hey! im new to this website, just had a few questions.
So, about a few years back i bought a Fender strat mexican ffrom of friend of mine that was broke and needed the cas and i NEEDED a strat. I ended up paying 185 because i had cash the same night and he was desperate. was it a good deal? how much do they usually go for, its a late 90' guitar i think and is in good condition.

also, i was wanting to make the value of the guitar, and tone, be better than it already is. i was thinking of buying the Fender Vintage-Style Strat/Tele Machine Heads Set of 6 to install, and also the vintage noiseless pickups for it.
is this a good idea? and how much will it bring up the value of the guitar.
and will it ever become a vintage guitar?

well thank you for the answers, i know its a lot, and they may seem stupid, but i have gotten different answers and thought it would be a great idea to get the right ones from the people that know what they are talking about.

You definitely got a good price on the guitar.

Mod the thing to your hearts desire - that's the beauty of the stratocaster, but don't expect mods to raise the value at all. If you ever intended to resell the guitar I'd put any original parts back on the guitar and sell it that way.

Even if 30 years down the road you still have this guitar, I can't see it gaining any vintage value simply due to it being made in Mexico.

I agree with everything Toronado said want to emphasize that modern Fenders will not appreciate in value like the pre-1970 ones did. Sorry to break it to you, but in 2045 your modded or stock 90's MIM Standard Strat will NOT have appreciated 200X the original value like a 1955 Strat is worth today (even taking future inflation in account also). It's a combination of supply/demand and nostalgia for the 50's and 60's guitars. Fender pumps out too many production line guitars the past 25+ years for them to become rare, and it's the guitars from the 50's and 60's that were used on so many great records that have set the standard to which all modern guitars are judged so that's what everyone wants and the insanely high prices reflect that.

So with that being said, play the stock market if you are looking for an investment. Play the guitar and mod the heck out of it if you are looking for enjoyment! Have fun!

p.s. You'll need converter bushings like these when changing from modern to vintage style tuners: http://www.guitarfetish.com/Nickel-Vint ... p_559.html

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Obligatory gear list: Fender, Rickenbacker, Gibson, Gretsch, Vox, Martin, and more Fender.

i think the two above posts have pretty much nailed it. buy the pups & drop 'em in there, and rock it to your heart's delight. but as was referenced earlier, it's worth more stock, unless you find someone who just wants those particular mods. i'd say that's not likely given peoples variances in styles & preferences, plus, they can just get one for about $250 or less, and do the mods themselves and not have much more in it, possibly less, than you'd be asking. it's quite a conundrum for the owner of a modded mim strat. you pretty much have to plan on keeping it forever, or lose money on it. personally, and i'm not an economist, but i think fender should close all foreign plants, add jobs in the US factory, expand it, and build all the guitars right here in the US again. all guitars would then be of the utmost quality, and every fender sold would be a keeper. additionally that would drive the prices of the US made strats down, because they'd be selling more of them. i guess the painful truth is that if they did that, you wouldn't come back to "upgrade". in other words they can sell you 2 and 3 guitars as it stands now-you "upgrade" as you grow as a musician. so instead of selling you one keeper for $500, they sell you that mim for $500, then a highway one for $700, then later on, a US standard or deluxe for $1000 or more. that's almost quadruple your money they get-and you're the same player you would've been either way. don't get me wrong though, i'm absolutely loyal-i only own fenders, including my amp. just wish they'd consider my wallet sometimes instead of always thinking about theirs.