My new MIM STD is much heavier than my new MIA STD. It seems to be louder and brighter, however there are other factors to consider. Pick up height, strings etc.

Personally, I have come to what I call the Humphrey Bogart conclusion. "Stratocasters are just like dames, they all have their own voice and I just live and love them for what they are."

If you could buy and own all the beautiful women you wanted, how many would you own? Like Stratocasters probably as many as you could afford.

I had a '79 Strat that felt like having 2 Les Pauls strapped around my neck,I traded it for a Marshall JCM800 2204 half stack after I had a spinal fusion(not guitar related)but that guitar sustained like a grand piano.My MIM Strat is a bit lighter than my MIA but just enough to notice.Denser tonewoods usually mean brighter tone and more sustain.

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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.

I have 2 bullets, and affinity, a MIA and a MIM. To be honest with you I like my heavy MIM the best. Its got more voice. I got my olympic white MIA from my dealer through a blind order. I hated to just get one by order without seeing it first, but I could not find a olympic white maple anywere and I wanted to take advantage of the 100.00 rebate. But like I said they all have theirown voice. The MIA is better for melodic pieces. The MIM is more of a rocker.