Sure there is a preference for a flatter radius. Why though? I'll tell you why. Because it's easier to execute bends on than a sharper radius is. And Fender knows this and they point this out specifically in their advertisements for guitars that have a flatter radius. This certainly is not a trend. Bell bottom jeans or jeans that hang halfway down on your $@! is a trend.

And Callaham bridges and blocks are superior to what Fender provides. Do some research on Callaham and you will discover that. Those certainly are not a trend either.

I have a 07 MIM HSS and a 08 MIA SSS. Both are great high quality guitars and I play them everyday. As far as one being better than the other the only difference, in my opinion, besides the humbucker is a tonal one. Different pickups, different tones. Which works out good for me because I can get different results from each guitar. Otherwise why even have more than one other than different colors?

I haven't had extensive play time with MIMs. The nut on the first one I had split between the E and A strings after a few months. It was painful waiting for it to get fixed. I also remember how frustrating it was o keep in tune. At times I'd see other Strats pop out at me on the showroom floor but I didn't warm up to the Strat in general like I did my '73 Gibson Les Paul. But then I saw an American Deluxe in vintage white two years ago. I didn't even have to plug it in. The weight and balance was exceptional. Every surface was refined beauty. Just with one strum I knew this was the one.

Craftsmanship aside, comparing the sound of the MIAs and MIMs is pointless because each model has subtle differences in features. The Standards use ceramic magnets. My Deluxe has Samarium Cobalt Noiseless pickups with S-1 circuitry. Higher end MIMs like the Deluxe Players sport Vintage Noiseless pickups--its quiet and I think has a little more grit to the sound over the SCN pups in my Deluxe. My latest purchase was a Highway One HSS. I love the Alnico III pups and the Grease Bucket Circuitry! This axe can dish out some brutality.

My point is, don't let anyone fool you into thinking a $400.00 is as good as or better than a $1,200.00 guitar. They may believe it but that don't make it true. Ok, sound and feel is subjective but here's a cold hard truth. Poorly constructed instruments can only take you so far. Not saying a Standard or a Squire is poorly constructed! But to really learn, a premium instrument should be the primary consideration. But that said, hey, if you're a young and starving artist get what you can... a Squire even if it floats your boat. But if you really want to make advancement in music and take it very seriously then get the best you can even if it hurts a little. And while you're starving that much more, grab your new baby and start singing the blues!

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"If I don't see you no more in this world I'll meet you on the next one and don't be late... don't be late." -Jimi Hendrix

It's really great that Fender has the American line plus the Mexican line of guitars. If you can't find what pleases you in one line you will probably find it in the other line.

Quite a bit actually. While I agree in principle that the instrument does not make the musician there is still plenty to be said for playing a quality, comfortable, playable instrument. A good workman does better with good tools. Everyone who works for a living knows that.

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Just think of how awesome a guitar player you could have been by now if you had only spent the last 10 years practicing instead of obsessing over pickups and roasted maple necks.

I still stand behind music being in the man. MIM Stratocasters are built well and sound great. I believe the fundamentals are similiar.

The MIA Stratocaster has quality hardware, neck treatments and the wiring seems to be layed out carefully. These guitars are also assembled carefully and go thru a rigid quality control process.

The truss rod is certainly better built in a MIA.

I find more sustain in the MIA. Tone is hard to differentiate. They both sound great!

tbahr8

I've done plenty of research on callaham's over priced run of the mill trems. Even went as far as buying the sustain block that gave no real sustain over a fender deluxes block. If you do some research into fender products you will understand that Fender have used that same cold rolled steel since 51.

Your a salesmans dream. The preference for flatter fingerboards is largely due to sales hype and nothing more. Do ypu take at face value everything you hear?

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No no and no

Absolutely not true. A good workman will find the same result easier to acheive with good tools. As a tradesman for 23 years I'm fairly conversant with working with good tools. I also understand that the end product is entirely dependant on the person, their mindset and attention to detail. Not the tools themselves.

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No no and no

Back to the original question --- I've got an Am Deluxe HSS (rosewood fretboard) and I've got a MIM Classic Players '50s (maple neck). As expected, they're very different in sound and feel but both are high quality instruments. That said, I can see a higher level of quality in the finishing of the Am Deluxe. I have no complaints about the CP 50's, though.

