ok, I know this sounds really petty and shallow, but bear with me...im just venting. Abalone inlays would have made this strat perfect.

I just got my first fender on 2/1/09, Ive been learning to play for about a year and a friend finally talked me into trying out a stratocaster. until that point my only experience had been with a squire strat which is like comparing a bicycle to a harley.


I played a few different ones both american and MIM, the MIM actually played and felt better it also had a better sound than the american made. which shocked me and the store manager at the guitar center in my home town and yes I actually trust his advice. He suggested going with the $450 MIM intead of the $949 American strat, so I took it home and fell in love with it after about 20 minutes with my blackheart amp.

the only thing that bugs me are the black inlays on the maple fretboard, the guitar is a beautiful arctic white with a maple fretboard and neck...why do they use the black inlays on an off white guitar ? I'm guessing its a vintage look maybe.

Since i seem to be obsessing over it...is there a standard strat in arctic white with a birdseye maple neck and fingerboard with abalone or Mother of pearl inlays ? there's one listed under products but it doesnt have a picture to see how it looks.

so should i drop the extra cash and go for an american with abalone inlays, instead of the MIM (updated version)


drop a screenshot if you have one handy, hell just post any screenshots of your strat

this is my strat
http://www.fender.com/products//search. ... 0144602380

this is the model im trying to find a shot of
http://www.fender.com/products//search. ... 0265002541

Go with the one that feels and sounds best to you. Looks should be the last thing to be taken into consideration. I know how hard that is (there are many guitars that I love the looks of, but not really the sound or feel) but it's for the best. I'd probably go for the American, but if you like the Mexican Strat better than stick with it.

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Abalone would be nice on a maple neck...but, as you say, black is traditional. Learn to love it, or at least decide to ignore it...there's no way the material of the dot inlays should influence your choice of guitar. Unless maybe you were putting together your dream custom shop instrument -- then you could have whatever you wanted...me, I would like a minstrel to immortalise my deeds in song. If you can afford a more expensive instrument and it plays better (and it just happens to have abalone inlays), you should go for it if you like it.

Hi jack47804, welcome to the Forum. Birdseye maple neck with abalone dot markers? As you have correctly identified that is the Special Edition Lite Ash Strat. It is made in Korea, is priced similar to a Standard MIM (give or take) and to my hands and ears is an excellent bargain at the price.

I have a Lite Ash Tele and I like it very much: nice comfortable neck, well finished with good fretting. Though my American guitars are in a different league - but let's not get into that debate here (we've done that one a lot, recently).

The only other production Fender I can think of with abalone dots is the American Deluxe. That has a whole bunch of different features: it's a completely different instrument you'd be buying to get some shiny dots. And a whole different price tag.

You are right, black dots on maple neck Fenders is a tradition thing: they have always been that way. Alternatives, such as block markers or abalone are very much occasional exceptions to the house style.

Like everyone else, I'm a little startled at the idea of choosing a guitar for its dots - but then I test drove my Lite Ash Tele for the way the timbers looked. On the other hand, I bought it because it felt and sounded good. That's the prime consideration...

Good luck - C

Hey Jack, another suggestion. Buy the guitar of your preference regardless of the dots. It is then perfectly easy to ask a luthier to drill out the offending black dots and replace them with abalone, available for pennies from somewhere like this:

http://www.stewmac.com/shop/Inlay,_pear ... _Dots.html

Matching side dots are also available on that site.

Then you can have the guitar you want with the position markers you like...

Cheers - C

heh...that's an original (and good) suggestion. Perhaps I should own up to feeling pretty chuffed about the abalone dots on my strat ultra when I first bought it...and really, I was probably swayed by the flame maple top and ebony fretboard when making my decision. That, and the fact that it was going for half the retail because some rich kid had decided to return it -- there weren't any other contenders. After all, I like mother-of-pearl buttons on a shirt if I can get 'em...and with buttons, it's just a matter of buying some and sewing them on...no reason why it should be different with a guitar...it's amazing how little you have to spend to get a "premium" material...

I chose the MIM for the feel and sound, Looks can make or break a deal if I hate the way an instrument looks I wont play it as much. not that my playing is very good yet ~chuckles~ I'm a beginner so my ear isn't well trained yet.

what I'm debating is upgrading from the MIM to an american, the american happens to have the abalone dots, so its kina a plus.

the general manager at guitar center, who I've been dealing with for about a year now spent some time with me at the store going over a few different stratocasters and the MIM had a brighter mid range than the american made strat. the american did have much better fret dressing though.

so what im trying to decide is if i should shell out the extra $400 bucks for the long run and go for the american over the MIM.

