Can't believe they brought this back in green. I knew a guy who had one in emerald that I always lusted after , convinced I would never see another one. Saw Jack Casady play one of these with jefferson Airplane and have wanted one ever since.

@mwilesbass

2 жыл бұрын

I absolutely love the green. When I was shopping around, I probably would have settled for any of the finishes as long as I found a deal, but I lucked out and this one was up for grabs.

I've been a bassist since 1969, having played guitar for a few years prior to that. Like many others This is a bass guitar that I remember seeing many of the early rock and roll bassists playing. I've always wanted one. It's a bucket list bass for me. Well, my bucket list just got shorter as I managed to find one of these new on sale for a great price and just took delivery on it. Mine is the natural mahogany finish and is beautiful. Your review on this is absolutely spot on. And pretty much mirrors my feelings about this bass guitar. You're playing is excellent and really makes it very clear exactly what this bass guitar sounds like. The neck is very narrow and actually could create problems for those players with large hands. I don't have an issue with it but the string spacing is fairly narrow on these. Like you, this is one of the few bass guitars that I have purchased where I'm completely happy with it right out of the box and can't see anything I want to change with the exception of possibly the strings. But I do like the grind of the round wounds that come on there. Mine is especially punchy on the rear pickup with the factory strings. One thing to note for players who may not realize it but the pickups and the bridge on these bases are Hagstrom designs. In fact I also ordered a set of replacement bridge saddles for mine just to have in case I get a crack in the wood or anything like that and the order sheet actually lists them as Hagstrom bridge saddles. I had no problems setting the intonation on mine I was able to dial it in perfectly with my strobe tuner. Now that guild is under the control of Yamaha, I believe that is one of the reasons why the Korean manufacturer that makes these turns out such a very high quality instrument. I'm sure Yamaha has connections with the best factories in Korea. So they can pick and choose who they want to use. The included hard shell case is very high quality and definitely appreciated. Thanks for the great review. If I hadn't already purchased mine and was on the internet searching for reviews to help me decide, yours would have been right at the top of the list for being the most helpful.

@mwilesbass

3 ай бұрын

Thank you so much for watching and for the kind feedback. It’s also very interesting to learn that Yamaha is now involved, and what you said in terms of QC makes sense to me, seeing as Yamaha (and most major Japanese brands) really offer consistency at all price points.

Love this bass. One of the few instruments of mine I don't think I'll ever sell or trade away.

What a great review. You literally covered 100% of what I needed to know. Top stuff. Thank you 👍

@mwilesbass

Жыл бұрын

Review achieved! Thanks for watching. It's been a long time since I made this, but I plan on making a lot more similar reviews of basses/pedals/etc, as well as playing/performance based videos.

First time I saw the Grateful Dead, at the Hollywood Bowl early 1970's, Phil Lesh's bass playing was wonderful, and he was still playing that old Guild bass - he is still one of my favorite bass players ever. I'm a guitar player, got an Ibanez TMB-100 to learn bass, but it's a Precision bass size neck, so I have a hard time navigating it. I really needed a Jazz bass size neck, preferably shorter scale too, just like that one. Thanks for the video, maybe I'll get one of those - it sure sounds great, nice thumping and vibes!

@youeyeball

2 жыл бұрын

Ahh... Phil Lesh's playing was(is) phil-nominal ! That guild- before and after the wizards at Alembic "adjusted" it - was a bass tone for the ages! Yeah, me too, I want one!

@mwilesbass

2 жыл бұрын

Thanks for watching! Your guitar hands would love this neck for sure. Another cool bass I think you would dig is the Nordstrand Acinonyx - same scale length and string spacing but it’s a solid body. If you go to my channel you can find a video where I play it.

Thanks for making this video. It was really informative.

Would love to score one of these some day. It's been out for a few years now, and I still think it's actually the best sounding bass I've ever heard (for what I like to hear). Great demo, nice playing!

@mwilesbass

2 жыл бұрын

Thank you for watching! It is indeed a great bass. Very rarely do I find a bass at this price point (especially if you are patient and hunt down a used one) that I don't want to modify with aftermarket electronics or hardware. I'm really impressed with the pickups. They have great sound, output, and have adjustable pole pieces.

Just saw this channel. I’m hooked. Great work keep it up!

@mwilesbass

2 жыл бұрын

Thank you! I'm glad you are here. I have plans to make a bunch of these videos, as well as playthroughs for some soon-to-be-released music with the bands I play with. Thank you for watching.

