Vox Starstream H1 Short Scale with Kent Armstrong Pickup - *SOLD* £190 Fakenham, Norfolk, UK

[Obrienp]

This is not one of the fire sale basses that Guitar Guitar were knocking out for £199 last year! I paid good money for this a couple of years ago and it doesn't have any build issues that I can ascertain. No bad frets or anything like that. However, Guitar Guitar having spoilt the market, I am forced to price this accordingly, even though the Vox website is still selling them for £449. I had originally thought £350 would be a fair price: thanks Guitar Guitar!

 

It's actually a nice little bass that is very ergonomic, light (3.3Kg) and easy to play. I have upgraded it a bit with a Kent Armstrong pickup, CTS pots, oil in paper .1 uF capacitor and a chunkier bridge (this all cost a tad over £120, plus different knobs as the originals were too small for the CTS shafts). It also has decent D'Addario nickel round wound medium gauge (50-105) strings that I put on recently. You will get the original pickup (that looks a bit like a Wilkinson) and bridge. I made up a solder free harness, so changing the pickup just requires a screwdriver. It also comes with a very nice padded gig bag.

 

Scale length is 30.3", nut width 38mm and string spacing at the bridge 19mm. The neck is very much a slim Jazz style. The electrics are passive but the volume is a push pull: down the coils are wired in parallel (classic Stingray style), in the up position they are wired in series. In parallel mode I think it sounds pretty convincingly Stingrayish (at least like the short scale Sterling). Series mode is louder, with more mids. Turn the tone right down in series and you get close to that 60s mud bucker sound: think I Gotta Get Out of Here, or She's Not There (Zombies version).

 

The only significant marks on it I can see, are where I managed to chip the finish around the pickup route when changing the pickup (it's a very tight route). Otherwise it is pretty clean: no bangs or chips to the neck or fretboard. It still has the protective plastic film on the control cavity cover.

 

I am selling because I have serious GAS for a fretless and I want to try that before the arthritis stops me from playing altogether. Get yourself a very nice little Sterling MM SS alternative for very little money. It will certainly get you noticed.

 

You are very welcome to try and buy in Fakenham, Norfolk. I have the original packaging, so can courier at buyer's expense. As I hope is obvious, I have priced this to sell quickly and I have a particular bass in mind, so not really interested in trading, unless you have a reasonably priced short/medium scale fretless.

 

 

Edited March 24 by Obrienp
Possibility of a trade.

[madshadows]

Amazing looking bass, If I'd not recently bought a bass off here I'd be really tempted !!  - GLWTS, I'm sure it'll be snapped quickly  

 

John  

[Burns-bass]

This is really cool – never seen one.