American strat vs Mexican strat

[DropD]

I was browsing through Fender's website, I noticed that an American Strat is more than twice the price of a Mexican Strat. What is the difference between two? I can understand that the American model is probably better built, but we're talking 1500$ vs 650$ here (for a Deluxe Fat Strat). Is the Mexican strat an American Strat at a bargain, or is the American Strat really worth such an expense?

[foo]

Better pickups, better tuners, better frets, better fret job, better wood, better paint job, better bridge, better elctronics, better assembly, better case, better resale value, better get the American Strat!

foo

[This message has been edited by foo (edited 01-02-2000).]

[Light]

Originally Posted by foo

Better pickups, better tuners, better frets, better fret job, better wood, better paint job, better bridge, better elctronics, better assembly, better case, better resale value, better get the American Strat!

foo

[This message has been edited by foo (edited 01-02-2000).]

All of that is, more or less, true. Frankly though, I think that the one which is of the most value is the resale issue.

The other thing, though, is that with an American, you get a complete guitar, and all it will need to play and sound great is a setup. (ALWAYS expect to need to get a brand new factory instrument setup - it will need it.) With any of the Asian or Mexican ones, you will need to get ALL of the electronics replaced to get a really useful instrument, and I'd want to replace at very least the bridge. Also, the American made ones tend to be of more consistent quality.

In the end, though, if you can get exactly what you want in the American made stuff, go for it. It will probably end up costing about the same as getting a cheaper one and upgrading everything. Maybe a little more, but not all THAT much more.


Light

"Cowards can never be moral."
M.K. Gandhi

[Light]

Oh, and if you don't care about resale value, don't buy a Fender. Get parts from USA Custom or Warmoth, and build your own.


Light

"Cowards can never be moral."
M.K. Gandhi

[Top Jimmy]

I have to agree and disagree with foo. Yeah the American Strat has better wood and so on but if the Mexican Strat is in your budget go for it. I have one and I'm really happy with it.

[DropD]

My Nissan Sentra is mexican made too, and it's as reliable as the US made Sentras )

[Lorddiagram]

DropD - - To answer your question "is it worth the expense"?

I think it damn well is - but I wouldn't pay $1500 for a Deluxe Fat Strat I'd pay $550 for a new American Strat (that's what I paid)

Shop around - if you can afford it the American is a great guitar.

[Slackmaster2K]

The difference is going to be day and night. You can feel it and hear it instantly.

The American Strat isn't really an expensive guitar (as guitars go), so there's little reason to purchase a Mexican strat unless you don't have a guitar at all. BTW, the American strat is a pawn shop dream. Since they typically run around $900 new (here), you can usually find em in decent shape at a pawn shop for half that.

Slackmaster

[DropD]

Lord: I forgot to tell you, I live in Canada, the lowest street price I could find for an american Strat is 999$CA, not 550$

I really don't care about the look, what interest me is the sound. If I change the bridge pickup (the one I use 97,4% of the time), can I get the same sound as an American Strat on a mexican strat?

[Emeric]

DropD, you can make a big difference by changing the electronics. This is one thing I've found that make cheap guitars sound thin. I can't say as though it will sound like an American strat, but it will sound a hell of a lot better than it does stock. I've been recording with some real cheap guitars lately ($300 Canadian), and I must say.. their pretty damn good. Guitars have improved over the years. The latest one I'm using is a Jay Terser, check them out if you see one anywhere.


[This message has been edited by Emeric (edited 01-03-2000).]

[foo]

If the budget is a real concern (and when isn't it, I guess) try to find a Tokai Strat copy from the early eighties and install Seymour Duncan Vintage replacement pickups on it.

I'm with his Slackness on this - do the pawn shop thing - you'll be amazed at what you can find.
foo

[crazyhorse]

I've got a Squire strat (around $300) that is pretty decent. I'd play it more except my Ibanez Artist kicks major ass! My point is, throw several Mex strats into a pile and most of them will be less-than-worthy but a few of them will be excellant guitars for the price. I put an EMG select in mine and I think it's just peachy.
Also, one of the best tones I've ever heard came from a Hondo, which was a very cheap brand.

[mastahnke]

Well, I would say get the Mexican if you must have a Fender. All fenders (with the exceptions of the JAPS) are made in Mexico anyway. For a guitar to be considered "American" it just has to be 60% ASSEMBLED in the USA. They are made in teh same factory. It takes a while, but you can usually find a Mexican Strat that is really nice, they are made on most of the same machines as the Americans anyway. The real differences are the hardware and the neck treatment.
But my real question is do you want a REAL Fender? Cause G&L is the only company that makes 'em. Get a basic S-500 for a little more than a good mexican and a lot less than the FAT Strat. It will blow any fender that is not custom shop away. Guarenteed. Plus they have locking tuners, and phase reversal switch. The S-500 is Leo's final definition of what the strat should be.

MIKE

[famous beagle]

Originally Posted by mastahnke

Well, I would say get the Mexican if you must have a Fender. All fenders (with the exceptions of the JAPS) are made in Mexico anyway. For a guitar to be considered "American" it just has to be 60% ASSEMBLED in the USA. They are made in teh same factory. It takes a while, but you can usually find a Mexican Strat that is really nice, they are made on most of the same machines as the Americans anyway. The real differences are the hardware and the neck treatment.
But my real question is do you want a REAL Fender? Cause G&L is the only company that makes 'em. Get a basic S-500 for a little more than a good mexican and a lot less than the FAT Strat. It will blow any fender that is not custom shop away. Guarenteed. Plus they have locking tuners, and phase reversal switch. The S-500 is Leo's final definition of what the strat should be.