Great review! I tried a Starfire 1 bass a couple days ago at my local store and was blown away-as a guitar player, it was by far the most comfortable bass I tried. Not to mention gorgeous. Went in to buy it today and it had already sold…. Definitely snapping up the next one they get.

@mwilesbass

3 жыл бұрын

And at that price point, you have to get one. Thanks for watching!

Excellent review. The guild sounds so great

@mwilesbass

2 жыл бұрын

Thanks for watching!

Great, thoughtful review!

Fantastic review

Another great video!

@mwilesbass

3 жыл бұрын

Thanks for checking it out!

That's a great demo. You cleared some of my concerns regarding the setup capabilities of this bass (i like a very low action, personally). It sounds great with the pyramids, too!

@mwilesbass

3 жыл бұрын

Thank you! I also like my basses to be able to be set up on the lower side as well. I don't want the strings kissing the frets, but I don't want to fight it either. I was really blown away to find that this bass sets up really well, and totally stands on it's own against my other modern and high end basses. Also, since the saddles are made of wood, you can have them filed or modified to adjust the bass even further. I've considered having the saddle shaved to a finer point on my first string to possibly help the high register intonation a bit. But I would much rather have a slightly out of tune upper register (common on basses like this, especially the originals) than a bass that feels like trash. The Pyramids are pretty cool too. I had Dunlops on it (which is my go-to flatwound these days), but a friend sent me these. After they settled in a bit, I've come to really like them a lot.

@ujnawierzbie72

3 жыл бұрын

@@mwilesbass Thanks for the detailed answer :) Yeah, reading some opinions, people remark of the overall quality. Supposedly, the same factory that makes Gretsh guitars did these reissues. Regarding the bridge, if I recall, it's the only thing that people don't particularly like about it. Well, at least it's faithfull to the orginal, and as you say, moddable (I probably would make some brass saddles anyway). Man, this bass sounds so good on all demos that I've heard, I might as well try it out someday.

@mwilesbass

3 жыл бұрын

@@ujnawierzbie72 I really like the faithful recreation of the bridge, and it’s pretty great that it still allows the bass to be set up really well. Not sure if I mentioned it in the video, but the pole pieces are adjustable too, so you can really dial this thing in to be perfect. Comes with a pretty decent hard shell too, which has a nice blue interior. Keep an eye out for a used one, because you can find them for about $800. It’s absolutely worth it.

@ujnawierzbie72

2 жыл бұрын

@@mwilesbass a little follow up. I decided to buy one of those from Thomann's shop in Germany. I purchased it online, so it was a little bit of a gamble, but probably if something wasn't to my liking, they would exchange the instrument for me. Turns out... It's wonderfull! :) Truly a great bass, with a lot of good tones, great quality and superb playability. Along with this bass, I ordered a set of Thomastik-infeld jazz flats, since I really like these strings on my Epiphone JCB. It's a match made in heaven. Wonderfull lows, crisp definition and a very unique midrange. So... Truly, thanks for making this demo. I feel that without this one I wouldn't pull the trigger on this bass. And I would be missing out on a lot!

@mwilesbass

2 жыл бұрын

@@ujnawierzbie72 happy to help, and thank you for watching. I recently put some TI flats on my Moollon P, and I’m definitely considering a set for the Guild now as well.

Did you use a noise gate or something? My Starfire is very noisy with RF/AC hum. Yours has no noise. Thanks for this honest demo. Best Starfire demo I have seen ever. This is how a Starfire bridge pickup really sounds in my Starfire I. I think I like the Starfire II better because of the neck pickup. Most times reviewers don't even play with fingers on their Starfires so I am glad someone finally did a demo with fingers and all the tones, though I would love to hear Neck only at 100%.

@mwilesbass

2 жыл бұрын

Thanks for watching! I didn’t realize until the editing stages that I didn’t record a clip of the neck pickup with the tone wide open. I plan on making more of these videos in the coming weeks/months so I’ll be refining my approach even more. My Starfire is pretty quiet. My home has fairly clean power, so my single coil basses tend to behave themselves. I’ve only ever used this bass to record at home though, so I’m curious to see what it’s like when I eventually take it out for a show. I’m glad I have the 2-pickup version, because both pickups have some really great sounds. It isn’t my go-to for everything, but this bass is definitely an important part of my collection.

'I've become a fan of green basses lately'.......okay....Comprehensive demo thanks very helpful

@mwilesbass

2 жыл бұрын

Thanks for watching!

love that bass

@mwilesbass

2 жыл бұрын

Me too, man. Me too.

