American strat vs Mexican strat

ashley_B_Soton said:
Second the material the body and neck are made of, alder is good mahogany is good too, most ibanez's are made of basswood which i like too, forget about anything else its probably bollocks.
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There are any number of other woods which are wonderful, and seeing as how we can no longer really get good quality Mahogany (for a Strat? that ain't right), it is really a good idea to start using those other woods.


Light

"Cowards can never be moral."
M.K. Gandhi
 
I didn't mean there aren't other good woods there but they are the major ones.

I dont know about mahogany strat's though i have never seen one, i dont even think they exist, but most gibsons and even epiphones are made of it, and i much prefer the tone of their guitars, but they are heavy as fuck.

I think what i was trying to say was that if you like the sound of it and its built well who cares? the people who want to say, "I've got an American strat." I just think the sound is more important.
 
Such a drastic difference between a Gibson LP and a Strat. How much of this is wood, how much is it the pickups, I don't know?

But splicing hairs between a Mexican Strat and a American Strat is much more subtle, in comparison to the above comparison comparing comparisons or comparisons of comparing the comparisons of the comparisons. :p

imo.
 
ashley_B_Soton said:
I didn't mean there aren't other good woods there but they are the major ones.

I dont know about mahogany strat's though i have never seen one, i dont even think they exist, but most gibsons and even epiphones are made of it, and i much prefer the tone of their guitars, but they are heavy as fuck.

I think what i was trying to say was that if you like the sound of it and its built well who cares? the people who want to say, "I've got an American strat." I just think the sound is more important.
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http://guitars.musiciansfriend.com/product/Fender-American-Special-Mahogany-HSS-Stratocaster-Electric-Guitar?sku=511165&src=3SOSWXXA

There are many other good timbers for guitar bodies and necks. A bunch of us makers having been using them for years both for acoustic and electric. They pretty much all work well and have different qualities.
 
I like american strats built in the 1960's.

They seem to play and sound better than mexican strats.
 
COOLCAT said:
Such a drastic difference between a Gibson LP and a Strat. How much of this is wood, how much is it the pickups, I don't know?
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my point was not to say that the strat and les paul are similar just that they are both good guitars that lack something when you buy them from new.

The strat lacks presence, the only good one i ever played had a pearly gates mini humbucker.

The Les paul lacks playability, mainly because its heavy and has a very broad neck. The SG is an exception, it lacks warmth.

Of course this is all subject to opinion.
 
ashley_B_Soton said:
The Les paul lacks playability, mainly because its heavy and has a very broad neck.
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Only if it's set up badly. And some Les Paul's have insanely skinny necks. It's really all down to the specific guitar, and the spec for that particular year/model. Though they do tend to be heavy, making them - quite literally - a pain in the neck for a lot of people (like me - I couldn't play one of those things for a four hour show to save my life).



Light

"Cowards can never be moral."
M.K. Gandhi
 
What's all this whining about "slender necks"??? You guys all midgets or something??? Maybe have desk jobs??? I run a furniture warehouse and I like 'em big fat and meaty...

...guitar necks too.;)
 
Light said:
Only if it's set up badly. And some Les Paul's have insanely skinny necks.
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I would admit your probably right, that means i have never played on that has been set up properly, or one from the correct year, i wouldn't be surprised i tend to stay away from them, but i still hate that they weigh a ton and a half, I dropped mine on my foot last year and bruised my toe so badly it hurt for a month, and it probably weighs about half that of a les paul.

But i would still rather play one than a standard strat.
 
Corndog said:
What's all this whining about "slender necks"??? You guys all midgets or something??? Maybe have desk jobs??? I run a furniture warehouse and I like 'em big fat and meaty...

...guitar necks too.;)
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No, I just had surgery to correct chronic dislocation, i cant play a les paul at the moment and i used to have my thumb clicking out of place whenever i would touch one

Just in case your wondering i do get that it was a joke, but there is a real reason i prefer the sound of a gibson but play a strat copy. I may try another gibson after my thumb has fully healed.

BUT i'm still NOT buying a les paul.
 
ashley_B_Soton said:
The bottom line is if you haven't played the guitar assume it's rubbish. Trust me i have played many other stg 004's (not the -7, i have never even seen another one) and they have all been a pile of crap.
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Mmmm...I've never played any of my Malmsteen Strats before I ordered them. Every one has been excellent.
 
Yeah i realise no-ones replied to this thread for a few years but whilst fenders still making guitars in Mexico and America its still valid right?I`d like to add my two bob`s worth-
1.Don`t be blinded by patriotism.
2.I had a MIJ `67 reissue from the early 90`s,it was a beautifull guitar,made of ash,pretty light,i had a few offers from people for there US strats for it(which i declined).My ex-girlfreind trashed it one day so alas it is gone.
3.I`ve currently got an Ibanez MIJ Silver Series 1977 Strat,again made of ash.A beatifull guitar.All hardware SOLID nickel,the tremelo system One Peice SOLID nickel.
4.Lately the mexicans have been putting better Pick-Ups in their guitars(CS `69`s etc)and some of the roadworn MIM Classic Players go for £1000 where the US standard is just over £900(both new).
5.I`ve just bought a pre-owned MIM 60`s reverse headstock strat that`s got pickups wound like the ones in Hendrix`s `68 strats.They are the nuts.I`ve changed the block for a rolled steel tone block and the saddles for GraphTech`s but these extra`s don`t come on any off the shelf fenders,this guitar has cost me £400 all in,i did`nt need it to be set-up(i do that myself as good as any tech cause i know how i want it).This guitar kicks ass.No american standard is this good-not by a long shot.Just my opinion,in other words-a fact.
 
Honestly, I own two Strats, both are standards, one is American and the other was made in Mexico. I probably play the Mexican one more, just because I like the sound better. I don't know why, I just do. My advice is to try and play both, and buy what ever sounds better to you, if you love your sound, other people will too, eventually.
 
i had two US strats and liked one better than the other.

the prefered choice, imo...was a delta pickup vs texas special

the neck was rolled edges and thought the specs were the same I liked one better than the other. i guess it was the rolled edges? per the literature this was the only difference.

the MIM does have a different pickup, and I am of the voters who think the pickup is like 90% of the electric (solid body) tone.... assuming a decent build like a MIM or an EPi....

wild stuff.... I never compared a US to a MIM at home...interesting. my sons on a MIM and its a real workhorse, excellent guitar and tuners and sounds
 
try and find a mexican with the best wood on it. if you fix the frets and drop some new pickups in a mex it can be better than an american for a better value
 
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