Dark Star Pickups

mellowgerman

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they certainly are fantastic.
when I added a really cool fender p bass special to my arsenal not too long ago, I didn't play the starfire for a few days. when I picked it up again, I realized the sheer power and amazing tone of dark stars a new. needless to say, I'm considering letting the p bass go again because I haven't really touched it since :lol:
Hear them ROAR!!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KO8PrqW0JtE
 

PeteyBass

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I consider Fred's product to be a lot like a drug. Every bass I own that doesn't have a DS or a Bi-Sonic just won’t get played much, and when I bring a non-Darkstar bass to a gig, I spend the entire set turning dials and thinking that my sound is just too thin. Then change back in the second set. Of course the exception are my original Bi-Sonics, which sound perfect, but I don't have the same scale or pickup position options. Even my Guild's that I dearly love with 70's humbuckers, really fall flat for me when I play live.

I have built three Fender Frankenstein’s with DS's. A candy apple red P bass with two DS's, one at the neck and one in the center (my fave). A tobacco sunburst maple-body Jazz with one in DS the center and a Lindy Frailin at the bridge (I almost never use the Frailin). A custom splake maple semi-hollow body tele bass, with DS's at the Bridge and the neck. It has a Warmouth Jazz neck that I have shaved down thinner to match my MIJ Jazz bass necks that are on my other Fenderstines.

I have two other wonderful Fenders without DS's that just never get playing time. The fact is, if it’s a bass I use to record with or play-out, I can’t live without DS or Bi-Sonics!

The irony is just amazing that many of us are making our Fenders sound like old Guilds, and Fender owns the company!
 
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This one will be getting a pair of Darkstars as soon as the funds roll in. :)

Guild%20B302.jpg
 

dluxe

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Nice bass! Let me know if you are going to sell the Model G pickup when you get the Darkstars.
 

MARICOPAA

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Wow...I feel the same as peteybass. Dark Stars are very cool pickups...nothing better save real Bi-sonics. I'm new to the forum but I have about 15 basses with Bi-sonics: Starfire I's & II's, M-85 I's & II's and Hagstrom Cornado IV's. I have the first Lakland hollowbody armed with DS's...Fred installed them a long, lomg time ago. I tried for a year to get Fred & Dan (Lakin) together because I thought the Lakland hollowbody cried out for Fred's pickups. Took that long and another story to get the two together ;-) I even had a master volume installed on the Lakland hollow-body like a Starfire II (a guy named John Carruther's did the routing and master work for Fred at the time). Also have the Decade protoype fondly nicknamed "The CockMaster" & Decade #008 both with DS's....lov'em!
 

mellowgerman

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MARICOPAA said:
Wow...I feel the same as peteybass. Dark Stars are very cool pickups...nothing better save real Bi-sonics. I'm new to the forum but I have about 15 basses with Bi-sonics: Starfire I's & II's, M-85 I's & II's and Hagstrom Cornado IV's. I have the first Lakland hollowbody armed with DS's...Fred installed them a long, lomg time ago. I tried for a year to get Fred & Dan (Lakin) together because I thought the Lakland hollowbody cried out for Fred's pickups. Took that long and another story to get the two together ;-) I even had a master volume installed on the Lakland hollow-body like a Starfire II (a guy named John Carruther's did the routing and master work for Fred at the time). Also have the Decade protoype fondly nicknamed "The CockMaster" & Decade #008 both with DS's....lov'em!

On behalf of the LTG forum, welcome! Also, we demand pictures of all your basses :wink:
 

MARICOPAA

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I've gotta figure out how to post pics.

I have never done Photobucket before but it seems that is the protocol here.

I'll give it a whirl although I'm one of the least savy computer guys on the planet.

Thanks!
 

fronobulax

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MARICOPAA said:
I've gotta figure out how to post pics.

I have never done Photobucket before but it seems that is the protocol here.

I'll give it a whirl although I'm one of the least savy computer guys on the planet.

Thanks!
Here is one thread although it might not be latest and greatest.

Short answer is you need an account at a photo hosting site. You upload your photos there and then use the Img tags here to link. PM me if you would like some hand holding. I'd love to see some more shots of the green SF II in your avatar and if I can help...
 

Default

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Yup, that thread needs some updating.


Now here's my question. Why are they called "Dark Stars"?
 

MARICOPAA

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Correct...the 'Dark Star' name is a reference to the Grateful Dead record with , what many consider, very serious bass tones & Phil Lesh. Fred Hammon (Hammon Engineering) is a seriously devoted fan of Phil Lesh & Jack Casady and the basses that established them...both guys who played nice 60's Guild Starfire II basses first with original Hagstrom Bi-sonics and later with all their crazy Alembic low impedance mods and filter stacks etc. His favorite record having his favorite bass tones were made by those two guys with their Guild Starfire II's. Unfortunately they didn't use their stock Starfires to record a thing and so it is a mystery why Fred Hammon chose to duplicte/recreate them.

Mr. Hammon has come very close. Dark Star pickups are more harsh than the original Bi-sonics...maybe more aggressive is a better way to put it. There is an edge to the sound of the DS's that is not present in the originals...who knows...maybe magnet age...I don't know. I do know that he has come very close and in lieu of having a bass w/originals (best case scenario) you can get his pickups and do well (second best case scenario). I prefer the sound of original Bi-sonics both live and recorded. Dark Star's are the next best thing. Everyone will have an opinion and so it goes ;-)
 

mgod

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FWIW, I think Dark Stars are an improvement over the originals.

And none of Jack's recorded Starfires were stock.

DS
 

fronobulax

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mgod said:
FWIW, I think Dark Stars are an improvement over the originals.

And none of Jack's recorded Starfires were stock.

DS

Stock Hagstroms, right? The mods were proto-Alembic signal processing mods? Thanks.
 

Happy Face

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mgod said:
FWIW, I think Dark Stars are an improvement over the originals.

DS

That makes sense since Fred could take the best of the old design and drop the weaknesses.

Of course, when you are a skilled player like Jack, Phil or me, you sound great with any bass.
 

mgod

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Dark Stars have increased bandwidth on the top and bottom. I can imagine someone might hear a wider top end as more harshness according to their technique and depending on their application. I generally find the low end more solid too.

Jack's first SF had stock pickups and passive tone mods. The 2nd Starfire has an impedance dropping circuit after the pickups and passive tone circuits. According to RW, the first active circuit was done in m M-85, which was the impedance drop. The M-85 was done in between Jack's two Starfire mods.

DS
 
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