Santa Monica, CA (July 8, 2015) -- Guild Guitars is proud to announce the release of the Chris Hillman Signature Byrds Bass, a tribute to the Byrds’ breakthrough success in the mid-1960s. Faithful to the original Guild Starfire Bass used by Hillman on recordings like “Turn,Turn,Turn,”“Eight Miles High”,and “The Times They Are A-Changing,” this new “Byrds Bass” features a semi-hollow all-maple body, rosewood fingerboard, three piece mahogany neck, and single BS-1 BiSonic pickup.“I didn’t think you needed two pickups for what I did, [and] I never thought you needed more than four strings,” Hillman said during a recent visit to Guild’s new California headquarters. The Guild Starfire was Hillman’s go-to bass for much of the mid-1960s due to its “ease of playing,” he said.
Chris Middaugh, a former associate at Guild, had begun the initial concept of the reissue as a Guild Starfire I Bass, but the project changed course with the involvement of two key players in Hillman’s circle. Tracy Longo, longtime luthier to Hillman, assisted as a liaison to the factory. John Jorgenson, a former bandmate and frequent collaborator of Hillman’s, was integral to the engineering and refinement of the instrument's custom tone circuit.
Another feature that was integral to Hillman’s sound was the use of flatwound strings, which were the industry standard at the time, and remain Hillman’s preferred choice for their mellow, smooth tone. The Byrds Bass features the Byrds’ logo inlaid in the 12thfret, Hillman’s signature on the truss rod cover, and a vintage sunburst finish that matches his original. Every bass includesa hardshell case, and a numbered certificate of authenticity personally signed by Chris Hillman. “I loved playing the stuff we did in the Byrds,” Hillman said. “It was a good band. I was lucky to be in it.”
$1500 Street
Starfire Bass II
Guild is proud to introduce the Starfire Bass II, a dual-pickup semi-hollow bass guitar that brings additional sonic options to one of Guild’s most iconic models. The Starfire Bass II originally debuted in 1967, shortly after the single-pickup version, and quickly garnered a following that included Jack Casady (Jefferson Airplane) and Phil Lesh (Grateful Dead). The addition of the neck pickup on the Starfire Bass II gives bassists a warmer, smooth sound for added tonal flexibility. This double cutaway bass guitar features an arched laminate mahogany top and back, and mahogany sides, dual Guild BS-1 BiSonic pickups, individual volume, tone, and master volume knobs, and a pickup selector switch. A clear, high gloss finish highlights this bass guitar’s naturalbeauty. The Starfire Bass II brings Guild’s vintage vibe to the modern bass player
$1300 Street
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