Buh!!!! Original Startcaster and Coronado are back

[ux4484]

It makes me smile

[newey]

What? No Antigua finish?

The "wide-range" pickups on the Coronado look suspiciously like the GFS "Memphis" Retrotron I just put in my LPJ. . .

[ux4484]

Yes they do newey.

As I recall, most of those Antigua Coronado's were painted over "Wildwood" finishes that Fender took so much flack on (injecting beech trees with colors not found in nature).

[ijustwannastrat]

That's a shame, those wildwood's look great

I'm trying my hardest not to go down to the store and play one of those Coronados.... I ain'ts gots enough monies!

[sumgai]

ux's memory is correct.  Fender won't be making that particular faux-pas again.

But with today's technology, they could've faked it.  Marketing that switch-out would require some finesse, but they couldn've done it, I'm sure.

[mlrpa]

Ummm, that's nice... But, uhh, why? They were garbage when they came out! If fender needs to make a few more zillion dollars, just have Guild do it. At least it will play properly.

[ux4484]

There is much underground and indi-music love for those two models these days.
Fender was basically trying to grab all the people buying Matsumoku made guitars by providing something they (Fender) hadn't previously had. Problem was they weren't made as well as some of the better Epiphone's, Aria's and Univox's they were trying to beat down from the Matsumoku factory.

I recall the environmental controversy, but I don't remember where Fender made them.

I'd bet more than a few bucks that the quality of these new models will be MILES above the originals. The bridge redesigns alone (Especially on the Starcaster bass bridge) will solve the majority of problems those originals had.

[4real]

Ah...finally...I really do love thee Starcaster...the collerados theough were always really bad having played them. But consider the Starcaster compared to 335s and such, or from a feature and player perspective...

It's a nice 'big' guitar so seated sits well and is light being hollow. It has the normal 'gibson like' vols and tones for the pickups but a master volume within easy rach and a really nicely placed selector out of the way but within easy reach that I'd prefer (ahving a strat switched over there). It is a lot less 'kicky mouse ears' than the 335 which I personally find attractive and a bolt on neck that allows for greater adjustment than set neck designs, straight pull over the headstock, which I find to be quite an attractive alternative to the 'strat' types and the original had nice and now rare 'full range HBs' designed by Seth Lover (of PAF fame) and having one in my tele, can say they are special...but have not existed now for many years...

www.fender.com/news/guitarchive-the-starcaster/

I doubt very much that we will ever see a return of the WRHB's though, all copies now being HB's in alternate screw pole covers and nothing like the originals which had wide flat coils and qualities similar to the P90 magnetically, and had this unusal and distinctive bright 'fendery' 'clang' to them that you would not expect from an HB, and completely noiseless, unlike most fenders, certainly of that era.

So, a few people have discovered the benefits of the things, well likely that is required to bring them back...that's no reason to discount the instrument as something interesting.

Similarly, I ahve a soft spot for the old Gibson hollow body "Les Paul' recording model which with it's ofset waist had some simularities.

Never took to that whole 'wildwood' thing, unless youparticularly like Kitch, but used to really, really want a all natural maple necked Starcaster and wish I could afford, even a reissue...they are actually really nice versitile guitars.

The only notable person that used Starcasters while they were areound that I can thinkof, back in the day, were Meters guitarist, Leo Nocentelli...so I'd associate it more with blues funk as much as anything...the WRHB pups always scream rolling stones to me also...

[ux4484]

I always liked the Starcaster offset as well, especially on the bass I think it's much cooler looking than the Epi Jack Cassidy model, but since it's in the original 30" scale, I don't know if it'll be around long. I have a soft spot for the Coronado, as it's the first hollowbody bass I ever played (had GAS for), but couldn't afford. I wasn't down long though, as my Aria Diamonds 335 single pup was actually a nicer instrument.

[gckelloch]

Don't believe the hype. Those WRHB PUP's were just low wind/inductance HB's. That and the whole Seth Lover PAF thing was blown way out of proportion. Rickenbacker actually created the first HB's back in the 1930's. The WRHB's use a CuNiFe magnet that could be adjusted because it wasn't as brittle as AlNiCo. The iron in the CuNiFe creates some eddy currents which combined with the (brass?) cover produces that soft, but tinny sound. Like any PUP, the upper mid character can be altered with the external R(resistance)and C(capacitance)load via pots and cabling. A well-made low inductance HB PUP can be tuned to sound the same way via the R and C without the fundamental and high end weakness that eddy currents can cause.

I never played either of those guitars, but I wonder what the ply tops were made of. Gibson originally used a Maple/Poplar/Maple sandwich. Maple only can sound too thin. Add that to the snap of a bolt-on Maple neck, and the guitar would seriously lack warmth.

[ux4484]

Had both models in my hands today, bass & guitar. One word: HEAVEY!

So center HEAVEY as to be uncomfortable to stand with a strap as a bass, and too easy to flop out of you lap sitting as a guitar. Pups are nice, lots of sustain, lots of jangle from the guitar bridge pups, and warm reverberating tone from the neck pups. Both basses had their strong points, the Coronado was more guild/hofner sounding, the Starcaster was very grumbly at the neck , and could actually be used for thumping on the bridge pup. While much more solid seeming then their predacessors, just too dang uncomfortable to play. They are surprisingly quiet acousticly (it's a BIG center block), that was disappointing as well.

Now that Epi Jack Casady signature... Feels and sounds like my old Aria... and is hundreds less than either of these behemoths.