There is clearly a difference in tone between a Callaham block and a Fender block. I've heard the difference in my 62 Hot Rod. The preference for flatter fingerboards has nothing to do with sales hype. That is a ridiculous thing to say. It's physics.

Okay i can't help but to get in on this..First off i would like to classify my ability to respond to this question..I own several Strats 89 MIA Strat ultra,1973 American Standard,1994 MIM Floyd rose H.S.S with micro tilt loaded with lace sensor pickups,2008 heavily modded Fat strat to say the least it has John Suhr V60's in the neck and mid and a Pearly gate in the Bridge and many many more mods..Last but not least is a 93 MIA 60's reissue...
The two best sounding guitars of the bunch to my ears are the Strat Ultra and the 2008 MIM modded..
The best blues guitars are the 2008 mim modded and the 93 MIA 60's reissue..
The best guitars for Classic rock is the 73 Standard and the ultra...

The best guitar for harder Rock is obviously the Floyd Rose and ultra..

The best playing guitar's is the 73 Standard ...

Now here is the one that will surprise you which guitar is least well made???? It is with out a doubt the 73 Standard..There quality control was just not on par with today's quality control even on the MIMS.

Which guitar do i play the most???On stage without a doubt is the MIM with all the mods..It is also the one that sits on my guitar stand 3 feet from my bed..It is also the cheapest guitar of all the Strats i own...

Does it mean it is the best guitar i own??No because each guitar each strat i own does something different they each have a unique tone and it is my job as a musician to use those tones to create music..Which guitar is better is like asking a carpenter which tool is most important a hammer or a saw..They need all there tools to get the job done and the same is true with guitars..


So what does all this mean it means that each guitar is different ..It doesn't matter if it is a Classic MIA like my 73 or a MIM like my 2008 Fat strat..If you can get the tones you desire out of them then it doesn't really matter were our who they are made buy..Yes the MIA in the future will be more valuable as a collector...But do yo buy a guitar as a collector as a player? ..Now for the big question which guitars will still be in use in the future??My opinion is all of them..Which guitars will make beautiful music ?All of them ..Which guitars will inspire up and coming guitar players??All of them..So IMHO which are the best guitars ??????All of them

This i agree with 100%..But here is my question..I am a touring musician who makes my living playing music..If the MIA is so much beter than the MIM's then why are we all leaving our valuable MIA's at home?Yes there is a difference in quality it is absurd to think otherwise but is it enough to say that the MIA's are that much Superior to the MIM's?I myself know that i play no different using a MIM than my Strat ultra ..I have never once been on stage thinking to myself man i wish i had my MIA made guitar so i could play better or that note would have sounded so much better if i had been playing an American made Strat instead of a MIM ..I guarantee that were my guitar is made is the last thing on my mind when i hit the stage..

It sounds from your description that the only thing MIM about your guitars is the tonewood.My MIAs dont need to be modded .They all got a setup and my HSS got a SSS treatment because I didnt like the humbucker(the SSS version wasnt available anymore).If you compare a MIM standard stock to a MIA stock we might be having a different conversation.There are features that come on the MIA from the factory that make it worth the extra money IMO.Granted the MIM might be a good setup from being a good guitar, but I am not willing to take the risk .I would rather buy a guitar thats descently set up and have the options I want right from the get go.

I have 3 Strats,a '65,a '00 lefty,a '04 50th Ann. there is a difference in sound and neck radius "playability"(to some extent because the action is set low on all) but that being said each has it's own voice but the sound is still unmistakably Strat.By the way the '00 lefty is MIM and it has very good build quality and finish,I couldn't have gotten a better guitar for the money($300).My first guitar had about 1/3 " action,that wasn't great playability.

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'65 Strat,65 Mustang,65 Jaguar,4 more Strats,3 vintage Vox guitars,5 Vox amps,'69 Bassman with a '68 2-15 Bassman cab,36 guitars total-15asst'd amps total,2 vintage '60s Hammond organs & a myriad of effects-with a few rare vintage ones.

Have both, like both, keeping both (stock).

In this opinion, the MIM and MIA are more "different" than "MIM is inferior."

Personal opinion Part 2: A modern MIM is as good or better than personal memories of new 60s Strats back then, when they were new. And a modern MIM is very close to the "vibe" of a 60s or 50s when it was new.