Byrds, John York on SF I Bass at Newport Folk Fest in 1969

[idealassets]

Note: New post because too many typo's in the last one.

Here's some new film footage from the June, 1969 Newport Folk Festival. Its the Byrds with John York playing a tobacco burst Starfire I bass. I thought he always played a Fender bass, but apparently not, you can see a close up of the Starfire especially at 3:02, at the start of You Ain't Goin Nowhere. You can see the Guild "rooftop" logo, and location of the Hagestrom pickup in the sweet spot.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7PAdNKUrB9A

Craig

 

[fronobulax]

Note: New post because too many typo's in the last one.

You know, there is an Edit button in the lower right of your posts and that is a much better way to deal with typos.

 

[mellowgerman]

To be honest, after a second glance, it looks more like a Gibson EB-2 to me... especially the narrow, rectangular bridge (which looks like a Gibson 2-point bridge). Also, the tuners and headstock don't look proportionately Starfire to me. Could be wrong though... it's tough to tell with the quality of the video being what it is

 

[fronobulax]

I'm thinking not Starfire as well and the bridge is why.

Still someone else extracted but at it sure doesn't look like the Guild harp bridge to me.

 

[mellowgerman]

Aside from the bridge: the position of A and D tuning machines, headstock shape and center inlay all suggest Gibson to me

 

[mellowgerman]

If it is an EB-2 though, that raises a few other questions. As you previously mentioned, Craig, he usually was seen using a Fender. What was used on the recordings? Maybe he was just borrowing the bass from another band for that gig? Maybe the Fender was in the shop...

 

[mgod]

Very clearly a Gibson headstock.

 

[idealassets]

there is an Edit button in the lower right of your posts

OK, now I know what that's for.

Thank you,
Craig

 

[idealassets]

Very clearly a Gibson headstock

Initially I had just the one song (You Ain't Goin Nowhere) emailed to me via The Byrds fan club on facebook. Then I found the entire 7 minutes on youtube and posted it. Now that I have watched the entire 7 minutes, my enthusiasm is diminished because yes, it is most likely some variation of a one pickup, non stock, Gibson EB2. The clincher is that the headstock emblem does not appear to be a Chesterfield (after looking at my EB2 that's in my closet).

The duo of Gene Parsons on drums and Clarence White on guitar were constantly fiddling and modifying their gear. Who knows what could have been done to this bass? Somehow through all that Roger McGuinn didn't get into very much equipment modification weirdness.

Craig

 

[mellowgerman]

Roger McGuinn didn't get into very much equipment modification weirdness.

Those Rick 12ers are pretty perfect instruments IMO... can't think of any mods I'd ever want to do to one... besides maybe a few Alembic superfilters :shock: :wink:

 

[fronobulax]

it is most likely some variation of a one pickup, non stock, Gibson EB2

Why do you think it is "non-stock"? Given the grainy quality of the video I can find lots of EB2 images that could be exactly what is in the video. The only likely mod would seem to be taking the chrome, do nothing, "cover" off? What are you seeing that I am missing?

 

[idealassets]

What are you seeing that I am missing?

What I originally concluded was that in 1969 a Guild Starfire I was the most common SF bass in use, whereas the Gibson EB2 with just one pickup was a rarity. So in the film, which was very out of focus I instantly thought it was a Guild SF.

Additionally the stock Gibson pick guard and brackets are removed, and the chrome stock Gibson Humbucker pickup looked dark in the film, similar to a Hagestrom. The position of the switches looked like the Guild location, with the suck switch right where Guild put them in this era in time. Gibson also provided a large chrome bracket and lever that could be snapped on to dampen, or off to undampen the strings via a chrome and felt plate that engaged the strings. That also also must have been removed from this bass. It seemed odd to me that a player would remove that much hardware, and modify that much on a bass.

Later on in the 3rd song (Old Blue) the name logo looked like the inverted "V" shape Guild, not the in-line slanted Gibson logo.

So I must have drawn my conclusion too soon, although it was all a good idea at the time.

Craig

 

[fronobulax]

OK. Since my question was what makes you think the EB-2 was "highly modified" the answer lies in the fact that you consider removing the damper and pickguard "highly modified" whereas most of the EB-2's I have run into are lacking those parts. Google search on images shows a lot of examples with and without those parts so I don't know whether it was a popular mod or a factory option at some time or what.

 

[idealassets]

Since my question was what makes you think the EB-2 was "highly modified"

Its probably not important any more, now that the bass in the video isn't what it looked like I thought it could be.

About 2 years ago, I was looking to buy an original Starfire bass and couldn't find one. I shopped for a Gibson EB-2. Almost everything I looked at on ebay, etc had all the attachments and were original, all of them with 2 pickups in the late 60's years. Miraculously a guy had one on ebay just 5 miles from me, and I bought it for around $400 less than anything else for sale on ebay that day. These EB-2 bases, if original have as much chrome on them as a Cadillac, so to speak. The seller demo'd all the features on the bass, such as the "bass boost" switch on-off, and the string damper on-off by showing me what songs he played in each different setting.

Its still interesting to track what players used a Guild Starfire bass. I don't really know of any site where they really take note of who played a Gibson EB-2, since there were most likely plenty of them in existence during the early rock era.

Craig