Hi Matt, got the Starfire I in hand and as you predicted it is truly a fine axe!. Fitted with the LaBella flatwounds it sounds truly awesome - way more malleable than expected with the single pup. However, getting those strings on was a MASSIVE headache! The beautiful harp tailpiece that originally attracted me to this model (and the price!) is kinda like the Rickenbacker "R" tailpiece on their 6 and 12-string guitars - beautiful but difficult to work with! But this was worse! It was tough getting the original roundwounds out even though they were thinner than spec'ed - should have tipped me off! Turns out the only way to secure a string in the tailpiece is if the ball-end is EXACTLY horizontal and slides into a shelf with essentially no wiggle room. Of course the string wants to make a slight angle exiting the tailpiece so unless you put just the right upward bend (1-2mm) on the flat side of the ball end (kinda like stringing a Bigsby) it will not catch in the tailpiece. Ultimately I removed the tailpiece altogether (3 screws and the strap button) to figure this out and pre-place the strings before re-attaching. Even that was difficult! Thankfully, I only change bass strings (especially flats) about once every 20-30 years - whether they need it or not! Played with a pick, this bass makes very satisfying tones. Now that I have the bass re-strung and re-constructed I am a very happy camper! Just wanted to report back in as promised.

@mwilesbass

3 жыл бұрын

Glad to hear an in-depth take on it. I see what you mean about the tailpiece - it's visually striking, but I can see how that would be a pain to string. And the good thing about flats is that they practically never need changing. Do you know if it is laminate or hardwood? I see that it is listed as being made of mahogany (or a maple top if you get the walnut finish), and the Starfire II is listed as being laminate. At the price, it seems impossible that it would be hardwood.

@fredstevens799

3 жыл бұрын

@@mwilesbass yeah, I saw on various website descriptions that both the maple and the mahogany tops (and the sides and back I would imagine) are laminate. I thought it was odd that a different finish would use a different tonewood construction, but it is what it is - the mahogany is plenty bright, even unplugged! She is a big girl but lightweight. The color looks a lot closer to a translucent "candy-apple red" than vintage cherry (like the ads look) but that's OK with me - makes my mouth water, actually! A real quality (made in Indonesia) instrument! A joy to play! The price is insane! Thanks for the reply. ;)

My first real bass was a Starfire 2 from the early 70s I believe, had the chrome covers on the pickups and plastic saddles, I quit playing for a few years so I sold it wish I hadn't. I play a Epiphone Thunderbird and a Dean now, Love my Thunderbird but still doesn't sound like the Starfire.

The Byrds track Fifth Dimension, off their Fifth Dimension LP, Chris Hillman's Starfire bass has one of the most powerful bass sounds I have ever heard.

@mwilesbass

3 жыл бұрын

I'll have to go check that one out. Thanks for watching!

@joedecker3900

2 жыл бұрын

Totally

@bobbystereo936

2 жыл бұрын

It's pretty much on every track on the "turn, turn, turn" album.

@lk63

2 жыл бұрын

@@bobbystereo936 Yes, both turn turn turn and the 5 D album.

@bobbystereo936

2 жыл бұрын

@@lk63 Yes! It sounds amazing! Thanks for replying back.

Did you try the LA bellas? D'addario chromes? I consider buying the 760fs-m (medium length) set

@mwilesbass

Жыл бұрын

It had Dunlop flats on it before that, which I really like. I might put them back on. I've used D'addario chromes, but not on this bass. I used them on an Ibanez semi-hollow and a Fender Musicmaster bass that I had several years ago. I like Chromes, but not as much as I like Dunlops and Thomastik-Infelds. I prefer low-tension strings, so the Dunlops and TI's are my favorites. I've never owned a set of LaBellas; I've only played them on somebody else's bass maybe once or twice. I can't remember which gauge/tension though. I remember them being stiff as hell, which makes me think it was one of the heavy gauge Jamerson-style sets, which I do no like at all.

Nice demo Matt! I'm about to purchase the Maple version. What scale length are the Pyramid Gold Flatwounds?

@mwilesbass

2 жыл бұрын

They are the short scale set. I believe there are only 2 scale length options offered. They fit perfectly and I really like them a lot. It took them about a month or so to start to settle in (probably less time if I played this bass more), but they have a really interesting personality. The E string has a much different character than the other strings, which some people hate, but I have grown to enjoy.

@garywoodward6750

2 жыл бұрын

@@mwilesbass thanks for the info

Hey Matt, thanks for this demo. It makes me pull the trigger on this bass. I'm very happy with it. However I've found that that bothe tone pots are a bnit useless because it seems like not much happens until the pot is almost turned all the way down to about 85%, and then the change in tone comes on pretty quick, and at this point the slightest turn of the knob makes a very big change, almost like a switch. Did you found the same issue on your SF II?

