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Post subject: Re: My first Fender Stratocaster purchase dilemma
Posted: Sat Jul 19, 2014 12:50 am
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Roadie
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The reality with strats for many people is that the model you buy is really just the starting point for what the guitar will ultimately become. Strats are very much like Harley Davidsons. There's an enormous after-market of various parts and pieces to customize it into YOUR perfect guitar. This holds true whether it's MIA or MIM. The main consideration I use for a new guitar is the type of neck, finish, and the style of pickups (i.e. all single coils, or humbuckers mixed with single coils). At a bare minimum I usually end up changing the tuning pegs, pickups, and saddle to match my needs.

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Post subject: Re: My first Fender Stratocaster purchase dilemma
Posted: Sun Jul 20, 2014 5:00 pm
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Hobbyist
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Joined: Fri Jul 18, 2014 12:35 am
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Sooo...what I am facing right now, not having visited the store yet would be a layman calculation.

The Am Std Strat cost about USD1520, the Deluxe cost USD1860.

The MIM Std Strat cost USD565, and the MIM Deluxe Player cost USD735, MIM Deluxe Roadhouse cost USD710.

The difference is huge but are the sound and quality comparable? I will drop by the store this weekend to try it out.

I am less concerned about the intangible MIA feeling...I am not an American so...that is out of the picture.

Side track, what songs would y'all recommend I learn to test the tones for blues, rock and hard rock?

If the MIM sounds good, I will buy it. But it does not include a lot of accessories for it. While the MIA has a lot more stuff.


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Post subject: Re: My first Fender Stratocaster purchase dilemma
Posted: Sun Jul 20, 2014 6:00 pm
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Aspiring Musician
Aspiring Musician

Joined: Tue Jan 15, 2013 11:12 pm
Posts: 520
Location: Perth, Western Aus.
Play songs you know, not ones you think might show off the guitar.


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Post subject: Re: My first Fender Stratocaster purchase dilemma
Posted: Sun Jul 20, 2014 6:12 pm
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Amateur
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Joined: Sat Nov 15, 2008 8:14 pm
Posts: 148
LizzieSpitFire wrote:
...
But what I'm encountering is...the local guitar store that I go to only has MIM Fenders Strats. Another guitar store, which is more pricey, has MIA Fenders but that requires a lot of trouble accessing as I need to make an appointment to try out the guitars and such.
...

I suggest trying the MIMs and determining which one feels the best in your hands, sounds nicest to your ears through different amps in the store and inspires you (the most) to keep noodling around on it.
I've found that no matter the price or the manufacturer, that's the only way a guitar follows me home from any store.
Online shopping is different, you'll have to pay attention to the various return policies out there. As for that, AMS, Music123, Musicians Friend and Zzounds use the same warehouse so if you see a Strat you like on one site figure out which one is offering the best special that day and determine if you agree with that source's return policy.


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Post subject: Re: My first Fender Stratocaster purchase dilemma
Posted: Sun Jul 20, 2014 6:19 pm
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Drubbing wrote:
Play songs you know, not ones you think might show off the guitar.

Mostly what he said, since Strats can be (and ARE) used for all kinds of music.


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Post subject: Re: My first Fender Stratocaster purchase dilemma
Posted: Sun Jul 20, 2014 9:33 pm
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Joined: Fri Jul 18, 2014 12:35 am
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I mean like some songs would bring out more tones akin to what I'm looking for.


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Post subject: Re: My first Fender Stratocaster purchase dilemma
Posted: Mon Jul 21, 2014 7:32 am
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Look at some of the well known players such as Bonnie Raitt, John Mayer, Nile Rogers (learn those jazz chords, that's his secret), Robert Cray, Bruno Mars, Stevie Ray Vaughan and, I think, most of the guitarists the RHCP went through played Strats.


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Post subject: Re: My first Fender Stratocaster purchase dilemma
Posted: Mon Jul 21, 2014 7:32 am
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Also, check out YouTube for Strat demos, see what people are playing.


