They can. What if you don't like the sound of your guitar so you don't play it? What if you put some different pickups in there and now you like it? Now you play all the time. You get better.
Mexican Teles
- Thread starter JDOD
- Start date
They can. What if you don't like the sound of your guitar so you don't play it? What if you put some different pickups in there and now you like it? Now you play all the time. You get better.
Nola
Well-known member
A big difference is weight.
Fender saves their lightest, most resonant wood for the American made. You can find US Teles under 7lbs, Strats and Jazzmasters at 7.7lbs, but will never see a Mexican made that light. The weight is a big deal for people gigging.
Besides that it's the electronics and pickups. I had a Japanese and MIM fender and both had the electronics fall to pieces after just a few years. Crackling pots, wiring that fell apart, etc. My MIM P-bass had really bad pickups. Is that worth almost double? It depends if you have the money. If you have the money get a guitar with proper weight and electronics, and if not get the MIM, which sound fine but are heavier, and will probably need repair sooner than an American. I think the best purpose/compromise is buying a used American, but you have to really know how to examine a neck.
Fender saves their lightest, most resonant wood for the American made. You can find US Teles under 7lbs, Strats and Jazzmasters at 7.7lbs, but will never see a Mexican made that light. The weight is a big deal for people gigging.
Besides that it's the electronics and pickups. I had a Japanese and MIM fender and both had the electronics fall to pieces after just a few years. Crackling pots, wiring that fell apart, etc. My MIM P-bass had really bad pickups. Is that worth almost double? It depends if you have the money. If you have the money get a guitar with proper weight and electronics, and if not get the MIM, which sound fine but are heavier, and will probably need repair sooner than an American. I think the best purpose/compromise is buying a used American, but you have to really know how to examine a neck.
I think it's funny that people worry about the weight of a guitar. Not for tone reasons so much, but because they get tired. How fucking frail are you that having 7-10 pounds strapped on you for a few hours at most is a huge burden? It's not like you're actually carrying it. It's just hanging there. If that's a problem, you need to make some lifestyle changes. Eat better, get in shape, hit the fucking gym or something.
Bubba po
Tiny Stonehenge Moment
This I agree with. Who worries about the weight of a guitar? Someone who is either feeble, old or effeminate.
liv_rong
Knows very little
For real.
Nola
Well-known member
Yeah. I think some care about it for tone, too. The idea that lighter is more resonant...I guess there's some physics to it, but personally I never noticed that. I also don't notice a big difference between finish (and that's another reason for cost...many times US have nitro finish and MIM thicker poly finish). I actually prefer poly in a way because the guitar doesn't chip as easily.
A light guitar does feel nice, but whether it's worth all that extra money is up for debate, preference, and wallets.
I made an edit to my last comment saying that buying a used US guitar is a good compromise b/c you get it half the cost of new but also get the light weight, good components, etc. In the long run you might wind up spending less in repairs/upgrades if you buy a used US guitar vs a MIM.
Differences I can think of:
Better bridges (at least the P-basses)
Pots/soldering less shoddy
Lighter wood
Better pickups (i.e. usually, as Greg noted US Strats usually have thin/ice pick frequency laden pickups, and the MIM can actually sound better sometimes).
Paint (US fenders are limited to a few colors due to regulations, MIM get more colors but usually thicker finishes).
Usually US fenders have level frets from the factory, MIM many times need leveling.
"Feel", generic term, but a US guitar does feel different and sturdier in the hand.
US guitars hold their resale value.
Those are the main differences I've noted. I've played fenders my whole life and had them from Mexico, Japan, and US.
My suggestion is if going MIM learn how to read a neck well and look for uneven frets, etc, else you might get hit with luthier bills down the road where you're paying as much as a US guitar.
Bubba po
Tiny Stonehenge Moment
I suppose I've never owned a guitar that I don't like the sound of, or just cannot find an amp setting with that guitar that I can work with. My least favourite guitar is my Jag, and that's because it doesn't play all that well for most of the stuff I do. Playability is my bottom line, any tone can be worked with, up to a point.
