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Post subject: New to guitars, have a few questions.
Posted: Thu Apr 03, 2008 4:42 pm
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I was hoping some people here can help me out with a question. I have to decided to get a guitar and went to a few guitar stores today to get an idea on what i want. My options are few because i play lefty, but one store had a MIM fender strat. I have no idea how to play it, but love the feel, the sound, just everything.

I am watching ebay like a hawk now and have come across the 'squier' stratocastor. As i mentioned before, i know nothing about guitars other than squier is a subdivision of fender and just wondering if the feel would be any different then the 'mexi-lefty', as the worker at the store called it, and if it would be better to buy the squier if there are no real drawbacks, or if the true fender would last me longer before needing to upgrade.
Thanks in advance!


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Posted: Thu Apr 03, 2008 4:49 pm
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If your not on a tight budget, which it doesn't sound like you are, then I think you should go with the mexican over the squire. Side by side, you'll probably find the mexican has a little better neck.


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Posted: Thu Apr 03, 2008 5:01 pm
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Definately go with the Mexican Fender. The Squiers are Absolutely NOT in the same league, contrary to popular belief.


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Posted: Thu Apr 03, 2008 5:08 pm
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If money is not an issue I would look for/order a Fender Highway 1.

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Post subject: Re: New to guitars, have a few questions.
Posted: Thu Apr 03, 2008 5:33 pm
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Borderlined wrote:
I was hoping some people here can help me out with a question. I have to decided to get a guitar and went to a few guitar stores today to get an idea on what i want. My options are few because i play lefty, but one store had a MIM fender strat. I have no idea how to play it, but love the feel, the sound, just everything.

I am watching ebay like a hawk now and have come across the 'squier' stratocastor. As i mentioned before, i know nothing about guitars other than squier is a subdivision of fender and just wondering if the feel would be any different then the 'mexi-lefty', as the worker at the store called it, and if it would be better to buy the squier if there are no real drawbacks, or if the true fender would last me longer before needing to upgrade.
Thanks in advance!


Fender builds guitars in US, Mexico, Korea, Japan, Indonesia, and China, to name a few. As you can imagine, the price point reflects the level of sophistication in terms of materials, and production control.

Made in Mexico (MIM) guitars are generally high quality instruments and reliable players. Their serial numbers begin with an "M".(but now we're getting into some deep water for a new comer). The Highway One, is a US built guitar with certain refinements that Fender has used to give it a better price point, and appears to be well-loved by many of the contributors to this Forum.

Those of us in the know could handle the Squiers or some of the other overseas counterparts and likely come up with a winner.

If the new American Standard meets your budget and 'feels good' in your hands by all means consider it.

In the final analysis you can't go wrong following Chet Feather's advice.

Hope this has been of some help.


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Posted: Thu Apr 03, 2008 6:03 pm
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Ill keep a lookout for a highway 1 but my price cap is $350, which is why im looking on ebay. Used is fine by me, so long as it works and made for a lefty.


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Posted: Thu Apr 03, 2008 6:07 pm
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Borderlined wrote:
Ill keep a lookout for a highway 1 but my price cap is $350, which is why im looking on ebay. Used is fine by me, so long as it works and made for a lefty.


'Baby steps', that's usually the best way.

Some of the greatest guitar finds of the century began in the hands of hopefuls who started hot out of the gate, made a big investment, shoved the guitar under the bed for 25 years and then let it go for a song, not knowing what they had.


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Posted: Thu Apr 03, 2008 7:19 pm
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If you end up buying on-line, the first guitar you purchase may be a guitar you love and cherish the rest of your life - but the odds are against it.

This being your first purchase and the fact that you are not an experienced player, here's my best advise: Find somone you know and trust who is at least semi-experienced with guitars (preferably electric, since that is what you are shopping for) and bring them with you to the nearest store that sells real guitars. All the guitar players I know, love to shop for guitars - even when they are not shopping for themselves! And, hopefully, they can at least pick up and play any guitar (lefties included) you think you might be interested in and be able to tell you with some degree of certainty if it's well-made or a piece of junk (unfortunately, both types are out there).

Also, since this will be your first guitar and the guitar you will learn to play on, buy the most expensive high quality guitar you can afford. Three reasons:
A) If your guitar is poorly manufactured and doesn't sound good (even in an experienced player's hands) you will not be motivated to pick it up and practice.
B) If you end up loving to play and find it to be the best thing you ever did, chances are you will want to upgrade sometime. The better your first guitar is, the more trade-in value you'll have down the road.
C) If you find out guitar playing is not your bag afterall, you'll want to be able to get at least part of your investment back. Cheap guitars will get you squat if you sell them used.

Good Luck!


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Posted: Fri Apr 04, 2008 6:16 am
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If your price cap is around $350 check out craigslist.com., I`ve seen some pretty good deals there.


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Posted: Fri Apr 04, 2008 8:05 am
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Speaking from (recent) experience... pawn shops can be a source of real deals if you know what you're looking for. I was lucky... I had NO idea what I was looking for... just saw a dirty/dusty strat... it looked cool and seemed cheap... so I bought it. Turns out to be a 1993 Made in USA Fender Strat. (not bad for $150) I cleaned it up and took it to a guitar tech who offered me double to buy it from me. I think this will be one I'll hang onto for life.


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Posted: Fri Apr 04, 2008 9:06 am
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My first real fender was a MiM and it was a well made good playing guitar.