@mwilesbass

2 жыл бұрын

Now that I check it out, I see what you mean. This is common on a lot of more "budget-oriented" instruments. It doesn't really bother me that much in this case, but a quick swap with some CTS (or other linear-taper pots) would improve the issue. Thanks for watching!

@xaviermulet5470

2 жыл бұрын

@@mwilesbass Thanks for your reply! I finally unscrewd the pots and could see trhough the F hole that linear pots ware wrongly installed in the tone circuit from factory... they should be audio. Will replace them. Other than that the bass is a keeper. Very different from other classic sounds. Thanks for your detailed review.

@mwilesbass

2 жыл бұрын

@@xaviermulet5470 thanks for watching!

Absolutely beautiful and it sounds great. I have the Starfire 1 and I've tried Jim Dunlop (medium scale) flats and D'Addario XL Chrome flats (long scale). What scale are the Pyramid flats? It looks like the silk covering works perfectly for the 30.75" scale. I had to literally shave the Dunlop strings (E and A) because the silks went over the nut, despite being medium scale. The asymmetrical bridge makes string selection tricky...

@mwilesbass

9 ай бұрын

I actually put Dunlops on this bass when I got it, and actually put them back on a few days ago. Oddly enough, the silks on my Dunlops didn’t require any modification. The Pyramids come in 2 scales, short and long. The shirt is designed to fit Starfires and Hofners. Honestly, I like the Dunlops more.

@BradleyHansonPhotography

9 ай бұрын

@@mwilesbass Good to know. If you don’t mind, how would you compare the two? I’ve used La Bella and Fender 9050 flats on a Mustang Bass, and liked the Dunlops on the Starfire a lot more. Trying the D’Addario flats as of a few hours ago. They are slightly lighter gauge on E and A (100/80 vs 105/85), but I like them so far. Maybe not quite as meaty as the Dunlops.

@mwilesbass

9 ай бұрын

@@BradleyHansonPhotography I’ve never used the LaBellas or Fenders, but I’ve used Chromes on standard scale basses. I like the Dunlops because of the low tension, and they just have a great sound regardless of how new or old they are. I’ve found the Dunlops to be a bit lower tension than the chromes, and the chromes are generally lighter than a lot of other string sets as well.

@BradleyHansonPhotography

9 ай бұрын

@@mwilesbass Yes, agreed. The short story is that I’d be fine with D’Addario Chromes had I not experienced Dunlops. The Dunlops were attractive for a few reasons, despite being the most expensive: 1. They are the exact same 45/65/85/105 gauge as the stock Guild strings (D’Addario rounds), so the nut fits perfectly with the Dunlops. 2. The tension is even lighter, a huge part of the short scale experience. D’Addario have less tension than La Bella, to my memory, and Fender 9050 flats are very similar to D’Addario, but only come in long scale. 3. The medium scale is almost a perfect fit length wise. 4. The tone is ideal: not quite as bright as the D’Addarios, but not as muffled sounding as La Bellas can get.

@mwilesbass

9 ай бұрын

@@BradleyHansonPhotography I have a set of Dunlop 40-100 on my Moollon P bass too. I bought them a few years ago before the Dunlop flatwound prices got pretty high. They aren’t cheap, but Thomastik Infeld flats are really nice too. Even a bit lighter feeling than the Dunlops.

Would you say the single pickup version of this bass sounds like the part of the video with both pickups on?

@mwilesbass

Жыл бұрын

I haven't played the single pickup version, but it definitely won't sound like this bass with both pickups engaged. When 2 pickups are active, they phase with each other, causing a very distinct EQ curve that does not occur with a single pickup. The new version has a P style pickup, so I'm guessing it will sound kind of like a P bass with some short scale personality mixed in.

With that $1500 retail price I thought this would be American made. I know you said the pickups are good without changing them. I thought Duncan would make accurate aftermarket replacements, I might have to get custom shop models. What I’m not sure of: I know I can leave the stock pickups in there but don’t know if they’re American made or Korean. Like do they ship the pickup components there or are they made in the United States and shipped to Korea. Any answers would help. Thanks!

@mwilesbass

2 жыл бұрын

Thanks for watching, Scott. I honestly can't tell you anything about the pickups - I'm assuming they are mass produced. Whatever they are, I'm genuinely impressed. For what it's worth, I own 12 basses, and 6 of them (3 Moollons, EBMM Stingray Special, 1980 Ibanez Studio 8 string, Starfire) retain the original pickups. The Starfire is the only "affordable" bass I have that isn't getting a pickup swap. Novak makes a really nice direct replacement set, but they cost over $500 for the pair. That is something I just can't justify for this bass. I would say your best best bet is to shop around until you can score a deal. I picked this one up a little over a year ago for under $800 w/ case. If you can bring one home for under $1000, then you can't go wrong.

