1975 Fender® Starcaster Sunburst, Very Good, Hard, $4,200.00

Fender’s Starcaster model was a direct response to Gibson’s Electro Spanish line, specifically the beloved Es-335 line of semi-hollow thin-line guitars. Fender took the concept of a semi-hollow bound body with F-holes and humbucking pickups and added a number of classically “Fender” style twists to the design. The most obvious deviations are the off-set Jaguar/Jazzmaster-esque body shape and the unique wide curved headstock design. Like other Fender guitars it features a bolt-on neck with the 3-bolt Micro-tilt system commonly seen on ‘70s Fenders. The maple neck sports a maple fret board (as opposed to the rosewood board commonly seen on Gibson’s Electro-Spanish models) and measures roughly 1 5/8th” at the nut. It has a 25.5” scale and a 6-saddle hard tail bridge. The neck has a thinner feel than a Gibson and connects to the body at the 17th fret. Electronics include a 3-way pickup selector with dual volume/tone knobs as well as a master volume knob. Fender had commissioned the famed pickup designer Seth Lover to create their first humbucking pickup design, the “Wide-Range Humbucker”. The Starcaster sports two of these fantastic-sounding pickups, neck and bridge positioned. Although similar on the surface to the classic Gibson humbucker the Wide-Range pickups have a gorgeous tonality all their own and sound particularly good through a properly cranked Fender tube amp, especially a Deluxe Reverb or Vibrolux. The sunburst finish is particularly beautiful on this one with an almost flame-like look on the top and a more ruddy-ish look on the back of the body. Cosmetically it is in fantastic condition with only a few minor dings in the neck that don’t seem to affect the playability. There are two spots on the upper bout where a previous owner may have installed mini-toggle switches or something of that nature. It has been filled in and is not particularly noticeable from afar. The frets have some wear but still have a good deal of life left. It has been set-up by our in-house tech with round wound 10s and plays beautifully. The Starcaster may have been lost to history if it were not for Radiohead’s Jonny Greenwood bringing back the model’s popularity with his use of the instrument during what was arguably the peak time for the band (from the albums “O.K. Computer” to “Amnesiac”). This resurgence has lead Fender to re-issue the model as a series in their budget-minded “Modern Player” line. However compared to the real deal the Modern Player Starcasters are merely an imitation. This is a rare chance to get your hands on the true original! Includes non-original hard shell case