Looking for my first Strat. Actually my first guitar. Would prefer to start with a good used MIM. Anything I should look out for? Is there a tonal difference between rosewood or maple?

2006 and up, Standard MIM's, are probably the best as they underwent upgrades. The neck is pretty much personal choice, though some maintain that maple is a bit brighter, rosewood a bit darker sounding. Hope this helps and welcome to the forum............ Mike

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

Welcome to the forums, I agree with Mike, but it's up to you, go play them and take one home that feels right for you. Searching and test driving is always fun, but be careful, the damn things are like potato chips... once you've had one, you'll want another

Good luck in your hunt, and send pics when you get one home

Bill

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Hey, Boy Blue is back!

Welcome to the Forum bone 64,there is no difference between rosewood and maple fretboards other than aesthetically.MIM Strats are quite good guitars I have 3 MIM Fenders and 2 are Strats.If you can find a used Jimmy Vaughn that would be a great start but it's much better to try as many as you can and pick the one that feels and sounds the best for you.

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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.

MIM Standards are GREAT guitars! That would make an awesome first guitar! I have a 2006 and a 2008 - the '08 being my #1 guitar (over a USA Strat I have BTW..) Pllus, if you are savy you can find them really cheap - check out pawn shops especially. I scored my '06 for less than 200 bucks! and just needed strings and a cleaning! I like and have both maple and RW Strats and personally, I can't really hear a tonal difference as much as I can "feel" the difference. My RWs feel "softer " in a way... Have fun shopping! And as a prior poster said, be careful - your first can turn into a 2nd and a third and a 4th... etc...

Welcome aboard!

As others have already mentioned, the MIM are great guitars. I have a strat and a tele. Both are wonderful. If cash is an issue, look for used ones at your local guitar store or on craigslist or pawn shop. You usually can find one as low as $200 and up to $400, depending on condition.

Pick one up and go with the "feel" of it.
Look for obvious cracks or problems...look down the length of the neck to see if it is bowed too far. Look for something more recent than a 2006. The first number in the serial number typically indicates the year of manufacture,

Good luck!
-T

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-T

"You can't spend what you ain't got, you can't lose what you ain't never had" ~ McKinley Morganfield

Welcome. Don't worry about any tonal difference between maple and rosewood. It's a matter of feel and looks. Strictly personal preference. If you are buying a used MIM, try to have an experienced player check it out to make sure there are no serious setup issues.

Welcome. As the previous post mentioned, if you are not familiar with guitars and their mechanics, you should take along someone who does. There can be subtile problems you can miss when trying to buy used. If that can't be done, I'll bet you will find some great advice on the web about what to look for when buying a used guitar. An example would be to check the truss rod nut to see it is functional and not screwed up.
And Oh yah, guitar acquisition is addicting. Good luck and have fun searching.