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Post subject: Mexican vs American "Can't we just get along?"
Posted: Fri Feb 18, 2011 7:05 am
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But I dont mean to offend any one but I just dont truley believe the hype with American vs Mexican made strats. I mean isnt the American and Mexican factories only 30 miles apart! Meaning they share alot of the same building materials?

Some of you already might know that I recently purchased a Mexican made fender stratocaster used. I am a bit frustrated with the peanut gallery coming out and tell me I will never have good tone unless I get an American strat. But you know what I have a family and dropping a grand or even $500 on a used Amercian Strat just isnt efficient for me. Im Lucky I got the gear I got now. I've really become attach to my mexi-strat, (its my first Strat) it plays well and sounds well, stays in tune and is very dependable. Im just looking for a different, fuller sound thinking a up graded pick-ups will give it a different tone, not a better tone. To me tone is like your favorite t-shirt "I love it! but it may not be for you." and you know what thats okay.
But for those who tell me that I wont get good tone until I buy an American Strat, Im not going to listen to that. Im mean other than musicians preferences' where the proof that that an American is better than Mexican strat? I know they are made with different woods, different electronics, etc. But my mexi-strat is not sub-par its tough as nails and very rugged, it holds a tune well and sounds well. The only thing I had to do was set it up to my personal preference, but we do that with all guitars even American Strats. I know the saying " you get what you pay for" but come on were not talking about an expensive name brand and a Generic off brand. Were talking Fender Products here. And I dont think that Fender will let thier great name, quality and reputation become tarnished just becuase it makes more buisness sense to outsource the assembly line.
Sure most of us live in America and want to purchase American goods and believe me I do! Me and my wife own Fords, Were Buying a American Home etc. And there is no one more patriotic than my self with 4years and 6month serving in the United States Marine Corps. But dont you think that as a society we are trained to think that the more we spend on something, the better quality it is? When was the last time you were out at the general department store and got something becuase the box looked better and the price was higher and you thought you were getting quality. Only to find out when you got home it was worthless? I just dont think that Mexican Strats are held to a lower standard just becuase of where its made. I do know that American Strats place higher end pick-ups in the guitars, but better? I have been looking to change my pick-ups for a different set and I;m getting mixed reviews on the American Strat OEM parts.
If you want to chime in just keep it friendly. We all love our guitars like we love, our wifes, cars and mothers. so let this be a friendly debate. Im not dogging either guitar I think there both great!


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Post subject: Re: Mexican vs American "Can't we just get along?"
Posted: Fri Feb 18, 2011 7:19 am
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I Played Both Kinds And I Love To Save Money No Doubt But The American Models Do Have Better Parts And Do Sound Better. They Really Do. Meaning You Save In The Long Run.

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Post subject: Re: Mexican vs American "Can't we just get along?"
Posted: Fri Feb 18, 2011 7:33 am
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I don't own a MIM now but I have in the past. I think they're great guitars. Some now even have the Alnico pickups. I've picked up some MIAs at Guitar Center that felt like $@!&. The same for MIMs. You would think a place like GC would have thier inventory setup proper but thats a different topic.

Now I own two MIAs. They're awesome guitars. I bought em because my little buisiness has been doing pretty well and I could afford 'em. I can see and feel small/subtle differences in quality between a quality MIM and a quality MIA. And in some cases the tone difference is more than small/subtle. And in some cases not so. But I certainly don't put down MIMs at all. They are really good guitars for the money. Some MIMs are even better than some MIAs from what I've seen.

I don't enjoy talking down about something/anything someone else owns. I enjoy what God has given me today and I try to let everyone else do the same. If someone is blessed enough to be able to buy a MIM or MIA either one then he/she should be thankful and enjoy their God given ability to PLAY AND ENJOY MUSIC. :D Edit. Anyones life can change at any moment, mine yours, everyones. We could lose a hand in an accident, get cancer, anything can happen. I try not to take life for granted or squander my time here on earth with negativity. So yes I agree we should all get along. :D

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Last edited by bshane84 on Fri Feb 18, 2011 9:54 am, edited 3 times in total.

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Post subject: Re: Mexican vs American "Can't we just get along?"
Posted: Fri Feb 18, 2011 7:35 am
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i have a 2004 Am standard and a roadworn 60's and i prefer the roadworn it just sounds, plays and feels better.


