Fender Starcaster Sunburst 1975

This rare and exceptionally clean 1975 Fender Starcaster in Sunburst is a first-year example of Fender's brief foray into the semi-hollow world. This is a beautifully preserved example of this quirky classic that you rarely come across. A real stroke of luck to get your hands on this cool guitar!

The Starcaster was Fender's bold attempt to enter the semi-acoustic market that Gibson had dominated for years with the ES-335. It appeared with an unmistakable offset body, the characteristic 'hooked' headstock and, perhaps most importantly, a set of Fender Wide Range humbuckers, the pickups that Seth Lover designed for Fender after his years at Gibson. The model was never sold in large numbers and disappeared within a few years, which is precisely why clean, original examples like this one are so sought after today.

This specific Starcaster is completely original and is in excellent condition, with only light signs of wear and dings on the body and neck. The original frets are still in perfect condition, and both Wide Range humbuckers deliver strong output. The only improvement made is a shim in the neck pocket for an improved neck angle, a subtle setup detail that simply makes the guitar play at its best.

In terms of sound, the flamed maple semi-hollow body with its central sustain block provides more focus, sustain, and tightness than a fully hollow guitar, while retaining enough of that airy, resonant character. The Wide Range humbuckers sit exactly between two worlds: thicker and warmer than a classic Fender single-coil, but brighter and with more definition than a typical Gibson humbucker. Combined with the fast one-piece maple neck with 22 frets, this results in a particularly versatile guitar that effortlessly switches between crystal-clear clean tones and thick, driven sounds.

This instrument has been carefully inspected for originality, condition and playability, then set up to our Gold Standard by a luthier. We make sure it arrives in your hands exactly as it should: sounding its best, playing effortlessly and ready to be enjoyed from the very first note.