I must be a very good Boy, My Wife Says I can Have a new guitar:
Don't giggle but I've narrowed it down to Two choices. A Deluxe Player Strat. I know its a MIM but it has good reviews and plays great. I love the feel and playability. makes things pretty easy for my clumsy old hands.
On the other hand there is this Highway One American, satin black, Rosewood neck, jumbo fat frets, and sounds great. I don't think it plays as well as the Deluxe Player.
The question is where's the real VALUE AMERICAN ? Or MIM ? I'm thinking about long term. there is only about $100 or so difference in the two.
----Danny,

French-Polynesian > all

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Hi Danny. There is a very experienced and respected user of this Forum who has often said the Deluxe Player is his favorite Strat bar none. I'll leave him to identify himself if he wishes - but suffice to say it's an opinion I'd take seriously.

'Course: as always, it's your ears, hands and eyes that must choose. Nobody else can do that for you.

Good luck - C

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Thanks for the tip "Ceri" I think I'll Fallow your advise. I just wanted a little nudge in that direction.
----Danny,

You gotta hold and play each one. Let your soul decide.

I did exactly that for about an hour with the Deluxe Player. It dident take long for my soul to say MIM, but my $$ value futuristic mind said, American will hold its Value better. Then I asked myself if I was playing a Dollar Bill or a Guitar. When I hold that Deluxe Player I feel that the rest is up to me.
Thanks for the input, it helps.
----Danny,

What's making the decision -- your wallet or your ears?

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

I've got to MIM Fenders and I love 'em both. Wouldn't trade em in for anything.

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I got this guitar and I learned how to make it talk...

Highway One Baby!! What may be the last year of manufacture, hot pickups, and NITROCELLUOSE LAQUER!!!! I mean it's NITROCELLUOSE! Who wouldn't want that over polyuerathane?

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1965 Fender Precision Bass, 1994 Fender '54 Reissue Precision Bass, 2007 Applause Celebrity, 2011 Fender American Special Jazz Bass, 2012 Squier Vintage Modified Jazzmaster, 2013 Fender American Special Stratocaster, 2013 Gibson LPJ

Danny-when I bought my Jimmie Vaughn Strat money was no object as I was prepared to spend up to $2,500 and tried several in that price range.The J.V. Strat is the one that spoke to me and I was more concerned with the years of satisfaction it would bring me than what the value would be in 10 years.Go for the MIM after all playing makes you happier than money does in the long run.

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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.

You know, that makes more sense than you might think. Just Yesterday I bought my 2yr.old Granddaughter a YUKULELY, Ya think maybe it worked.
----Danny,

Thanks for all the good advise That makes it easier to decide. If I sleep on it tonight, I'll more than likely go with the Deluxe Player.
----Danny,

i have two fenders, an "el-telecaster" and an "el-stratocaster".
love 'em both, and no complaints about either.

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I would get the one you felt that you would get the most enjoyment out of. I don't like selling stuff, so I don't consider resale a lot. If I had back the guitar related stuff I have sold I would have a killer collection. Unless I need food or emergency money I'm not selling.

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My ability to spell is in direct proportion to the amount of coffee I've had.

Dunno how to put this, because I adore my MIM. I rank it equally with either my CS or VHR. I vastly prefer it to my 50th Anni Deluxe. But I was in a shop yesterday when a complete stranger remarked on the poor fret finishing of the MIM's. So I pulled one off the wall and checked it. Sure enough he was right. So I went through the rest of the rack. Every one the same.
I thought, "ah this place aint keeping em right". They've got the shop too dry and the wood has contracted. So I reached up to the Fender USA section of the rack, went through em. All of em fine. In fact the last couple I checked without noticing were Roadworns, MIM's.
Then I went over to the Squier display, checked em. All of em fine.

Dunno what was up with that, I've never seen fret sprout that bad before. It's really uncommon in the UK. Non of the other guitars had it, my two MIM's didn't have it when I bought them. I even tried to put it down to the shops mishandling but couldn't justify it in my mind.
I really think that it was either a bad batch or that Ensenada aren't bothering except for on their higher end guitars.

I'd go with a Highway1 or be very wary of such things when picking a MIM.

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No no and no