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The strongest reason for the people to retain the right to keep and bear arms is, as a last resort, to protect themselves against tyranny in government.

Thomas Jefferson

I think I'll buy one of each. That way I'll be one with all! But if you look close you'll see where my heart is!

I just got an American Standard, after playing a Squier beginner's model for about a year. The main reason I went American was the 22nd fret, to tell the truth, plus I had a bunch of long time guitar players tell me not to keep buying guitars that weren't what I ultimately wanted.

I'm sure I could have been happy with a MIM, but I just decided to cut to the chase. And I wasn't all that interested in modifying it.

I've never owned a mexican strat (just played them in stores), but if I'm gonna be spending money on a new guitar, i'd rather work overtime, sell plasma etc, just to get the next model up. I'm sick of investments losing money and to be honest, the mexican strats I played in store (didn't check the year) did feel different than the 2008 am. standard. That's why I sold my drums, took extra shifts at work and am working on selling 2 other guitars just to make the upgrade. I'm also lucky I married someone who understands that..

yes

Someone of few words. But it's an answer as short and sweet as they come.

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The strongest reason for the people to retain the right to keep and bear arms is, as a last resort, to protect themselves against tyranny in government.

Thomas Jefferson

The MIA Strats are definately worth the money and are better than the MIM. I have both and theres a big difference between the two. The neck alone is much better on the new Strats and anyone that says there`s no difference hasn`t played them both to make the comparison. Not that the MIM`s are bad cause their not. But theres reasons why the MIA cost more and the quality and playability speaks for itself.

Hey guys. I am going to post my opinion on the matter of MIA vs MIM. As a person who's pretty new at playing the guitar, I can't really relate to people playing the guitar, but I'd like to shine a different perspective on the matter.

American factory
http://www.vintagerocker.com/fender/factory2/index.html

Mexican factory
http://reviews.photoweborama.com/allthi ... rbody.html

The above links show pictures of the two factories. Of course, 100% of people in the Mexican factories are mexicans. But how about the American factory? I'd venture to guess that most of them are Mexicans as well (not saying anything bad about Mexican workers).

For those that think quality control in the American factory is better than the Mexican factory, I'd like to ask how? Each guitar MIM is checked just as the MIAs...how's that any different? There's a huge probability that MIAs are checked by a Mexican as well...so what's the difference? Unless you've personally worked at both QC areas, you cannot make that distinction.

The electronics might be different (some say better), but that's how Fender chooses to do it. They intentionally use DIFFERENT pickups for the MIAs and MIMs to give us the impression that the MIAs are better. If Fender decided to use the same PUPS for the MIAs, would you stillhave the same opinion? MIAs may give you the impression of sounding better, but that's because of a DIFFERENT PUP, NOT BETTER PUP.

For those that "feel" the different between the two, I'd venture to guess that that's due to the years of stereotype that MIMs have received. You may psychologically think that an MIA feels or plays better, but that's only because your mind is telling you that. And your brain is telling you that because you've already convinced yourself that an MIA is "better" (when you decided to pay hundreds more for it--it's called reassuring yourself that you made the right choice).

So to say that an MIM is inferior to an MIA, that tells me that you have a problem with Mexican workers and think that they somehow don't take their jobs seriously. In fact, sometimes I think it's the other way around. Mexicans are paid a good amount (when compared to their economy) to work in the Mexican factory so they pride in that. SOME Americans actually feel underpaid--so SOME actually don't take pride in their work. Who do you want making your guitar?

I'd like to see if there is anybody in here that has worked at both factories because, frankly, he/she is the only person that we could truly trust on this issue. Why? Because we all have biases.

Fender decided to make guitars in Mexico because it makes economic sense--that's it. It's cheaper to make the guitars there, but that doesn't make them inferior. Guitars (MIA and MIM) are made a little bit different from each other to give us the sense that MIAs are better--if we think MIAs are better, we'll buy MIAs (putting more money in their pockets). MIMs Strats were made to gain a substantial amount of the market share. The more Strats are out there, the better it is for the company.

However, MIAs have the history on its side. Strats were originally made in the US so a Strat made in the US is more (in a historical sense) a Strat. MIMs, although they are Fender Strats as well, don't have history on their side. Strats weren't originally made in Mexico; therefore MIMs will always SEEM different. However, that's the only difference.

The MIA is a better pup. Ceramic pickups are the lowest cost pickups to make and for a reason, ceramic is not as good as Alnico MIA has better flatware and pots and switches. Between the two they use different tuners and truss systems. The American truss can be adjust both directions where the MIM can only add relief via the truss. Plus I dont think there is a overall quality control difference but I would guess they make five MIM strats for every MIA read into that what you may.

Well I would just say most of your cost difference is in the cost of the materials to make between them all. Fender kept some of the cost of the Highway's down by using some of the items used on the MIM's 15% according to Fender themselfs. I do not think it has anything to do with the makeup of the people doing the work thats crazy.

Non wird immer zu springen und seine linie.

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The strongest reason for the people to retain the right to keep and bear arms is, as a last resort, to protect themselves against tyranny in government.

Thomas Jefferson

I'll say it again since you have posted this on another thread already!
So? Buy MIM! Fine with me.

I am with you fhop.
It seems they are reading into things that are not there and trying to justify something to themselfs. There is nothing wrong with either guitars but there cost is different for a reason as I am sure you no. There begining statement says something of interest and that is they are new to guitar.

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The strongest reason for the people to retain the right to keep and bear arms is, as a last resort, to protect themselves against tyranny in government.

Thomas Jefferson

Made In America all the way. The attention to detail is much better. This means better paint, better electronics, better nut/fret/neck work. Overall better quality.

Stamp out duplicate threads

http://www.fender.com/community/forums/ ... ly&t=19481

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Keep on Truckin, Going full speed ahead down the highway to hades.

Seriously,
new forumites should be required to take a tutorial that covers the search function. This thread has come up 20 times in the month and 1/2 that I have been posting/ lurking.