Are mexican strats total crap.....

[jcmm]

but im not gonna sit here and argue that a MIM is better or just as good as a MIA....that just isnt the case.....i just know that the Mexican Strats arent the pieces of crap that Bruce's picture painted....and im talking as a whole, not the wall of shame that Bruce came upon....

That was also my opinion.
Comparing the one I bought to a "standard" MIA (around $695.00) there wasn't a real noticable difference in the sound. That was all I was buying it for.

I will say that they had several deluxe models that had what they called a 2 color sunburst finish on them and they were the nicest looking Fender guitars I have ever seen. They went yellow to red and really showed the grain nicely.

 

[gibs]

I bought a MIM Jimmy V two months ago and it does everything I want it to....

The Tex Mex pups are the biggest difference between it and my '84,'85,'87, pr '88 MIA (Fender serial numbers blow big time, and I haven't found the need to take the neck off to pinpoint the date yet)....The pups in the MIA are warm warm warm and have a Hendrix/Clapton thingy (unfortunately I can't play like them)......the pups in the MIM are hot hot hot and really do well in saloon boogie buzz on stuff.....but it's still a stratocaster sound, just a bit more trebly...

However, my MIA has a rosewood fingerboard, which could indeed make a difference as well....

Let's keep in mind that different doesn't mean inferior...

My MIM is poplar, two tone burst, maple board and I just heard that the latest ones made are using ash for the bod instead of pop.....

Frets, tuners, saddle all fine...some vintage stuff thrown about on the JV......the "V" neck shape on the JV is nice as well, if you chord all the wrong ways, like I do (using thumb on low e....)

The 5 way switches on both feel tight....the vol/tones on both do what they're supposed to do.....both of them are good guitars.....

Now, why , you ask did I but the MIM in the first place if I already had a MIA?

Because I have more guitars than talent, duh.........

PS I also bought a CIJ Tele....and yes, it's the Pink Paisley and it kicks ass, but it, like the JV, had to have its strings changed muy pronto to 10's...what's with the Fender 9's that are stock on new Fender guitars????? they're like jello......the last two Gibsons I bought (faded SG and Faded V) came with their version of 9's that are almost decent.......I'm gonna keep them on til it's actually time for a change and then on come the 10's...but the Fenders strings were total crap....how can there be such a difference in the same gauge strings between brands?????.....gibs

 

[freakindisplay]

I have a 95' Mex Strat and it is wonderful. I know a fella who spent up near $1,000 bucks for his American strat, and I played his, then I played mine, and I like my mex strat more than his! He also says mine feels way better with the action and tone it gives. So I must say that while American strats are superb, Mex strats offer the same and come with a way better price.

FrEaK

 

[TheGuitarMan]

If you like em, you like em. If you don't, you don't. That's all I gotta say about that.

 

[64Firebird]

im envious of your '64 firebird....I WANT ONE!! (im such a huge johnny winter fan its pitiful)

Well, times are kinda hard for me right now. I may be putting my bird up for sale soon.

 

[abuscus]

Wow!Heated debate!!!Thanks for the insight guys.U know the difference between the two are only slight and don't justify the price difference.After buying a MIM strat it appears to me that fender keeps charging outrageous prices for the MIA strats only because there is a widespread notion that MIM strats are inferior.I think the prices should be lowered on the MIA strats.$300 4 a mex. $1000 4 an amer.......Come on!!!!Not that big of a difference in tone!!!LOWER THE PRICES!!!

 

[bongolation]

I think that if these MIA snobs couldn't see the MIM tag on the headstock they wouldn't know the difference.

You'd lose your bet. I can tell them from 50' away. They stick out like sore thumbs with those cheap, low-finish polyester paintjobs.

 

[bongolation]

U know the difference between the two are only slight

No, the difference is virtually total. Go on MrGearHead.Com and check their respective parts lists. There's almost zero overlap. This is a clearly demonstrable fact.

Yes, the price difference is justified, particularly at street prices rather than MSRP.

 

[hixmix]

Well, I just bougt a one bedroom cottage in Santa Monica for one million $, and i drive a PORCH, and you're a Fuck Face!

So there!

 

[hixmix]

PIPP

Please Ignor(e) Previous Post

 

[bongolation]

Whoever said that Mex strats and US strats are totally different couldn't be more wrong. What I'm stating below are facts, not my opinion. I have personal friends at Fender and know the company well. They also send me my NAMM passes each year when I want to go.

The bodies and necks of US and Mex strats are sawn and created at the exact same place together. The same exact woods are used (specifically depenging on the exact model) as are the same exact machines to cut the bodies. In many, many circumstances the same electronics are used (aside from varying pickups model to model), and trem and tuner choices are by the specific guitar, not by place of manufacture.

Sorry, but that's total BS regarding the MIM Standard v. American Series. The bodies and necks are roughed out at Corona, but they are absolutely NOT the same. The bodies are currently both made from alder, but that's where the similarity ends. The MIM blanks are made up of more pieces and lower grade wood than the MIM blanks. They're finished with polyester rather than polyurethane and finished to a much lower standard. The necks are different shape, different frets, different trussrod, different machine heads and different finish grade. The rest of the hardware is ENTIRELY different.

