Guild’s first bass guitar, the solid-body Jet-Star, debuted in 1964. Like nearly all the company’s basses, it was closely modeled on an existing 6-string design. In this case, the Thunderbird electric that had appeared the previous year. A Swedish company supplied it’s single pickup.

1965 saw the launch of the Starfire bass, it was quickly adopted by Jack Casady of Jefferson Airplane, who achieved a “beefy, resonant, and wonderfully dirty tone” with his customized Starfire.

Guild continued to produce distinctive basses throughout the late 1960s and 1970s, including the M-85 (1967), the B-301 (1976), and B-302 (1977). With their long-scale fretboards, optional stereo wiring, and striking looks, the “Bs” sold steadily.