Just one more reply...

I thought that the Ebay guitar appeared 100% legit but its always better to buy guitars in person and especially if you don't know what you're doing.

I'd suggest that you go look at the GC instrument and either take a friend who plays guitar to check it out or get someone at the store to play it for you and go over the details with you. Ask questions and make sure it's 100% OK before you walk out with it. I'd also try to negotiate them throwing in a gig bag, a couple of packs of strings, maybe a cord, a strap and some strings. It'll be worth it to them if they think/know that you'll be back to spend in the future. I always get the stores to throw in a few extras. It's part of the deal!

Yes, the later model MIM's are updated with better pickups but ALL of them are pro level guitars and can be easily upgraded or reconfigured if necessary. Throwing in a Humbucker is no problem but picking the right one can take years!

You're a totally awesome Mom to be gifting your kid with a Strat and I just hope the kid appreciates your efforts to support him. Oh... And make him practice!

Good luck!

On top of what mymindsok said, make sure you check out the neck and the fretboard. Basically, for the neck, just sight it like you would a piece of lumber. As long as it doesn't look bowed or twisted(some bow is okay, you'll know if it's bad), then it's good.

Frets-check for wear. Good frets will look new, bad frets will look like this, although probably not as severe:


If those two things are good and it plays/sounds well, $250 isn't a bad price, that's half of what a new standard would have cost and $25 less than ebay; $75 if you count shipping costs. So yeah, I'd jump on it, assuming the above is good. Hopefully your son will like it and you will score many cool mom points ^^

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I traded my car in for a microphone.

Wow, Capo, is that the neck on one of your guitars there?

Thankfully no, that pic is from a fret repair site lol. I freak when I see so much as a scratch on my frets >_> My friend's old Yamaha acoustic had frets like that though if not worse, nobody in the audience heard the buzzing but I sure could. His first 6 frets looked just like the nut, each string having its own individual slot. <_<

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I traded my car in for a microphone.

-thanks for all the info and tips...
-yep, he has to practice everyday and for each day he doesn't practice, he goes one day past his birthday before he gets all his new gear-at least that's what I've told him, lol! (is that mean??) But I don't think it's a problem with him anyhow...it can sometimes get annoying that we can't even run to the grocery store or to the redbox machine for a movie without him bringing an acoustic in the car with us. But I never, ever complain (out loud). I'd rather he do that than play his Nintendo DS or watch tv.
-I know the Mexi Strat (my lame attempt to be cool by using guitar lingo) will be one that he will keep for many years to come and I prefer to spend a little extra on that, then on something that has a higher likelihood of being "dismissed" sooner rather than later. So it's me being a mom that supports her son's passion as much as it is being a wise consumer.

You are a wise lady, madam.



Arjay (whose warrant officer father would've preferred that I take up chemistry or astronomy as a hobby)

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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

LOL!!!

Wow, them are some baaaad frets.
C'mon, 'fess up ... you hit 'em with a Dremel dintcha?
I know ya did ... admit it.

;^)

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Just think of how awesome a guitar player you could have been by now if you had only spent the last 10 years practicing instead of obsessing over pickups and roasted maple necks.

Nah, not a Dremel. My frets are that bad due to my Dremel-like vibrato. Every good guitarist knows the key to good blues is excessive vibrato and bending combined with the proper guitar face. For reference, see BB King:

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I traded my car in for a microphone.

A sincere thanks to everyone who has contributed to making such an awesome birthday wish for my son to come true. You guys have been the wind beneath my wings, truly~ I don't always get to pull something like this off and thanks to y'all, I will! 90% of the "cool mom points" I earn will be because of your advice, helpful tips, expertise, and internet searching on my behalf.

I'm very confident in going to get the guitar today so wish me luck! The next hard part, resisting the urge to give it to him right away~suddenly his birthday seems so far away--I'm sure more so for him than me

Y'all are the best!!

Of course, you'll be back here in December for advice on the amp you'll be buying him for Christmas......



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

Good luck, hopefully all will go well and your son will have an instrument he will love and enjoy playing for years to come. ^^

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I traded my car in for a microphone.