My contention is that the nuances are just personal shit and a way of diverting a certain kind of person from actually creating something, recording something, even just COVERING something. They want to fuck about rolling tubes, changing out pickups, obsessing over strings yada yada yada until they disappear up their own anuses. That shit doesn't matter. Not one iota.
liv_rong
Knows very little
Its interesting because for Fenders everyone talks about how light it is but for an LP everyone talks about how heavy it is. Both in a positive aspect. For me, being a newb and not played a ton of guitars, when I hear/see its light I get kind of turned off because I like the feel of a heavier guitar. But I dont know shit, just know what I like in my hands.
I went hiking with my 5 year old. She did great. Led the way like an indian guide. Took me all around the lake, then down the rocky terrain to the water. What a trooper!
Then came time to go home. Had to carry her ass all the way back. Uphill.
All 45 pounds of her. Climbing up rocks.
Yeah, a les paul for a couple hours aint nothing.
Then came time to go home. Had to carry her ass all the way back. Uphill.
All 45 pounds of her. Climbing up rocks.
Yeah, a les paul for a couple hours aint nothing.
Nola
Well-known member
That's actually all that matters and huge to know. Many people don't.
liv_rong
Knows very little
I agree to a point, it really does come down to the song and the player for the listener. But as a player I do prefer a certain type and gauge of strings because I can feel and hear the difference, though slight. I couldnt for years but I can now, and that's kind of exciting for me that I found what I like and I did it by playing and experimenting for along time. However I could pick up anyone's guitar and play on their rig and do almost the same thing but it probably wouldnt feel good to me or sound how I like it. The listener wouldn't know either way though but Id rather them hear it the way I intended than by any other means.
Nola
Well-known member
Well, those things do matter. If you put an old tube [good condition with life in it] in a preamp or amp you'll hear a difference, but then it becomes will you actually hear a difference in a mix, and the answer is probably not. Though, maybe...the sparser the mix the more you'll notice.
To say they don't matter at all is false but to say they matter much less than the people wanking off on forums about them believe they do is accurate.
Nola
Well-known member
Yeah, that's the only Fender I've never owned. I don't like them either. But when you say you don't like the playability, what do you mean? What about it do you dislike? B/c it could just be the setup if it feels stiff, for example. Or is it the short scale?
I personally feel they lack sustain and attribute that to the short scale, but I'm not sure. But the Jazzmaster is basically a long scale version of it and has massive sustain if setup well.
Bubba po
Tiny Stonehenge Moment
The GAUGE of strings is a legitimate concern. That affects playability. Not everybody has the kind of hands that can cope with 11 or 12-gauge strings. But worrying about different brands of strings of the same gauge is a complete waste of time. The audience don't care, most other musicians couldn't tell the difference. Hell, most audiences can't even tell that you've mistakenly played the same verse twice.
You're not wrong....for a certain kind of person. A lot of people never leave their bedrooms and incessantly tweak and tinker.
I'm kind of in the middle. I care about pickups and pots, don't care about tubes. Could I make-do with any guitar? Sure, but I don't want to. I'll tinker with my own stuff, but I also play live and record all the fucking time. Tinkering doesn't consume me.
Bubba po
Tiny Stonehenge Moment
It's the short scale, the lack of sustain, the vintage radius that chokes the strings when bending. But the guitar has the perfect tone for some situations and that's why I haven't ditched it. Am I going to swap out the pickups for AVRI or Bare Knuckle Jag pickups? Am I fuck. They contribute a minuscule part of that guitar's tone.
It wouldn't be worth it on a guitar that has the physical limitations you describe. But what if that guitar played good enough to go from being a some situations to an all-the-time guitar? You wouldn't do a simple pickup swap to make it even better or more versatile?
Nola
Well-known member
Strange, I agree with the first half of your post 100% -- the Jaguar does lack sustain, and if it has a 7.25" radius bends will be harder (but not impossible).
But the last part about pickups I really disagree. Pickups make a huge difference. Just compare a Tele with standard neck pickup (that pickup is so deep it used to be bass players backup BASS) vs a hot rod tele. HUGE difference in tone.
Have you messed with the action and relief on the Jag? If bends are choking something is off. It should be harder to bend on a 7.25 but not impossible where it's choking out.