B
Brian_Buresh
New member
What is the difference between the American, Mexican, and Japanese strats. I'm talking about price, sound, feel, etc.
64Firebird
New member
About $500.00
eyeslikefire
I CAN SMELL EM!
I know this subject has a black eye here but, I like the way my American standard feels compared to the JP or the MIM.
There is something about the fretwork...
I don't know, it just feels better to me....
Would I pay $500.00 more for that feel?
Yep.
The best thing you can do is play them and then make a decision.
There is something about the fretwork...
I don't know, it just feels better to me....
Would I pay $500.00 more for that feel?
Yep.
The best thing you can do is play them and then make a decision.
M
mkeene
New member
I have a 1985 Japanese Strat and a 1992 American '62 Reissue. The MIJ strat cost me about $275 and the 62 RI cost me about $750 (both used). In my opinion the 62 does play better...but i dont know if it plays 475 dollars better (or 1000 dollars better if new). For me, it was worth the extra money, cause I love the feel and look of the '62...but its really up to you. The MIJ is an amazing guitar, I would not be upset with that as my main strat. Bottom line, MIJs are a fantastic deal most of the time, and very, very well built.
BTW...the mexicans arent that bad either but are clearly the bottom rung for Fenders.
BTW...the mexicans arent that bad either but are clearly the bottom rung for Fenders.
scottboyher
New member
Go play each one and decide yourself.
T
Toker41
Better Than You
The American in hand made. Better choice of wood on the American made. Better craftsmanship on the Amercian made. I'm not sure but you might want to check the specs on the stock pick ups. I would find it hard to believe they are the same on the Mexican ones. There is a reason one is $1100, and one is $275. As stated above....just plug them both in and play, it's really not hard to see the difference. Don't get me wrong, the Mexican stuff is ok if you are on a tight budget...but I would never record any I've seen.
eyeslikefire
I CAN SMELL EM!
FYI...
The only "handmade" strats are from their custom shop.
Even $1k plus strats like Fat strats Tex Special and even sig. series are all production.
The only "handmade" strats are from their custom shop.
Even $1k plus strats like Fat strats Tex Special and even sig. series are all production.
M
msly
New member
mkeene said:
This is an early 80's squire that plays and sounds (when i have the stock pickups installed) Like a american strat without a doubt.
SLy
T
Toker41
Better Than You
I owned an early 80's squire for about 12 hours. Biggest hunk of crap I've ever played. It was even worse than the early 80's BC Rich NJ Warlocks. Please tell me you are not going to say there is no difference between a REAL Rich and an NJ Rich???
M
msly
New member
Toker41 said:
Not sure if we have the same guitars or not but I own about 20. and have played probably about 250 guitars in the 25 plus years im playing guitar and my squire is well made, solid and sounds awesome.
I have played mexican strats and you can get a decent sound out of them but the quality is no where near the US and the squire I
have.
yea i have played a NJ rich and they do bite....
sly
Outlaws
New member
My friend had a '80s Jap Squire, the one with the Fender logo big and the Squire logo small. Very nice guitar, very heavy, better than the Mex Fender Strat I had. He pawned it, never payed them back. Wish he had let me give him the $50.
T
Toker41
Better Than You
It may just be me. I have always been really picky about my guitars. The Warlock I had came from the custom shop, and I sold it in a moment of weakness. I will never be able to find another like it. Every other Rich I play (even the American made one) sucks. Les Pauls are funny, too. gotta find the right one. No two seem to play a like. Come across a nice one every once in a while, but not everyday. Ibanez makes some really nice playing guitars, but most of them sound like balsa wood. (unlike my Ib custom black beauty les paul that I would never part with, don't care how beat up it is) However, I have liked 99% of the American made Strats I have played. There sound doesn't really fit most of what I do, so I don't use one too often, but when I pick them up they just feel so right. Can't say that about any Squire or Mex strat I have ever played. However, my 8 year old daughter is in need of her first guitar (so she will stop banging up mine), and I am considering a mex strat. For the price, I find them better than any Epaphone. Talk about crap. Thumbs down to Gibson for putting out that line of crap for $900, and charging $2500 for a real Les Paul. As a musican I feel raped! But I guess that is another thread....hehe.
bdbdbuck
New member
Toker41 said:
I bought my son a Squire "mini" strat for his 8th birthday....damn thing surprised me! Plays awfully good for $100! Sounds real close to a real strat too!
Got him one of those little 10W Marshall amps...he's hot shit now!
bd
64Firebird
New member
bdbdbuck said:
I did the same thing for my son at about the same age. He still gets it out once in a while and we have "jam sessions."
bdbdbuck
New member
That's just too cool. I play with my older kids and I think he's a little jealous. He's really motivated to learn. The music teacher at school (also a local jazz musician) is giving him guitar lessons......he's actually learning!
bd
bd
mastahnke
Linux Man...
