It doesn't matter a toss where a guitar is made, as for big names using guitars made outside the U.S. Jimmie Vaughn and Buddy Guy can get some amazing sounds from their Mexican"junk. Jeff Healey swore by Japanese Squiers.This mindset that only U.S.A. guitars are quality is what's total bullshite and smacks of xenophobia as there can be no logical or intelligent arguments that non-U.S. made instruments are inferior. I have 8 Fender guitars: 2 MIA Strats,1 MIA Jaguar,1 MIA Mustang,2 MIM Strats,1MIM Tele and 1 MIC Stratacoustic and all are of exceptional quality. I doubt very much that any of the"country of origin"concerned"experts"would be able to identify a non-U.S. guitar in a blindfold test where they were either to play or hear an instrument. I have been playing guitar for 45 years and have at present 30 guitars of different vintages and countries of manufacture and have over the years played hundreds of guitars so I think that I can make a pretty informed and unbiased observation.The country of origin does not have anything at all to do with quality.Just about every country has turned out gems and many have turned out substandard junk but no "one" country has the monopoly on quality and no country can be singled out for consistently turning out junk.To suggest otherwise is just a baseless statement that can't possibly be factually defended.

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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.

i prefer MIJ/CIJ.... they make the the short scales damn fine over there

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Favorite bands:

Melvins
The Jesus Lizard
Cows
Big Business
R***man
Minutemen
Flight
Minor Threat
Big Black
Shellac
Karp
Scratch Acid
Wipers
Pixies

I think it's time to welcome E_Joseph to the forum, so here goes: Welcome to the forum, E_Joseph! I hope you enjoy it here!

As far as I know, if it says American or Highway, it's USA. Sure, you could go get a Custom Shop instrument, they include an extra dollop of TLC, but either way I have held fine instruments in my hands. By all makes. It depends on the actual instrument. Try them out!

cheers,

-Nutter

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I started out with nothing, and still have most of it.

My 2008 MIA strat has 22 frets while my 2006 MIM strat has 21 frets.

WOW this thread really took off. Play what you like E-Joseph,Special order an American Strat, Pick up a MIM Or MIJ or whatever. I play a guitar, and the way it sounds is for the most part about how my fingers hit the fretboard and how I pick. as for what people play on stage and flash for the camera, Thats for gear snobs to look at, Most Music Fans dont know a 6string from a twelve string and they ain't lookin, They're listening to what your playing. Get A Good AMP! BTW Welcome to the Forum

When I got my Strat they were all made here.

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Life...... It's sexually transmitted and always fatal

Hahaha! Thanks for the good laugh this morning Fender's Corona, California manufacturing facility is alive and well. Just google "Fender factory tour" for a bunch of pics and videos. Here's a video: http://www.metacafe.com/watch/485509/gu ... pt_1_of_2/
Here's pics: http://www.vintagerocker.com/fender/factory2/index.html


But if you still believe the rumors, then I have a bridge in Brooklyn I would like to sell to you. I'll give you a real good deal.

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Obligatory gear list: Fender, Rickenbacker, Gibson, Gretsch, Vox, Martin, and more Fender.

It is moments like this when I wish this forum had a "facepalm" emoticon.

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Obligatory gear list: Fender, Rickenbacker, Gibson, Gretsch, Vox, Martin, and more Fender.

I totally agree i have a made in china squier jagmaster and i prefer it over 75% of mexican standard strats and teles ive played

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'79 Fender Acoustic
Squire Jagmaster
Crate V5
Boss DS-1
Boss SD-1
Samick Bass

+1, metro!

That remark deserves a bee-itchslap!

Arjay

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"Here's why reliability is job one: A great sounding amp that breaks down goes from being a favorite piece of gear to a useless piece of crap in less time than it takes to read this sentence." -- BRUCE ZINKY

It's OK. You should be envious. I was. It's not a Fender unless made in the USA.

sorry, but your a freaking idiot. guess what smart guy, if it SAYS FENDER and comes from a FENDER OWNED FACTORY then its a FENDER. also, who gives a damn what top artist are playing? oh right, what they play = THE BEST because theyre famous, gotcha. so by that logic, since slash recorded appetite for destruction with a CHINESE les paul copy, all chinese LP copies are the best guitars on the market.

as for what top artists play that "junk", im to lazy to do the research, but i know there are quite a few. by the way, that really famous guy that wrote smells like teen spirit ONLY played that "junk"... as in, nothing but CIJ/MIJ mustangs and jaguars and MIM/MIJ strats. now quit trolling. (fanboy facts to the rescue? )

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Favorite bands:

Melvins
The Jesus Lizard
Cows
Big Business
R***man
Minutemen
Flight
Minor Threat
Big Black
Shellac
Karp
Scratch Acid
Wipers
Pixies

Awesome! That's precious. I've got some Van Gogh paintings I want to sell you. They're original (made in Mexico). Real cheap. How many you want Tool?

There's just nothing like the original now is there?

And vintage hot rod.

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Rated "M" for meaty.

There's nothing "original" about the lunacy you preach, pal.

We've all heard it before......more times than we care to remember.

Does it ever get lonely atop that utopian pinnacle you call home?

Arjay

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"Here's why reliability is job one: A great sounding amp that breaks down goes from being a favorite piece of gear to a useless piece of crap in less time than it takes to read this sentence." -- BRUCE ZINKY