The Jazz Guitar Chord Dictionary
Reply to Thread Bookmark Thread
Page 1 of 3 123 LastLast
Posts 1 to 25 of 64
  1. #1

    User Info Menu



    Tried one of these today, liked it very much but couldn't get much sound because the music store in question was terrible. Could it work as a 335 substitute for the poor man?

  2.  

    The Jazz Guitar Chord Dictionary
     
  3. #2

    User Info Menu

    I'm sure it could. It will be brighter, though. Besides the way those pickups are voiced, it's also 25.5" scale. Not necessarily a bad thing, of course, depending on your tastes and the strings you choose.

    I owned an original '75 Starcaster for a while because I was obsessed with them. Three bolt neck, weird hardware, kinda heavy... meh. It didn't last. These reissues have different hardware and lack the original's master volume control. They are definitely cool and I flirted with the idea heavily when they were introduced. Somehow I've managed to keep the feeling at bay though.

  4. #3

    User Info Menu

    The poor mans 335 is made by epiphone.. btw.

    I liked the original but all the points RP mention are valid (and he didnt even bring up the thick thick finish).

  5. #4

    User Info Menu

    I have both the Dot and the Sheraton already =) Just not completely happy with their tone. Also getting sick and tired of doing studio work and having ass-hats crack jokes.

  6. #5

    User Info Menu

    Sell 'em all and get a (Gibson) 335!

  7. #6

    User Info Menu

    I suggest that you watch just about anything by The Meters. Independent of considerations of this or that guitar, The Meters are just good for one's soul (a double entendre). However, the great guitarist, Leo Nocentelli, played a Starcaster in The Meters. He sounded GREAT with it:


  8. #7

    User Info Menu

    I've never played a semi-hollow with humbuckers that's tone was so markedly different from a solid body with humbuckers that I'd need both...I have a semi hollow with humbuckers, that takes the place of having a solid body with humbuckers, I have a tele with single coils, that covers my single coil needs...So my advice is if you need an inexpensive guitar that the haters won't look down on you for playing (and not that that should matter, but I get it) get a tele-style with some humbuckers and be done with it. If you get it wired where you can tap those coils you're looking at pretty much THE studio guitar.

    And yes, before somebody whines, I DID steer another thread towards a telecaster, and what are you gonna do about it?


  9. #8

    User Info Menu

    Quote Originally Posted by mr. beaumont
    I've never played a semi-hollow with humbuckers that's tone was so markedly different from a solid body with humbuckers that I'd need both...I have a semi hollow with humbuckers, that takes the place of having a solid body with humbuckers, I have a tele with single coils, that covers my single coil needs...So my advice is if you need an inexpensive guitar that the haters won't look down on you for playing (and not that that should matter, but I get it) get a tele-style with some humbuckers and be done with it. If you get it wired where you can tap those coils you're looking at pretty much THE studio guitar.

    And yes, before somebody whines, I DID steer another thread towards a telecaster, and what are you gonna do about it?

    Already have a tele, don't much care for solid-bodies. I appreciate your input and you're a person for whom I hold great respect, but the simple truth is that I prefer bigger guitars.
    Last edited by mr quick; 06-05-2022 at 04:44 PM. Reason: edited out a stupid half-truth

  10. #9

    User Info Menu

    I want to clarify that I'm not looking for other guitars, but rather want to hear what you forumers have to say about the guitar in question

  11. #10

    User Info Menu

    Quote Originally Posted by rpguitar
    Sell 'em all and get a (Gibson) 335!

    Jeez lets not throw money away here

    Could buy a super nice Tokai or old Yamaha for half that. Probably sound better too. Get coil splitters and have the perfect semi studio guitar.

    Sounds like you got the wrong epi though, I feel you. The Sheratons are just a little muddy for me and the dot just doesn't have that classy tone, although it has a good enough one.

    You should have for the Elitist range, now they are GOOD!

    Fender Starcaster opinions?-chet-atkins-12-jpgFender Starcaster opinions?-chet-atkins-11-jpg

    Best off the shelf Semi I played by a country mile (pardon the pun).
    Last edited by Archie; 01-14-2015 at 06:27 PM.

  12. #11

    User Info Menu

    Suitable for studio work? Also, MSRP? The Fender is brand new and they've knocked 200 bucks off it for January.

  13. #12

    User Info Menu

    Quote Originally Posted by Marwin Moody
    Suitable for studio work? Also, MSRP? The Fender is brand new and they've knocked 200 bucks off it for January.
    I'd also consider a D'angelico semi or the Eastmen. Apparently the Washburn is good but I'm not convinced till I play one and I think some of the old 80's Aria TA's are good. All in your budget I suspect.

    I just shudder when I see Fender trying to make a guitar. Don't be put off by me though ;-)

    Looks to me like you'll lose a pretty penny on the trade in too. Thats a 'niche' model you got there.

    Worth keeping in mind.

