I'd follow the sage advise given by several others,buy a MIM Strat and invest the rest.Don't give in to the pressure of your bandmates.Band members come and go but a good axe can bring you enjoyment for years. I have a MIM Strat I paid $300 for,its a great guitar and I'd put it up against a lot of guitars costing hundreds more any day.Let us know how you make out.Good Luck.

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'65 Strat,65 Mustang,65 Jaguar,4 more Strats,3 vintage Vox guitars,5 Vox amps,'69 Bassman with a '68 2-15 Bassman cab,36 guitars total-15asst'd amps total,2 vintage '60s Hammond organs & a myriad of effects-with a few rare vintage ones.

Spending $4,000 on a guitar is not a good idea. I can guarantee that you will not audibly hear a $3,500 difference between that $4,000 guitar and a $500 mexican Strat, and neither will your bandmates.