Thanks Orville, I can't believe you found those. Great pics.

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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's simple, man.

Google is our friend.

Maybe I'll hunt for a more recent tour ...

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Member #26797
My other guitar is a Strat.

Hi all,

I own MIM strats and MIA strats. It's all subjective and it all comes down to how the instrument makes you feel and playability.

I've owned a MIM Std. I gotta say, it wasn't that great. But I also own a '50s Strat which I love. And with a few upgrades to capture more of that vintage tone, SSL-1 in N,M, and a HS-2 in B, Dunlop 6000 on the fretboard. I switched the bridge to an MIA vintage bridge. Sure it's bit much but it's the best playing strat I have. The only thing I really don't care for on my '50s is that damned polyurethane. It sucks that it will never age, finish check or wear out. Course I feel the same about my SRV (MIA) strat being that it's finished with that same stuff. Still, my '50s plays a hellava lot better than my MIA SRV.

So there you have it. It's all subjective.

Amen. I like poly because it DOESN'T wear out. It's good we have the choice tho isn't it? But i have had poly strats that i played the he|| out of and they do indeed wear, just differently.

What happened to "no such thing as a poor instrument, just poor musicians".

It is possible for someone to play great music on a made in Indonesia Fender and it is possible for someone to play horrible with a top of the line MIA. So you see in the end it really doesn't matter.

I have to say that I love my HwyOne and my Squire classic vibe. They are both high quality instruments but each have their own characteristics. Just because my Squier is made in China doesn't bother me at all. It's all about what makes you happy.

If anyone has a problem with where a guitar is made then don't buy it, thats cool, just don't criticize someone else because they don't play something that you think is better.

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The time has gone, the song is over, thought I'd something more to say.

The endless argument.

When I go to some place that has a live band I check out the guitars. So do you, right? And I've had the same thing happen to me when I've been playing out. What am I looking for? And what are they looking for? That little decal that says, "Made in USA."

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James Burton Upgrade Telecaster
Hot Rodded Am Fat Strat Texas Special (now featuring Kinman Traditional II pickups)
Fender Blues Jr.
SWR California Blonde
Pedals Pedals Pedals

I too have an SRV and i dont see poly as a bad thing,just different.After playing an EJ i am glad my SRV strat has a poly neck.I felt the Ej was painted with Maple syrup.I have to tell you that i have 2 MIA strats in addition to my SRV and my SRV strat is a much nicer guitar constructionwise than my other 2. And my other 2 are really nice guitars.But the 12 inch radius,the 6105 frets and the lefty tremolo arent for everyone, neither is the neck profile or the Texas Specials.Probably the best neck i ever played ,but thats why they make so nany different models in diferent price ranges.

Dear MIM Owners,
It's okay that you bought the less expensive MIM version of your favorite Fender guitar. We MIA owners are content with our decision, be at peace with yours. Stop trying to convince yourselves that yoiur MIM is the same guitar as our MIA. There is no shame, only music.

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"Life is like eating jalapenos. What you do today may burn your arse tomorrow"

Nobody is trying to. Re-read all the posts. You may be missing it, but many times in so many words it's been explained that all they are saying is that there are MIM's that are as good or better. Not all are, and i'm sure there are more better MIA's than MIM to be sure. Especially considering that there are at least 2 levels of MIM that are quite different. The upper level IMO it 100% on par with MIA EXCEPT in the hardware/electronics department. And some of that is subjective. With relatively inexpensive upgrades to the parts that are not subjective you can easily have as good or better. many people are saying things like "i had a MIA but like my MIM better". All they're telling you is exactly what i just did....that there are MIM's that are better. But they did NOT say MIM's are better, period. I don't think you can show me one person in this thread that said that, and if they did I would debate them on that even tho i'm one of those with a MIM that i prefer over my MIA that i sold.

