NGD - ST-302 Blackfire I think I may have found it.

[Los Angeles]

Sorry folks, just a teaser photo until the sun comes up Monday and I'll get some good "sunlight" photos.

Neck - perfect. I mean really perfect.
frets - clean and low (how I like them)
Electric - clean again at least judging from the 3 minutes I had it plugged in.
finish - great save one spot on the neck, which considering my style (slow, brooding, not flashy) - it will never be a bother.

But it does have a couple of issues, one of which I never really realized even though it's obvious in the for sale pictures: someone drilled the top to install a crappy tune-o-matic bridge with really crappy brass saddles. Since the guitar is drilled already, I'm tempted to do some more drilling (gasp!) and install a late 70's adjustomatic I have here. I prefer that over traditional wood archtop bridges anyway. I prefer the longer sustain and more "detailed" intonation.

Other issue: The dreaded headstock face shrink & peel. I was warned verbally about it with this guitar, but I had never seen it in person. Should be easy enough to glue it back down, but I just wasn't prepared for the horror of it face-to-face.

Otherwise, I think I just might have found a personal signature guitar. Can't wait to get some mediums on there, raise the action a bit on the low end and drop tune it.

 

[walrus]

Very very nice, LA! That was a great score - I love the look of that guitar!

walrus

 

[bluesypicky]

Cool beans! Congrats and enjoy the new puppy.... (getting more and more curious about these Mickey p'ups )

 

[Geo]

:mrgreen: :mrgreen: :mrgreen:

Get the drill out. :lol: 8)

George

 

[Zelja]

Congratulations Kent. Cool guitar. Black's definitely your colour, huh? Looking forward to a full report on those pickups & more pics.

 

[Thunderface]

That is one sweet guitar, Kent, and by now you're in the presence of Treem and his '74 black Starfire (aka the Blackfire). Will be curious how yours sounds compared to his.

 

[Cherry Starfire]

Ahh, looks like I'm on the hunt for another 302, maybe next time

 

[Thunderface]

I hear 'ya, CS. I'm regretting passing up on this ST-303 Deluxe when it was at the Guitar Barn.

 

[Cherry Starfire]

I hear 'ya, CS. I'm regret passing up on this ST-303 Deluxe when it was at the Guitar Barn.

Stop showing me these guitars, now I want this one too

 

[Thunderface]

Sorry.

 

[Los Angeles]

That is one sweet guitar, Kent, and by now you're in the presence of Treem and his '74 black Starfire (aka the Blackfire). Will be curious how yours sounds compared to his.

No comparison.

Treems's Blackfire 4 is absolutly the greatest starfire I've ever played and I've played probably 40 or 50 of them from every era, in every condition. His is appointed with all of the late mid-to-late 70's upgrades that I absolutely DEMAND on my solids and semi-hollows: low wide frets, meaty tuners, etc, etc, etc. But it's stamped as a 74. It's black. (EDIT) IT'S ALL MAHOGANY (/EDIT) And it's now a guitar I will have dreams about.

His is the best. Period.

But the ST302 guitar is quite the anomaly. It's the first "mickey" I've played and at first I was a little surprised about the output - I've gotten so used to full-size HB1's you know? So I'm playing and getting along with the single coils. And that's when I realize something. No buzz. No tinny, twangy, thin Fender bite. It's quiet, sweet, and the hollow guitar makes it oh so full and round without losing that single-coil vibe. The electronics are smooth and dial in all kinds of tone. My favorite is the selector at mid position, all knobs up.

In the end, I am really pleasantly surprised by the quality of this instrument.

I've heard people say they are ugly. I disagree. They are only ugly if you think this is ugly:

I don't think that's ugly at all.

 

[Zelja]

Wow, that SB ST-302 Delux is a looker!

Kent, can you clarify output of the Mickey Mouse pickups to HB-1s? Just a little less?

 

[Thunderface]

Now that's a black car! 8) And for those who can't afford the above black Charger, here's less expensive alternative.

At 1/18th scale, do you think it would be more expensive at full size than the one above?

 

[Los Angeles]

Wow, that SB ST-302 Delux is a looker!

Kent, can you clarify output of the Mickey Mouse pickups to HB-1s? Just a little less?

Yes, that's about it. a little less volume, a little sweeter tone. I'm sure someone will come in and correct me, but I think Humbuckers were designed with two things in mind: 1) kill the A/C buzz or "hum", and 2) increase the output or "volume" of the guitar. crazy thing is, I don't get much if any hum out of this guitar like I would a strat or tele. It's quiet with my rig. I'm very please with that.

Forgive me for not being able to describe the sound of the mickey mouse pickups better. I'm really out of my element when it comes to hollowbodies and especially when it comes to single-coil pickups. The last single coil loaded guitar I owned was a 70's Mustang that I traded in for my S-100 back in 94 or 95. And yes, I'd do that trade again today in a heartbeat. :lol: