Mosfed wrote:I just resaw the movie and there is a whole bit with Phil and a tech going through what I thought was the bass I listed above. Maybe I am wrong.
I was clear that it was a guild but I had no idea how extensive the mods were to it other than the really funky electronics.
Thanks for the responses
Well, we've already determined that the bass in the movie was not a Starfire, but the Starfire mods that happened were:
Stage 1: extra magnets in the Hagstrom Bisonic pickups and a buffer attached to each pickup. Door cut in the back to access the electronics.
Stage 2:
a) Electronics: complete gut of the instrument and Alembic pickups and electronics installed. Similar to the Superfilter (SF2) and also had the quad pickup, although it wasn't used all that much.
b) Physical changes: New bridge, tailpiece, nut, all made out of brass. Lower front of the body cut completely off and a new plate carved from maple installed. Extensive shielding. Headstock removed and a new one installed with stronger angle to increase breakpoint of strings over nut. Top half stuffed with foam to suppress feedback.
Stage 3:
Mostly physical with the installation of an ebony fingerboard and more typical Alembic inlays.
What makes the difference on all of this? The hardware is a big one. I have similar hardware on my Starfire and it made the whole bass resonate with each note. The electronics are also a big deal. The pickups are very different from the Hagstrom or subsequent Dark Stars. The filter setup is also key to getting a handle on the different types of attack that are possible. The ACG preamp is a good alternative, but the Alembic electronics are a whole other level. Even more important are the flatwounds, a good pick and the right hand technique and chordal concepts of a jazz player.