The Starmaster is even available in Antigua – one of the most loved/hated finishes in Fender historyWhen you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Here’s how it works.
Though we’re used to seeing Fender produce wild hybrid builds through its oddball Squier Paranormal range, Fender Japan has bucked the trend by unveiling a Big F-branded Frankenstein’d creation that mashes two of the firm’s offset shapes.
The newly minted Starmaster is (no prizes for getting this right) a mish-mash electric guitar model that takes inspiration from both the Jazzmaster and the Starcaster – the latter of which has experienced something of a resurgence over the past few years.
However, while on paper the Starmaster is a term that seems absolutely loaded with glorious potential – a Thinline Jazzmaster body with Starcaster trimmings, for example, would have been a winner – Fender Japan has opted instead to go down an alternative route.
It’s a choice that might deter some punters, though, because FJ has decided to slap its all-too-divisive oversized Starcaster headstock onto the body of a Jazzmaster.
Nevertheless, it could be another one of Fender Japan’s classic ‘growers’, and while it’s not exactly what we’d have gone for with a Jazzmaster/Starcaster hybrid, there’s no denying there’s a certain ugly-duckling sort of charm to it that might win us over eventually.
But the color-matched headstock aside, we’re also intrigued by what Fender Japan has actually done to the Jazzmaster body itself. For the Starmaster, the offset has been given a strange, stepped upper bout bevel, which offers a contrasting finish to the rest of the guitar.
