guild’s classic aesthetic, likening the bass to its upright ancestors. Featuring a slimmed down, 2.4” body thickness, inward-shifted neck, short 30 ¾” scale length, and a 1 ½” nut width, the Starfire I Bass is a compact and accessible option for younger players, or those who want more freedom on stage. An iconic shape at an affordable price, Guild’s Starfire I Bass is a modern adaptation of the traditional Starfire Bass platform, exemplifying the features needed on a modern Hollowbody bass.
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