If you can I would try to find a used MiM at a reputable music store.

Buying off of craigslist/ebay/pawnshop when you don't know what you are looking at can make for some disasters.

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Posted: Fri Apr 04, 2008 9:40 am
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Here's my humble opinion about it. You're just starting out and you need an acoustic and an electric. Right now, you don't know if you're really going to play or not. I've always played cheap crap equipment and I've always enjoyed being better than the equipment. What irks me, and I'm a pretty blue collar guy I admit, is the people with all this lavish equipment to the point where it's just unreal and then they can't play or don't play. I mean, you know, play it. Play the crap out of it. When your fingers hurt and bleed, play a little less until they heal and then go back to it. Music is a part of life that lives on its own despite whatever happens in relationships or careers or whatever. You can play and play and if ever anyone wants to hear some music then you can play it. I don't play an acoustic anymore, but I'm glad I did for years because you know it's the same instrument. Non-players don't know it. You can do a lot more with an electric and in particular a Fender Stratocaster is an amazing musical instrument, but a guitar is a guitar. Don't go and buy a lot of expensive equipment and then stick it in a closet. Get some passable stuff, get some books, get tips from friends, and play the crap out of passable stuff. I totally agree with CA Feathers that a Highway One is a great guitar, and if you're going to do it and play it and use it then get it. But don't buy a great guitar like that and let it sit. That's like the genius of Leo Fender and the years since him all poured into that simple, brilliant instrument to make a musician shine at a fraction of the price you'd pay for plenty of non-Fender guitars that wouldn't be as good. The American Standard even has a few things better than the Highway One like the tuners, which are easily replaced, and the Delta Tone pickups instead of the Highway One Alnico IIIs. These guitars have different voices and actually even though I upgraded my pickups in the Highway One, I'm putting the old pickups in a Squier because they hae their own good tone. I think CA Feathers upgraded the tuners but mine work fine. I upgraded the pickups to Custom Shop Texas Specials and they are unreal. Imho, a Highway One Stratocaster once set up well (and I like the vintage, classic tone from Custom Shop single coil options with hum cancelling from the reverse wound over the oem pickups) is unbeatable. Other guitars can be different but not really better, because it's so good. So if you step up and get one of those world-beater U.S. made Fender Strats, don't stick it in a closet. Check your heart and make sure you want to play it and you're going to play it every day and make your musician dream real. On sale, you can get a Highway One for about $350 - I did with a hardshell case for another $110 plus though as a package. If you're not sure, you don't have to step up to that and a Squier can get you going. I still play mine, and I played an old $50 acoustic too until recently. I started on my Mom's acoustic when I was about 17 and just played a bunch of guitars whatever was around. So if you get the equipment man play it.


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Posted: Fri Apr 04, 2008 10:41 am
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Before you even go near a pawn shop, you need to be well endowed in guitar knowledge. If anybody will screw you over, it's a pawn shop.


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Posted: Fri Apr 04, 2008 12:49 pm
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I usually say start out with an inexpensive item when first getting into something new; but, I do not say it about guitars anymore. I have always had a cheap guitar and as time went on I never really matured as a player because cheap guitars are not easy to play. A good player can play a cheap guitar and make it sound good but a new player has an uphill battle. I can relate to you on a couple of levels because I too am a lefty. Always taking a cheap right handed guitar and switching the strings. Never really getting to try a good guitar because there really aren't that many lefties out there. That all changed when I went into a local music store and saw an American lefty Strat hanging on the wall. I tried it and immediately saw and felt the quality and playability of a great instrument. I bought it and it took away all my excuses as to why I can't get any better. Now my interest is renewed and I've become a much better player. I guess what I'm saying is, if you can swing it, get a good one. If you're interested enough to give it your best shot don't start with bad equipment. Don't give yourself an excuse to fall back on.


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Posted: Fri Apr 04, 2008 4:06 pm
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sunburst wrote:
I usually say start out with an inexpensive item when first getting into something new; but, I do not say it about guitars anymore. I have always had a cheap guitar and as time went on I never really matured as a player because cheap guitars are not easy to play. A good player can play a cheap guitar and make it sound good but a new player has an uphill battle. I can relate to you on a couple of levels because I too am a lefty. Always taking a cheap right handed guitar and switching the strings. Never really getting to try a good guitar because there really aren't that many lefties out there. That all changed when I went into a local music store and saw an American lefty Strat hanging on the wall. I tried it and immediately saw and felt the quality and playability of a great instrument. I bought it and it took away all my excuses as to why I can't get any better. Now my interest is renewed and I've become a much better player. I guess what I'm saying is, if you can swing it, get a good one. If you're interested enough to give it your best shot don't start with bad equipment. Don't give yourself an excuse to fall back on.


I know what your saying man, i got some cheap righty acoustic about 5 years ago for christmas. I didn't know anything about guitars, so i didn't know a difference between left and right handed players, i didn't even know about a 'lefty mode' until i played guitar hero, which i went home afterwards and flipped the strings on my acoustic which made it feel better, but i was using an old bridge and unless i pressed the strings down perfectly it would hum or rattle when i played a cord (i didn't want to spend money on a guitar that looks spray painted and doesn't even have a name brand anywhere on the body).
Thats what stuck out when i played the strat, i barely had to touch the strings and it sounded great, it pretty much played itself. Now i found a good MIM one and at the latest it will arrive by next weekend. Thanks everyone who contributed to this thread!


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