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Guild Starfire I Bass Guitar - Cherry Demo

4-string Semi-hollowbody Electric Bass with Mahogany Top, Back, and Sides, Mahogany Neck, Rosewood Fingerboard, and Split Single-coil Pickup - Cherry
7 Write review Item ID: SFIBassChd1
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$602.10
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Condition Notes:

There is a chip in the finish above the pickups. There is a finish crack from the bass side of the pickup cavity and down the body. There is a Finish crack along the top edge of the bass side F hole. There are other fine scratches on various parts of the instrument that do not show up well in the images, if at all.

This item was thoroughly inspected by our factory-authorized service team and is backed by Sweetwater's exclusive 2-year warranty. These images are of the exact item advertised, and provide as accurate a representation of its condition as possible. If you need further information, please call your Sweetwater Sales Engineer at (800) 222-4700.

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A Modern Take on an Iconic Short-scale Bass

The Guild Starfire I short-scale bass holds down the groove with a combination of classic '60s character and punchy modern sound. Speaking of sonics, with its semi-hollow construction and BC-1 BiCoil pickups, the Guild Starfire I bass serves up organic, resonant tones and chunky low-end grind like no other. Part vintage, part contemporary, yet completely timeless, bassists at Sweetwater have discovered a lot to love about the Guild Starfire I. Given its 30.75-inch scale length, the Starfire I is ideal for young players and equally capable of opening up new frontiers of playability for long-scale bass players. Its Thin-"U" profile mahogany neck urges you to explore its Indian Rosewood fretboard and incorporate unconventional bass techniques into your playing, such as chording, bends, and feverish runs. On top of that, the Guild Starfire I’s classy looks absolutely pop, ensuring that you'll command attention onstage.

Related Videos: Starfire I Bass Guitar - Cherry

Exceptionally playable short-scale neck

The short (30.75-inch) scale length of the Starfire I bass makes it easier to navigate the fretboard. It's perfect for beginners and players with smaller hands, but anyone can enjoy this eminently playable semi-hollow bass. The short-scale length lets you comfortably play anywhere on the smooth, beautiful rosewood fingerboard. Just plug the Starfire I bass into your bass amp, and you'll see what we mean.

Thinline semi-hollowbody for comfortable playing and rich tone

Try as you may, you just can't get the same vibrant, overtone-rich sound of a hollowbody bass with a traditional solidbody. Instead of giving you a bulky instrument, Guild gave the Starfire I a thinline body style that provides the woody thump of a hollow instrument, plus the easy-playing comfort of a traditional bass. In short, the Guild Starfire I has all the tones and playability you want in a bass.

Based on the classic '60s Starfire

Classic rock recordings have no shortage of warm and groovy bass tones served up by hollowbody instruments. Bands like The Byrds and Jefferson Airplane relied on the original Starfire bass for their rhythmic foundation. With the Guild Starfire I semi-hollowbody bass, you can get that vibe, too.

Guild Starfire I Semi-hollowbody Bass Guitar Features:

  • Thinline semi-hollowbody based on the '60s Guild Starfire
  • BC-1 BiCoil pickups with Alnico V magnets serve up a modern tone
  • Short-scale neck for comfortable access to all frets and chord positions
  • Exceptional tone and looks from laminated mahogany back, sides, and top
  • Mahogany with Thin-"U" neck profile for comfortable playability
  • Guild vintage-style tuners give you excellent tuning stability

Why Buy Your Guitar from Sweetwater?

See how Sweetwater goes to great lengths to give you the very best online guitar buying experience. From our online Guitar Gallery that allows you to see and select the exact instrument you want to our 55-point Inspection process and our in-house guitar techs, we take the guesswork out of buying your next guitar online.

What is Demo Gear?

At Sweetwater, we're so picky that what we call a "demo" is actually better than what most music retailers sell as "new" gear! Our gear hasn't endured hundreds of people a week plunking away at all the keyboards, fumbling through Stairway to Heaven on every guitar or playing with every fader and knob on a mixer or control surface.

What demo means to us is that we've had it out of the box, or maybe it was in a customer's hands for a few days and isn't "factory fresh" as a result. Every demo item we sell has Sweetwater's 2-year Total Confidence Coverage™ warranty, and has been tested and verified up to "new" specs by our factory-authorized technicians to make sure it's in perfect working order before we ship it to you.

When you buy a Demo item at Sweetwater, you get:
  • 2-year Total Confidence Coverage Warranty™!
  • Products inspected and tested by our factory-authorized techs, guaranteed to function like new (or better)!
  • FREE shipping on most items
  • Equipment that will MEET or EXCEED your expectations!

Click HERE to browse our current inventory of Demo equipment. Purchasing demo gear from Sweetwater is a smart and safe way to save!

