Ministar AMS-CASTAR Electric Guitar with 3 Single Coil Pickups (6 String, Mahogany, 25.5 Scale)

by Ministar

Product Features

• Solid one piece body construction
• Adjustable nut and bridge
• Custom designed pickups
• Light weight and portable
• Airline security no problem and fits in the overhead comparment

Product Details

• Product Dimensions: 32 x 3.5 x 3 inches ; 3 pounds
• Shipping Weight: 7 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Shipping: This item is also available for shipping to select countries outside the U.S.
• Shipping Advisory: This item must be shipped separately from other items in your order. Additional shipping charges will not apply.
• ASIN: B001NGPO06
• Item model number: AMS-CASTAR
• Average Customer Review: 3.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #16,363 in Musical Instruments (See Top 100 in Musical Instruments)

Product Description

Ministar guitars and basses are designed to be the worlds smallest full size guitars and basses. Ministar instruments are patented or patent pending due to their unique capabilities or design. When you play a Ministar guitar or bass, you will be amazed by the "FAT" sound, the "LONG SUSTAIN", and the "PLAYABILITY" offered by each model. "No Body Gets A Better Sound" than Ministar, and they're ready to go where you go. Ministar instruments fly through airport security and fit easily in the overhead compartment. The CASTAR 6 string guitar features a 25.5" scale, 22 frets, 3 matched single coil pickups, 5 position pickup selector, die cast tuners, volume and tone control, vibrato, an adjustable nut and bridge and a full length truss rod. Every CASTAR comes with a carrying bag with shoulder strap, guitar strap, instrument cord, arm rest, and rods for playing while standing or sitting.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

35 of 35 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Putting the Ministar Castar through its paces, June 23, 2009

By 

S. Wolff (San Diego, CA USA) - See all my reviews
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Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Ministar AMS-CASTAR Electric Guitar with 3 Single Coil Pickups (6 String, Mahogany, 25.5 Scale) (Electronics)

Length:: 2:51 Mins

This video is a quick run through of the set up, basic features and sounds for the Ministar Castar travel guitar and a portable, compact set-up I use when traveling.

Even though it won't replace my 'Strat for gigs, I think this is a great deal. The Castar has good quality and flexible sound (3 pickups with out of phase capability helps!) and I use it as a cost effective and compact way of getting my licks in while I'm on the road for the real job. I just got back from an overseas conference and while there I even had the hotel bar rocking. Can't beat the price, either.

Only downsides:

1. The tremolo arm is always loose - they'd have been better with a screw-in arm, like on the real Strats.
2. The volume control doesn't act like a volume control. Nothing happens for 90% of the turn, then the tone changes and the volume switches off. No answer yet from Ministar on why this might be.

Other than that, it stays in tune really well (even using the tremolo) and sounds great!

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Decent guitar as is, upgradeable., October 5, 2009

By 

R. Manwiller "music mafia don" (Nashville) - See all my reviews
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Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Ministar AMS-CASTAR Electric Guitar with 3 Single Coil Pickups (6 String, Mahogany, 25.5 Scale) (Electronics)

The Ministar is a very cool idea, and a decent guitar for traveling. I play in Europe on occassion, and this will replace my Steinberger GT6 that I sold a few years ago. In comparison, I have to admit the Ministar feels more balanced than the 'Berger, because the latter has the large body weight, which makes it back heavy, and you're always pulling down on the neck a little when you're playing. Electronically, there's no comparison - the Ministar has budget electronics, yet it still sounds decent. I replaced the bridge pickup with a Duncan hot rail (needed slight modification to fit in the space, sich as trimming the ends), and now I happier with the tone. Middle and neck pickups are fine for the normal Stratty tones I use there.
As another reviewer noted, the volume pot sucks - it does little as you back off, til you hit almost zero, then the high end drops off and the volume drops. This is obviously not the correct taper pot for this guitar, but I haven't gotten around to swapping that out yet, as my guitar levels change through my sequencer, and I don't do a lot of manual volume stuff.
The leg bar also doesn't work well - the guitar feels out of balance using it, and the pamphlet says the leg bar can be installed "in either direction", but that's not true, it can only go in one way. Points off for an innaccurate manual.
The trem system is not bad, considering this is a $160 guitar. Only downside is that the bridge points are a solid piece of steel, and unmovable. Consequently, you cannot adjust intonation. Thanksfully, intonation on mine is almost perfect - the G fulcrum is a little short, so I flat-tune that a smidge below concert pitch, and it's workable. But technically, this guitar cannot be set up 100% correctly for intonation. Tuning pegs work well, and restringing is relatively easy.
Hey... it's was well under $200 and it fits easily in my suitcase. And it's a hell of a conversation starter. : )

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars nice but needs some work, May 2, 2010

By 

Steve "Rust Never Sleeps" (fayetteville, NY, United States) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Ministar AMS-CASTAR Electric Guitar with 3 Single Coil Pickups (6 String, Mahogany, 25.5 Scale) (Electronics)

Nice little guitar for practicing while you travel. Long narrow case attracts attention from airport security, but no real problems. Fits well in overhead compartments. Quite durable.

You will most likely want to adjust the string height. Mine came with the strings almost a 1/4" above the frets. You can adjust the bridge and nut height, instructions are included. Just be careful with the screws. The metal is very soft and will strip easily.

As seen in other reviews, the volume control is basically either off or on. No real adjustment possible.