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Post subject: Re: Should I upgrade from MIM to MIA
Posted: Thu Feb 03, 2011 9:11 pm
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Rock Star
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my favorite tele is my guitar center exclusive that sells for $499.00
plays as good as any tele ive played.

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Post subject: Re: Should I upgrade from MIM to MIA
Posted: Thu Feb 03, 2011 9:13 pm
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Rock Star
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Joined: Tue May 18, 2010 7:34 pm
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53magnatone wrote:
Trade ins are always a losing proposition where a shop is concerned, it does not make sense from your wallet, from the shop's it is windfall profits, as they will turn around and price your trade-in at 40% higher for resale, than they gave you :wink:

MIM versus MIA, they are so close that I would not do it strictly on that basis.



i agree with both statements.

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"The good thing is in a club situation, most of the patrons are trashed and really can't tell the difference."


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Post subject: Re: Should I upgrade from MIM to MIA
Posted: Thu Feb 03, 2011 9:24 pm
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Rock Star
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Location: Connecticut
allen319 wrote:
I have a 4 year old MIM Strat HSS. I am considering trading up to a American Strat Special HSS. Just curious if the dollars are worth the upgrade. My local dealer wants $550 for the trade. That's $750 for the MIA and $200 for the like new MIM Strat. Any comments would be appreciated. Does the difference in quality and construction justify the extra $550?


Just to add more headscratching :lol:
In this economy, I would look for a used model of what you want in good to great shape, so many people have bought guitars in the last few years only to get caught up in the downturn and in need of fast cash.
It is a Buyers Market, so if I were you I would maximize that window of opportunity.

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Post subject: Re: Should I upgrade from MIM to MIA
Posted: Fri Feb 04, 2011 4:53 am
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Aspiring Musician
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Joined: Mon Mar 08, 2010 10:15 am
Posts: 655
Location: Brazil
Actually the American Special haves a steel block instead of zinc that comes on mexican ones. Just for correction on Mr. swestmoreland.
I got them both, Highway One (same as American Special, except paint and pickups) and the American Standard. The Special urges vintage in feeling and sound of that texas specials, plus a 6point vintage trem with STEEL block. Very nice guitar indeed.
But the American Standard feels different, like you can play on a neck made of butter! Yes it is soft and nicer to play on the standard, maybe the neck shape, maybe the hand rolled frets, just feels nicer. As for sound dont bother, you can always get your favorite pickup and upgrade it.
Now I mostly use my Highway for praticing and studying, and the Standard for fooling around with backing tracks.
My recommendation to you is, if you got the cash for the American Standard, go for it! It worth the extra between the Special series. And if you can for about a hundred more, get a FSR with nicer pickups and extra bells, so you wont get to sleep thinking what you should upgrade on your new Standard.

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Post subject: Re: Should I upgrade from MIM to MIA
Posted: Fri Feb 04, 2011 10:06 am
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Joined: Fri Feb 04, 2011 8:43 am
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When I finally took up the guitar I wanted the best I could afford. I wanted an American made Strat (MIA) but could only afford a Mexican Strat (MIM), which I bought. The sound wasn't brilliant so I then did what many have done before me and I ripped the guts out and started again!

I put in a new pick guard with an aluminium plate underneath to help reduce hum. I changed the original, rather poor, single coil pups for a set of scatter-wound, fully wax potted pups, made by BKP, with Alnico 3 magnets. I then changed the zinc bridge block (zinc is cheap and not too good) for an American Callaham cold rolled steel block – this gives longer sustain and better clarity at the top end.
The original 250K pots were then changed for 300K's and the wiring re-routed so I now have full tonal control on all three pups – originally Fender only provide tone control for neck and middle.
I kept 3 springs in the back and adjusted the bridge to give greater upswing on the whammy bar and I swapped out the original Fender strings for a set of Gibson Brite Wires. Some time later I also replaced the original nut with a Fender LSR Roller Nut.
The end result is a guitar which, when put through my Vox VT30 sounds like a pukka American Strat costing, at least, 30% – 50% more (here in the UK)!!
The sound I now get out of it is unrecognisable - full tonal spectrum with a far greater range of control than before. It's well worth doing if you have one of the MIM Strats that's a bit iffy; some are very good and some not so, the quality can be variable – mine was iffy – now it's definitely!!!

