I own several MIM Strats,(Standard,Standard HSS,Classic Series ´60s,Classic Series ´50s and Classic Player ´50s),and while I find them all quite good,(soundwise anyway;especially the Classic Player ´50s),there was at least one thing wrong with everyone of them:stripped screws,(common,2 on the Classic Player ´50s),the humbucker pickup on the HSS was not working,(the dealer replaced the instrument),the lower pickguard on the Classic Series ´50s buckled and lifts,(a little less than 1mm),above the body,and the neck on the Classic Series ´60s was warped.A new neck was ordered a month ago;still waiting.This is totally unacceptable.Is there any quality control at all or is the manufacturing process flawed?

Do they all come from the same store? If so it looks like they should inspect them better upon delivery if at all.

That's why I've restricted my purchases to new Made in Indonesia and used made in Korea/U.S.A. Fenders and Squiers.

We ALL know that the "culture" in the Far East/Southeast Asia strives for perfection as a result higher quality instruments are produced there (Indonesia, India, & Korea) by true "craftsman". As for the USA made Fenders I own both are Lead Series guitars manufactured in the early 80's.

While searching to replace my long gone Lead III after returning to playing in Nov-Dec of '08 in a two (2) month period I visited numerous shops and played various models of Fender/Squier products. One thing was clear from the beginning and that was "quality control" was suspect in the land of Pancho Villa (a terrorist).

I was not surprised to find the following, improperly set frets, razor sharp fret ends, crooked tuning machines, improperly cut nuts, sharp screws, many crooked screws and stripped or crooked screws and screw holes on the pickguard. Additionally stripped/loose strap buttons, questionable finishes that showed imperfections through the paint, some hazy paint jobs. In the case of some Tele's crooked bridges, and Strat's whose bridge screws were never fully seated. Some of these "imperfections" (substandard construction) were combined with other defects on the same guitar.

Your experience with the MIM Fender guitars is why I refer to those assembly line cretins south of the Grand River as MexiCAN'T's. They just can't get "it" right !

And before some "politically correct" member attempts to "label" me for my observations or make excuses for inferior products let me state that I was careful NOT to select guitars that had been out on the "floor" and beat to crap. I asked to see numerous models pulled directly from the box and restricted my testing to Fender/Squier guitars period.

Sure to stir up some lively discussion.......... Mike

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The blues ain't nothin but a good man feelin bad.

edited by me-will not be a part of this thread!

Sweet. Is there even any mexicans left in mexico? ps: I live in Nueva York.

Something about this thread and some of the responses lead me to believe we have trolls in our midst. Maybe its just me, I've only ever owned one MIM among my MIAs, CSs, Japanese, Korean, and other Asian strats. The MIM was an amazing guitar and I actually traded an American standard for it. Yes I have played some dogs, but that goes for any country origin. Also Mexican/Americans also make the American Guitars. Look in the neck pockets of vintage USA Strats and teles, and I'm sure you will find a Hispanic name.

Nueva York ... funny

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

edited by me

Actually I must admit I've never had any issues with my MIM strats.

I recently sold my 08 mim hss to a friend and he can't stop raving about it. It is one nice guitar and the fit/finish and overall quality are very high.

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Don't worry, Be happy.

Irrespective of brand and country of origin, if one looks for something wrong with a given guitar, one will surely find it.

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You dig?

Yeah, go ahead and label members (me) who tell the truth about inferior products. Shouldn't you be busy filling your plastic water bottles with urine and freezing them to throw at American CITIZENS exercising their "Right to Free Speech" on Thursday ?

I'm BOTH, a PROUD American CITIZEN and a Fender guitar owner. I WON'T apologize for my beliefs or my choice of guitars. This is The United States of America where I'm free to say what I want (and believe) and buy what I want. No matter what you, YOUR "saviour" in DC or his minions try you won't hamper or hinder me.

BTW. "No You Can't"

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Isn't it great that occasionally a single engine plane plummets from the sky into the ground like a freaking dart for no apparent reason ?

I have 3 MIM Fenders and all three are absolutely flawless,I'd be more concerned with the store allowing guitars like that being sold.BTW JerseyJettFan Indonesia is a breeding ground for extremists who profess to be Muslims but through their acts of violence go against everything Islam stands for,your memory must be poor or selective remember the horrendous hotel bombings in Mumbay last year by anti Indian government terrorists?How about the poisoness gassing of the Tokyo Subway?In this day and age terrorists abound in every country even the US and Canada.If you're going to single out a country as being a haven for terrorists have good look around at the international situation before doing so and using the example of a radical who lived many many years ago is pretty lame as far as I'm concerned.The Poncho Villa uprising is ancient history and water under the bridge.

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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.

It shouldn't rest upon a local "mom and pop" shop to correct flaws found on guitars right out of the box, to believe so is LUDICROUS !

Large retailers don't have the time nor the staff in todays economy to spend rectifying PROBLEMS (NOT "issues") that originated at the factory.

The local shops and large retailers should be concerned with "set-ups", customizing, accessories, and explaining the features of various models NOT correcting errors overlooked by substandard quality control supervisors.

I'm lucky that my local shop Richie's Music In Rockaway, N.J. inspects and sees to it that mediocre guitars are NOT hung on the pegs. I've NEVER found an example of questionable construction there.

It's different in high volume big retailers like Sam Ash in NYC or Guitar Center in Totowa, N.J. where once the imperfections are discovered if one wants that exact guitar due to it's finish or feel a customer must wait for it to be serviced which can take days or recently as I observed weeks. Not all retailers have "service personnel" present during all operating hours.

Why should ANY retailer swallow the labor cost of repairing something defective from the factory.

This is a lesson in economics and why this great nation is in so much trouble today, the "Age of Shoddy" is back (look it up). Only a moron would accept or look to condone inferior products. "Well they're doing the best they can" does NOT suffice for any item I'm spending my hard-earned money on.

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Isn't it great that occasionally a single engine plane plummets from the sky into the ground like a freaking dart for no apparent reason ?