MIM Strats, affordable excellent quality.
On the subject of American Made Only. Ok..... take apart your/an MIA Strat and research where the components were manufactured, surprises await you, not all the components of a MIA strat are manufactured stateside.

When did anyone EVER state anywhere EVER that all the components were made in the USA. It is posted here all the time. Of course they are not. The point is that the fit, finish, and assembly is done here.

Blindfolded you would not be able to differentiate between which were MIA or MIM strats, if you had 10 to test out.

This is just not true. I don't have much more to say on this other than your hands must be partially numbed.

Fender does own the manufacturing plant in Mexico which is just over the border, the difference being a lower labor cost which allows Fender to sell a high quality instrument at a lower price point. That is a plus for the consumer.

The difference is in body and neck wood selection, finishing, rolled edges, and fret and nut work.

I seem to remember California was once part of Mexico
As far as made in America Only... We've been in a global economy for more than a century, it is just recently that the internet / tech has reinforced that fact.

What?

Forget about the distinction and buy the strat that fits you, regardless of where it was made.

This I agree with.

BTW 50's Classic Series are MIM's. The reason the 50's Classic is more expensive is because it is a higher quality guitar than the standard and is made to replicate 50's vintage attributes at an affordable price point.

Though I was referring to guitars set up for the test, not off the rack, last I was at GC, every strat I picked up was fret proud and most were MIA's. That syndrome is a case of moisture loss which is critical to any guitar and must be at or above a certain point or else the wood does dry out (shrink ) severely. All wood has a certain moisture content, regardless of being finished or a blank.

Good point bluesky636. Putting some of yourself into an amp or instrument make them very special indeed.

Really it's just my preferance. If i'm spending this much $$$ I want it to be mia. I try to, when possible, keep my large purchases american made. I am also looking at a 50's Classic Series (0131002304) but it was $200 more that the Standard. What is the cheapest mia Strat? Thanks for the help.

...And all done at a cost less than the price of the cheapest American made guitar.

I think the old saying "Speed costs money. How fast do you want to go?" is applicable here.

I really like that.

If you value your labor as I do mine, you've got more in it than you may realize. If you had to pay someone else to do the mods, and do them as well as you did, it would bring the price up very close, very quickly. I think that your labor/knowledge is very valuable.

I'll put my modified MIM Standard Strat up against an American Standard Strat any day. Hell, I'll put my modified Squier Affinity Tele up against an American Standard Tele too.

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