Hi guys

I have researched quite a lot on this subject, and I can't find a definitive answer, and as I am pretty unlucky with guitars, I thought I would ask here, cos I trust the opinions of this community!

I am looking to buy a new strat (possibly a tele) and have narrowed it down to three possibilities: The Squier Custom Vibe series (no specific one as I would try one of each if I can), a Fender MIM standard strat, and a Squier Deluxe Hot Rails strat.

I know that generally I should try all three and see how they play etc. but I would really like to be armed with some info beforehand, so if any of you guys have any insight it would be very much appreciated!

Hope you all had an excellent christmas!

Drew

The MIM Standard would be a good choice.Good starting place. Easily upgraded, if you so choose.(Pickups, tremblock,tuners, ect). Playing all you can of the one model you settle on is a good idea. One will call out to you..........Hope this helps.........Mike

_________________
The blues ain't nothin but a good man feelin bad.

10-4 This is great advise

Bill

_________________
Hey, Boy Blue is back!

i got a Mexican strat for Christmas and i absolutely love it.
its a big step up from any of the squire strats and not that that far off the quality of an American strat.
I would recommend them to anyone
hope this helps

You should try a Squier CV 60's custom tele. I love the one I got
Just try them out and see what you like best. I picked that Squier tele over a MIM blacktop tele and a standard, and I had enough money left over to get a muff.



On a side note: what you pick might change you. I woke up this morning and had this great idea: "what if I tried playing slide on my tele?" (I tried it a couple months ago on my strat and I didn't like it...) So now I'm trying to get my own slide technique going. I probably wouldn't be trying to do that if I were to have gotten the blacktop tele...

_________________
Kid: "Hey Smokey! Where did you get your name?"
Smokey the Bear: "Well..."
(former user jimbo612)

I would try all three of your selections. I have CV 60 Squier Stratocaster I am pretty happy with. There is the MIM Standards that are pretty good. I also have an American Special and Highway 1 Stratocasters that I am extremely happy with.

Amother thing you may want to add to the list is the Blacktop series. I played a Blacktop Stratocaster and Tele and both were excellant. As these guitars are 50-ish dollars cheaper than the Standards, I feel these are well worth the money.

Good luch with your search and let us know what you decided on.

_________________
RK

2007 Fender Highway 1
2012 American Deluxe
2015 MIM Dave Murray HHH
2010 Fender Blacktop
1987 Fender Avalon Acoustic
2012 Marshall DSL 15 watt head

I would play every strat and tele that they have in your price range un-amplified for sound feel and quality then when you narrow it down to the 4 you like start plugging them into clean channel amps and see what you like remember the few you like then switch the the gain you like to use and try them like that after comparing them over and over you will find the one that truly fits you, may take an hour or two, but you will leave the store with a guitar you love in every way that you can use it, it might not even be the one you where looking to buy but guitars kinda choose you in that way

I full recommend the MIM Strat,I have 2 and they're great,my nephew has 2 and the old '95 that he has gigged with since then sounded so good that other guitarists have asked him if it was a Custom Shop model or if it was modded with aftermarket pickups. Don't pay any heed to the "advice" about swapping out pickups and hardware as most MIM Fenders these days sound and play superbly right from the box.I don't know what your budget is but the Jimmie Vaughn Strat is an exceptional guitar and even if you could find a used one in good shape you'd be doing real well for yourself.

_________________
'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.

Another vote for the MIM. 'Purchased a Surf Green 50s style (maple board) a few years back, and in this opinion, the instrument is is really, really close to a "real" MIA of the era. "A true old style Stratocaster."

'Have not changed a thing, except hot setup and .011 flatwounds.

Best of fortune!

wow thanks guys for the quick response. A lot of good advice to take in, I'm sure it will help me make a good decision!

Just I've had difficulty in the past, as I'm hopeless at saving money and I end up getting impatient and buying the first shiny guitar I see which I really want to avoid.

If anyone else has any advice to add please feel free, as I'm looking to go guitar shopping in the next week or so

All the best,
Drew

another vote for the MIM fenders... i have a strat and a tele and i love them both. the telecaster is a lot easier as far as sound goes... the 5-setting-3-pu-3knob thing on the strat gets complicated. the telecaster's chunk, funk, and scream switch is real easy. narrow choices=easy decisions... although i still use my strat more.
either way, you'll be very pleased with fender's MIM guitars, and the difference between them and American standard is one fret on the strats. squier, although "fender approved" is still a knock off... a darn good one, but still a knock off.

_________________

Not to confuse things but have you considered a MIM Classic series. They are just another step closer to a USA strat. They are Fender's clones of historic Strats/Teles if you are into that kind of thing.

Also, I agree with what has already been stated above. Good luck.

+1 for the MIM Standard Strat. I have a MIM (Blackout) Tele, and I couldn't be happier with this guitar. And I have played many standard Strats that feel amazing, with sound on par. ymmv, good luck.

_________________
Check out my new FB music page!

https://www.facebook.com/TheDevilandMe.Music

I have MIM Strat and MIM Tele...both excellent guitars!
Make sure you try a Tele!!

_________________
-T

"You can't spend what you ain't got, you can't lose what you ain't never had" ~ McKinley Morganfield

+1

good luck and send pics if you find your guit.

cheers

_________________
It's the possibility of having a dream come true that makes life interesting - paulo coelho