In short, the burden of proof is on the MIM owners, not you, and thats why they are speaking out.

my 2 cents buy what feels good and is in your price range fender bases their prices on cost to build just like any company would mia std strats have higher quality/cost parts than mim stds do hence the price diff. as well as higher cost to build hence the price. does this make all mia guitars better no it all has to do with personal taste i have 3 mims, 3 mijs, and 2 mias they are all great guitars but if i compare my 94 mim std with my 99 mia std there is a big difference in quality the mia is a much better guitar well worth the extra money but then move to my 98 mim deluxe the quality gap isn't near as big then move to my $800 list price 2002 mim 60s and it rivals my mia std so for me its like this mexicans take pride in there work and so do americans and jappanese so its really all about what you like so don't worry about where your guitar is made and just play it and enjoy it

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Stratohawk Guitar Works Custom Handwound Pickups-
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Stratoha ... page_panel
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCc72Re ... qfXXXkVTqA

You can make any guitar a great guitar with upgrades but to say it is inexpensive is the subjective part of that statement because good pickups are not cheap as well as tuners and bridges. And to say something like they are 100% on par with MIA except for hardware/electronics Thats some pretty important items on a guitar now.
The main thing about this debate is that people love there guitars and don't want to think anything about them is inferior. I like all My guitars and have spent 150. to 2500. on some the last couple years and I would like to think they are the best but to be honest I no better but they are good enough for me. Thats what counts.
MIM owners happy with what you have thats great , I am with My MIM's but I am also happy with My MIA's I am not going to down any of them but in reality I no the difference between them and why it is so (MONEY) like in everything we buy. Better pickups and tuners, pots ect. cost more and is the fact of cost difference in making guitars. I understand the word better can be subjective to some but its the majority that business takes into acount.

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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

Actualy higher end MIM guitars have parts filtered down from the MIA lines, for example the hardware on the deluxe player.

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No no and no

Not from my point of view. But i can only speak for myself. however, speaking for myself i look at it like this....i prefer zinc blocks because they tend to round off the highs which most strats have enough of as is w/o a steel block. so that leaves tuners pickups and pots. Pots are not an issue. even those small imports work fine for years, but if not $10-15 and you're set. Pickups i change anyways. in fact, i bet if you do a survey most people here have non stock pups in thier strats regardless of whether they are MIM or MIA. So therefore to me at least i just don't see it the way you do. I always replace pups in ANY strat, and i always use gotoh vintage lockers on them. so the only things left that are subjective at all is zinc block, finish, and pots. And really only the pots are not subjective. Poly has been used on some high end aftermarket strats and i never had a single issue with MIM or MIJ vintage style tuners. I only changed to the gotoh for locking function.

so i just don't see it like that. I said what i said before because i know thats the way some people look at it, so i gave them that instead of explaining the way i see it. But you called me on it so this is the way i see it. I just don't see a huge difference in the stock parts even if the MIA hardware \/electronics are better, but furthermore most of these things get changed out by the majority nhere anyways. i will tell one thing i believe in that trumps all this pup/hardware talk....IMO the wood is everything, and like mi have said, the MIM RI's are the same MIA bodies as used on the MIA stuff and shipped to mexico for finishing and assembly. I don't speak for the standards because they are not on the same level. And thats another thing i have addressed but no one ever seems to consider....there are bat lest 2 very different levels of MIM....one is a MIA thats been shipped to mexico for assembly and finish, and one is completely made in mexico with lesser wood (up to 7 piece bodies of non-select alder) and possibly even lesser electronics or hardware in some areas, tho that i'm only assuming and may not be the case. i do know on the MIM RI's i haven't found any of the parts to be obviously cheap and unusable at all. By the way, if you have any doubt on the bodies and necks for the RI's and possibly some other MIM models (J. vaughn? classic player?) being MIA wood thats only assembled and finished in mexico, I read that many times then finally confirmed it with a fender rep face to face.

Fender must love this discussion. To them, it is all music (no pun intended) to their ears.

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