The moment many have been waiting for.....

Dave_Mc

interesting

AndrewG

Why Fender would want to reissue a guitar which was a dismal failure is beyond me. Unless they have substantially improved on the original there's no reason to suggest it'll be any less rubbish. Not one of Fender's finer moments.

ICBM

AndrewG said:

Why Fender would want to reissue a guitar which was a dismal failure is beyond me. Unless they have substantially improved on the original there's no reason to suggest it'll be any less rubbish. Not one of Fender's finer moments.

You could say the same about the Gibson Explorer and Flying V, which were dismal failures at launch and are now some of the most iconic of all guitar designs.

I admit that the Coronado and Starcaster aren't in that league, but the only Starcaster I've ever played was a very nice guitar - the chap in The Killers seems to put his to good use too. Coronados are very variable, a bit like Gretsches... which are also popular despite many of the originals being little better than thrown together.

I do think the Starcaster headstock may have had something to do with its original failure. It wouldn't even be so bad if it ended where the black line is... when you see one up close it's *gigantic* - there's easily room for two more rows of machineheads.

I admit almost anything is better than yet another what-parts-can-we-put-on-a-Telecaster-body-this-month though!

octatonic

AndrewG said:

Why Fender would want to reissue a guitar which was a dismal failure is beyond me. Unless they have substantially improved on the original there's no reason to suggest it'll be any less rubbish. Not one of Fender's finer moments.

People want them- at least I have seen people talking about both these models for the last 15 years & how they want them reissued.

I'm definitely getting a Starcaster- I love the original but hated the bridge. A TOM/STP is much better for me.

Babones

These have been on the horizon a while now. I've always wanted an original Coronado, but i have a problem with spending over £500 on a Chinese made guitar. I prefer not to buy Chinese anything if i can, as a personal thing. However, hopefully i'll be able to try one and check it out. If this is anything like the thin, over glossy, orange Squier necks, then i'll avoid.

octatonic

Pretty sure they are Mexican.

badlydrawnbanjo

octatonic;28250" said:

Pretty sure they are Mexican.

100%, these are made in China. I had the specs for the Coronado confirmed in an email from Fender customer services yesterday.

Model Name: Coronado
Model Number: 024-3000-(Color #)
Series: Modern Player Series
Colors: (500) 3-Color Sunburst,
(506) Black,
(509) Candy Apple Red,
(531) Black Cherry Burst,
(Gloss Polyester Finish)
Body: Laminated Maple with Alder Center-Block
Neck: Maple, “C” Shape,
(Gloss Polyester Finish)
Fingerboard: Rosewood, 9.5” Radius (241 mm)
FRETS: 21 Medium Jumbo Frets
Scale Length: 25.5” (648 mm)
Width @ Nut: 1.650” (42 mm)
Hardware: Chrome
Machine Heads: Fender® Standard Cast/Sealed Tuning Machines
Bridge: Pinned Adjusto-MaticTM Bridge with Floating “F” Trapeze Tailpiece
Pickguard: 3-Ply Black/White/Black
Pickups: 2 Fideli’TronTM Humbucking Pickups
Pickup Switching: 3-Position Toggle:
Position 1. Bridge Pickup
Position 2. Bridge and Neck Pickups
Position 3. Neck Pickup
Controls: Volume 1. (Neck Pickup),
Tone 1. (Bridge Pickup),
Volume 2. (Neck Pickup),
Tone 2. (Bridge Pickup)
Strings: Fender® USA, NPS, (Gauges .009-.042)
Unique Features: Semi-Hollow Body with Center-Block,
White Bound Top, Back, Fingerboard and “F”-Holes,
Distinctive Coronado® Headstock Shape,
Vintage Tinted Neck,
Vintage-Style Skirted Control Knobs,
White Pearloid Block Position Inlays,
Synthetic Bone Nut,
Single Wing String Tree,
Fender® Engraved Neck Plate
Source: China
Accessories: None
U.S. MSRP: $899.99
INTRODUCED: 8/2013
Case: Optional Deluxe Gig Bag, P/N 0991612206, (Not Included) Available in December
WRENCH SIZES: Truss Rod Adjustment Wrench, (5mm Hex), P/N 0074911000

Babones

octatonic said:

Pretty sure they are Mexican.

They're Modern Player Series, MIC

RocknRollDave

Sorry guys, I just do not see the appeal of these guitars! Fugly things...

dindude

RocknRollDave said:

Sorry guys, I just do not see the appeal of these guitars! Fugly things...

