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Which is a better deal?
American Strat 46%  46%  [ 33 ]
Mexican Strat 51%  51%  [ 36 ]
Japanese Strat 3%  3%  [ 2 ]
Total votes : 71
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Post subject: Re: American or Mexican? Which is the steal
Posted: Wed Jul 30, 2008 9:30 pm
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Nirvana4life wrote:
:? Anyone know whats a better deal? An American Strat or a Mexican one? Because I mean... you save money with a Mexican, but how much better is an American? :mrgreen:


Now you've done it!!!See what you started?!?!?!? Not like we haven't been down this road before. All the MIM Club members are going to rally together and help us forget the blahs over the price of the new Gilmour.

Doc :wink:

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Posted: Wed Jul 30, 2008 9:31 pm
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I voted Made in USA... Well worth the money...

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Posted: Wed Jul 30, 2008 9:49 pm
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Dewie69 wrote:
nicholsoni wrote:
orvilleowner wrote:
fenderfan1964 wrote:
from what i understand the mexican strats are built in mexico to keep cost down these strats use the same components as their american counter part ,except they are assemble in mexico


Not exactly. Check out this 2006 photo-factory-tour:

http://picasaweb.google.com/meridianmus ... ryTour2006


Interesting pics...I'm not sure it proved anything...but cool none the less.

My 2 cents...My strat is MIM and since having it I have put in Texas Specials, added vintage pickgaurd, vintage knobs/pu covers, had the tremelo nulified by adding extra springs, and added Fender locking tuners. I have also had it professionally setup. Total bill was about $750.

So for less than the cost of a MIA I have exactly the guitar I want and would put it up against any strat. Which brings me to resale, since I have created my own special monster, I can't see selling it.

Thats my 2 cents.

BTW was the Fender factory tour free or was it very expensive?
I think what the tour proved was that mim strats are not just simply assembled in Mexico but Made in Mexico.BTW does that $750 include the cost of guitar also


yeah the guitar was in there as well...ballpark...

MIM strat 400
Pickups ~ 175 I think
Tuners 80
Pickgaurd 40
Hardware 30
Springs were on the house when the setup was done because he had a couple extras and we wanted to try it. All prices are approx but not too far off.

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Post subject:
Posted: Thu Jul 31, 2008 10:12 am
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nicholsoni wrote:
Dewie69 wrote:
nicholsoni wrote:
orvilleowner wrote:
fenderfan1964 wrote:
from what i understand the mexican strats are built in mexico to keep cost down these strats use the same components as their american counter part ,except they are assemble in mexico


Not exactly. Check out this 2006 photo-factory-tour:

http://picasaweb.google.com/meridianmus ... ryTour2006


Interesting pics...I'm not sure it proved anything...but cool none the less.

My 2 cents...My strat is MIM and since having it I have put in Texas Specials, added vintage pickgaurd, vintage knobs/pu covers, had the tremelo nulified by adding extra springs, and added Fender locking tuners. I have also had it professionally setup. Total bill was about $750.

So for less than the cost of a MIA I have exactly the guitar I want and would put it up against any strat. Which brings me to resale, since I have created my own special monster, I can't see selling it.

Thats my 2 cents.

BTW was the Fender factory tour free or was it very expensive?
I think what the tour proved was that mim strats are not just simply assembled in Mexico but Made in Mexico.BTW does that $750 include the cost of guitar also


yeah the guitar was in there as well...ballpark...

MIM strat 400
Pickups ~ 175 I think
Tuners 80
Pickgaurd 40
Hardware 30
Springs were on the house when the setup was done because he had a couple extras and we wanted to try it. All prices are approx but not too far off.
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Post subject:
Posted: Thu Jul 31, 2008 10:53 am
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Answer is "it depends". For my son, the Mexican was perfect, for me the American. In the end it's only a difference of a few hundred dollars, amortized over several years. The price difference just isn't worth worrying about for something that gets used often and is appreciated. If I didn't use it, either one would be a waste of money.

Reason for me to get the American was the hard case and the better electronics and finish. It sounds better than my Son's Mexican model, and for the type of music I play, sound is important. If I were into heavily distorted music, think any old guitar would be fine, even if it didn't stay in tune.


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Post subject: Better deal?
Posted: Thu Jul 31, 2008 11:29 am
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Better deal? I'm just happy you can buy a Strat regardless of your budget. If you can't swing a grand, you don't have to buy a strat knock off, MIM is the answer. If you got the cash, MIA gets you a better guitar with a flight case. While I voted for MIM as the better deal, the better guitar is MIA.


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Post subject: MIM Vs MIA
Posted: Thu Jul 31, 2008 12:49 pm
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Hey Gang-

I voted MIM because....well I own a MIM (Made in 2000). It has been my Stock #1 all these years and it just keeps on kicking. This year I plan on replacing the saddles to keep from breaking so many strings.

