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sparquelito

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The Vox Starstream - here's the blurb:

"Incorporating the AREOS-D system, the Starstream Type 1 Plus Mahogany is the latest expression of VOXโ€™s long-standing tradition of breaking through the boundaries of onboard guitar electronics, putting control over your sound at your fingertips. The system integrates several essential elements: magnetic pickups for authentic electric guitar models; a piezo pickup system for rich-sounding traditional instruments; a powerful DSP engine; familiar volume, tone and pickup selector controls and a Control Module that provides instant access to important parameters. Whether you are looking for the flexibility of 27 instrument models instantly at your command or desire the convenience of tailoring models to sound amazing through headphones, the Starstream Type 1 Plus Mahogany offers an unmatched sonic experience.

Advanced ergonomic considerations led to the unique frame construction. While traditional electric guitar designs are rooted in the 1950s, the Starstream Type 1 Plus Mahogany follows a new path. Its shape and form echo the forward thinking offered by its electronics. The frame is three dimensionally contoured for maximum comfort, easily conforming to your personal style. Equipped with a smoothly shaped neck, unlimited upper fret access, warm-toned resonantwood body, specially voiced magnetic pickups and a balanced, easy to use tremolo system; this is the ultimate modern guitar.

  • New Passive Mode for standard electric guitar performance. Battery power is not necessary in this mode. Volume, Tone and Pickup Selector controls function normally in this mode.
  • Nine banks of instruments with three variations in each plus two user banks to store up to six favorites.
  • Five banks with classic and modern electric single coil and humbucking sounds, updated to take advantage of the resonant Mahogany body wood, plus three variations of electric 12-string.
  • Two acoustic banks featuring six different guitars including small body, large body, 12-string and nylon string instruments.
  • Banjo, sitar and resonator models make up the Unique bank.
  • The Special bank holds two synthesizer variations, Synth and Bass Synth and a Sustain mode that produces a distinctive organ-like effect (depth of the Sustain modeโ€™s vibrato effect is controlled by the Tone control). For Synth, you can control both Decay and Attack parameters at once using the Tone knob. Using the Tone control, both Envelope and Resonance parameters are adjusted simultaneously for Bass Synth.
  • Onboard Drive and Reverb (model dependent) control for real-time adjustments to amount of gain or reverb depth. Depending on the model selected, either Drive or Reverb can be stored in a user bank, set to on or off.
  • FX pushbutton with an LED for instantaneous on/off switching of Reverb or Drive effect, depending on model selected.
  • Synth sounds track effortlessly and respond dynamically to touch, pick attack and vibrato.
  • Simple, intuitive volume, tone and three-way model variation selector controls make changes quick and easy.
  • 1/4" output for live performance or recording and 1/8" output for use with headphones for private listening and practice.
  • 22 fret bolt-on hard maple neck with Blackwood Tek Sustainable Wood Composite fingerboard with 12" radius.
  • Sculpted mahogany body;2 x XLM humbucking pickups; 2-point fulcrum vibrato; Sealed diecast tuning machines"

Hope it works out!!

ย 

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Yessir,

Reverb has them for $299, in the white on white, red on red, and black on black.ย 

This one appealed, and the price was right.ย 
(Original MSRP was much higher, when they first came out in 2016.)

I can see why the price reduction.ย 
It's clearly not everyone's cup of tea, but if even half the voices/guitar choices sound great, it's worth a try-out.ย 


I have never held one, but I've been watching them for awhile. (And watching many, many reviews and videos.)ย  Including one from Rob Chapman at NAMM a few years ago where he was sort ofย mehย about it. And then another one from a few months later where, after playing the demo model they sent him, he was genuinely impressed.ย ย 

I have no interest in the wonky snyth sounds, but the idea of having certain variations of single coil sounds, humbucking, and acoustic guitars, all in one guitar, without pedals, is just something that I want to explore.ย 

The 12 string voice and the sitar voice both fill a need in our set lists, and the ability to roll-on and roll-off distortion and sustain is a powerful draw, so we'll see how it goes.ย 

The notion is this;
Plug straight into the PA, and there are no amps and no pedals on the stage.ย 

This lightweight approach to walking into a gig or practice session appeals to me.ย 

๐Ÿ™‚

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11 hours ago, sparquelito said:

Dear God,ย 

What have I done?

๐Ÿ˜‘

ย 

ย 

Well, I'd like to think you've made some young designer's day...

" Hi mum, guess what? Someone bought one!....yeah, I told the guys it would happen eventually. ย I just knew it!"