The more I look at them, the more I tend to agree.

daveyh

badlydrawnbanjo said:

daveyh said:

badlydrawnbanjo said:

I touched on this in the other thread. the price quoted is for a red or black finish, bursts are more money. I'm very tempted but it does seem a lot of money for a Chinese made instrument with no case (of even a gig bag)

An alternative perspective: Two guitars next to each other, exactly the same spec, style etc but one is *clearly* the better instrument. It so happens the better one is MIC, the worse is MIA. If they were the same price, would you buy the MIA just because it was MIA?

Not at all, I'd buy the better put together guitar, but I would expect the better one to be MIA or even MIM. My point being that the MIC modern player series are the Fender budget range and these, although not huge money aren't cheap. And you don't get anything to carry it in. I still want a Starcaster and a Coronado though 

Why would you expect it to be better though (be honest with yourself)? Because it's more expensive, or because it's MIA? And if because it's MIA, why? Are the Chinese less capable?

There is absolutely no reason why a MIC guitar can't be equally as good a quality as a MIA guitar. Many Gibsons out there attest to the fact that MIA can be truly shit. It is true that the MIC guitars are usually the ones built to a tighter budget and have lower manufacturing costs, but what when they are built to a spec and then priced to suit?

ICBM

Exactly.

Ask them to make something cheaply and they will.

Ask them to make something well and they will.

It's important to remember that a lot of 'premium' quality stuff like Apple computers is made in China, and no-one seems to think twice about that. (Even if you don't think Apple computers are really any better than anyone else's, they're no worse.)

dindude

I don't think it is as simple as saying anything manufactured in China is now good.

Chinese manufacturing is generally good at superficially copying other designs, but they take time to get it "right".

Just look at the chinese car industry, the cars are an utter joke, and probably 10 years away from being competative - designed to look like a BMW say, but with absolutely no engineering skill behind it.

Chinese guitars have a pretty lengthy history now and are vastly improved but not many I've tried yet compete with US made ones, I think you're kidding yourself if you think that this is the case.

 

bertie

RocknRollDave said:

Sorry guys, I just do not see the appeal of these guitars! Fugly things...

this, in spades

Heartfeltdawn

The black Coronado looks OK but the Starcaster is one of the most fuck-ugly guitars in existence. 

daveyh

dindude said:

I don't think it is as simple as saying anything manufactured in China is now good.

Nobodies saying that.

Chinese manufacturing is generally good at superficially copying other designs, but they take time to get it "right".

Just like Japan was, Korea was/still is.

Just look at the chinese car industry, the cars are an utter joke, and probably 10 years away from being competitive - designed to look like a BMW say, but with absolutely no engineering skill behind it.

Considering the Chinese are perfectly capable of producing military technology comparative to anything in the 'West', it's kinda ridiculous to suggest they don't have the skill. What's happening is they are in the process of adapting what they have to a more consumer centered production.

Chinese guitars have a pretty lengthy history now and are vastly improved

As Japanese did in the '80s when they started to get good.

but not many I've tried yet compete with US made ones, I think you're kidding yourself if you think that this is the case.

I agree, it certainly would be mightily frustrating to find out your USA guitar is no better than a Chinese one.

Of course most Chinese ones aren't going to compete, they're the ones being built to a budget, although the recent Andertons Squier/Fender blind test certainly upset some people.

chrisj1602

I played a Chinese Classic Vibe Tele that was unbelievably good.  If these are that good, I would be very happy to pay for the Coronado at the prices we are seeing.

axisus

Ugghhhh! One of the worst headstocks ever!!!

monquixote

I always liked the Yamaha Wes Borland model as a Starcaster influenced thingy. 

Shame they didn't do a cheaper model without the weird bits. 

http://www.rhapsody.fr/images/produit/3897/yamaha-wes-borland-cv820wb-black-bl.jpg

ThePrettyDamned

Absolutely agree that China makes great quality instruments. Not the most beautiful, or flawless, or with the best hardware, but I would love to see a blind test on a squire with oil city pickups and a new bridge/vibrato against, say, a USA standard or even a custom shop. I think the USA would win, but only in stakes that are less important - finish feels different (might be important on the neck), tuners better quality...

But the price difference would be big. Thing is, alder is alder and maple is maple. Beyond that, it's minor differences.

I've played epi les pauls that are, 100 percent, better than a gibson studio in the same shop. They felt better, played better and had 57 gibson pickups in, which sounded miles better than the ones in the studio. And it came with a hardcase and an electronic tuner mounted in the pickup ring.

As for these reissues, they have to get some details wrong so that people will buy the newer, updated version in a year or two. Gibson will tell you all about that, but they're clutching at straws with glue types now...