Author Topic: Fender to finally make the Starcaster bass and reissue the Coronado?  (Read 28866 times)

Basvarken

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Re: Fender to finally make the Starcaster bass and reissue the Coronado?
« Reply #105 on: February 02, 2014, 04:21:31 AM »
I have a refugee in the house...




I get to test this bass for De Bassist magazine.
Pleasantly surprised how un-Fenderian she is.

godofthunder

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Re: Fender to finally make the Starcaster bass and reissue the Coronado?
« Reply #106 on: February 02, 2014, 07:49:17 AM »
 I played one the other day on the whole I liked it.................. sort of like a EB2Ds bigger stronger brother. Very well made the only negative was the neck had way to much relief, I felt like Robin Hood trying to play it. Not Fenders fault, the store should really pay more attention to this sort of thing.
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ilan

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Re: Fender to finally make the Starcaster bass and reissue the Coronado?
« Reply #107 on: February 02, 2014, 07:50:58 AM »
Curious to hear your impressions of the Starcaster.
The guy who bought the same bass twice — first in 1977 and again in 2023

godofthunder

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Re: Fender to finally make the Starcaster bass and reissue the Coronado?
« Reply #108 on: March 02, 2014, 08:02:52 AM »
  I tried out the Coronado yesterday. Like the Starcaster and almost all of Fenders non USA product line I found it to be a very well built bass, surely better crafted than the original. The first thing I noticed when picking it up it is heavy! The alder center block must be massive. The bass was well set up and played nicely through the registers. The 32" scale makes it easy to get around. The bound/block rosewood neck is gorgeous and the fret work is nicely done. The neck is a narrow U shape and the strings are rather close together. Combined with the massive body and the small neck the bass felt award to me, I preferred the feel and balance of the Starcaster.  I loved the three tone ketchup and mustard sunburst, the finish is top notch and light years better than what was severed up in the 70's. As I didn't really get on with it I didn't bother to plug it in. Dragged back into the light from obscurity Fender has done a excellent job recreating this bass. In the end the bass isn't for me but if you are itching for a Coronado I defiantly give this bass a thumbs up.
« Last Edit: March 02, 2014, 08:21:58 AM by godofthunder »
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Alanko

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Re: Fender to finally make the Starcaster bass and reissue the Coronado?
« Reply #109 on: March 02, 2017, 06:37:51 AM »
Warning: this topic has not been posted in for at least 120 days!!!

Late to the party, as ever, but I have a black Starcaster coming my way next week. I'm thinking of fitting Schaller strap locks to it, and hoping the whole gubbins will fit inside the top cutaway. Ideally I would be moving the strap button onto one of the neck bolts, but I'm not sure how well the Schaller buttons would take to being drilled out.

My next task is to go through my box of strings and see what will actually fit!

Dave W

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Re: Fender to finally make the Starcaster bass and reissue the Coronado?
« Reply #110 on: March 02, 2017, 10:43:20 AM »
My guess would be regular short scale strings, since there's no separate tailpiece.

Pilgrim

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Re: Fender to finally make the Starcaster bass and reissue the Coronado?
« Reply #111 on: March 02, 2017, 10:58:49 AM »
My guess would be regular short scale strings, since there's no separate tailpiece.

Agreed, that appears to be a conventional 30" string with that type of bridge.  A tape measure will reveal all.
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Alanko

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Re: Fender to finally make the Starcaster bass and reissue the Coronado?
« Reply #112 on: March 02, 2017, 01:56:33 PM »
My guess would be regular short scale strings, since there's no separate tailpiece.

I saw somebody suggest you needed 33'' scale length strings. Probably Internet nonsense, but I have run into issues with Fender headstocks and G strings (Matron!) before. I have a set of Status 'Hotwire' medium scale groundwounds I got as a freebie from somewhere, and a set of medium scale Chromes cut for a 2+2 headstock.

Dave W

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Re: Fender to finally make the Starcaster bass and reissue the Coronado?
« Reply #113 on: March 02, 2017, 02:39:55 PM »
I saw somebody suggest you needed 33'' scale length strings. Probably Internet nonsense, but I have run into issues with Fender headstocks and G strings (Matron!) before. I have a set of Status 'Hotwire' medium scale groundwounds I got as a freebie from somewhere, and a set of medium scale Chromes cut for a 2+2 headstock.

You would need enough tail (i.e. beyond the winding length) to reach the G, but that has to do with the overall length, regardless of the wound length.

Most SS strings are 32 - 32.5 in. winding length. It's possible that the Starcaster needs a little more, depending on how far back the ball end anchor is from the saddles.

Alanko

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Re: Fender to finally make the Starcaster bass and reissue the Coronado?
« Reply #114 on: March 09, 2017, 02:28:56 PM »
I did a bit more digging. La Bella made a custom Starcaster set designed with a 33'' length. Eeek! I've purchased some Fender flats. They were cheap enough, and I can use them elsewhere in the estate if they don't do the job. I've gone for a 45 - 105 set.

The Starcaster arrived on Tuesday. There were a couple of crackles in the electronics, and a loose output jack, so I've stripped it down. I plan to upgrade the wiring with CTS pots, Switchcraft jack and switch and coax hookup wire. I'm impressed with the WRHB reissues, as visually they are a very close match to the '70s original I had kicking around for a couple of years. Far less microphonic, thanks to a wax potting job. Having said that I'm considering wiring the bass with the coils of each pickup in series, as in series the pickups are dark, though nicely powerful and consistent in tone.

Definitely a very cool looking bass.

Dave W

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Re: Fender to finally make the Starcaster bass and reissue the Coronado?
« Reply #115 on: March 10, 2017, 10:25:51 AM »
I have the LaBella 33 flats on my slothead EB-0. Bought 'em here. It's not in the LaBella catalog, but they'll make anything to order, although there may be a long lead time.

Alanko

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Re: Fender to finally make the Starcaster bass and reissue the Coronado?
« Reply #116 on: March 17, 2017, 03:49:23 PM »
The bass is alive and kicking!


Pilgrim

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Re: Fender to finally make the Starcaster bass and reissue the Coronado?
« Reply #117 on: March 17, 2017, 06:15:11 PM »
Looks very nice indeed!!  :toast:
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Dave W

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Re: Fender to finally make the Starcaster bass and reissue the Coronado?
« Reply #118 on: March 18, 2017, 01:48:13 PM »
That looks in great shape.

Alanko

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Re: Fender to finally make the Starcaster bass and reissue the Coronado?
« Reply #119 on: December 16, 2017, 02:43:50 PM »
I've bought a Coronado bass from Ebay, in metallic red. I didn't keep my Starcaster very long, so hopefully I keep up with the Coronado a bit better. 8)