...and that is a nice thing to have done.[thumbup]

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Oh Sparky you are all over the place.ย  A week ago you bought the Ibanez because the controls were so simple and easy to use.ย  This seems to be at the opposite end of the spectrum.ย  It should be fun to experiment with, and I agree the idea of going to a gig with just a guitar and plugging into the PA is appealing.ย  But my experience with these "swiss army knife" concoctions is that they do a great number of things, but none of them all that well.ย  jdgm's copying of the specs mentions a lot of voices, but doesn't seem to include any amp models so not sure how great the tones will be into the PA alone?

Anyway hope you enjoy it, and it serves a purpose in your arsenal.ย  Probably will be a good tool for recording, maybe more so than live work.ย 

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It should be a great 'headphones' guitar with all the nice sounds and models.ย  12-string, nylon string, banjo, even sitar too - will be useful on gig.

I like the fact it has 2 strap buttons so you can lean it.ย  When I bought a Hagstrom Swede in the late 1970s it had that, a good idea.

[cool]

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5 hours ago, Twang Gang said:

Oh Sparky you are all over the place.ย  A week ago you bought the Ibanez because the controls were so simple and easy to use.ย  This seems to be at the opposite end of the spectrum.ย 


This is very much true, good sir.

But then the topic was a conventional semi-hollow guitar with this or that, versus another one with the other thing.ย 
Either one being routed thru my pedal board, and then so on to my amps.

Now we are talking about a modeling synth guitar shaped like some sort of unholy spaceship sent down in the 1980's to either destroy us all or save us from destruction.ย 
And no amps or pedals whatsoever.ย 

It's complicated.ย 
I guess that's what I am saying.ย 

The ****ing box is here now, delivered by FedEx earlier, and sitting in the laundry room.ย 
I'm afraid to open it now.ย 
๐Ÿ˜


ย 

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Okay, I have to take it all back.ย 
The fear, the trepidation.ย 
The anxiety over such a foolish and capricious acquisition.ย 

This Vox Starstream is really, really nice.ย 

I unboxed it, and was impressed with the careful packaging and the little details.ย 
Right out of the box, (and this is crazy, it was manufactured and boxed a few years ago, no doubt), the thing was in tune.ย 
I literally put the Snark tuner on it and made just a few very minor adjustments, and she was ready to rock.ย 

Fret ends are smooth and supple.ย 
Overall fit and finish is impressive, for a weirdo guitar made in Japan from parts mostly manufactured in Vietnam.ย 
The maple neck feels really nice, and comfortable, like playing a familiar Tele.ย 

The tremolo arm is utterly comfortable, and the guitar stays in tune after you use it.ย 

I used a headphone cableย from my computer (wired to some monitor speakers) and plugged it right into the small headphone jack on the face of the guitar.ย 
(I'll try some amps out this weekend.)
The sounds were impressive. Really.ย 

The single coil, humbucking, and acoustic guitar voices were really very nice.ย 
I was impressed, and my wife, listening from the next room, came in to see just what in the world was going on in here.ย 
Sitar, fabulous.ย 
Dobro, good.ย 
Banjo, eh. Okay.ย 
The wonky synth sounds aren't as bad as I had feared.ย 

The control layout is intuitive, and easy to adapt to.ย 

I'm really happy for having dropped three hundred bones on this odd, wonderful Vox.ย 

If you get a chance to try one, I think you will find it to your liking.ย 
It's not a Gibson Les Paul or a Fender Telecaster.ย 
It's just a good guitar that does a fair job of sounding like either or both of them. And more.ย 
And at 7 lbs, 2 ounces total weight (with 4AA batteries installed), and a 25 1/3rd inch scale length, it's a really comfortable play.ย 

Two thumbs 'way up.ย 

Photos tomorrow.
I'm tired and I have to get up and go to work at 5:45 in the morning.ย 
๐Ÿ™‚
ย 

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It reminds me of the first Steinbergers and The Talking Heads.ย  Terrifying times for a guitar player like me!ย  I'm glad you are cut of your cloth and can hack that,ย  I hope it serves you as you want it to.ย  I agree, it would be awesome to walk in and plug into the PA.

rct

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I have a thing going on at work tomorrow (a pre-dress rehearsal for a larger event on Wednesday) wherein I need to check out the house PA and mics and such.ย 

I think I will bring the Vox in and plug her in in between events, and see how the test/rehearsal crowd reacts to her sounds.ย 

๐Ÿคจ

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