Fender to finally make the Starcaster bass and reissue the Coronado?

[Basvarken]

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]

 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.

[ilan]

Curious to hear your impressions of the Starcaster.

[godofthunder]

  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.

[Alanko]

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]

My guess would be regular short scale strings, since there's no separate tailpiece.

[Pilgrim]

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.

[Alanko]

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]

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]

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]

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]

The bass is alive and kicking!

[Pilgrim]

Looks very nice indeed!! 

[Dave W]

That looks in great shape.

[Alanko]

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.