i have a mim standard and am thinking about upgrading to an american what is the difference besides pickups and finish ? can you tell the difference in playability ? on the description is says the strings have been narrowed...i guess another question should be when i go to gc to test drive one what should i expect ?

The subject of MIM versus MIA has been discussed ad nauseam on this forum. The search function will serve you well in this case. In my opinion, the old saying you get what you pay for applies. Nothing wrong with the MIMs just as there's nothing wrong with the MIAs.

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-Kirk

GUITARS
'12 Sonoran Acoustic - black (dated 10/31/12)
'13 Standard Strat
AMP
Vox ac4c1-bl
PEDALS
Compressor
Big Muff
Vox Stomplab 1G
Carbon Copy Delay

Welcome to the forum.There are several differences.The MIA has 22 frets,rolled edges on the neck,2 point bridge,better trem block,delta tone circuit which allows you to bypass the tone pot ,alnico5 pickups,more choice in colors and a case.The MIM has 21 frets, 6 point bridge,no rolled edges,descent trem block, vintage style wiring (which means you cant control the bridge pickup with a tone pot) ,ceramic pickups,limited choice in colors and no case.Still a decent guitar none the less .Is it worth the extra 400 dollars,only you can answer that question.To me yes ,to others , no.I would suggest you try a bunch out and see how they compare.Another thing is resale value is much better on the MIA too.

Is it worth upgrading to an MIA? Yes, without a doubt
Are MIMs kick butt guitars in their own right? Yes, without a doubt

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

Well said. I totally agree.

Coming from someone who has MIA/MIM/MIJ/CIJ/SQ/ and the rest.

Go for it....MIA.

Well, as usual I'm going to be the odd ball here. My question is -why- are you looking to upgrade? Is there a specific issue with your MIM that you don't like or are you simply looking to burn a little (a lot) money? If there is a specific issue with your currant MIM, I would address that first...depending on what the issue is, you may end up with the same thing in an Am Std (there are some things that are just common with virtually all Strats). If you're just looking to burn money though, buy whatever you want...it's your bread.

Most of the differences between an MIA and an MIM are pretty subtle. The rolled fretboard edges for example...some folks go completely ga-ga for it and others really don't care (personally I've never been that impressed). The new MIM's do now have full sized steel trem blocks where as the MIA's now have "copper infused"...I think the actual difference you get in sound there is -VERY- subjective. I will say that on the older MIM's they came with half-sized zinc alloy blocks so most people upgraded those to steel anyways. As far as pickups go, again the older MIM pickups did leave something to be desired but the new MIM's actually sound very nice...in fact I tend to think they have a much more "vintage Strat" tone than the new MIA's. As someone else said, only you can really decide if stuff like that is really worth an extra $500...for me, it's not.

Personally I'd upgrade an MIM over buying an American...but that's just me and actually it's what I'm about to do (just got another MIM this past weekend at a guitar show here in Ohio). There are many of us on these forums who own MIM's and even some who own Squiers who are truly quite happy with them (myself included obviously).

Either way though, it's your hands and ears...I'd say go to a few guitar stores and play every guitar in your price range and let the guitars tell you which one is right for you.

Peace,
Jim

Maybe you should bank the money for now and instead of getting a MIA standard go for a deluxe or artist series Strat that have some totally different features like a Clapton with a TBX and Mid Boost or a Deluxe with S-1 or I believe it is S-3 switching and noiseless pups. Something in that area that will totally be unlike the guitar you own now.

As others have said: go out and play an MIA (or two or three) and determine for yourself. For me, there is quite a difference, and that's why I have an MIA now. I had a great MIM that I loved dearly, and stayed away from playing MIA's in shops because I was afraid of what might happen. When I finally broke down and played one, I came home, sold my MIM and some other gear and brought home the MIA within a week. No question for me about the differences..... I only wish I could afford to have kept them both!

As far as upgrading a MIM, by the time you get done paying for upgrades and getting the rig "just right" for you, you'll have as much $$ tied up in it as you would a MIA that needs no upgrades. ( and you'll still have a MIM Strat - not that that's a bad thing! ).

The differences in playability and tone are real, are quite apparent, and are worth the price -but only if you think it is worth it. Our opinions are just that - opinions.

Play one with an open mind if you can afford to upgrade - (a bit of advice: don't do this if you can't spare the dough) - and I believe you will have a new picture to post for us soon...once again, just my opinion

I upgraded my MIM to, Samarium Cobalt Pick-ups, Sperzel locking tuners, ditched the push/push switch.
It played great as it was, I was just not happy with the pick ups and I have to admit being spoiled by my Larrivee acoustic's 510 delta Gotoh tuners, thus the vintage style tuners fell quite short.
Changed the pick guard and the knobs.
Total cost about $300, if the strat plays well, then a few tweaks may be all that is needed. Bonus is that the MIM's are good, No great experimental prototypes for anyone willing to spend the time tweaking. The cost is much less than a MIA Deluxe, yet it is still a quality Fender.
Upgrading to an MIA may not be the answer until you've dialed in your preference. I mean to say it could be a hit or miss scenario.
Experiment, but do it as inexpensively as possible until you have your parameters set. Otherwise you are just throwing money away.

