The Fender Starcaster wasn't prized upon its release in 1976, but the semi-hollowbody went on to have a second life after Radiohead's Johnny Greenwood and others started playing second-hand models in the '90s. A number of reissues from Fender followed, like the Modern Player Starcaster, which was launched in 2012.
At Summer NAMM, Squier unveiled three new Starcasters. While original '70s Fender models fetch north of $3,000 USD today, the new Squier Starcasters range from just $299.99 to $399.99 and seek to reintroduce the throwback design to a new audience.
The cheapest, the Squier Affinity Starcaster, has two humbuckers and a slim, C-shaped neck. The body is laminated maple, finished with a glossy polyurethane in either Candy Apple Red, Olympic White, 3-Tone Sunburst, or black.
The most audacious model is the Contemporary Active Starcaster, a sealed semi-hollowbody equipped with an onboard preamp and high-output ceramic humbuckers and a quick, 12"-radius fretboard. It's available in Sea Foam Green, Ice Blue Metallic, or black.
The Classic Vibe Starcaster is truest to Fender's original, available in vintage-style finishes like 3-Tone Sunburst, walnut, or natural. It even features the Fender-designed Wide Range humbuckers as opposed to Squier's own. This model too has a slim, C-shape neck profile, with a 9.5" fretboard radius.
Each of these new Squier Starcasters is available for pre-order on Reverb now.
New and Revamped Classic Vibe Models
Joining the Starcaster in the expanded Classic Vibe series are nine additional new or revamped Squier guitars and basses.
Back in January, Squier announced that it would be updating its Classic Vibe line, and at the time, the company released '70s-inspired Strats and Teles, along with '60s-style offsets and basses. Today, it announced more refreshed takes, but this time around, Squier is focusing on axes from the '50s through the '70s, with some brand-new models thrown into the mix.
Revamped Stratocasters include the Classic Vibe '50s and Classic Vibe '60s. Telecasters also include the Classic Vibe '50s and '60s models, along with a new '60s Telecaster Thinline, which appears to be very similar to the Tele previously named, simply, the Classic Vibe Thinline Telecaster.
The basses include revamped '50s and '70s Precision Basses, but also the brand-new Squier Classic Vibe Jaguar Bass and Classic Vibe '60s Mustang Bass.
Available in 3-Tone Sunburst or black, the 4-string Jag has a slim, C-shaped neck and warm, Fender-designed alnico pickups. The Mustang Bass, available in Olympic White or Sea Foam Green, is a punchy short-scale model that also features alnico pickups, for a vintage tone. The Jaguar Bass and Mustang Bass are both available for pre-order on Reverb now.
For more product announcements from Summer NAMM, check out our ongoing coverage here.