In the wake of Blink 182’s recent return to Australian shores, Tom DeLonge—everyone’s favourite elder statesman of pop-punk—has teamed up with Fender to release his second signature guitar within just eight months. After the public’s enthusiastic response to his Limited Edition Stratocaster back in August, Blink’s founding guitarist and the world-renowned luthier have conjured up the Tom DeLonge Starcaster, a guitar that looks quite unlike anything else on the market. I have to say, from what I’ve seen I’m a fan.
The Tom DeLonge Starcaster is available in four colours—Shoreline Gold, Surf Green, Olympic White, and Shell Pink—the latter being the coolest due to its immaculate pairing of that matte finish and the black binding that wraps around the body. Said body boasts a semi-hollow offset design, which acts as the foundation on which several DeLonge-approved customisations to the traditional Starcaster are layered.
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The first of these is the inclusion of a single Seymour Duncan SH-5 pickup, which Fender says is “perfect for playing chunky power chords and crunchy riffs, just as its namesake loves to do on stages around the world.” Second, this pickup is controlled via the guitar’s only knob (volume), which is combined with a treble bleed circuit, designed to preserve the guitar’s high end even at lower volumes. This is designed to help players replicate DeLonge’s chime-y edge-of-breakup tones.
Adding to the visual appeal of that offset body, DeLonge chose to swap out the traditional Scarcaster headstock—which has always looked a little odd to me—in favour of a big, beautiful ‘70s-style headstock, the likes of which you’d see on a vintage Strat. Not only does this improve the guitar’s aesthetic, but according to DeLonge, it also improves the guitar’s weight balance.
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“I love this guitar, I really do. It’s the coolest guitar ever made. Firstly, it is called a Starcaster—that’s the most important thing. It goes to space and expands your mind,” DeLonge explains tongue-in-cheek.
“I made some changes to the original Starcaster; I’ve streamlined the electronics, added the ‘70s headstock to round out the weight, and chose the matte finish with black hardware, so its look matches its modern feel. This guitar shows my evolution as a player but also has the hallmarks of where I came from and what I’m about.”
The Tom Delonge Starcaster is available from Fender now for AUD$2,099. Hear more from the man himself as he cruises the waterways of Melbourne and talks guitars in the video above.