My personal comparisons are 2 strats.
(1) The 2002 MIM described above which used to be a Deluxe Players Strat, maple neck, Crimson Red Transparent finish, gold hardware, bought preowned.
(2) 2001American Standard with Dimarzio's, black finish, rosewood neck, also bought preowned. Traded in two weeks ago for the 56 NOS. On this strat the dimarzio's required full gain amps, not the sound I wanted. To change pickups was too expensive and not feasible.
(3) 2001 Custom Shop 56 NOS reissue, 2 color sunburst, came with 3 way switch installed, 5 way included ( switched them). Maple neck.
incredible guitar Once you get used to the 56 specs. Again bought preowned.

Before buying, try out as many models as possible, into the same model amp that you are using, then decide, you might find that the expensive upgrade isn't what you are really looking for.
If you decide to upgrade, do it because it is what works for you, not because of someone else's recommendation or because so and so plays this or that model.

When we write a signature, it is quite unique and therefore so should your own personal sound. Have fun and good luck searching..

I thought the new MIM blocks are full-size zinc and not steel? Either way, you are correct that the new 06+ larger blocks retrofit on to older models perfectly (that was my first mod).

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

You could be correct on that. I thought I had remembered reading they had up'd them to steel blocks but looking through my catalogs from last year is says "A thicker bridge block increases sustain...". I also just checked the website here and all it says is "high mass". I know when I looked at the new MIM's around the holidays, I did see that they do now have a bigger block and they really sound a lot better than the older MIM's did so I guess I must have just assumed (there's that horrible word again) that they were now using steal...so yea...it's probably still a zinc alloy and not steel...just a big zinc alloy.

Yea, the older MIM's did have the small blocks...I upgraded the block in my '96 to a Callaham block a few years back and it did make a HUGE difference. I'm certainly going to upgrade the block on the '03 MIM I just picked up too, but I'm considering one of those bronze blocks from Guitar Fetish this time. I will give people that one...those half size blocks on the older MIM's are pretty bad but for $20 - $50 it's a pretty easy and worthwhile upgrade.

I do think that a lot of this is a bit subjective depending on -if- a person like's to upgrade their instruments. Personally I like to tinker myself...I really have no problem buying even a $200 used guitar and putting a little work in to it and I end up with a guitar that sounds and plays the way -I- like it to. On the other hand for a person who just wants to play one "out of the box" there are certainly other considerations and an MIM may not always be the best choice. I still think that experience has a great deal to do with it too...most people who've only been playing for a couple of years (or less) don't usually appreciate the differences between various models of Strats and such...to a lot of them, it's just "a Strat".

Anyways, my blunder on the block thing...I think they say the ol' memory is one of the first things to go! LOL!

Peace,
Jim

I had a MIM Strat in the late 90s, and have owned 2 MIA Strats since the American Series came out in 2000. Everything about the MIA is IMO of higher quality than the MIM Strat that I had. But, I REALLY miss having the narrower nut width and vintage frets on the older MIM, so much so that in 10 years I've never really felt comfortable with the MIA's neck.

Hmm, where to begin ? Well, last week I ordered an American Standard Stratocaster ( Olympic white with maple fingerboard ) for a birthday present for my daughter. She is hoping for a Squire, so she should be pleased with the MIA I bought. But, lets back up a bit. We have a Squire P-bass kicking around the house ( absolutely nothing wrong with it ), and a Squire mini (Pink Hello Kitty) we bought for my younger daughter a few years ago ( again, awesome little guitar ). But, I decided awhile ago....no more inexpensive low-end imports. Although I live in Canada, since we don't really make a lot of electric guitars here, I've decided to put the money into the hands of my American neibors, and the skilled axe makers they employ. When someone mentions " Fender Stratocaster ", most people in the know think of the American made music instrument from California. A well built guitar will last a lifetime. American made Strats from the 50's still work and are worth tens of thousands of dollars. If you keep the guitar for 10 years, it will have cost you pennys a day, and you will own the real deal, and it will be worth more than you paid for it. You will be proud to play it and show it off to your friends. If people stop buying American made guitars ( or anything else for that matter ), pretty soon, you won't be able to get one at all, because the brand will be sold to some company in China and the quality be be good, but no one will want them anymore because the brand won't have the same prestigue attached to it. I digress......buy whatever you want.
I can't wait to see the look on my daughters face when she opens her present. And I'll be thinking about the people that made it for her. As for the cost.....do what I do...plan ahead and save up the money...you'll be glad you did. I promise.

I agree.The one thing the MIM line really has going for it is that it offers vintage specs at an affordable price.To find vintage specs in a MIA ,you have to turn to the AV 57 or 62 ri line which are going for a hefty price.To most people thats not an option.i like having a guitar that out of the box is what I am looking for .Thats the big appeal to me of the MIA line.I am not a tinkerer.I also have kind of a love/hate relationship with the modern C neck.I like the frets ,but I dont always like the thin /wide neck.I have a SRV that has a thick/normal neck and it fits my hands better than anything I have tried.The only thing I dont like about the vintage wiring is having the bridge pickup wide open.All of my guitars have it modded so I can control the tone of the bridge.Its one mod I am willing to do,otherwise its not user friendly by itself.