Black Friday @ Swee Lee: Fender Tom Delonge

A little late but saw these guitars on sale at Swee Lee (Black Friday deals). These are the Fender Tom Delonge signature models, both the Starcaster & Strat versions are discounted but for the Strat, it only applies to the yellow version. I have no idea why this is the case. Guitar prices these days are unfriendly. After a good 20% off, the respective guitars are now sporting the discounted prices. These new figures, whether they are friendlier post-discount is really your call. These days, people are more willing to spend this much money on year-end holidays rather than buying a new musical instrument, unlike COVID times. Guitars sporting a single pickup is a niche appeal but now that these are on discounts, it might just be a good time to buy.

Pics: Fender

Tom D: Price

If you've been GASing for one, the Tom Delonge Starcaster is now available at Swee Lee: $1,899. I see this as rather steep for a non-American Fender made in the Squier facility. That's the price to pay for that signature.

Pic: SM Store

 

Delonge Star

This had been gear news fodder for a while & it's finally unleashed to guitar-dom. The Tom Delonge Starcaster maintains the single pickup feature but did away with the original Fender Starcaster headstock. In its place, we have the big Strat-type, 70s design which in my opinion is a cool replacement. Colours are kept in the pastel family as opposed to the loud, solid options of the solid body counterparts.

Interestingly, it's made in Indonesia. Does Fender have an Indonesian factory? So this is hinting at the instrument's pedigree. 

Pics: MR / Fender

Price watch (67)

It's $899 at Swee Lee but out of stock in the mean time. We know stock for this one is gonna be replenished, yes? It's a matter of when.

Ditto this one; it's$1,899 at Swee Lee. Only the black version is in stock in the mean time.

$30 for this?

Yes... this! It's clearly a damaged instrument. What's that bit of absent charity in you preventing a bona fide giveaway to budding repair techs out there? It's all about the money?

Price watch (62)

Would you pay $2,179 for this Sterling Sabre? Yes, it has some eye candy here; flame maple neck, Fluence pickups, locking tuners... but would you?

EDIT: The listing for this instrument had been removed as at 12th Aug.

Also, would you pay $1K for the Squier version of Tom Delonge's signature Strat? 

Tom D: The return

Fender announced the return of the ever popular Tom Delonge Strat (USD1,299) in a limited edition run. Fixed bridge, single humbucking - my kind of guitar. Despite being a Seymour Duncan fan, I dislike the Invader. Also, it's a signature model which I am not into.

Pic: Fender

Delonge Starcaster

A little late to the scene but hats off to Tom Delonge for boldly changing the Starcaster headstock to something a whole lot more palatable in design. I have always disliked the Starcaster for its atrocious outline & then this happened. OK so it's gonna be a signature model which is most probably something I do not fancy. But it's a single pickup design which is absolutely my thing. Yes, it's been a single pickup affair for TD for a while already.

Pic: GW