Oh, I wasn't saying the MIM were plywood.

Maybe some of the cheapest Squiers (and no-name Strat copies) are plywood ... and they can be made to sound decent with decent pickups.
That was my point.

Some of the MIM bodies are multipiece with veneer on top though:

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Member #26797
My other guitar is a Strat.

Ah, interesting.

Here are some pictures of a MIJ HST72-SC


the description mentions something about Ritchie (Blackmore), so it's a reproduction of the Blackmore model without calling it a Blackmore strat.
Notice the scalloping and the missing middle pickup.
But what is up with the Strap Buttons on the headstock?
http://www.rakuten.co.jp/ikebe/443985/651192/771462/

(I didn't know where else to post this question.)

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Member #26797
My other guitar is a Strat.

i have a 2006 MIM standard strat 3 piece alder body.
in 2006 fender did a upgrade on these strats and the
craftmanship of these MIM strats rival the MIA strats.
this is what i have read. 2006 to present awesome MIM strats.

On Blackmore's original #1 guitar he had a strap button on the headstock, for nothing more than a giggle, apparently Cozy Powell spent weeks wondwering what it was for

His was probably just for kicks, but early P-basses sometimes had them, so players used to double basses could more easily wear their new electric bass with the neck in the vertical position they were used to.

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I'm not an expert, but I play one on the internet.

The scalloping on the Blackmore' Strat above looks more YJM to me: Blackmore's signature guitars have an assymetric and differential scallop.

Couple of quick things I'd like to toss my $.02 in here with...just my opinions as always.



Typically yes but there have been times where Fender has used Poplar and other woods in various models. As I understand it, my '96 MIM for example is actually Poplar and while I can't speak for newer models, I know that many (if not most) of the earlier MIJ's were basswood. Basically, Fender being the big company they are, will often simply use what's available or whatever is most economic for them (with in reason). While I'll acknowledge that there is a bit of a perception that Strats should be made of Alder (or Ash) that's not always the case.




I know that got knocked back and forth there a bit but either way, from what I understand the main reason that Fender doesn't sell the MIJ's here in the US is that they simply don't want to compete with themselves in regards to the Mexican made instruments. From what I've read in various places, the MIJ Strats (barring reissues or special models of course) are essentially "Standards" the same as the MIM's are here in the States....so basically we Yanks get the MIM's and the MIJ's go to the Euro market. Why go through all the extra fuss to bring MIJ's over here when they can just bring the MIM's right over the boarder without much fuss.



I do certainly agree with this...at least in regards to the newer models and how they sound. I recently played a brand new Am Std at Guitar Center along side of a couple of MIM's (thru the same amp) and personally I thought the new MIM's actually sounded more "vintage" than the Am Std did. Now honestly, I never cared for the pickups in the older MIM's...I've got both a '96 and an '03 and to me, the pickups were always pretty flat and lifeless...the new MIM's sound -a lot- better!

Now that said...and granted I can be a bit biased about MIM"s (in that I really love them) I also have to point out that that can happen with -any- guitar. I generally won't speak for others but I think here most folks would agree...every guitar is unique. I don't think it really matters whether they cost $100, $1000 or more, sometimes you get instruments that are -really- good and sometimes you get some...even expensive ones, that just aren't all that great. My '85 MIJ Squier for example...that's about as sweet as it gets! -Very- nice guitar...and she was only $325 (US) used (in nearly mint condition). On the other hand, I played 3 used American's at that same store when I bought the MIJ and the American's just didn't compare sound-wise or feel-wise...in fact one of those American's was just awful (bad setup, mis-wired pickups, terrible feel, etc)!

I think what surprises a lot of people is actually just how good some of the MIM's and MIJ's actually are. There are a lot of folks who have been "programmed" to believe that an American made guitar is somehow always going to be better or superior and many of them never even question it. Now I'm not trying to turn this in to yet another American vs. Import debate but the truth is that some very fine instruments have indeed come out of Mexico and Japan...but because there's so much hype about American instruments, a lot of folks never really discover just how good some of these "imports" actually are.

BTW...I'm not sure why people gripe about the tuners on MIM's. Ok...yea...my '03 MIM does have -1- bad tuner that needs to be replaced but otherwise I've never had any problems with them...the tuners on my '96 have been excellent as are the tuners on my '85 MIJ Squier. Pickups I can see...but tuners?


Anyways with that all said, to the OP...



My question is; what information are you looking for on these instruments specifically? MIM's and MIJ's are both fine instruments with similar specs (at least in regards to the Standard models) and if you look around these forums (as well as elsewhere on the internet) you'll see that both have a rather substantial following...and for some very good reasons. What is it exactly you were looking for?


Peace,
Jim