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Post subject: Re: Mexican vs American "Can't we just get along?"
Posted: Fri Feb 18, 2011 7:42 am
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bshane84 wrote:
If someone is blessed enough to be able to buy a MIM or MIA either one then he/she should be thankful and enjoy thier God given ability to PLAY AND ENJOY MUSIC. :D

Amen, Bro!
Im thankfull of the gifts that God has given me. Im glad that he blessed me with a great home in a great community with a great school that my children are attending. but I am even more gratefull that he had a little extra to bless me with music.


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Post subject: Re: Mexican vs American "Can't we just get along?"
Posted: Fri Feb 18, 2011 7:49 am
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My only problem with MIM is that the neck treatments have tended to be less to my liking. Fender has used the anemic looking finish satin poly on them instead of the classic gloss amber coat, and too the fredboard width is smaller.

I must say my new 2011 "Blacktop" which is a MIM guitar, has a nicely finished neck with the classic amber coat. Some of the other new 2011 MIM I have seen are much nicer, so thats a plus. Fender has done themselves right. In my personal opinion.

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Post subject: Re: Mexican vs American "Can't we just get along?"
Posted: Fri Feb 18, 2011 10:08 am
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As the owner of nine Strats, most of mine have been self-assembled from "cherry-picked" bodies and necks. In every case, those components came from Mexico or Japan. And, no......I don't in any fashion or manner consider them to be "second-class" instruments.

Arjay

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Post subject: Re: Mexican vs American "Can't we just get along?"
Posted: Fri Feb 18, 2011 10:37 am
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As anyone who has owned VWs can tell you, where something is made can have a big impact on quality. Even the difference between a Brazillian made VW, a Mexican made VW, and a German made one is noticeable... in the long run. Sometimes.

That's not to say that a MIM Fender is going to be bad. Or that all MIA Fenders are going to be great. It's just that since MIA guitars can be sold for more money, you have the ability to use slightly higher quality components in manufacturing in some cases, greater attention to detail and (here's the important bit) have higher QC standards. Some percentage of parts/guitars will never make it out the door, and some percentage of parts/guitars should not make it out the door.

If you can afford to go with an MIA or a MIM, then certainly the MIA represents a good investment - if you place a priority on the quality of the guitar you play (versus other decisions in life). If you can't afford an MIA guitar, then the decision has been made for you -- there's a lot of things I can't afford, and I do my best to not worry about them.

If your choice is between MIM and Made Somewhere Else, then MIM is certainly a good way to go -- improving Mexico's economy could help to ease many of their societal troubles, as well as lessening certain sources of tension between our two countries. NAFTA has already stripped away jobs from the US, so it's sort of a Done Deal at this point in terms of job loss to our southern neighbors.

The bottom line is that you should purchase the best guitar that you can afford given a budget that's arrived at based upon what's important in life. If somoene can afford an MIA guitar, but only by feeding their childen blended table scraps and scavanged ketchup packets, or by running up credit card debt, then they should not buy one. Period. The MIM versus MIA question should only come into question if the cost difference can be reconciled -- much like the choice between new and used, or even guitar or no guitar.


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Post subject: Re: Mexican vs American "Can't we just get along?"
Posted: Fri Feb 18, 2011 10:40 am
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It's all about the price points, An MIM will be at a lower price point than the equivalent MIA, however the MIM may sound better to you and not to me, or vice versa.

As far as the I only buy American made products :wink: I prefer to look at the quality of the product versus where it was made and/or assembled.
This argument lost it's basis decades ago. Not so long ago it was less expensive to ship steel across the ocean than it was to have it shipped up the coast.

For any manufacturer or service provider, there is an equation where the buyer is very much a part of that equation. If a product prices itself above what the competitive norm is, then that product has to be exceptional to stay in the game, we live in an ever-expending global commerce, we have done so for centuries, to just say I only buy US made products is hypocritical since to abide by that limiting idea, you will have to discard somewhere around 80 percent of the products in and around you.
As a matter of fact, the very computer you are communicating with does not qualify in that criteria.
Yes I have a Ford Ranger, a majority of the parts are made overseas, the truck may have been assembled in part stateside, but not all of it.
I also drive an Audi Quattro, have owned Saab's and Volvo's and the reason I don't drive an american made car that equals an Audi Quattro is because there isn't one being manufactured yet by an american :roll: company.
I wish there was, but the brains in Detroit still believe the earth is flat and the roads are all straightaways and the temperature never dips below 65 Degree's Farenheit.

