Hey Peterp, I see you have a Blues Deluxe amp. I've been checking one out at G.C. How do you like it so far?

I love my MIM, and that's all that really matters.

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-Classic 50's Strat.
-Std. Telecaster.
-Mike Dirnt P-bass.
-Custody of SE Strat.
-Peavey Predator/Dean Evo/Epiphone DR150/Gibson Slide (much older than me).

Rellik Productions Inc.

First mr/ miss tabananjp,
You dont have to work in QC at both factories to get a sense of which model that you prefer. All that you have to do is pick up a MIA and a MIM at your local fender dealer.
I have owned six MIM strats and 2 MIAs from 1995-2008 and each had their strengths and weaknesses. My fav was the 1995, as it had the best pups of any other. My least fav was the 2006 which was poorly constructed, and incapable of achieving that vintage "strat" sound.
I have traded all six MIM, and one MIA over the past decade for other guitars/gear/$$, and now own only 1 2008 MIA strat, which I considder the best of any strat that I have ever owned.
MIM strats are not less expensive only becasue they are made by mexicans in mexico. They are produced using less expensive materials, labor, and facilites.
I understand that you are new at guitar, and its good to be passionate about your hobby, and research your options for quality instruments. However, your argument doesnt make alot of sense, and you have not done a good job researching the diff and sim between the two.

Fhop i think people in someway feel that they have to defend their instrument and that leads to their blindness to certain facts. YzfJoe's statement about profits coming from lower end guitars is highly feasible. I cant remember all the times i've seen jaguar and rolls royce in trouble but never ford.
I cant see the mexico plant going bump, thankfully.

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No no and no

A friend of my dad's owns a reputable guitar store here in IL. He was fortunate enough to have been taken on a tour of the Ensenada factory and said it was beutiful and top notch. His pictures backed it up.

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-Classic 50's Strat.
-Std. Telecaster.
-Mike Dirnt P-bass.
-Custody of SE Strat.
-Peavey Predator/Dean Evo/Epiphone DR150/Gibson Slide (much older than me).

Rellik Productions Inc.

It plays good , and sounds good.
Has the same maxed out volume issue at ~3 that all hotrod amps seem to have.
Build of it is not up to heavy gigging, but should work fine for the home.
Which is where I use it now.

If I had to, I'd buy it again,
Although If I were to start trying to gig again, I'd probably buy another twin reverb.

Oh ya for this thread, The Blues Deluxe like all the hotrod series amps are MiM.

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

Notable point of fact the first MIA blues jr's are garbage. The MIM blues jr's are much better but its due to its different circuit design.

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No no and no

Hmmm. Any chance of posting a link to those pics?

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Laughing out loud with fear and hope, I have a desperate plan ...

Hey StratHeads-

Jeeze....This topic is never going to go away. No someone is dropping the race card into the mix... What will someone come up with next?....MiM strats pose a threat to National Security?....That MIA Strats are actually manufactured in a secret under ground plant in....Iowa...from wood grown in Canada????

There is no conspiracy here- Fender makes Guitars In at least two different plants and the quality of both instruments are very high. I am glad that Fender makes an instrument in my price range..or else I'd be playing a Harmony from Sears (Not that there is anything wrong with That)

Do we complain that our Nike shoes are made in Asia???? That our Mc Donalds Beef comes from South America???? So why should we worry if our guitars are made in Mexico...which by the way has a culture steeped in a fine Guitar musical tradition.- They take pride in their work.

Lets find what we have in common rather then drive wedges between us. We are here because we love Fender Guitars-

The Freeze

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There's Always Room For MELLOW !!!!

2000 MIM Stratocaster, Midnight Wine W/Texas Specials
2000 Fender Hot Rod Deluxe
1969 Fender Vibro Champ

Hmm, this was a few year ago mind you, and they were actually developed pics. His site, although quite simple for such a presigeous store, doesn't seem to have them.http://musicgalleryinc.com/index.html

(Sorry, not trying to advertise, but it's soooo pretty.)

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-Classic 50's Strat.
-Std. Telecaster.
-Mike Dirnt P-bass.
-Custody of SE Strat.
-Peavey Predator/Dean Evo/Epiphone DR150/Gibson Slide (much older than me).

Rellik Productions Inc.

So now if we like MIA's better than MIM's we're racist?? Oh, give me a break!

I don't care if my guitar is made by trained chimpanzees as long as it is a quality instrument. Or does this statement mean that I am prejudiced against humans?....

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Ignorance IS bliss - and I am the happiest person here!

I stated in previous threads that the mexican workers at the mexico plant have a high level of pride. Perhaps this is just a bit of 'national pride' gone a bit ballistic. Lets face a true fact here, everyone has a certain amount of pride in their countries produce that does well nationaly.
Personaly i hate england, despise our goverment, detest the monarchy. You wont catch me knocking laney, marshall, leyland daf or aston martin. I'm quite proud of that part of england. Remember the outrage on the highway1 thread when it was discovered that some parts were made outside the USA. That shows me that Americans generaly feel the same way about their country too.

Lets leave it at that and forget about the whole race thing eh?

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No no and no

I think that MIM strats are lazy and smell like taco meat. They reproduce way too fast, and dont speak the language of MIA strats. They are ruining our economy. They are being imported illegally, and drink too much. We should ban MIM strats.

Now thats funny

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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