Go to the Fender www.MrGearHead.Com site and compare the parts lists. There's almost no overlap at all. Check it out. There's no reason for this misinformation to keep spreading.

If you want to really learn something about Stratocasters, go HERE and get the info from the horse's mouth.

I'll be waiting for your apology.

 

[abuscus]

No, the difference is virtually total. Go on MrGearHead.Com and check their respective parts lists. There's almost zero overlap. This is a clearly demonstrable fact.

Yes, the price difference is justified, particularly at street prices rather than MSRP.

It's not about parts, it's about tone.Pack me one

 

[hixmix]

Are mexican strats total crap compared to american models?What are the exact differences?

Mexicans work overtime for twenty five cents an hour and
Americans complain about the "economy"?

Go figure.

 

[hixmix]

I will "hang" in Hollywood for that statement.

 

[omtayslick]

MIM vs.MIA Strats, teles

Went to my local Fender dealer. Played EVERY Fender electric in the store. Some for a period of time, others for 2 seconds. The MIA guitars seemed more substantial, but chunky, just didn't like the feel of them. I preferred the MIM guitars from that particular store's selection. Better playability IMO. But I wasn't real impressed with any of them. Then I went to another dealer that had G&L guitars........ I'm saving for a G&L.

 

[64Firebird]

You'd lose your bet. I can tell them from 50' away. They stick out like sore thumbs with those cheap, low-finish polyester paintjobs.

But, can you HEAR the differance? Prehaps you'd care to spend some time in the MP3 mixing clinic and tell us which ones are done with MIA's and which ones are done with MIM's.

 

[jimistone]

"But, can you HEAR the differance? Prehaps you'd care to spend some time in the MP3 mixing clinic and tell us which ones are done with MIA's and which ones are done with MIM's."

bongolation could probably do that, especially if the MIM strat has single coils and the MIA strat has those pussy sounding "noisless" stacked humbucker single coil wantta be's.

 

[jimistone]

this whole argument never actually goes anywhere. the bottom line is this...if you want to buy a brand new strat and have $400 to spend it will have to be a mexican...if you have $600 you can get an american..the hwy 1 series

(hey, the hwy 1's are american...check out the cheap ass finish on these....i defy anyone to say this AMERICAN finish is higher quality than mex...looks like a house painter had a little flat latex left over and decided to paint some strats)

if you have $1000 you can get an american strat and if you have $2000+ you can get a custom shop guitar.

so, here we are, the "american" stat diehards basically telling a guy with $400 to invest in a mex strat that its not really a good guitar, which i know 1st hand after over a year of hard use on one is total bulshit. Its snobery, plain and simple.

lets take it a step further though...i have a '66 strat so let me snob a bit.
you damn losers that buy the new line of wantta be american strats are getting imatations of fender guitars. everyone knows that leo fender didn't have a hand in making these guitars...how in the hell can you say you have a "fender"...they are a joke with the the chessy 3 screw tremelo plates and the lame stacked coil humbuckers, i can't believe they actually have the nerve to put "fender" on the headstock (in spagetti logo on top of that...like a real fender has). the stupidest people of all are the ones that dish out $2000+ to get a knock off of a 59 strat...IT AIN'T A '59 STRAT DUMBASS! no, i take that back, the guy that buys the "copy" of a 59 strat and gets fender to wear it out for them take 1st prize in the "bonehead bumbling idiot' award....*hello*...its NOT a "relic" dude, its a brand new imatation of a fender that they basically trashed in the factory before you got it (i bet the custom shop guys laugh till they get tears in their eyes at the fools that get "dicked" on these guitars). talk about lame, trying to get a factory to reproduce a worn vintage guitar...go to ebay and punch in "strat" set the price between $8,000 and 15,000 and get a fuckin' clue dude. if you want a real fender i would suggest you save your money till you stockpile $10,000 and buy a real fender.

this is said "tongue in cheek" just to point out how you american strat advocates come off. but, there is some truth to it too. why wouldn't y'all just save up $10,000 and buy a vintage fender? probably because $10,000 is not in most peoples guitars budgets...if you were a millionare and money was no object..thats probably what you would do.

so, don't tell someone that has $400 bucks to spend on a strat that he needs to save up and buy an american...unless you 1st save up and buy a true vintage fender.

as far as bear saying that all the mex fenders were falling apart in that particular store...i don't doubt it. they probably went thru all their mex guitars and trashed them....it may be the only way they can move the american guitars.

 

[Blue Bear Sound]

If someone wanted to buy a $400 guitar and get their money's worth, I'd point them to Godin -- far better than some of the MIA Fenders!

And the craftmanship is immaculate, even on their budget stuff.............

 

[jimistone]

i played some godin guitars the last time i was "killing some time" at a local music store...they are really nice guitars, have a real "top of the line" feel to them.