If Detroit paid attention to say... a global corp. like Fender they might get an :idea:

Sorry but this is a topic which invites a " TROLL " defined thread and it's response's.

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Post subject: Re: Mexican vs American "Can't we just get along?"
Posted: Fri Feb 18, 2011 10:55 am
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I still say that if Fender didn't let it be known where each were made, ownership statistics would be a lot different; cosmetics notwithstanding.

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Post subject: Re: Mexican vs American "Can't we just get along?"
Posted: Fri Feb 18, 2011 11:01 am
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Martian wrote:
I still say that if Fender didn't let it be known where each were made, ownership statistics would be a lot different; cosmetics notwithstanding.


That would be fun, " The Blindfold Test " 8)

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Post subject: Re: Mexican vs American "Can't we just get along?"
Posted: Fri Feb 18, 2011 11:02 am
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Martian wrote:
I still say that if Fender didn't let it be known where each were made, ownership statistics would be a lot different; cosmetics notwithstanding.


I agree!

Arjay

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"Here's why reliability is job one: A great sounding amp that breaks down goes from being a favorite piece of gear to a useless piece of crap in less time than it takes to read this sentence." -- BRUCE ZINKY


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Post subject: Re: Mexican vs American "Can't we just get along?"
Posted: Fri Feb 18, 2011 11:03 am
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morbe wrote:
But I dont mean to offend any one but I just dont truley believe the hype with American vs Mexican made strats. I mean isnt the American and Mexican factories only 30 miles apart! Meaning they share alot of the same building materials?


I agree with you on everything except the statement above. Corona, CA is about 180 miles from Ensenada, Mexico. Plus MIM and MIA share very little of the same components. For example, just take alook at the many pics and videos of recent Fender factory tours and you'll see 5 or more piece bodies used for MIM Std while the typical MIA Std is 3 pieces. If you really want to nail down which components are used in both MIA and MIM models, then look at the service diagrams for those models in the "Support" tab at the top of this page and compare component part numbers side by side. But you have to look at specific models since not all MIM or MIA models are created equal.

It's a myth that the only difference between MIM and MIA is where they are made. There really are part differences too and it is reflected in price along with different labor rates between the two countries.

But MIM is fine with me. I own both MIA and MIM. I test every guitar before I buy it. Every piece of wood is different...every guitar is different no matter where it was made. It's good Fender has choices at all price points. MIM quality has really improved the past few years.

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Post subject: Re: Mexican vs American "Can't we just get along?"
Posted: Fri Feb 18, 2011 11:40 am
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53magnatone wrote:
I also drive an Audi Quattro, have owned Saab's and Volvo's and the reason I don't drive an american made car that equals an Audi Quattro is because there isn't one being manufactured yet by an american :roll: company.
I wish there was, but the brains in Detroit still believe the earth is flat and the roads are all straightaways and the temperature never dips below 65 Degree's Farenheit.

If Detroit paid attention to say... a global corp. like Fender they might get an :idea:


I submit to you: The Cadillac CTS: in Coupe, Sedan or Wagon form. Spring extra for the V version of any of the three body styles, and you get a car that destroys just about every vehicle on the road (556hp).

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cadillac_C ... present.29

Does ANYONE need to own a station wagon that's as fast as a mid-90's Lamborghini? No. Could I convince myself that I need to sell an organ to get one? Yes.


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Post subject: Re: Mexican vs American "Can't we just get along?"
Posted: Fri Feb 18, 2011 11:44 am
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morbe wrote:
bshane84 wrote:
If someone is blessed enough to be able to buy a MIM or MIA either one then he/she should be thankful and enjoy thier God given ability to PLAY AND ENJOY MUSIC. :D

Amen, Bro!
Im thankfull of the gifts that God has given me. Im glad that he blessed me with a great home in a great community with a great school that my children are attending. but I am even more gratefull that he had a little extra to bless me with music.

Exactly! enjoy the Strat that you have and don't worry about what others say.
I can afford higher priced guitars now than I used to be able to buy because all my kids are grown,but way back when they were young,I usually only had one guitar and one amp....and me and my buddies played some great music back then.


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