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Post subject: MIM VS USA. What are your thoughts?
Posted: Mon Sep 01, 2014 3:27 pm
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I'm thinking about buying a MIM strat to get my feet wet with having a strat. What separates a MIM strat from a USA made strat?


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Post subject: Re: MIM VS USA. What are your thoughts?
Posted: Mon Sep 01, 2014 3:54 pm
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Please search the forums. You should be able to find zillions of posts on the subject. OK maybe not zillions but hundreds.

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Post subject: Re: MIM VS USA. What are your thoughts?
Posted: Mon Sep 01, 2014 4:31 pm
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Like this:

http://forums.fender.com/search.php?keywords=MIM+VS+MIA&terms=all&author=&sc=1&sf=titleonly&sk=t&sd=d&sr=posts&st=0&ch=300&t=0&submit=Search

This one is interesting.

http://forums.fender.com/viewtopic.php?f=6&t=61762&hilit=MIM+VS+MIA

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Post subject: Re: MIM VS USA. What are your thoughts?
Posted: Mon Sep 01, 2014 6:26 pm
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I like the MIM necks.

Some bodies are quite nice, but some are veneered up chopping blocks.

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My other guitar is a Strat.

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Post subject: Re: MIM VS USA. What are your thoughts?
Posted: Mon Sep 01, 2014 6:30 pm
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I bought this one today thank for your help y'all
http://www.musicgoround.com/p/210633/us ... ard-w-case


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Post subject: Re: MIM VS USA. What are your thoughts?
Posted: Mon Sep 01, 2014 6:50 pm
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I have a Deluxe Players Strat & love it. I think the MIM are great guitars, sound good & have a great feel. For the money it's not too difficult to upgrade to Seymour Duncan or Fender custom shop pick ups if so desired.


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Post subject: Re: MIM VS USA. What are your thoughts?
Posted: Tue Sep 02, 2014 5:18 am
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buy a guitar you like, dont get caught in that MIM vs. MIA vs. MIJ vs. MIC crap.
stratocasters are highly upgradeable and highly playable irrespective of country of origin.

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Post subject: Re: MIM VS USA. What are your thoughts?
Posted: Tue Sep 02, 2014 11:16 am
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zachrantanen wrote:
I bought this one today thank for your help y'all
http://www.musicgoround.com/p/210633/us ... ard-w-case


This site does not show your guitar, but we would love to see pictures of it
Thanks
mud


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Post subject: Re: MIM VS USA. What are your thoughts?
Posted: Tue Sep 02, 2014 11:35 am
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Location: In the Land of "Stratocaster"
The higher end Mexi's like Jimmy Vaughan's, Lonestar's, Blacktop's etc... are right up there in build quality and appointments with the American Specials & Standards at apprx half the cost.
I have a Blacktop Strat... It's VERY nice.. pro quality all the way. I also have a '62 AVRI... VERY nice, pro quality guitar... BUT... the Blacktop is less than 1/2 the price of an AVRI... granted, the only upgarde the Blacktop could realistically use is better bridge saddles... and even at that... the stock saddles are pretty decent.

Lower end Mexi's do use cheaper parts, pups and the build quality isn't as refined... hence the serious low-ball price tags.
Enjoy!

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Post subject: Re: MIM VS USA. What are your thoughts?
Posted: Tue Sep 02, 2014 11:11 pm
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Location: In a house....unless I'm at work....then I'm in a shop.
If I may step in it here and add my 2 cents worth.......

If we are talking about a new guitar well either are well made and a solid work platform.
The real difference comes ion the pick ups and tremolos.

Can you upgrade the MIM to a MIA? Sure, but the cost (Even more so if you have to pay a Luthier) of upgrading will cancel out any savings between the two.

Now if your on a budget, then get the MIM and know that in a few years you could sell it for 300ish, or you could do what I did and upgrade it yourself.

Even with me doing the work, I could have got a MIA base model, the difference is I got to choice the tremolo (A one with a large brass block) and the pick ups I wanted (Fender custom shop) and the pick guard and so on, but it will never be worth what I have in it.

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But I love the end result.

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Post subject: Re: MIM VS USA. What are your thoughts?
Posted: Wed Sep 03, 2014 3:02 am
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I actually think the Mexican Standards are great guitars and in my opinion require no mods.

I have recently moved on my four American Standard Strats and Teles and replaced them with one mexican and one custom shop strat and tele.

In my experience the difference in feel and quality between the mexicans and the american standards is less than the step up to the custom shops.

The necks feel similar to an american standard and I am very impressed with the fret work on both the strat and the tele on which I can get the action as low as my custom shops without any choking on bends.

The tuners appear to be the same, although they don't seem to hold their tuning as well, which is probably down to the nuts not being cut as well.

Bodies are light and resonant, unfortunately neither of mine are clear finishes so I can't comment on how many pieces.

Pots are CTS, switches look the same as the Amercian ones and the pickups sound great, not quite as good as the custom shop ones in the american standard but not bad through a decent amp.

The bridge on the strat does not feel quite as nice as the american one and feels a little light weight and cheap, although that may just be my perception.

The bridge on the tele is great, and I like the saddles, although it may get swapped for a brass three saddle one at the next string change.

The other pro on the tele is the lack of a body contours as I always felt that the standard was too much like a strat and not enough like a tele for me, which is why mine may be getting a three saddle brigde.

Mexican strats great as they are could do with an improved bridge and a new set of pickups.

In UK prices strat £419, Callaham Bridge £159 set of fat 50s £169, set up £50 total £797
Cost of a US standard £1094 and in my opinion the mexican would be as good or better.


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Post subject: Re: MIM VS USA. What are your thoughts?
Posted: Wed Sep 03, 2014 3:22 am
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For me the problem is the amount of polyurethane finish on MiM but great guitars!
viewtopic.php?f=6&t=95710

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Post subject: Re: MIM VS USA. What are your thoughts?
Posted: Wed Sep 03, 2014 4:13 am
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MIM are cheap guitars in all aspects, period.


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Post subject: Re: MIM VS USA. What are your thoughts?
Posted: Wed Sep 03, 2014 4:38 am
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Nikola Tesla wrote:
MIM are cheap guitars in all aspects, period.


Troll post much?

Many can't tell the difference. You'd think the differences would be pretty easy to see for the difference in $$.


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Post subject: Re: MIM VS USA. What are your thoughts?
Posted: Wed Sep 03, 2014 4:55 am
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Hi,

If you think you can tell the difference have a look in the lounge.

I have posted three audio clips.

1 with a mexican standard, 1 with an american standard and 1 a custom shop with Abbi handwounds.

Let me know which do you prefer and which is which.

Ian


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