Glenn Cornick Starfire bass

mellowgerman

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Check out what I came across today; this bass was owned by Glenn Cornick of Jethro Tull way back in the day. A talkbass.com member owns it now. Says Glenn had it refinished in 1969. Straight bridge SF-II... should be a 1967, right frono?
Anyway, just thought I'd share the story and the photo. Not enough SFB discussion lately IMO ;) Good night!
GuildStarfireIV.jpg
 

fronobulax

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Hmmm.

I'd say the bridge makes it '67 or earlier. However, there is something where the suck switch should be and if the factory did that, then this is the only specimen I have seen with straight bridge and suck switch. The master volume knob just looks wrong - a Guild knob, but not the right knob. What intrigues me is the bridge PU. Just using eyeballs since I am Photoshop challenged, the location is off. Compare to the one below and it looks as if the PU is closer to the neck. Compare the bottom of the PU to the bridge and the top of the PU to the F holes for both.

So I have to wonder if it is earlier than 1967. All the PU location variations seem to have occurred in '66 or earlier. There are factory SF IIs from 1965 although I'd have to rely on Hans rather than my memory.

BA-1211.jpg
 

fronobulax

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mikko said:
Is that green a factory color? Or custom paint?
mellowgerman said:
A talkbass.com member owns it now. Says Glenn had it refinished in 1969.
Since it was refinished and I have never seen that color until Sea Foam green started showing up on 1990's D-25's, I'd have to say that it is custom.
 

mikko

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Ahh...sorry, I just couldn't read. Do anybody know if this bass was actually played on some of 3 first Jethro Tull albums?
 

fronobulax

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mikko said:
Ahh...sorry, I just couldn't read. Do anybody know if this bass was actually played on some of 3 first Jethro Tull albums?

I'm guessing not. The usual Google searches turn up a lot of information about Gibsons that were being played at the time of Tull. I never found the Starfire mentioned. The closest thing I found to a mention of it was a comment that politely called the Gibson EB-2 a piece of junk. That suggests the Guild could have been used to fill a particular sound niche. But I "Tull Geek" knowledge and my Google skills were not enough to actually find evidence the bass was used.
 

mellowgerman

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good call frono, didn't look that closely at it. just spotted it this morning around 2am and posted it quick before I went to bed.
perhaps it was a '65 or '66 SFB-I originally... maybe a factory conversion... just eying it up, the knobs and pickup selector switch look to be placed perfectly if a conversion is the case. as for that mini-toggle switch, who knows if that's original
Hans?
 

hansmoust

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mellowgerman said:
perhaps it was a '65 or '66 SFB-I originally... maybe a factory conversion... just eying it up, the knobs and pickup selector switch look to be placed perfectly if a conversion is the case. as for that mini-toggle switch, who knows if that's original Hans?

Hello mellow,

Could be an earlier model. Photo doesn't give that much info. Do I see black plastic saddles?

Since the current owner is known I guess you could ask him what's the complete model designation that's written on the label and the serial number could help as well.

Sincerely,

Hans Moust
http://www.guitarsgalore.nl
 

mellowgerman

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hansmoust said:
mellowgerman said:
perhaps it was a '65 or '66 SFB-I originally... maybe a factory conversion... just eying it up, the knobs and pickup selector switch look to be placed perfectly if a conversion is the case. as for that mini-toggle switch, who knows if that's original Hans?

Hello mellow,

Could be an earlier model. Photo doesn't give that much info. Do I see black plastic saddles?

Since the current owner is known I guess you could ask him what's the complete model designation that's written on the label and the serial number could help as well.

Sincerely,

Hans Moust
http://www.guitarsgalore.nl


"The inside label says Starfire Bass, #38153. There lots of old overspray around the writing." - current owner
 

hansmoust

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mellowgerman said:
hansmoust said:
mellowgerman said:
perhaps it was a '65 or '66 SFB-I originally... maybe a factory conversion... just eying it up, the knobs and pickup selector switch look to be placed perfectly if a conversion is the case. as for that mini-toggle switch, who knows if that's original Hans?

Hello mellow,

Could be an earlier model. Photo doesn't give that much info. Do I see black plastic saddles?

Since the current owner is known I guess you could ask him what's the complete model designation that's written on the label and the serial number could help as well.

Sincerely,

Hans Moust
http://www.guitarsgalore.nl


"The inside label says Starfire Bass, #38153. There lots of old overspray around the writing." - current owner

Hello again Mellow,

Pretty much what we expected. An early Starfire Bass converted to a 2-pickup model. Actually, this one is from the same batch as mgod's. Originally sunburst, end-of-1964 serial number but completed during the early months of 1965.

Sincerely,

Hans Moust
http://www.guitarsgalore.nl
 

fronobulax

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hansmoust said:
Pretty much what we expected. An early Starfire Bass converted to a 2-pickup model. Actually, this one is from the same batch as mgod's. Originally sunburst, end-of-1964 serial number but completed during the early months of 1965./quote]
Thanks!
 

mgod

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From Glenn:

"And it was baby blue which I gather has yellowed out to a lovely green. Is it still baby blue under the P.U. covers? It started life as a 1 pick up and when I first got it in 72 or 73, it had been stripped so i had my guitar maker friend refinish it and convert it to a 2 pickup model as the parts were readily available then. Rather sorry I sold it as i can't afford to get another at the price they have reached.Does it still have the plywood, homemade case that weighs about 2 tons? I sold it in L.A. in about 78 or 79. Is it still in SoCal?"
 

fronobulax

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mgod said:
From Glenn:

"And it was baby blue which I gather has yellowed out to a lovely green. Is it still baby blue under the P.U. covers? It started life as a 1 pick up and when I first got it in 72 or 73, it had been stripped so i had my guitar maker friend refinish it and convert it to a 2 pickup model as the parts were readily available then. Rather sorry I sold it as i can't afford to get another at the price they have reached.Does it still have the plywood, homemade case that weighs about 2 tons? I sold it in L.A. in about 78 or 79. Is it still in SoCal?"
Thanks. I understand about colors and computer screens and digital cameras but I'm not sure I want to know what shade of "baby blue" would fade to that green.
 
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