Jeez, there are so many choices with these. I need help making sense of all the models and variations of the options. I'm an amateur blues, jazz tunes player just starting out in electrics. I think I'm looking for an inexpensive quality starter. I've seen the new G5 and it looks like it would be a great choice but I'll wait until someone gets tired of theirs.

A local shop has a Mexican black and white for $250.

I know this is a real open-ended question. Is there a resource I can review that would help make sense of it all? This forum has a lot of info but it's way above my experience/knowledge level.

if you look around, you can find mim tele's or strats for a pretty good price.

look on youtube. there are tons of guitar videos there. and don't forget to check your local music store if one is nearby. there is nothing like putting an axe in your hands and playing it. you'll know when it's right

X2. Whatever you do, make sure you try it, play it, see how it feels, sounds, etc. If you're looking for a starter and a Strat seems like the direction you're going in, a MIM Standard will be a fine choice. If you're willing to look on the used market you can find some really sweet deals.

I didn't realize that the electrics would sound that different one from another. Like if you have two oe three MIM MIM they'll differ?

It's been my experience that even though they're mass-produced, no two Strats will be "exactly" alike. The more well-used the guitar is, the more this phenomenon increases. The guitar will kind of reflect the things it's exposed to throughout it's life, just like a used car will.

Sticking with new MIM Standard Strats, you can get either maple or rosewood fingerboards; maple will have a brighter sound while rosewood will be a little more "woody". There are different series of MIM Strats that have different neck shapes, fingerboard radiuses, pickups, etc, which will have a much bigger effect on how the guitar plays, but even with two MIM Standard Strats side by side at your local guitar store, you might feel a difference in the setup.

Don't overthink it or over-research it Fred. All you will get from any of us is just highly-biased opinions. If it feels good and sounds good to you, that's all that matters. Definitely try to buy a guitar that you can get your hands and ears on.

Yes. It can be a subtle difference, or a very audible one. This is why you cannot buy a guitar online, you have to play it or have a friend play it for you.

Cheers

David

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"Humans think they are smarter than dolphins because we build cars and buildings and start wars etc...and all that dolphins do is swim in the water, eat fish and play around. Dolphins believe that they are smarter for exactly the same reasons."

The advice of not over-thinking this is right on the money. One could get the impression from reading the posts on this site that a Stratocaster has to be modded and tweaked in certain and mysterious ways before it will yield proper tone and playability. Not so. A stock MIM standard is an excellent starting point, and is a guitar that could be successfully taken to stage and studio by any player.

There is, however, something about a Strat that lends itself to tinkering. It's a result of Leo Fender's original modular design, allowing easy manufacture and repair that also makes it easy to modify the instrument to your own tastes.

My 2008 MIA standard has been modded to the point where the only remaining original component is the body itself, and I can tell you it is one hell or a sweet guitar. I can also tell you that if you handed me a stock guitar and told me to use it instead, the difference, truth be told, would be subtle.

So why modify? Because a guitar is a very personal thing, and it's relatively inexpensive and simple to do it. 'And, there's a wealth of information on the net to instruct us, and hundreds of manufacturers of components who inform us that their product will make our lives better.

Get the MIM Standard. It's the Swiss Army Knife of guitars in its stock form. There's no real compelling need to modify it until such time as you truly feel/have a need for it.

Hmmmm....I no sooner say that and then think wait....there is ONE mod that I would make to it right away. Yeah, and then another poster will say there's just ONE thing he would suggest to any stock MIM....and it begins.

Buy it. Play it. Don't sweat it.

Buy a standard MIM (made in Mexico) Strat in your choice of color and a Fender Mustang amp.

I recommend buying the Mustang II or III (I own the III and love it).

As a beginner/amateur with electric guitars, I wouldn't break my head over tons of options. As a beginner you can't judge them anyway due to lack of experience.

So, all you need is basic advice:

1. music style to play: Jazz 'n' Blues = strat is fine (and others)
2. pickups: S/S/S or H/S/S
3. origin: at least MIM or higher (Japan, USA)
4. feel: there's no way around playing it in person, whether you care about different options or not. If it feels right and sounds as you wish, buy it. Try to play many of them!! Every guitar feels and sounds more or less different. If you play a guitar and wish to go on and go on and go on playing it, that's the one you want to buy. Don't think about WHY(!!) it feels that way, just buy it! If you don't find one that feels that way on the first day, be patient. Come back a week later or go to another store.

DON'T LET THE SELLER PLAY IT FOR YOU!! He might blind you with georgeous playing, hidden effects or whatever to get you to buy it. PLAY IT YOURSELF and play it for at least 15 minutes unless it feels totally crappy. Use no effects, maybe a little reverb. Use a tube amp! Digital amps mostly fake the sound!

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Kindest regards from Germany, Dee
My recordings --> http://www.soundclick.com/bands/page_mu ... dID=564337
STRATS ROCK!!! but Teles and Firebirds, too!