New Squier Starcasters - Classic Vibe, Contemporary, and Affinity

[monsterdonkey]

NGD. Mine, manufactured Jan 17, 2020 needed a bit of sanding on some fret ends. One fret might have to be pounded down a little on the low E side. The 9 gauge strings were poorly intonated and not very playable. The knobs aren’t drilled straight, how stupidly annoying is that? It seems many reviewers are getting nicely playable guitars out of the box but not this one. I’ve set it up with 11s like I have on my JMs. It plays better now after setting up, of course, and I am happy with it. One day I’ll try it with the band..

[losador]

Has anyone got any experience with both the Classic Vibe and the previous Modern Player versions? Any insights into what seems to be better / worse on each?

[czech-one-2]

NGD. Mine, manufactured Jan 17, 2020 needed a bit of sanding on some fret ends. One fret might have to be pounded down a little on the low E side. The 9 gauge strings were poorly intonated and not very playable. The knobs aren’t drilled straight, how stupidly annoying is that? It seems many reviewers are getting nicely playable guitars out of the box but not this one. I’ve set it up with 11s like I have on my JMs. It plays better now after setting up, of course, and I am happy with it. One day I’ll try it with the band..

Hi, don't post often on this forum but this thread is epic so I thought I would continue to build on it!
I went the ultra cheap route with a black Affinity Starcaster. I knew going in it would be a mod platform as I had some parts in a drawer in need of a guitar! Specifically, a pair of old EMG H active single coils [EMG 'S' ceramics in humbucker housings] , a set of Gotoh kluson style thumb-lock tuners [and 10mm>8mm adapter rings], an old tune-o-matic roller bridge and a Bigsby B-500. Currently, I'm waiting for a V500 Vibramate so haven't done that yet.
Not surprisingly, like monsterdonkey, mine arrived via mail with sharp fret ends and rusty strings! However, the frets are nice and the body and neck seem just fine. First thing I did was a fret crown and polish. Being a strat player primarily, this guitar feels instantly comfy and familiar with its 42mm nut, 9.5'' radius ,shallow 'C' neck contour and maple fretboard. And with the active single coils it sounds Amazing! Really crisp, bright and twangy! Not what you would expect from an active EMG loaded guitar. It looks METAL, but sounds more Duane Eddy meets CHIC. I upgraded the 3 way switch with a switchcraft/Gibson and used Bournes 25k pots. The pickups are not surprisingly silent when at idle and at stage volume with a Muff there is no problem with out of control feedback or anything.
The guitar is super light and a tad neck-divey with a seatbelt strap, so I can't wait to add the Bigsby as it should balance it nicely and take it even further into the twang zone. I may at some point add a battery box as the battery is inside the f-hole via dual lock, but still easier to access than removing a strat pickguard and re-stringing!
Man, this guitar is a blast to play and a GREAT Gretschy alternative to my strat, while still feeling at home on it.
If you know going in that some fret attention will be needed, then its a bargain and a half.
The 70's are back and I couldn't be much happier!

[jorri]

The walnut actually looks great. I wasn't sure about some of the commercial pics but these are nice enough finishes.

Looking out for one of these now. Likely will stick a Les Trem on it, which is some of the best looking mods i've seen on these (i really dislike the tuneomatic bars on any guitar...) and thinking of changing the tone pots to 1meg since i have that on all my guitars, and the original had 5x1meg pots (i think 500k volumes accounts for the original going through 2x1meg volume pots for each pickup)....never rewired a semihollow though so perhaps not. Some other ideas like parallel or coil split, but i doubt that's very necessary.

And knob change- yup that seems essential. It does come with the wrong knobs- maybe its ok on black but those belong on a Tele Deluxe.

[czech-one-2]

I ended up with a Bigsby on mine. Its really my favorite guitar at the moment!

[Ozone7]

Love that Starcaster with the Bigsby.
How do the EMGs sound? Got any audio files?
Sounds really interesting as WRHBs are the standard.
I have SA’s in both my JV strats and EMG on my JV tele.
Tried a modern Starcaster and loved the feel.
Ironically I have a custom shop 335 that doesn’t really do it for me and I was toying with one of these for the semi vibe. Have a Bigsby on my SG with a vibramate so I’m down with that too.
Good work!

[czech-one-2]

Thanks! Well, honestly, my EMG's are 'H' active single coils. [EMG S's in humbucker disguise] So it sounds like a hollowbody Stratocaster, clean and bright with a little acoustic hollowness.
I just started using this guitar live last summer, then gigs stopped again thanks to C19. So no concert recordings. Our band plays reggae,ska,latin style and the guitar is perfectly suited to this. I used a Vibramate to mount the Bigsby and it works great and stays in tune extremely well. I'm a strat player so this guitar just felt 'right' off the bat!

[jorri]

Which bigsby model is it? Looks good, and i think i saw a different model before that looked more out of the place with a tailpiece.
I think the Les Trem may be somewhere between bigsby and jazzmaster in effect, so may be more suited to me but every guitar needs trem

[czech-one-2]

Its a Bigsby B5. I kinda tricked this affinity out with the whole 9 yards! [Locking tuners,pickguard,bone nut etc]

[mbe]

Cheeky Randall amp knobs really look the business and suit the overall vibe.

[czech-one-2]

Cheeky Randall amp knobs really look the business and suit the overall vibe.

Good eye!
I've got some more 70's Randall knobs....maybe I need another guitar for them?

[Lost In Autumn]

Thanks! Well, honestly, my EMG's are 'H' active single coils. [EMG S's in humbucker disguise] So it sounds like a hollowbody Stratocaster, clean and bright with a little acoustic hollowness.
I just started using this guitar live last summer, then gigs stopped again thanks to C19. So no concert recordings. Our band plays reggae,ska,latin style and the guitar is perfectly suited to this. I used a Vibramate to mount the Bigsby and it works great and stays in tune extremely well. I'm a strat player so this guitar just felt 'right' off the bat!

I had no Idea EMG H was a thing. Their S ceramic single coils are some of my favorite pickups ever.

[czech-one-2]

Thanks! Well, honestly, my EMG's are 'H' active single coils. [EMG S's in humbucker disguise] So it sounds like a hollowbody Stratocaster, clean and bright with a little acoustic hollowness.
I just started using this guitar live last summer, then gigs stopped again thanks to C19. So no concert recordings. Our band plays reggae,ska,latin style and the guitar is perfectly suited to this. I used a Vibramate to mount the Bigsby and it works great and stays in tune extremely well. I'm a strat player so this guitar just felt 'right' off the bat!

I had no Idea EMG H was a thing. Their S ceramic single coils are some of my favorite pickups ever.

You know what, I think they were the first pickups EMG made, or at least they go back to the very beginning.
Best kept 'secret' in the pickup world IMHO.

[X-Ray Spex]

I ended up with a Bigsby on mine. Its really my favorite guitar at the moment!

Thread bump.

How are you liking this one two years on?

[skeletonsmith]

I have mine since it came out new (2019?), added a Les Trem, Roller-Bridge and new Knobs to it and am still very in Love with the Starcaster. I even like the Stock PU's. And the Ultra-Thin Neck feels great to me.