Dark Star Pickups

[disaster]

Any body have these in their bass? I watched a Mars Volta vid the other day and the bass player had 2 of em in a pbass and sounded damn good.
I'm interested in their tone through hollowbodies as well.

[thunderbroom]

I have Two guild a Starfire that i replaced the stock humbuckers with darkstars and an m85 hollow les paul shape that has an original bisonic which the darkstars are based on. I have also owned a Lakland Skyline with a single darkstar. Compared to a regular pbass pickup the darkstar has less of a mid emphasis and extended frequency range on both ends of the spectrum plus a hotter output. also when you dig in the darkstars have there own subtle distortion. in the starfire the two pickups RWRP so they humbuck when both are selected.

If you want to check out original Hagstrom bisonic tones on record. checkout the first Hot Tuna live album and i think Grateful Dead Europe 72' or maybe it was Skull****.

[zekmoe]

Check the dudepit

http://www.vintagebass.com/thedudepit/

there's a darkstar forum there. Probably the most experience with those pickups.

[Jon Silberman]

I ran across the Dark Stars site while searching for some ever-elusive boutique Dynasonic alternatives (which I never did find). As a long-time Hag player, they're cool!

http://pic20.picturetrail.com/VOL1600/682310/3070429/39177070.jpg

[disaster]

how much do dark stars run, street price?
or can you only get them direct?

[Bassomatic]

I've been wanting to get a hollowbody or EB style bass to throw one of these in. GASsing a bit since their introduction.

[mainsale]

I've got one in a Lakland Skyline limited edition and I'm very pleased with it. Thunderbroom's tonal description is accurate. I've been thinking about putting a set into my Guild Starfire but may try them first in my De'Armond Starfire to see how they are. I expect them to be superb!

http://i17.photobucket.com/albums/b61/Mainsale/Guitars005.jpg

[disaster]

that, my friend, is a rad looking bass.

[mainsale]

It sounds much, much better than it looks!

[iualum]

...planning a Nino Valenti jazz w/2 Darkstars...yummm:dude ...

[vangkm]

how much do dark stars run, street price?
or can you only get them direct?

I was told the guy who made them previously had a huge order for Lakland and started making them exclusively for them. As far as I know they aren't available anymore except in higher end Laklands.

[MattK]

They're still available from the maker, Fred Hammon. His website is http://basspickup.com/. He sells them for cheaper than the list prices on his site.

[vangkm]

They're still available from the maker, Fred Hammon. His website is http://basspickup.com/. He sells them for cheaper than the list prices on his site.

Thanks for the info, the last time I was there (6 months +) it said he was no longer making them for sale through his website.

[jokerjkny]

I have Two guild a Starfire that i replaced the stock humbuckers with darkstars and an m85 hollow les paul shape that has an original bisonic which the darkstars are based on. I have also owned a Lakland Skyline with a single darkstar. Compared to a regular pbass pickup the darkstar has less of a mid emphasis and extended frequency range on both ends of the spectrum plus a hotter output. also when you dig in the darkstars have there own subtle distortion. in the starfire the two pickups RWRP so they humbuck when both are selected.

If you want to check out original Hagstrom bisonic tones on record. checkout the first Hot Tuna live album and i think Grateful Dead Europe 72' or maybe it was Skull****.


loved them in a lakland pbass i tried a while back. love that hollow upper mid without that annoying honk. its like the perfect pbass sound for me, without that upper middiness.