AFFINITY STARCASTER
The no-frills budget option
Priced at roughly two-thirds of the Classic Vibe, the Affinity is certainly enticing in terms of sheer value for money. It’s made from the same tonewoods as its bigger brothers and its hardware specs are virtually identical… so what’s the catch?
Naturally, there are a few sacrifices that have to be made in order to keep costs low – starting with the open-coil Squier Standard humbucker pickups, which are a noticeable step down from the Wide Ranges found on the Classic Vibe models. They’re not badsounding pickups by any means, and undoubtedly among the better options at this rock-bottom price point, it’s just that there’s a bit less definition and overall sparkle to them – which, admittedly, is to be expected. There’s also no stripe along the bottom of the oversized headstock, no white binding around the f-holes and no pickguard – and while none of these additional cutbacks affect the sound of the Affinity models, they do forfeit some of the visual magic inherited from the design of the 70s originals.
Like the Contemporary Active, this Affinity Starcaster features a PPS nut instead of bone, only one master control for volume and tone respectively and there’s no tinted gloss urethane finish on its maple neck, which also diminishes its vintage charm somewhat. Though it shares the exact same wood spec and open f-holes, the body itself is ever so slightly less resonant unplugged when compared to the Classic Vibe – which, of course, combined with the downgraded pickups has a knock-on effect when it’s all amped up. What you do get, however, is a no-frills instrument with more simplistic features (available in Candy Apple Red, Black, Three-tone Sunburst or Olympic White) at a discounted price – which, most importantly of all, sounds and plays to a decent enough standard. Truth be told, it’s not easy to find guitars produced to this quality under the £300 mark and that’s exactly why it’s an instrument worthy of high praise indeed. Ideal for those starting out who desire a more unusual design than a Stratocaster copy.
THE LESS RESONANT BODY COMBINED WITH DOWNGRADED PICKUPS HAS A KNOCK-ON EFFECT WHEN AMPED UP