  14. #13

    User Info Menu

    what pick up's you got in your Sheraton?

    Tele's are like Les Pauls. Sure, but everybody already has one or two!

  15. #14

    User Info Menu

    Haven't changed the PUs.

    I do have a Washburn Falcon from the late 70s with which I'm very satisfied, but it's so fkn heavy and has some fret issues, having a luthier take a look at it. Still, prefer the semi hollows =)

  16. #15

    User Info Menu

    if it gives you a sound you want then that should be good enough, but if you're just chasing an es 335 copy, there are more suitable guitars such as Yamaha, tokai, Ibanez, Edwards etc.

  17. #16

    User Info Menu

    Quote Originally Posted by Marwin Moody
    Haven't changed the PUs.

    I do have a Washburn Falcon from the late 70s with which I'm very satisfied, but it's so fkn heavy and has some fret issues, having a luthier take a look at it. Still, prefer the semi hollows =)

    Lol I am eyeing one of those up right now actually. I've heard they weigh a bucket. I just grabbed an Ibanez AR305 1982. Its the best solid body I've played to date. Absolutely loving it and with the phase switch and coil taps, I could take it into studio and sound pretty much like anything I want.

    Stunning looker too.

    Fender Starcaster opinions?-ibanez-ar-305-13-jpg

    Sorry couldn't resist :-))

  18. #17

    User Info Menu

    Quote Originally Posted by nick1994
    if it gives you a sound you want then that should be good enough, but if you're just chasing an es 335 copy, there are more suitable guitars such as Yamaha, tokai, Ibanez, Edwards etc.
    I know, but they're amazingly difficult to come by. I simply cannot afford to buy sight-unseen and the SHIT stores here only have SGs and Les Pauls. It's an ironic sort of hell. Huge stores with a ton of guitars, all of which are irrelevant to me. There are only 2 instrument stores in the two bordering cities here (the 3rd and 7th biggest ones in the country), and they literally don't have a single hollowbody.

    Quote Originally Posted by ArchtopHeaven
    Lol I am eyeing one of those up right now actually. I've heard they weigh a bucket. I just grabbed an Ibanez AR305 1982. Its the best solid body I've played to date. Absolutely loving it and with the phase switch and coil taps, I could take it into studio and sound pretty much like anything I want.

    Stunning looker too.



    Sorry couldn't resist :-))
    I'll recommend the Falcon right now. Brilliant guitar, not much else to say. I cannot believe it's so hard to come by. Then again, I live in a country in which only SGs, Les Pauls, and Stratocasters.

  19. #18

    User Info Menu

    I haven't played this guitar so I can't speak to the tone but from the specs and from what I have heard, I would think you can get in the 335 range tone wise. Do or Don't buy it for the downstream trade value but buy it if it pleases your ears and hands. Keep in mind ,if you should choose to re-neck this guitar, a standard strat neck replacement neck such as from Warmoth won't work on this guitar.

  20. #19

    User Info Menu

    No problems with neck, trade value never matters to me. I don't buy-and-sell, I keep.

  21. #20

    User Info Menu

    Then if it was me and the price was good, I'd buy it. There are lots of aftermarket pickup solutions if you are not satisfied with the tone. Myself, I was looking at this guitar because I have a True Temperament Strat neck 1 3/4" nut width I was looking to fit to a semi-solid guitar and I was disappointed to learn that the standard strat neck wouldn't fit the Starcaster. It will fit the Coronado so I'm keeping my eye out for a inexpensive gutted Corondado body.

  22. #21

    User Info Menu

    Quote Originally Posted by Greentone
    I suggest that you watch just about anything by The Meters. Independent of considerations of this or that guitar, The Meters are just good for one's soul (a double entendre). However, the great guitarist, Leo Nocentelli, played a Starcaster in The Meters. He sounded GREAT with it:

    Understand that the 70s starcasters had fender WRHBs ... the reissue has PAF style HBs just laid out differently.

    I have a WRHB in the neck of my Tele.. sounds nothing like the TTop that was in there before.

  23. #22

    User Info Menu

    No, it has the WRHBs =)

  24. #23

    User Info Menu

    Quote Originally Posted by Marwin Moody
    No, it has the WRHBs =)
    The reissue? It has the CUNIFE slugs? Didnt know that.. I know the japanese reissues pickups were quite a bit hotter than the originals but dont know about the MIM ones. I will have to look.

  25. #24

    User Info Menu

    Well, it just says on Fender.com "Fender "Wide Range" Humbuckers"

  26. #25

    User Info Menu

    the new Wide Range humbuckers aren't much like the originals...really just a regular humbucker. The guys on the tele forum thought they were "dark," but some of those cats think anything less than an icepick is dark.

    What is your budget? Not to keep reccomending stuff I own, but I own it for a reason, I think it's good...you might find a German made Hofner Verythin for around a grand...excellent guitars, and the later ones have standard humbuckers, not the minis (but the minis are really cool...)