My experience has been that the "American Made Strat" isn't all that american. The parts are still cut in Mexico and 'hand-assembled' in the US.
Mexican ones have much lower specs to adhear to, though some of them turn out quite nice, but you have to play it to be sure.
MIJ strats are the value most of the time. They have decent standards and are just pretty darn good most of the time.
However, if you want a REAL strat, get a custom shop or a G&L.
MIKE
Mexican ones have much lower specs to adhear to, though some of them turn out quite nice, but you have to play it to be sure.
MIJ strats are the value most of the time. They have decent standards and are just pretty darn good most of the time.
However, if you want a REAL strat, get a custom shop or a G&L.
MIKE
L
Lorddiagram
Moderator
bongolation
New member
Wow. How many times does this come up?
This is one that I'm going to answer in depth on my site.
I don't think it's meaningful to argue personal opinions about which is "better" from matters of taste. It is meaningful to point out the objective, factual differences and one can make an intelligent choice based on that information:
Assuming we're talking about the plain-vanilla "American" series v. the MIM "Standard," here are the main differences in this link. The only change is that currently MIM bodies are multi-piece alder rather than veneered poplar, as poplar is more expensive than the grade of alder that is being used for MIM body blanks. There are a lot of other differences as well, but Fender supplied this list a couple of years ago to its retailers.
Effectively, the MIM "Standard" is somewhat more vintage-like due to its use of cloned imported out-of-patent Fender hardware designs.
There is virtually nothing that isn't different and cheaper on the MIM. The only parts that are the same are a couple of pots, caps and a switch. You can verify this by checking the parts lists on Fender's MrGearHead site. The finish and material quality of the hardware is superior on the MIA "American" series, though the actual overall finish and build quality of the total instrument can be very spotty in either case. Fender frequently produces some terrible finish problems in either MIM or MIA output and FMIC - incredibly - refuses to warrant their finish screwups, so you're stuck if, say, the finish starts lifting off your neck, as it has on three of my expensive MIA Fenders.
As for the MIJs, I think the Fender Japan instruments made for the Japanese market are probably consistently the best production Stratocasters, but they are all vintage designs. I'm not a Stratocaster fan to begin with, but I personally like vintage-reissue ones even less. That said, the CIJ output is usually way ahead of the MIA Fenders in terms of finish and build quality, so if you do like these styles of Stratocasters you should check out CIJs.
I've never seen a gripe about a CIJ Fender imported through Ishibashi, nor have I ever heard of a gripe from anyone about Ishibashi's impeccable service. I think Ishibashi carefully checks out the stock they export, which is more than you can say about most online Fender sellers.
This is one that I'm going to answer in depth on my site.
I don't think it's meaningful to argue personal opinions about which is "better" from matters of taste. It is meaningful to point out the objective, factual differences and one can make an intelligent choice based on that information:
Assuming we're talking about the plain-vanilla "American" series v. the MIM "Standard," here are the main differences in this link. The only change is that currently MIM bodies are multi-piece alder rather than veneered poplar, as poplar is more expensive than the grade of alder that is being used for MIM body blanks. There are a lot of other differences as well, but Fender supplied this list a couple of years ago to its retailers.
Effectively, the MIM "Standard" is somewhat more vintage-like due to its use of cloned imported out-of-patent Fender hardware designs.
There is virtually nothing that isn't different and cheaper on the MIM. The only parts that are the same are a couple of pots, caps and a switch. You can verify this by checking the parts lists on Fender's MrGearHead site. The finish and material quality of the hardware is superior on the MIA "American" series, though the actual overall finish and build quality of the total instrument can be very spotty in either case. Fender frequently produces some terrible finish problems in either MIM or MIA output and FMIC - incredibly - refuses to warrant their finish screwups, so you're stuck if, say, the finish starts lifting off your neck, as it has on three of my expensive MIA Fenders.
As for the MIJs, I think the Fender Japan instruments made for the Japanese market are probably consistently the best production Stratocasters, but they are all vintage designs. I'm not a Stratocaster fan to begin with, but I personally like vintage-reissue ones even less. That said, the CIJ output is usually way ahead of the MIA Fenders in terms of finish and build quality, so if you do like these styles of Stratocasters you should check out CIJs.
I've never seen a gripe about a CIJ Fender imported through Ishibashi, nor have I ever heard of a gripe from anyone about Ishibashi's impeccable service. I think Ishibashi carefully checks out the stock they export, which is more than you can say about most online Fender sellers.
64Firebird
New member
If you want a strat style guitar and want to save a few bucks, then take a look at Jay Turser guitars. This is a lot of guitar for the money. Click here.
C
Clive Hugh
New member
The great reverence many of us have for the vintage MIA strats overlooks one thing, they were assembled in Calif. by many Mexican workers.