@scotthutchens1203

2 жыл бұрын

@@mwilesbass Thanks! I’m sure it’s great. $800 is a super deal! Was that new or used? If I can find the solid cherry finish, that’s what I’d like. I guess American Musical Supply in New Jersey stocks these. The price for these are about $1500 regardless of where you get them.

neck @ 50% tone sounds like a rick, @ 0% tone sounds like an EB-0, must be a fantastic bass to cover all your vintage/beatles tone needs!

@mwilesbass

16 күн бұрын

It really is a cool one. Thanks for watching!

Great demo. I just wondered how bad the neck dive was. I’ve heard these basses are a little unbalanced. You mentioned it was a little unbalanced, but I wondered how bad it was.

@mwilesbass

2 жыл бұрын

Thanks for watching, Danny. In my lap, it balances well enough that I can let go of the neck, unlike a Fender which will dive if you let go. On a strap, however, there is some unavoidable dive since the strap pin is on the neck joint. Since it's a short scale, it isn't as bad as it could be, but it is unavoidable with basses like this.

@dannyhowell3184

2 жыл бұрын

Thanks, Matt. I’m mostly a “sofa player” these days anyway, so it’s good to know that it balances well.

I’m hemming and hawing between the SF1 and the SF2…. Any advice? Thanks 🎶🎵✌️

@mwilesbass

Жыл бұрын

I would go for the 2. I was very surprised at just how flexible the 2 pickup Starfire is, so I'm glad I went that route.

@everettevansky9324

Жыл бұрын

@@mwilesbass Thanks man - have you had any trouble with the bridge? I’ve read some reviews saying the design is somewhat wonky.

@mwilesbass

Жыл бұрын

@@everettevansky9324 I haven’t. It’s designed just like the old one, but they did a good job setting the wooden saddles in a way so that the string heights set up correctly. The saddles are also movable to help set the intonation. I wasn’t able to get Kim e perfectly in tune with itself in the higher register, but it’s not enough to cause any problems. Also, basses like the Starfire are more sought after for their personality and vibe, despite any natural imperfections they may present. But I’m incredibly pleased with how well this bass sets up. I have it set up just like all of my instruments - fairly low action across the board. It gives me no playability issues at all.

@everettevansky9324

Жыл бұрын

@@mwilesbass thank you I appreciate the feedback ✌️

DUDE what song does the line you were playing at 7:36 belong to that is a monstrosity. I GOTS TO KNOW!!!

@mwilesbass

2 жыл бұрын

Hey man - all of the playing examples in the video were improvised. So its just a riff off the top of my head. I'm really glad you dig it so much! Thank you for watching.

@timroth296

2 жыл бұрын

@@mwilesbass YOU ARE KIDDING ME. All the playing is some of the sickest basslines I have ever heard. I am unironically going learn your lines and riffs, because they are truly incredible.

@mwilesbass

2 жыл бұрын

@@timroth296 Dude! You are too kind. I'll be making more of these videos soon because I have a lot of basses to show off. Thanks again!

@timroth296

2 жыл бұрын

@@mwilesbass Im still rewatching basking in the tone and feel you got out of this instrument still some of the best/substance bass riffs/line/solos ive possibly ever heard unbelievably sick man

@mwilesbass

2 жыл бұрын

@@timroth296 dude! I appreciate you.

👍

This could probably give a good McCartney tone

@mwilesbass

Жыл бұрын

Undoubtedly.

7:14 you're welcome

end of blabbering / actual playing: 7:12 you're welcome

@mwilesbass

16 күн бұрын

The time stamp is in the video description.

What is with reviewers talking for the first half of their video... we can all read the specs in the video description or elsewhere, we came here to listen to the damn thing

Waffle until 7:10. Tip. Don’t thwack the strings when you should be playing a rest note. Bad habit. Thanks otherwise for the sound section.

@devlintaylor9520

Жыл бұрын

It adds a percussive element, not a bad habit at all but a stylistic choice.

@jazzman1954

Жыл бұрын

@@devlintaylor9520 If it genuinely is done as a choice for the moment I agree. Usually it’s just an incessant bad habit that the player can’t control or is even aware of. Personally I think it’s an unpleasant sound not remotely musical. My opinion.