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Post subject: Re: My first Fender Stratocaster purchase dilemma
Posted: Mon Jul 21, 2014 3:14 pm
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Aspiring Musician
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Joined: Wed Feb 03, 2010 1:00 am
Posts: 310
Purchasing a guitar should not be mingled with investing. Buy a guitar that you will love to play and play often, and for monetary appreciation, put some money in a reputable mutual fund.

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Post subject: Re: My first Fender Stratocaster purchase dilemma
Posted: Mon Jul 21, 2014 3:25 pm
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Professional Musician
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Joined: Tue Sep 11, 2012 2:14 pm
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markara wrote:
... for monetary appreciation, put some money in a reputable mutual fund...


Therein lies the rub !! :roll:

cheers!

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'11 FSR Am. Vtg. Ltd. Ed. CAR '57 Stratocaster (SN# LE02639)
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'10 Heritage H-535
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Post subject: Re: My first Fender Stratocaster purchase dilemma
Posted: Mon Jul 21, 2014 3:26 pm
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Professional Musician
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Joined: Tue Sep 11, 2012 2:14 pm
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Hope the OP is still not in the throes of deliberation...

He's lost 4 Days playing time already... :wink:

cheers!

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'11 FSR Am. Vtg. Ltd. Ed. CAR '57 Stratocaster (SN# LE02639)
'14 American Deluxe Ash Stratocaster
'12 Telebration Empress Telecaster
'99 Deluxe Nashville Telecaster
'12 FSR Telecaster HH
'10 Heritage H-535
'99 Martin DC-1E
'13 Lanikai Tenor Ukulele


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Post subject: Re: My first Fender Stratocaster purchase dilemma
Posted: Mon Jul 21, 2014 4:14 pm
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Hobbyist
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Joined: Fri Jul 18, 2014 12:35 am
Posts: 8
Work has been really hectic and I have been clocking overtime so haven't got a chance to drop by the guitar store. I am actually using a Vox AC40 amplifier, and the Fender Authorized Dealer store only has Roland, Peavey, Laney and...what's that other brand. I will probably test it through a tube amp and a solid state amp to get a feel.

Thanks for all the comments. I thought if I ever changed my mind about Strats in the future, I will be selling it away and get something else. But yet the Fender SSS Strats have this appealing thing about it to give a really good solo...


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Post subject: Re: My first Fender Stratocaster purchase dilemma
Posted: Tue Jul 22, 2014 7:35 am
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LizzieSpitFire wrote:
... and the Fender Authorized Dealer store only has Roland, Peavey, Laney and....

Those are your test amps right there, you won't need to plug into anything else. Test more than one Strat, work all of the controls on the amps AND the guitars and determine what you like.


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Post subject: Re: My first Fender Stratocaster purchase dilemma
Posted: Tue Jul 22, 2014 8:08 am
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Joined: Wed Apr 18, 2012 10:47 am
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Most stores wont mind you bringing in a small combo to use to try out a guitar you are interested in purchasing.


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Post subject: Re: My first Fender Stratocaster purchase dilemma
Posted: Sun Jul 27, 2014 11:00 pm
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Joined: Fri Jul 18, 2014 12:35 am
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Thanks guys, I figured I'll drop by next week or so once everything is sorted out. I have some finances to calculate before I can estimate if a certain amount can get me a guitar.

I was thinking of MIM because I can mod my strat without feeling like I'm butchering something expensive. Since pickups are "preferential", sometimes "people make bad decision" and "end up putting silicons and it got ugly". The MIA, which cost twice or more than an MIM wouldn't give me that much of a heartbreak if I ended up "accidentally butchering" its tones by mistake.

Whereas the MIM would feel "less painful" in that aspect. Of course if the MIM had the right tone then there wouldn't be a need for me to mod it, and I would assume the same for the MIA. In fact, I believe with baseless logic, that the MIA would "sound better" and "need less modifications" because the pickups would generally be better. The MIM only has " Standard Single-Coil Strat" while the MIA has "Custom Shop Fat '50s Single-Coil Strat".

This is just my opinion, please feel free to educate me or give me input because it really helps me a lot.


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