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Post subject: Looking for as much info possible on my early MIM Strat
Posted: Mon Aug 04, 2014 5:03 am
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Hi all. I bought a Strat second hand some time ago for the bargain price of £50. It has some wear and tear on the body but the neck is in good condition with little to no fret wear so I bought it with the intent to refinish the body with some airbrushed artwork (thats what I do in my spare time) and thus eliminating any signs of its rough history lol.

I was under the impression it was a 1993 model but whilst stripping it down this morning I have found a 1991 stamp and hand written "22/8/91 Mary" on the back of the neck. It also has a "Squier" stamp on the neck pocket.
The serial nimber is MN017381. Is there any way I can find out the full specs including body wood, pick ups etc. and as much history of this instrument as possible? Is there a way of telling if it has american parts that were just assembled in Mexico? Do the American parts look different to the Mexican?
Here are some pics and any help would be gratefully received :)
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Post subject: Re: Looking for as much info possible on my early MIM Strat
Posted: Mon Aug 04, 2014 6:42 am
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The product dating pages (upper corner of this page > support > product dating > Mexican instruments) says MN0 + 5/6 digits = 1990-1991.

Other than that, email consumerrelations@fender.com with the serial number. Usually you get the specs for the guitar.
Sometimes Mr. Schwartz from Fender has time to answer on the forum.

On that US parts -question... It's quite common that we all want a guitar to be somehow special. Anyway, a 1991 MIM for Boulton-Watt is a bargain as is.
(Disclaimer: haven't checked the your for authenticity.)

Edit: Corrected the currency according to omar59's advice below.
Damn those foreigners with their toy money :lol:


Last edited by jmattis on Mon Aug 04, 2014 10:56 am, edited 1 time in total.

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Post subject: Re: Looking for as much info possible on my early MIM Strat
Posted: Mon Aug 04, 2014 10:40 am
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jmattis wrote:
Anyway, a 1991 MIM for Ulysses S. Grant is a bargain as is.
(Disclaimer: haven't checked the your for authenticity.)


He paid 50 pounds, not fifty dollars, that works out to about $84.00 US, still not bad! :)

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Post subject: Re: Looking for as much info possible on my early MIM Strat
Posted: Mon Aug 04, 2014 12:07 pm
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omar59 wrote:
jmattis wrote:
Anyway, a 1991 MIM for Ulysses S. Grant is a bargain as is.
(Disclaimer: haven't checked the your for authenticity.)


He paid 50 pounds, not fifty dollars, that works out to about $84.00 US, still not bad! :)


Fifty quid is an excellent deal.

8)

Arjay

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Post subject: Re: Looking for as much info possible on my early MIM Strat
Posted: Mon Aug 04, 2014 10:35 pm
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jmattis wrote:
On that US parts -question... It's quite common that we all want a guitar to be somehow special. Anyway, a 1991 MIM for Boulton-Watt is a bargain as is.
(Disclaimer: haven't checked the your for authenticity.)



Svee

While there is no disputing the Mexican plant assembly of your guitar, there is more to the story than provided by the other posters, so don't be deterred by the dismissal above.

In 1989, your MIM Strat body and neck were made in USA and shipped to Mexico for assembly.

If you read this long but interesting thread on another forum, you will read this quote by Keith Brawley, a Vice-President at Fender, who originated the thread in 2000 on that forum to invite comment about the Squier line.

Here is exactly what he says about production in the early days in Ensenada.
Beyond that, the MIM product utilizes necks and bodies made in our Corona, CA factory, which keeps the machinery humming and the factory efficient...keeping prices for USA-made product down.

Here is a link to the thread, which is many pages in length. For the exact posting I reference, see Feb 9, 2000.
http://www.fenderforum.com/forum.html?d ... &offset=80

Brawley went on to develop his own line of guitars and I think later worked at Taylor. I have no doubt he was speaking as an insider and in an official capacity in that thread.

Since he is making the statement above in 2000, it is probably true that the USA origin of the necks and bodies continued to that date and beyond.

My own guitar has several features identical to yours, and is discussed elsewhere on this forum. It is however marked Made in USA. So in that 1989-1990 period, there were guitars produced to more specifications than many readers are aware of, including export spec MIA Fender labeled Strats, like my own, that were to lesser spec than American Standard, due to cheaper imported hardware, ceramic pickups, and tuners identical to yours. My own guitar has the same pickup routs, same drillings in the neck pocket and adjacent to the pickups for clamping during machining, and same nylon sleeved truss rod hole. Interestingly, your guitar has a bridge that may be of Japan origin, since all the Fender saddle logos are in the same orientation, but I would have to do some research to confirm that, so maybe others can pipe in regarding that.

You will not be able to get details from Fender's customer support, since this guitar predates the retrievable database of serial numbers.

Great photos, by the way. Maybe you could show the underside of the pick guard assembly. That may shed a bit more light on things.


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Post subject: Re: Looking for as much info possible on my early MIM Strat
Posted: Mon Aug 04, 2014 11:21 pm
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Michael7 wrote:
don't be deterred by the dismissal above

M7, you somewhat misinterpreted my writing. I was not trying to degrade a MIM vs part-MIA, but quite the opposite; in my books a guitar is judged for what it is, not for where it was made.


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Post subject: Re: Looking for as much info possible on my early MIM Strat
Posted: Tue Aug 05, 2014 1:30 am
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jmattis wrote:
in my books a guitar is judged for what it is, not for where it was made.


+1

Despite being regarded here by many as a "tone snob" I love the MIM Classic Series Strats and own several.

Arjay

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