Fender Japan has embraced the bizarro spirit of Squier’s Paranormal Series to create an all-new limited edition offset guitar. They’re calling it the Starmaster, and as the portmanteau suggests, this hybrid is a mashup of the Starcaster and Jazzmaster.
Two cult classics united on one soon-to-be-cult classic? Perhaps. These are only available in Japan, which is inconvenient but also is another excuse, if needed, to visit Tokyo and pop into Fender’s flagship retail store in Harajuku – a mind-blowing retail space for Fender nerds, in a mind-blowing location. But we could see the Starmaster gaining some traction internationally.
This is a build that hits many of the the sweet spots. As you would expect, an MIJ Fender is a serious electric guitar for the money. There are time-honoured fundamentals, the appeal of an alder body, a bolt-on maple neck with a Modern C profile, the 9.5” radius rosewood fingerboard, and the six-saddle floating vibrato (a bit disappointing not to see the Mustang saddles as you would find on some contemporary Fender offsets such as its excellent Player II Series Jaguar but never mind).
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There are talking points; that Starcaster headstock on the angular Jazzmaster body for one. And for two, what about that body? Here we have a stair-step effect applied to the forearm bevel, allowing Fender to reprise or complement the two-tone finish of that painted Starcaster headstock and give the Starmaster that two-tone vibe you see on some Gretsch guitars.
The finishes, too, well, you’ve got Antigua, officially the Fender paint room’s most controversial work to date. That will get people talking. We especially like to see it applied to the headstock and to the pickguard, again, adding to the three-dimensional look of the Antigua model’s top. But it similarly looks good in the Black (and silver), Jupiter Blue and Candy Apple Red colourways.
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Sounds-wise, these should be voiced a little differently to their peers with a pair of Hybrid II vintage-style Jazzmaster single-coil pickups at the neck and bridge positions, both hooked up to a traditional Lead/Rhythm circuit, complete with thumbwheels and switches.
Elsewhere, you’ve got you usual 25.5” scale length, 22 medium-jumbo frets and a 42mm bone nut. Fender has applied a satin urethane finish to the neck, gloss urethane on the body and headstock. The Starmaster might be a new one for the catalogue but the vibe is vintage, with aged white control knobs and switch-tips.
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Might we see a global release somewhere down the line? Time will tell.
You can check the limited edition Starmaster out at Fender Japan. It’s priced ¥192,500, which is about £1,029/$1,299, and that price includes a gig bag.
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