MIKE

I've never seen a G&L that cheap. Where can you find them?

[XXXDiablo]

Originally Posted by mastahnke

Well, I would say get the Mexican if you must have a Fender. All fenders (with the exceptions of the JAPS) are made in Mexico anyway. For a guitar to be considered "American" it just has to be 60% ASSEMBLED in the USA. They are made in teh same factory. It takes a while, but you can usually find a Mexican Strat that is really nice, they are made on most of the same machines as the Americans anyway. The real differences are the hardware and the neck treatment.
But my real question is do you want a REAL Fender? Cause G&L is the only company that makes 'em. Get a basic S-500 for a little more than a good mexican and a lot less than the FAT Strat. It will blow any fender that is not custom shop away. Guarenteed. Plus they have locking tuners, and phase reversal switch. The S-500 is Leo's final definition of what the strat should be.

MIKE

They aren't made in the same factory. But close. The two factories are only 30 miles apart. One is in the US and One is in Mexico.

[WERNER 1]

I recently went down this road... http://www.homerecording.com/bbs/sho...d.php?t=152644

I still say I should have kept the blond mexi I had, and only paid 200 bucks for......truly a "Best bang for your buck" item!

I played so many strats over the last couple of weeks it's not even funny! Most of them didn't justify the cost in my opinion.....but the one I bought did........but then again, it did cost me a pretty penny.

One difference I did notice was in the fretts. The Standard strat (MIM) has smaller fret wire on it, where as it's American counter part has Medium Jumbo fret wire. Also the moder trem/bridge on the American standard is in my opinion much, much better.

If you want the best of both worlds, you can by the "Lite Ash Strat", it comes in three colors- Natural, black, and Vintage white. I came really close to purchasing one of these, but the fret wire eventually turned me away. They say they have medium jumbo wire on them, but in reality it's like what is on the Mexi's......not what's on the American Standards.........other than that this is one nice axe for about $550.00 US. It's got a birds eye maple neick and fret board, moder tremolo, seymour Duncans, and decent tuners.....plus an lite ash body. I was able to find two of these to actually play, and they both played well.......nice low action and feel. Maybe I should have bought this one and just had some fret work done on it (You'd be amazed at what just having the frets "polished" will do for the feel of your axe!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!), but I had some money burning a hole in my pocket, so I spent it.

Rick

[Hard2Hear]

wow, you just drug up a 5 year old thread.

amazing.

H2H

[ibleedburgundy]

whatever you do, don't get a bullet series. They're not even made out of wood. Now THAT'S Cheap!

[sound125]

If you're going to get a Mexican strat, I would look at the Jimmie Vaughan Tex-Mex stats that are built in Mexico. They are excellent and have incredible necks.

[DC-XPL]

Did you consider checking out the Highway 1 strat? It seems to bridge the gap between Mexican components and US quality control. Sits right in the middle price-wise and many people believe that the flat finish enhances the resonance of the body.

[sile2001]

Ok people...actually READ what H2H posted!!!

This thread is from 5 years ago, and I'm sure this guy has long ago decided whether to get a mexi or usa strat. No need to continue it.

[Rickson Gracie]

my mexican tele that i paid $349 played and sounded way nicer than the highway one US tele at GC.

[ch2os7]

I have a Japanese Squire Strat . I bought it used so I don't really know how old it is but it's an older model. It plays nice and sounds decent too. Tremelo isn't very good. It's noisy because of the single coil hum. It's real heavy too.
It's the only Strat I've ever owned so I can't really say if it is good or bad compared to other strats.
How do the older Japanese Squires stack up against the MIM Strats? Anybody?

[Jacko]

correct me if im worng but besides electronics and maybe frets, isnt the only difference between american and mexican fenders is where they are finished, supposedly all of the guitars are made in america (except the japinese ((sp?)) ones) and they get sent to mexico to be painted because you can only paint a certin amount in america a year to keep the whole in the ozone layer down. Theres no limit to the amount that can be painted in mexico, plus they can pay the workers less, but in america the workers cost more and theres a limit to how many can be painted each year, so fender can jack up the price 3 times with their "made in america" tag

[johnfingers]

OK this is a very old thread but the subject is as valid as ever. Although Japanese strats were not mentioned, I think it is very relevant to mention them for the following reason. In about 1985, Japan bought the Fender guitar company. One of the conditions was that a new USA Fender guitar company could be set up, but this took years because not only did the Japanese buy the designs, specifications, and the name, they practically moved the factory to Japan. All the old tools that were used to make the classic strats, teles etc left the USA. Japanese Fenders were made with the same materials to the same specifications and by the same methods as the vintage Fenders. The new USA Fenders were not.

So the Japanese purchase is pertinent to the thread because it shows that American Strats are not one category of guitar.

Fender USA built 2 factories 30 miles apart with the Mexican border between them. You can make all the parts in Mexico, 40% assemble the guitar in Mexico, drive it over the border, have other Mexicans finish putting it together, send it BACK to Mexico for painting, bring it back again to the USA, and call it an American Strat. But is it?

The new company exports American jobs rather than pay decent wages, exploits a loophole in environment protection laws rather than spend on filters, uses mass production techniques to stamp out guitar bodies like biscuits, and then appeals to your patriotism.

Why not get a local guitar builder to hand make you a Strat style guitar with your name on it?