Fender Starcaster 1976 Sunburst

The Fender Starcaster, introduced in 1976, was Fender’s first production semi-hollow electric guitar. Designed to compete with Gibson’s ES-335, it featured an offset double-cutaway body shape and distinctive headstock, aligning with Fender’s modern design language of the 1970s.

Its unique combination of Fender’s bolt-on neck construction with a semi-hollow maple body gave it a tone and feel unlike anything else in the company’s lineup. Although initially short-lived, the Starcaster has since developed a strong following among players and collectors, with notable users including Jonny Greenwood (Radiohead), Dave Keuning (The Killers), and Dan Auerbach (The Black Keys).

This all-original 1976 example is in absolutely collector grade condition. The body has very minor playwear on the front and back, a small area of light finish wear on the back of the neck near the lower frets, and a few very minor dings on the headstock. That’s it. Frets are in great condition and the guitar plays exceptionally well. The sunburst shows off a very nicely flamed maple top. Weight is 3800g.

Overall, this is a well-preserved, great-playing vintage Starcaster – they do not get finer than this!

SPECIFICATIONS

• Body type: Semi-hollow, offset double-cutaway
• Body construction: Laminated maple top, back, and sides with center block
• Top: Laminated maple, often with flame figuring
• Neck: Maple, bolt-on, 3-bolt plate with Micro-Tilt adjustment
• Fingerboard: Maple or rosewood, 21 frets
• Scale length: 25.5″ (648 mm)
• Nut width: 1.650″ (42 mm)
• Pickups: Two Fender Wide Range humbuckers (CuNiFe magnets)
• Controls: 2x volume, 2x tone, 3-way selector switch
• Bridge: Fender hardtail bridge with individually adjustable saddles
• Tailpiece: Through-body stringing
• Hardware: Chrome
• Finish options (originally): Natural, Sunburst, Walnut, Blonde
• Pickguard: Large multi-ply, asymmetrical shape
• Headstock: Large “hockey stick” design with Fender logo