The weird Starcaster - Squier Contemporary Active

Yeah, this is where things get weird.

Okay. So first there was the Squier Classic Vibe Starcaster. Very nice.

Then came the Squier Affinity Starcaster. Still nice, and very good that you can get a semi-hollow body electric at the price it sells for.

Now there's the Squier Contemporary Active Starcaster, seen above.

Not sure how to feel about this one.

Yes, it is still a semi-hollow body, but it's sealed. This makes the guitar look almost too plain. Clean and streamlined, to be sure, but still a bit plain.

I do dig the fact the headstock stripe is color-matched to the body color. This is the only Starcaster that does this.

It does look upscale... except when you get to the headstock and see that cheap string tree. But I guess that's not too bad.

The truss rod is dual-action. That's a plus, and a big one.

The neck has a 12-inch fingerboard radius. Also a big plus.

While it does have active electronics, it's not required to play in active mode all the time. It can be run all-passive too, and that's good.

The chrome is actually black chrome. I do dig that.

The body is bound, but done in a weird way. Almost like the binding is too thin.

Ultimately, what we've got here is The Starcaster Where No Starcaster Has Gone Before. This is the first time I've seen such a radical redesign on this particular Fender shape.

Does it work? Yes, it works. But it's definitely an acquired taste.

I do appreciate that Squier did such a daring thing with the Starcaster. It's nice they pushed the envelope with this one. But time will tell whether players will warm up to it or not.

Published 2019 Aug 6