I am also in the market for a new Strat w/ Texas Specials and am thus seriously considering going south of the boarder again and getting a "Roadhouse" Strat- I played one and I really like the feel and tone of it. I had considered getting a Hwy 1 and installing the Texas Specials after market...but I just can't comfortably spend that much $$$ and justify it to my wife and kids.

I can see the advantage of a MIA....But when I am up at a gig and playing with my band. The drunks in the bar could give a S&*@ if my Strat was made in the USA or not. They just want to listen .

Keep it real folks-

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Post subject: Re: Better deal?
Posted: Thu Jul 31, 2008 1:37 pm
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torndaoclaw wrote:
Better deal? I'm just happy you can buy a Strat regardless of your budget. If you can't swing a grand, you don't have to buy a strat knock off, MIM is the answer. If you got the cash, MIA gets you a better guitar with a flight case. While I voted for MIM as the better deal, the better guitar is MIA.


Exactly! The problem with these arguments is that we all have different skill levels and play for different reasons. I am a decent player, but I would be kidding myself if I thought that an MIA would make me into a guitar hero. For others, I agree that the extra quality of the MIA is worth it, but I'm just happy that the MIM lets me play a real strat without dipping so far into the bank account. The fact is that SRV would sound great on a Starcaster, so the real answer is to keep practicing on the best guitar you can get your hands on.


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Post subject:
Posted: Thu Jul 31, 2008 2:49 pm
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The way to go for me was Highway One on sale. I was playing a Squier and a $50 used Yamaha, and had been playing for years on them both. I liked playing well on cheap guitars. Finally, though, after the Squier decayed with years I decided to upgrade and went around looking at everything. The "overdriven Boss" (thanks Ceri) would never go for my needs of an Eric Clapton, an SRV, a Beck, a Knopfler, an AmDx, not to mention any Custom Shop guitars or numerous other "investments" I needed to make. So, after a lot of negotiations, I talked her into going to GC and looking to get something much cheaper, which meant a Mexican-made Fender. So, I was really interested in the Deluxe Players, with Vintage Noiseless as on the Clapton, but the neck was rough and a different shape than I wanted. I understand many MIMs have smooth necks but that just wasn't one of them. I tried the MIM Jimmy Vaughan as well, but it was pricey. Just then, "the overdriven Boss" picked out a wine transparent nitrocellulose painted chrome hardware Highway One. Yowza, I said, but that's over our price range those are American made and much more expensive. Well, she said, look, a big sale and flips around the price tag and I almost fell over. Big sale. I plugged in and started playing and it just felt good. The jumbo frets suited me and I didn't go off. Guitar sounded killer, and felt much better. The shred-happy GC player/salesman told us after we bought it how high-quality it is and with just 2-3 pieces of wood and thin paint for resonance, while the MIMs will have lots of small pieces glued together to reach their price point. I got my guitar, Baby Blues, for $350, plus another hundred something for a hardshell case. So, yes, MIM is a great value, and MIA can get expensive, but GC puts on some blow-out sales with no-payment for years financing to let the medicine go down smoother and keep the "Boss" from blowing up.

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Post subject:
Posted: Thu Jul 31, 2008 2:58 pm
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Well I'm not going to kid anyone, if I wanted an Am Strat I'd go get one, just like anyone else here. In fact I had one in the 90's. The problem(well maybe not) is that when ever I've gone Strat shopping I found myself gravitating to guitars that happen to be Mexican. I have played many MIMs and MIAs, a few MIJs and even the Korean light ash Strat, there are right and wrong for everyone within all origins of Strat. Right now I feel that I have the perfect Strat, and that is the best deal AND best Strat because it is right for me.

So I guess my vote goes to MIMs as the better deal.


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Post subject:
Posted: Fri Aug 01, 2008 8:26 am
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American strats cost more so a mexican strat is a better deal, but which lasts :?: :?: :?:


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Post subject:
Posted: Fri Aug 01, 2008 8:42 pm
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Ok, I cheated. I didn't vote. Or I voted for one before I voted against it. :D I think a guitar purchase qualifies as a steal if you find THE ONE that tickles your fancy and you pay a reasonable price for it. My MIM plays better FOR ME than any MIA I've had the pleasure of trying out at the local GC/Sam Ash. It also costs less than 1/2 of the MIAs. To me, that purchase was a steal.


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Posted: Fri Aug 01, 2008 8:54 pm
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Now ask which guitar has better resale value over decades.

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Post subject:
Posted: Fri Aug 01, 2008 9:24 pm
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I was playing with my guitar teacher, using my $400 mim, while he was using his $1000 mia... I didn't hear much of a difference, but I was really lucky and got a beastly mim

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Post subject:
Posted: Sat Aug 02, 2008 11:30 am
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man was i ever wrong alot goes into these guitars thanks for the tour pics.
orvilleowner wrote:
fenderfan1964 wrote:
from what i understand the mexican strats are built in mexico to keep cost down these strats use the same components as their american counter part ,except they are assemble in mexico


Not exactly. Check out this 2006 photo-factory-tour:

http://picasaweb.google.com/meridianmus ... ryTour2006


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