As far as I am concerned. I have both MIA and MIM's. Each one sounds different - Thank you Fender for that. At this point in time, and what started in 2006 with the improved MIM 6 screw bridge, the MIM is the best it has ever been. Fit and finish, hardware and electronics all improved in quality. The only thing I, personally, do not like are the standard ceramic pickups. But that is a personal taste in pickups. I have always replaced them with MIA pickups or Custom Shop pickups.

The quality of the MIM today is about as good or better than what Fender was producing in the 50's.

MIA vs MIM (Standard Models)

The MIM body is constructed from 3, 4 or 5 pieces of Alder and most have a veneer top and bottom. The transparent finish models (bursts and naturals) are made of Ash consisting of 3 pieces of wood without a veneered top and bottom. MIA 2, 3 or 4 pieces of Alder. Transparent models can be 2 or 3 piece mainly Ash is used for them also. Ash can be light or heavy.

The MIM necks are not finished as well as the comparable MIA model. MIM's do not have the bi-flex truss rod, staggered tuners, micro tilt neck adjustment or rolled edges. 21 frets on the MIM 22 on the MIA.

The same CTS Pots and Switch is in both guitars. Some newer MIM's now have shielding paint in the pickup cavities as do the MIA's. MIA's wires are cloth covered on some models, newer ones are not.

6 screw trem VS 2 point trem, bridge blocks consist different metals.

Finish varies from thick to thin on both depending on the model. Standard VS Roadhouse VS etc...

Strap holders are a bit smaller on the MIM's.

Did I forget anything? Make an error. Someone help me out here.

I have a MIC Modern Player Jaguar. It has the finest neck I've ever held in my hands. The frets are undetectable from the side of the neck. The parts are what they were given to work with and are not so great, but the craftmanship of the guitar is astounding. My MIA Tele has great hardware but the craftmanship is mediocre. Like someone was texting while building it. MIA, as far a quality is a myth, IMO. If the MIC Modern player guitars had better parts they would be some of the finest instruments in the world, IMO. America is a dying country. Accountants get paid more than the people making the instruments.

The Custom Shop makes fine instruments. The accountants can afford to buy them. Henry Ford built cars his workers could afford. America was a better country then.

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I have some Fender gear.
(Telecaster, Jaguar, Villager 12 String. Mustang l, Bronco, SCX2, Rumble 350, HRDIII, Rumble 2x8 Neo Cab)
http://www.reverbnation.com/modwiz

Let's not forget the importance of marketing. I believe every product Fender makes, for every price range, is a great guitar. But, does a special run 10k American Fender cost that much more to leave the factory door than a $400 Modern Player sourced from China? Does it cost thousands more for hardware and electronics, labor? Rather how much is the "Made in USA" logo worth? Porsche automobiles is a marketing case in point. They charge 10k more for a Cayman than a Boxster. The Boxster actually costs more to produce. Image plays a big part in the cost of a product.

Main difference? About 800 miles. Also the notes are in spanish, so learn your do re mi fa sol's. LOL JK!

I'm happy with my Mexican Tele but it wasn't perfect. First the bridge was too wide 1/8" too wide to be exact. This did not affected the playability in a significant way, the ony thing was ahigh e string that was a bit too close to the edge of the fretboard. Also my pu selector switch sometimes acts up. If I'm playing the bridge and want to switch to the neck, sometimes it doesn't work. I have to switch back to the middle position and back to the neck for it to work. Can be annoying, but it should be an inexpensive fix. Overall for $500 bucks it's a fine instrument.

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"Music is what feelings sound like"

Fender Mexico is a small but wonderful miracle to my ears. Latin born people make the sweetest sounding guitars IMHO. Fender America is the worlds standard, it just doesn't get better no matter what company. Gibson makes fantastic instruments and in the right hands can sound as amazing as a Fender, but I digress. Here is the challenge, anyone that thinks they have a guitar that sounds better than, we'll use my Bros Mexican Strat because I'll be borrowing it for this lol, please come to Chicago and we will jam. Maybe I can help that person to appreciate Fender Mexico.

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you can save the world with your guitar one love song at a time it's just better, more fun, easier with a fender solid body electric guitar or electric bass guitar.

In my opinion Mexican strats are one of the best deals in the music industry. For the money it can't be beat and if it's all you can afford it's a no brainer.

I think the retail price for new MIM has creeped up some in the last few years but there are perfectly decent MIMs available used that are dirt cheap and every bit as good as the new ones.

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In my opinion Leo Fender had essentially perfected the guitar amplifier by 1964.

After reading this and feeling the pain that OP has with regard to local prices downunder, I would like the share my own experience. I stress that word experience as it certainly is not an opinion.

I own 3 MIA strats, a MiM standard and also a Chinese squire Tele. Also In my time, like many others I have played and handled many an axe that was not mine. I love all of my guitars, and wouldn't give them up for anything.

I find that the American models you certainly cannot fault a good one and especially today you are guaranteed a good sounding guitar, as there are a lot of models sporting customshop pickups. I'm not fortunate enough to own one, but I would say that anyone who owns one is a happy camper.

I have an Strat Ultra, a Plus and Deluxe and they are all good in their own right. Good quality components, excellent finish quality and nice sounding. Problem is, they cost a lot of money don't they.. Especially in my neck of the woods. My MIM I can't fault either, they are the best they have ever been.

Jump to my Tele- wasn't set up at the store with rusted strings and rattly bridge saddles and overall a filthy guitar. I knew it was a good'un the moment I wrapped my hands around the neck, and played the Seymour Duncan designed pickups through a pro junior. This had the nicest neck feel over all of my guitars, period. I even got some flame on there too which is lucky, and seems to be more common on squires than on MIA or MIM products. The hardware is ok, good tuners and the saddles i would potentially change out. But anyways, there are specs on it that only a master built guitar can match and hey- I only paid less than a quarter of the cost of my Strat Deluxe.. Let alone a customshop! Did I mention the pickups- they are awesome sounding pickups! Just like the SD line but like MIM fenders, they are just made in a different country to offset costs. I assume to the response of frustrated owners of lower end guitars with bad sounding pickups. I would stack the guitar against any American counterpart any day.

But that's besides the point really. Play any model Fender and if you can feel your gut sway to a guitar and if you like the way it plays & sounds, then that's all that matters. It's not what's under the hood, it's how you make it sound.

That is all.

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