Starcaster
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Starcaster.jpg
The Fender Starcaster was an attempt by the Fender company to enter the semi-hollowbody electric guitar market, which was (and still is) dominated by Gibson's ES-335 and similar designs.
The Starcaster was a high quality instrument (designed by Gene Fields), at a time when Fender's standards had slipped somewhat. It was commercially unsuccessful, perhaps because of a public notion that Fender was a "solidbody, single coil brand" and Gibson was the "semi-hollow, humbucker brand". Although the Starcaster was semi-hollow and had humbucker pickups, it retained Fender's traditional bolt-on neck, which may have added to its unpopularity. As a result, it was only in production from 1976 or 1977 to 1980 or 1982, depending on sources.
Starcasters are still rare, but are worth little to collectors because of their unpopularity. One well known modern day player is Jonny Greenwood of Radiohead, who has possibly led to an increase of people trying to find them over the Internet.