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Tech Specs

  • Number of Strings: 4
  • Left-/Right-handed: Right-handed
  • Body Shape: Starfire I
  • Body Material: Arched Mahogany Top, Mahogany Back/Sides
  • Body Finish: Gloss
  • Color: Cherry
  • Neck Material: Mahogany
  • Neck Shape: Modern Thin U
  • Radius: 12.5"
  • Fingerboard Material: Indian Rosewood
  • Fingerboard Inlay: Pearloid Dots
  • Number of Frets: 21, Narrow Tall
  • Scale Length: 30.75"
  • Nut Width: 1.5"
  • Nut Material: Composite
  • Bridge/Tailpiece: Guild Bass Tune-O-Matic Bridge with Harp Tailpiece
  • Tuners: Guile Vintage-style
  • Middle Pickup: Guild BC-1 Split Single-coil
  • Controls: 1 x master volume, 1 x tone (push/pull vintage switch)
  • Strings: D'Addario, .045-.105
  • Case Included: Sold Separately
  • Manufacturer Part Number: 99-741-0020

What Makes Our Sales Engineers Great?

Sweetwater Sales Engineers are a world-class team of experts dedicated to you. Hand selected from across the globe, each brings a wealth of experience and expertise in the world of music gear to provide you with unparalleled service completely free of charge. Friendly relationships, real trust, and the right gear are only a call or a click away!

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Customer Reviews

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Lots of spank & lightweight

I love short scales, as I find them easier to play, especially when singing due to less finger travel. This bass is lightweight which is a huge plus for my bad back and I find this bass is well balanced, no headstock diving. I really enjoy playing this bass out, it sounds and looks great on stage, I've got lots of compliments about it. At the time I bought mine, Sweetwater had 5 in-stock and I choose the lowest weight one, which also was the lighter shade of red, I've seen some that were so dark red, they looked almost black. The 5 string white black Jackson was also bought at Sweetwater.
by Vohnjamm from Huntington on
Music background: Playing bass since 1978

Guild Starfire 1

The bass Arrived set up and ready to play. Arrived in great new out of the box condition. Looks great and sounds great.
Lots of tone and lots of low end. Engage the push pull volume control and it gives you more mid range vintage.
You can really play any style on this bass. Split coil pick up is the BS-1 BiSonic and has no interference, feedback or other issues. It comes with round would and I actually like the tone and will probably stick with the rounds for string bends and tone. Sweetwater did a great job updating me on arrival day and time. Andrew was awesome as usual. I am a Sweetwater fan and a Guild Starfire bass fan.
by TJ from Bloomington, MN on
Music background: Pro musician for 40 years.

Great Bass!

Beautiful bass, especially at this price. Very full woody sound. Nice hardware, and a gorgeous finish. So very pleased. Ordering the Guild case. Very comfortable short scale neck. Replaced round wounds with Labella Deep Talking flatwounds. Standard length as the tail piece adds up to 4". I did have to widen the nut slots for the E and A strings to accomodate the width. They feel great and sound great. Push-pull volume control makes a nice (subtle) sound difference. It switches wiring from series to parallel. This bass is well worth the price!
by Tom from Maryland on
Music background: hobbyist

Simply Amazing

If you're looking for a semi-hollow body, do yourself a favor and check this one out. This instrument is simply top notch. The construction quality is unbelievable at this price point. I have played American made instruments that are not up to this level. Just as an example the fret ends are so smooth, you would think this came from a custom shop. Not one rough edge from first to last. The range of tones you can get from this single pickup is unbelievable. From soft and deep to edgy and high. I got this as a compliment to my solid body active double pickup to have something with a completely different sound, but after living with it for a few days I'm thinking I don't even need anything else. This is now definitely my number 1.

I purchased this as a demo, and honestly, I could not find any of the flaws that were listed in the description. Believe me I looked. Big shout out to Nate DeRusha my Sales Engineer. Super helpful, knowledgeable and most importantly, responsive. Thanks Nate! If you are worried about having a high end instrument shipped, worry no more. The bass was carefully packed in it's original box and then boxed again with plenty of extra protection.

Thank you Sweetwater for a great experience end to end.
by Mike from Pittsburgh, PA on
Music background: 40+ years of playing

Join the Band without going Broke

The Starfire I Bass has exceeded my expectations for this price point … Great piece of equipment having a classic vintage vibe and tone, with playability. I researched bass guitars for months in various price ranges from hundreds to thousands… For me there isn't any reason at this point to spend more money … and I do play live music venues locally. This bass has warm, full tones that hold the back beat nicely. It's light weight reduces fatigue, and the short scale makes it fun and easier to play. Working great with my home recordings using a Zoom R-16. I play folky or classic rock style music and I'm very pleased with the tones it's achieving. If you're not too heavy handed, it remains well mannered. For me, the Starfire I turned out to be just what I was looking for.
by Scott from Johnson City, TN on
Music background: Local working musician/ Music Student

When customers come to Sweetwater looking for great, affordable acoustic guitars, we're always quick to tell them about Guild. At the same time, Guild has brought us some real beauties over the years, ranging from top-end acoustic guitars to timeless jazz boxes, and we're happy to say our most seasoned players agree that these instruments are second to none. As one of the prime Guild dealers, we know that when we sell one of these instruments, whoever gets it is going to love it and play it a lot, especially after we put it through our 55-point Evaluation to ensure it leaves our climate-controlled warehouse in perfect condition. Whether you're looking for your first acoustic guitar or your next archtop, ask your Sales Engineer about Guild.

See also: 4 String Bass Guitars, Guild, Guild 4-string Bass Guitars
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