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Post subject: Re: Should I upgrade from MIM to MIA
Posted: Fri Feb 04, 2011 11:40 am
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Joined: Wed Jan 26, 2011 10:58 am
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joaokorb wrote:
Actually the American Special haves a steel block instead of zinc that comes on mexican ones. Just for correction on Mr. swestmoreland.
I got them both, Highway One (same as American Special, except paint and pickups) and the American Standard. The Special urges vintage in feeling and sound of that texas specials, plus a 6point vintage trem with STEEL block. Very nice guitar indeed.
But the American Standard feels different, like you can play on a neck made of butter! Yes it is soft and nicer to play on the standard, maybe the neck shape, maybe the hand rolled frets, just feels nicer. As for sound dont bother, you can always get your favorite pickup and upgrade it.
Now I mostly use my Highway for praticing and studying, and the Standard for fooling around with backing tracks.
My recommendation to you is, if you got the cash for the American Standard, go for it! It worth the extra between the Special series. And if you can for about a hundred more, get a FSR with nicer pickups and extra bells, so you wont get to sleep thinking what you should upgrade on your new Standard.
Thanks for the correction! Sorry to have mislead the poster. However, we're in agreement that he should consider a standard.


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Post subject: Re: Should I upgrade from MIM to MIA
Posted: Fri Feb 04, 2011 11:45 am
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Aspiring Musician
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Joined: Mon Mar 08, 2010 10:15 am
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Indeed mate. In terms of "feeling" on the NECK, there´s no comparsion in between. Standard FTW.


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Post subject: Re: Should I upgrade from MIM to MIA
Posted: Thu Apr 14, 2011 2:19 pm
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Roadie
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Joined: Sun Feb 27, 2011 10:41 am
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Location: Canada
Http://s1134.photobucket.com/albums/m620/Oskar582

My 2 MIM Standard Strats
2001 Agave blue
2004 Black with pearl pick guard
Both with maple necks and rosewood boards
Wouldn't trade either of them in.

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Post subject: Re: Should I upgrade from MIM to MIA
Posted: Fri Apr 15, 2011 7:15 am
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Roadie
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Joined: Mon Apr 11, 2011 11:49 am
Posts: 214
Remember that to run a retail business, the basic law is that you must be able to sell your product for twice what you pay for it. If you can't, you'll soon be out of business.

Indeed, the trade is not in your favor financially. The service they provide is instant value towards the guitar you want.

You will get more from craigslist, but you have to do the work of selling it yourself.....which is part of the service that a guitar store helps you to avoid.

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Post subject: Re: Should I upgrade from MIM to MIA
Posted: Fri Apr 15, 2011 1:45 pm
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Aspiring Musician
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Joined: Sat Jan 01, 2011 12:15 pm
Posts: 603
Only if you want and can afford to. I have two of each and love to open up the cases and stare at them, all four are beautiful. I'm 65 and just recently got back into guitars. My hands, eyes, and ears can't notice any striking difference between them, which I bet is the case of 98% of us.
And,don't forget your amp is big part of the deal.

Oh...that's right...the MIA's are much nicer to me in every way, because I paid more for them!


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Post subject: Re: Should I upgrade from MIM to MIA
Posted: Sun Apr 17, 2011 7:01 pm
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Roadie
Roadie

Joined: Sun Feb 27, 2011 10:41 am
Posts: 206
Location: Canada
I have two MIM Strats.
One from 2001 and the other from 2004 I live them both and I truly feel they sound every bit as good as a MIA Strat.

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Post subject: Re: Should I upgrade from MIM to MIA
Posted: Sun Apr 17, 2011 9:13 pm
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Rock Icon
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Joined: Wed Jul 29, 2009 10:03 am
Posts: 9449
Location: NL Canada
Both of my MIM Strats and my MIM Tele are superb guitars and sound every bit as good as their MIA counterparts.I doubt very much in a blindfold test that anybody-except for someone with Eric Johnson syndrome-could tell the difference.The fit and finish may not not be quite as high a standard as the MIAs but it is still far ahead of other brands in that price range.Today I was playing Spanish Castle Magic with my MIM Jimmie Vaughn Strat and nailed the Jimi tone through my Marshall.

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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.


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Post subject: Re: Should I upgrade from MIM to MIA
Posted: Mon Apr 18, 2011 1:46 am
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Joined: Wed Mar 31, 2010 12:48 am
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Location: Tombstone Territory
Jack FFR1846 wrote:
Remember that to run a retail business, the basic law is that you must be able to sell your product for twice what you pay for it. If you can't, you'll soon be out of business.


And regarding guitar shops, that applies to both used and new gear.

Arjay

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