I always wanted a Strat just never got around to buying one. Well now I am & need some opinions on the MIM Strats. Which ones are worth buying new & how much work do I need to do to get it to sound really great. Pickups I imagine would be first. Thanks guys.

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Greg
Larrivee L-03R Acoustic
Fender American Strat
Fender Blacktop Tele
Fender Mustang II Amp
May you be dead a half hour before the devil knows you're dead!

It totally depends on what you like and dislike in guitars. Do you like C necks or V necks? 70s headstock or 50s headstock? Does color matter? What kind of music do you play? What's your budget? Vintage frets or jumbo frets?

Not all MIM Strats come with the same pickups either. And who knows, you may actually like the stock pickups. Don't start modifying your guitar until you've spent some time with it. I thought I'd have to change out the tuners and other hardware on my MIM Standard, but I'm glad I didn't right away because the stock hardware is perfectly fine.

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There is nothing wrong with buying a new MIM with the intention of modding it. What if the buyer can't find a used one in the model or color he wants?

Generally speaking many people put on a better bridge and block like a Callaham. They are great that's for sure. I love mine. You can read up on what people say about them and by and large the consensus is they definitely improve tone and sustain over a crappy zinc block.

Many people also change pickups. Not surprising since much of the sound you hear emanates from the pickups. Fender Custom Shop, Lindy Fralin, Seymour Duncan, and Dimarzio are all excellent choices.

Some extremists will even put in better pots but this will require more hours of work. I compared the feel of the pots on my Malmsteen Strat to the feel of the pots on a Mexican I recently tried and the Malmsteen Strat definitely had smoother feeling pots. But this is a trivial detail really.

I feel the two most important upgrades you can do is put on a Callaham bridge/block and high quality pickups.

I like the pickups in my '04 Classic Strat. Actually went back to them after changing them a few times. I've used a ton of others in various guitars from active EMG's to passive cheapo ones and many in between. I'm sure there are alot of tinkerers on this site that have used even more than I have. But we all come to the same conclusion: Personal preference.

I ended up swapping out my pups. Not because I hated them and they were junk, but just because I wanted a more vintage sound. I did a lot of soul searching and finally went with a set of Fat 50s.

The best item I found to swap out would have to be that trem block. The Callaham block is soooo much better for tone and sustain.

I just got my MIM strat today it sounds like heaven! it's a 2009 model the pickups are pwerfull and are not weak at all....the price i paid was $500 plus $30 for a black pickguard..MIM strats are good...

I'd suggest trying a Cray model if you're not planning on using the kickstand.

If you do want the talent lever, try a Deluxe Player's or Roadhouse if you can find one.

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Being able to play and enjoy music is a gift that's often taken for granted.

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definetly change the pickups!!! thats a given....i got my 2002 for 2 bills put all black hardware tuners etc..put noiseless pure vintage pickups in it now it rip tears and shreds with the best of em... oh the body on mine is black the neck is rosewood black pickguard pickup covers knobs etc...

You can mod it if you want to, but you don't "need" to do anything with a stock MIM. It's a great guitar as is, can get a great classic strat tone and feel and can last a lifetime.

Thanks for all your responses guys. Guess I'll have to listen to the sound first before I make any changes. I heard MIM strats were really good for the price just wanted to be sure.

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Greg
Larrivee L-03R Acoustic
Fender American Strat
Fender Blacktop Tele
Fender Mustang II Amp
May you be dead a half hour before the devil knows you're dead!

It really depends on which model. MIMs range from about 500-1100 dollars ,so its really hard to comment with that broad or range of price and quality. The classic players models at the top really dont need any mods, and the standards I would change the block, pickups, and tuners, mostly stuff out of preference, but at the very least I'd replace the ceramic pickups.

I've been getting back into Strats this year and I have bought 2 MIMs off craigslist. One is a '04 - '05 60s series and the other is an '00 - '01 standard. Both are in mint condition. I paid $300 (no case) for the 60s series and $250 for the standard (w/ SKB hardshell case). I think both were great values.

The 60s guitar feels heavier, but I have yet to weigh it. I like the vintage tuners, and the heavier trem-block. The finish is beautiful lake placid blue. It really feels like a quality instrument and I love the way it plays. I did put EMG SA active pickups in it to go for more of a Gilmour tone and I love the mod. The stock pickups were noisy, and I realize that this is by design.

The standard feels lighter and has the cheaper trem-block. I have ordered a Callahan upgraded trem-block. It is black with a maple neck. The neck finish is a lighter, more satin look and feel. It is a bit faster. I have 010s on both guitars. I am not a trem user so I put 5 springs in the standard and I have to say I am amazed at the sustain on this thing. This is even before the upgraded trem-block mod. The pickups are not as noisy as the 60s pickups. I have not decided if I want to change the pickups out as I want to maintain that Strat tone on this one.

I am a big bargain hunter and I love craigslist. There are some really nice guitars out there if you're patient. If I was buying new, I would probably go for the 60s if I wanted to stay stock. If I was going to do mods I would buy the standard.

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