Fender Starcaster and Starcaster Bass. What say ye?

[Blakemore]

I'm on the verge of buying one of the Fender Starcaster reissues. I really really loved the two I've played so far. I feel like I haven't heard much about them since they came out though. Anyone have/had one, or have strongly worded opinions?

On a similar note, I'm pretty intrigued by the Starcaster bass as well. I just got a bonus at work, so I'm debating picking up the pair of a Starcaster and Starcaster bass as a Christmas present to myself For as little as I've heard about the Starcaster, I feel like I've heard even less about the bass. I haven't even seen one of those yet. Has anyone played one?

[Disarm D'arcy]

Sexy geetarz. Replace pickups and adapt electronics (pot values) ASAP. Other than that, it's all good.

[antennafarm]

Sexy geetarz. Replace pickups and adapt electronics (pot values) ASAP. Other than that, it's all good.

hah, so typical treatment for a fender!

[aen]

BONAR. Thats what I think.

[Blakemore]

Sexy geetarz. Replace pickups and adapt electronics (pot values) ASAP. Other than that, it's all good.

Just curious, as I got this response on another forum, but what is it that you didn't like about the stock pups and electronics? The ones I played sounded really good, I thought. Just curious what you didn't like, or what you were trying to improve?

[goosekevin]

Tuffteef has the bass and loves it I am fairly sure

[Disarm D'arcy]

Sexy geetarz. Replace pickups and adapt electronics (pot values) ASAP. Other than that, it's all good.

Just curious, as I got this response on another forum, but what is it that you didn't like about the stock pups and electronics? The ones I played sounded really good, I thought. Just curious what you didn't like, or what you were trying to improve?

The stock so called wide range sound dull. They're basically bad regular humbuckers in a big case with a lot of wax. For wide ranges, pot value is critical to get things to sound right. Most people seem to think 1m ohm is great but I personnaly prefer 500k.

[Jero]

I tried the bass at a store last year and liked it a good bit. I seem to remember some neck dive, and didn't have time to plug in, so I can't speak for the pups.

[Achtane]

that dong headstock tho

[Blakemore]

Good to hear the people who have tried the basses seem to like them, since I still haven't even seen one in person. Also, I think that headstock is like a Rorshach test. So you say it looks like a dong? I say it looks like my parents fighting.

[Hyphen Nation]

Way more money, but Paul Rhoney and Bilt all do variations on this, and you'd have independent builder quality all over it.

I just built a parts Jazzmaster with Novak WRHB's in JM covers and LOVE the 1m pot…mostly for range. I typically have it set at 5 or 6, but being able to get that little extra high end when needed is awesome.

[greyscales]

I played the bass version in a shop a few months ago. It was fun, not hard to play with the short scale. It didn't feel like a short scale to me because of how big the body is, which might work better for people used to regular basses (not me and my Mustang basses).
Didn't get a chance to plug it in, but it seemed solid enough. Not sure where you'd get new pickups for it though.

[Blakemore]

Good to know about the bass! I was a bit worried about the short scale since I normally play jazz basses or 5 strings with really big necks.

[greyscales]

The neck (at the nut) is like 1.65" IIRC. Similar to a P bass. Which makes it feel bigger to me.

[Blakemore]

I really may be sold on both of these things. That actually sounds perfect to me, and it seems like this would be a really nice compliment to my active 5 string J bass.