The work in this report describes the syntheses, electrospray ionization mass spectromtery, structures, and experimental and density functional theoretical (DFT) magnetic properties of four tetrametallic stars of composition [M(II)(Cu(II)L)3](ClO4)2 (1, M = Mn; 2, M = Ni; 3, M = Cu; 4, M = Zn) derived from a single-compartment Schiff base ligand, N,N'-bis(salicylidene)-1,4-butanediamine (H2L), which is the [2 + 1] condensation product of salicylaldehyde and 1,4-diaminobutane. The central metal ion (Mn(II), Ni(II), Cu(II), or Zn(II)) is linked with two μ2-phenoxo bridges of each of the three [Cu(II)L] moieties, and thus the central metal ion is encapsulated in between three [Cu(II)L] units. The title compounds are rare or sole examples of stars having these metal-ion combinations. In the cases of 1, 3, and 4, the four metal ions form a centered isosceles triangle, while the four metal ions in 2 form a centered equilateral triangle. Both the variable-temperature magnetic susceptibility and variable-field magnetization (at 2-10 K) of 1-3 have been measured and simulated contemporaneously. While the Mn(II)Cu(II)3 compound 1 exhibits ferromagnetic interaction with J = 1.02 cm(-1), the Ni(II)Cu(II)3 compound 2 and Cu(II)Cu(II)3 compound 3 exhibit antiferromagnetic interaction with J = -3.53 and -35.5 cm(-1), respectively. Variable-temperature magnetic susceptibility data of the Zn(II)Cu(II)3 compound 4 indicate very weak antiferromagnetic interaction of -1.4 cm(-1), as expected. On the basis of known correlations, the magnetic properties of 1-3 are unusual; it seems that ferromagnetic interaction in 1 and weak/moderate antiferromagnetic interaction in 2 and 3 are possibly related to the distorted coordination environment of the peripheral copper(II) centers (intermediate between square-planar and tetrahedral). DFT calculations have been done to elucidate the magnetic properties. The DFT-computed J values are quantitatively (for 1) or qualitatively (for 2 and 3) matched well with the experimental values. Spin densities and magnetic orbitals (natural bond orbitals) correspond well with the trend of observed/computed magnetic exchange interactions.