I've always hated stratocasters ~flinch~ but I think thats because the ones I've been exposed to were either squires or low end MIM that didnt have the same quality standards as the new MIM

so I've gotta say I'm damned impressed and wish I had purchased a "real" strat a year ago. the strat feels great to play and I think I finally understand what some musicians mean when they say their instrument has a soul. I still love my Ltd F-2e & my 2007 Hellraiser. but the strat is the one i pick up first now when I want to practice.

That's a good suggestion. I wouldn't have anything other than black on my maple necks, however.

_________________
Member #26797
My other guitar is a Strat.

there both fantastic guitars.
this is a personal thing. its what
you like and what feels right to you.
like with me the american standard or
the highway one. even though i own a
american standard i own a few more highway ones
because i like the tone/feel/sustain much better on
the highway ones. so it all comes down whats good for you.

You did not have this option on the poll but keep the MIM and buy a MIA. Play before you pay. Pick the one that feels and plays the best. Good luck. You can never have too many guitars. Plus they will have different sounds.

_________________
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

Usually the MIM guitars are 'player's' guitars, one that you play daily and abuse. I have a MIM Baja tele with black inlays and it doesn't bother me. Besides it won't affect the sound or function of the guitar. I like the fact that its a NAFTAguitar, because I saved money. This guitar is made in Mexico with preselected parts from Corona, California, and with high quality. And the joke is that both MIA and MIM guitars are made by Mexicans; so what.

So save the money up for a second axe, please. You don't need this advice, as it is just common sense.

_________________
2007 Classic Player Baja Telecaster
1991 Strat Ultra
1990 Gibson ES-347
1986 Yamaha SBG2100
1980 Gibson L6-S
1971 Stratocaster
Fender Stage Lead Combo
Marshall MOSFET 100 watt Amp

ok, I spent about an hour with an american standard today, this was my impression of the two. the price difference is about 450$ more...

if I'm off on any of this stuff please correct me, I'm interested in the care and feeding of my new baby.

the neck and fingerboard on the Am seems to have a silkier feel and the wood shows more grain like a better wood may have been used.

Fret dressing on the american standard is like silk, no rough edges at all. Mim has some rough frets near the body.

String retainer on the headstock is a barrel retainer/guide instead of the T retainer, the barrel retainer seems to help with sustain while the T retainer on the MIM dampens the string a tiny bit since it encases the string for about 4 mm

AM
http://www.guitar-parts.com/products/75 ... -GUIDE.htm

MIM
http://www.guitar-parts.com/products/74 ... -GUIDE.htm

The Tremolo...
the tremolo on the am just seems sturdier. the MIM has a fake chrome finish and just feels breakable

AM
2-Point Synchronized Tremolo with New American Standard Bent Steel Saddles

MIM
Vintage Style Synchronized Tremolo

so far everyone has been really cool with the advice and its appreciated, I think I'm getting used to the strat having black eyes

so is it worth the extra 450 $, the string retainer i can change for about 6 $ so thats easy enough. and a few days with a jewelers file can take care of the rough frets..i think. the trem unit and the neck are the big difference

_________________
Fender Standard (upgraded) 2008
Fender deluxe blackout telecaster
LTD F-2E 2007
Schecter Hellraiser 2006

blackheart little giant 5w head
blackheart 1x10 killer cab

Hi Jack: that all seems about right to me. To my taste, all of that makes the MIA the more attractive buy, but people's tastes differ.

Mind you, if you can hear a difference in sustain between the two string trees then your ears are better than mine! I think the idea of the MIA's string tree is that it presents a smaller area of contact to the string and so causes less friction. So is slightly less likely to interfer with intonation when using the trem.

It is a minor difference.

Good luck - C

I've never seen a Strat with abalone markers on a maple fretboard.

I've often wondered why Fender never tried abalone block markers on Strats like they did on the late '60s and early '70s Jazzmasters and basses. I think it would look really cool. Just another idea I'm saving for my Custom Shop Strat whenever good fortune (preferably Lotto) manifests itself.

the Lite Ash Stratocaster has a birdseye maple fretboard and neck with abalone inlay its beautiful.


~twitch~ just visited guitar center for kicks, they have a MIM BLackout Telecaster that someone traded in...i think I must buy it.

I'm beginning to think Fender is coating the strings with heroin or some other addictive substance when they leave the factory, I've had my strat for 8 days and now i want to buy another Fender so it doesnt get lonely.