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Anyone any idea what starcasters are actually worth?
Posted: Thu Feb 28, 2008 4:26 pm
by dazed&abused
I know they're not something you see every day, but its probably my dream guitar, and i was just wondering how much i would have to dish out to get one. There's one on egay for £2500 but i was curious to see if they are any more common and/or cheap over the pond? Also has anyone on here got one, would love to hear about what they are like (never even seen one, never mind played).
Thanx all.

Posted: Thu Feb 28, 2008 5:45 pm
by Justin J
people seem to price them all over the place. i can guarantee you that were it not for the wide-rangers in there, these things would be dirt cheap. people have built up such a mystique around those pickups that you'll probably be hard-pressed to find one under $2000 and $3000 would be much more realistic.
Posted: Thu Feb 28, 2008 5:54 pm
by dazed&abused
Fair, so £1250+. Thats not too bad really, slightly cheaper than a vintage jazzy. Are the wide rangers as good as people make out? After all they're one of the reasons i'm after a starcaster, and the maple neck on a semi is quite cool. Why would they be cheap d'you reckon, i mean they're quite rare. Just unloved or a bag of poo?
Posted: Thu Feb 28, 2008 6:07 pm
by Justin J
well, you can still get coronados fairly cheap because they don't have highly sought-after pickups. then add ten years of negative cbs mojo and i can't imagine people would want a starcaster very badly. i think it's only the pickups.
as for the wide-rangers themselves, i think they are the perfect marriage of gibson humbucker bite and warmth with fender single-coil brightness and clarity. they are fantastic pickups. but they are not worth the $400 a piece or whatever ass-rapingly extortionate price people are demanding these days.
Posted: Thu Feb 28, 2008 6:14 pm
by Mike
Have you played some originals Bubbles? I never have.
Posted: Thu Feb 28, 2008 6:17 pm
by dodgedartdave
bubbles_horwitz wrote:well, you can still get coronados fairly cheap because they don't have highly sought-after pickups. then add ten years of negative cbs mojo and i can't imagine people would want a starcaster very badly. i think it's only the pickups.
as for the wide-rangers themselves, i think they are the perfect marriage of gibson humbucker bite and warmth with fender single-coil brightness and clarity. they are fantastic pickups. but they are not worth the $400 a piece or whatever ass-rapingly extortionate price people are demanding these days.
I totally agree!
Posted: Thu Feb 28, 2008 6:22 pm
by dazed&abused
If i ever come across a starcaster stripped of its pickups, i'll certainly grab it (chuck in some P90s or summin). I should probably try a coronado and see what i think. Doing a comparison might prove quite tricky with two guitars that are so rarely seen (maybe i should just frequent denmark street a bit more). Starcaster looks a hundred times better i reckon, quirkier, and the headstock is just plain odd. With WR it'll sound better and i think they're a bit rarer too. Oh bugger i'm just going to sit here and convince myself. Anyway, thanx a lot man, you've been most helpful.
Is there anyone here who has one/has played one? and maybe had some experience of a coronado aswell?
Posted: Thu Feb 28, 2008 6:23 pm
by Justin J
Mike wrote:Have you played some originals Bubbles? I never have.
tele deluxes, never a starcaster. i made a thread about the awesomeness of the originals a couple months ago. before the deleted-time-travel-fest.
Posted: Thu Feb 28, 2008 6:24 pm
by Justin J
dazed&abused wrote:maybe i should just frequent denmark street a bit more
i love going to vintage shops just to try out guitars. i would probably never buy from one, because i could probably never afford it.
Posted: Thu Feb 28, 2008 6:28 pm
by Mike
bubbles_horwitz wrote:Mike wrote:Have you played some originals Bubbles? I never have.
tele deluxes, never a starcaster. i made a thread about the awesomeness of the originals a couple months ago. before the deleted-time-travel-fest.
Oh shit I remember yeah you mentioned saving up for it?
Posted: Thu Feb 28, 2008 6:30 pm
by Justin J
yeah, i toyed with the idea of owning one. but that'll probably end up on hold. at least 'til this summer. maybe even the fall.
Posted: Thu Feb 28, 2008 6:34 pm
by dazed&abused
i would probably never buy from one, because i could probably never afford it.
Indeed, be nice to do once tho. But not really if it's like 4-5 pedals difference in price. That would be silly.
Posted: Thu Feb 28, 2008 6:38 pm
by jcyphe
There is also the radiohead angle. There is bunch of gear that is overly inflated price wise cause of the connection to those dudes.
If you really want one buy now because short of getting some deal, things like that aren't gonna come back down in price.
Posted: Thu Feb 28, 2008 6:48 pm
by dazed&abused
Well if it wasn't for mr greenwood i would probably never have got the bug for one, but your right about the prices only going one way. Unless we fall into some '80s esque revival of black, spiky, metal, floyd rose toting monstrosaties again, but that doesn't seem too likely now. Altho this economic instability thats starting to be felt might have some inpact, what with the sales of non essentials declining it would become a buyers market. So hey, give it a year, you won't be able to afford bread but you'll get a shit-hot deal on a '59 jazzmaster.
Posted: Thu Feb 28, 2008 7:10 pm
by Sloan
I love the headstock on those and just now nocticed that it has five knobs. wtf.
Posted: Thu Feb 28, 2008 7:20 pm
by Justin J
the fifth one is master volume, i think.
Posted: Thu Feb 28, 2008 7:29 pm
by jcyphe
dazed&abused wrote:Well if it wasn't for mr greenwood i would probably never have got the bug for one, but your right about the prices only going one way. Unless we fall into some '80s esque revival of black, spiky, metal, floyd rose toting monstrosaties again, but that doesn't seem too likely now. Altho this economic instability thats starting to be felt might have some inpact, what with the sales of non essentials declining it would become a buyers market. So hey, give it a year, you won't be able to afford bread but you'll get a shit-hot deal on a '59 jazzmaster.
I don't think so. People who have real coin, are still gonna have real coin. And like it or not vintage guitars are seen by alot of people as something to buy as an investment. So even if more people start selling their vintage Fenders they'll just be snapped up by people with more money than sense. Real money is recession proof.
Posted: Thu Feb 28, 2008 7:55 pm
by dazed&abused
So even if more people start selling their vintage Fenders they'll just be snapped up by people with more money than sense. Real money is recession proof.
And those that aren't locked away, will be stripped. Especially if they're packing wide rangers. Bastards
If the pound-dollar ratio is as it is at the mo or better/worse, i'd probably save more than a flights worth in getting it from the u.s. Now just gotta convince them to grant me a visa, hmmm.
Posted: Fri Feb 29, 2008 3:50 am
by finboy
i asked warmoth if they would do a body for one, i was told that i was the first to ask about it (i find that hard to believe), but they would need atleast 100 interested parties to even think about making a body
here is a thread on the whole thing...
http://acapella.harmony-central.com/for ... starcaster
Posted: Fri Feb 29, 2008 3:54 am
by Nick
Rob OG needs to start making starcaster bodies.