Dark Stars..

well I am already contemplating getting another T-40(!) and asking Chip if he can do some mods on her, including installing a pair of Dark Stars. Has anyone here put them on their T-40's? Discuss!

Excuse my ignorange, but what are Dark Stars?

Ooooooh, Dark Star pickups....one of my favorite subjects. They are PHENOMENAL pickups. Expensive. I did a T-45 DS conversion that I'm kicking myself in the ass for selling.

For those of you who don't know...Dark Star pickups are made by Hammon Engineering, they replicate the pickups that were on the old Guild Starfire basses back in the 60s. Fred Hammon is a great guy. He builds each pickup to order and they are fantastic, FANTASTIC.

While I have never DS'd a T-40, I know someone who did and it has taken over as his main bass. I also know of a Rickenbacker player who DS'd a 4004 bass and he LOVES it.

They're close to $400 for a pair of pickups...rather expensive, but worth it, in my book....and from my experience. Plus I think they're a direct drop-in to a T-40 without modification, I may be wrong though.

Scottpro1969 wrote:

...Plus I think they're a direct drop-in to a T-40 without modification, I may be wrong though.

I think they are, or at least darn close. I want a hot-rodded T-40 in a bad way. Fred Hammon mentions Crown of Creation as a good album with the bass sound he was striving for when he built the Dark Stars. JA has an awesome sound.... GOLLY! I want hotrod pickups!

I'm sure if you decide to go that route, you'll have no trouble selling the stock T-40 pickups to help fund the conversion!!!

Guys, I don't encourage modifying a perfectly great sounding bass. Which the T-40 is. The Dark Star pickups are truly phenomenal. If you don't mind dishing out more for the pickups than you paid for the bass, then go for it.

I'm gonna do it. I told the wife about my idea, she said "better start saving then". Yes dear!

I figure I will start looking for my project T-40 in about 2 or 3 months, then start gathering parts and emailing Chip. If it took him 4 years to get to it and 6 months to finish it I wouldn't care. I will put together the list of mods I want to do and maybe draw up a sketch soon and post them here. I'm not going to be changing the looks, mind, but enhancing them; think of it as a Peavey custom shop offering, the Elite T-40 . Very black, very shiny, very high-end.

If any of you have ideas for this project, any things you have always wanted to see on a T-40, please let me know. I love creative idea input!!

This baby is getting DS'd!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

That's awesome Scott! Make sure and keep us posted on the transformation of 45-enstein!

Well I may have found the project T-40. eBay # 170252999957. If I get this one, I will be selling the toasters and pick guard not long after, and this forum will get the first announcement of that. So if anyone is looking to get some toasters, or a fair original pick guard, PM me and let me know.

The neck PU has a crack in the black inner part. I will test it before selling it to make sure it works.

Here you go guys, I know some of you wanted toasters!!

Just won it! Should have it in a week or so, then I will test out the pick-ups and sell 'em, and see what kinda of project I got myself into....

Okay I've got the body gutted and will start getting parts piecemeal over the next several months. Can someone steer me in the right direction for high-quality wiring, pots, switches, any diagrams or whatever for hooking DarkStars up right? It's a bare bosy with all the electrical guts ripped stripped and shipped away so it's a clean slate.

As for finishes, I've got way too many ideas, but the original light burst is something I'm NOT fond of at all. I would love to give it a hot-rodded look, something with a early 70's vibe.

Any help at all is appreciated guys. Thanks!