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Post subject: Mexican Tele vs American Tele
Posted: Sun Aug 27, 2017 4:38 pm
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Hi Everyone,

I currently own a made in Mexico Fender Telecaster '72 Custom Reissue. It's a great guitar, but I'm experiencing the 60 cycle hum, especially with the bridge pickup.

I'm thinking about upgrading to the Mojotone pickups which are supposed to be more quiet. Whole thing will prob cost $300 with labor included.

My question: Is the pickup upgrade worth it on a guitar that only costs $600 to start with, or should I be looking at investing in an American Made Telecaster? What are all the quality differences between the Mexican and American? If it's just a matter of electronics, then the pickup upgrade should close the gap. But are there other differences I'm not taking into account?

I should note that I previously upgraded the bridge to a 6 saddle bridge.

Any insight you can provide would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!


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Post subject: Re: Mexican Tele vs American Tele
Posted: Thu Aug 31, 2017 12:55 am
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The MIM/MIA comparison is both a can of worms and too big a subject, so I'll not go there.

But on the humming issue, it could be other than the 60 cycle hum. The electronic devices of today cause a lot of interference, so test the guitar with 'all other appliances down' method. Computers & their fans (& other fans), WIFIs, phones & their chargers (&other chargers, power supplys etc.), fluorescent lights...

And how's the shielding on the MIM 72? I mean, US Reissues don't have the shielding paint, does yours? While checking that, check also the grounding (especially if touching the strings/bridge affects the noise).

If you decide to switch the bridge pickup, there are a lot of hum-reducing possibilities besides the brand you mention. Noiselesses from Fender, rail/stacked humbuckers from every manufacturer and all that jazz.

Moneywise, upgrades seldom reflect on the resell value. Mods solve problems, give different features, personalize a guitar, etc; so the value lies on the practical side.
Think beforehand - will you be happy with an upgraded MIM, or will you forever long for 'that other guitar'.


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Post subject: Re: Mexican Tele vs American Tele
Posted: Thu Aug 31, 2017 6:50 am
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Agree w/ all the above and would add, it may simply be a bad guitar cable. Eventually they all seem to wear out some faster than others. Look for a low impedance cable to try and check all the grounding solder joints/points before sinking hundreds into pickups.


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Post subject: Re: Mexican Tele vs American Tele
Posted: Thu Aug 31, 2017 7:31 am
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If you like the MIM tele, and you're going to keep it for ever, a pickup upgrade is really nothing out of the norm.
Unfortunately, you just have to cut your losses if you decide to sell and don't put the stock pickups back in. you wont recoup the 300+ that you've put in on a resale.

If you instead go for a USA made one, your still going to get the noise, all SC pickups hum... Some less than others... I have 4 guitars with single coil, others of course have humbuckers I just deal with it...


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Post subject: Re: Mexican Tele vs American Tele
Posted: Thu Aug 31, 2017 2:08 pm
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Does this model have a humbucker in the neck?
If so it should be quiet in this position and as mentioned there could be something else going on.
If noise is the only issue just replace the bridge pickup with a noiseless variant e.g. Dimarzio
With either that or the side by side bucker Mojo variant you'll probably need a 500k pot. :D


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Post subject: Re: Mexican Tele vs American Tele
Posted: Sun Sep 10, 2017 5:44 pm
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Thanks all for the tips! Much appreciated. I went and tried a bunch of different telecasters this weekend, and still feel mine is the best suited for me. So I'm going to go ahead with the pup upgrade!


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Post subject: Re: Mexican Tele vs American Tele
Posted: Thu Nov 30, 2017 4:49 am
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Hi, I am not guitar expert. I just play them.

I recently bought a MIM Tele Noir which I think is just a plain MIM Tele standard. I used to own a USA made one long time ago. I don't find it any worse playing that a USA made. As far as humm.. thats just the way those single coils are. Its been a very long time since I played a tele as my last one was over 15 years ago. But I actually feel that this one the hum isn't no where near as bad.


Anyway, FWIW.. I have another guitar that I use in a heavy amped up band and I just would up replacing all the pickups with stacked humbuckers to get rid of the hum. Its a cool idea but beware, it totally changes the sound of the instrument.


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Post subject: Re: Mexican Tele vs American Tele
Posted: Sun Jul 29, 2018 5:42 pm
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I have both MIA/MIM Teles. I love them all. One of my
MIMs I swapped out the pups for Fender Vintage Noiseless pups and it is my main player. The neck is perfect in every aspect! Fit and finish is flawless! Sound, heaven. Find the one the speaks to you and just play!


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Post subject: Re: Mexican Tele vs American Tele
Posted: Sun Jul 29, 2018 10:05 pm
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jmattis wrote:
But on the humming issue, it could be other than the 60 cycle hum. The electronic devices of today cause a lot of interference, so test the guitar with 'all other appliances down' method. Computers & their fans (& other fans), WIFIs, phones & their chargers (&other chargers, power supplys etc.), fluorescent lights...


Bad ground wiring and poor shielding of the cavities are the most common causes for 60-cycle buzz in addition to the aforementioned factors above.


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Post subject: Re: Mexican Tele vs American Tele
Posted: Sun Jul 29, 2018 10:15 pm
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KidBlast wrote:
all SC pickups hum...


There's a PGNCS T silent single-coil system built inside a Telecaster pickguard eliminating the noise while retaining the single-coil chime.

https://www.ilitchelectronics.com/product/pgncs-tele/


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Post subject: Re: Mexican Tele vs American Tele
Posted: Mon Jul 30, 2018 5:15 am
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gypsytele wrote:

....What are all the quality differences between the Mexican and American? ...


MiM and MiA are both such a broad spectrum of instruments that it is impossible to answer that.

Both factories now use the same technology, CNC routers etc., so actual quality is pretty much down to specification and price.

IMHO and expensive MiM such as a Road Worn or Classic Lacquer is better than a cheap MiA American Special. But then the American Special is cheaper.

The higher spec MiAs are nicer to play as the necks are rolled and feel better out of the box. But then if you play a MiM (or American Special) enough, or address the neck yourself, it can feel the same.

The age of the guitar has significant bearing. I caught an interesting video on You Tube last night which (neck rolling aside) pretty much put the new MiM Player Series to be identical in specification to the older American Standard Series - hardware, PUPs, frets etc etc were all the same. I haven't done the comparison myself though.

I had the same discussion a couple of days ago with a mate who just received a bonus from work. "I think I'll get an MiA" he said. He had seen an MiA Special on the Andertons site. "Why?" was my reply. It pretty much came down to the badge and the historical perception that MiA's are better. There is no doubt they were but today the line is a great deal more blurred.

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Post subject: Re: Mexican Tele vs American Tele
Posted: Mon Jul 30, 2018 5:35 am
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Also keep in mind that the MiM either come with no gig bag, or the higher end ($800+) do, while the MiA Special comes with a bag, and anything above that price point comes with a hard case.
I'm not sure if any of the $1000+ MiM come with a hard case or not.
Given the American Special is a touch over $1,000, and the ABS hard case retails for $150, you're pretty close price wise to an MiA "Professional" (old Standard).
Same tuners, same electronics... main difference is the lack of case candy and the vintage style bridge.

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Post subject: Re: Mexican Tele vs American Tele
Posted: Mon Jul 30, 2018 11:38 am
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There are differences between the American Special and American Professional.

Electronics are not the same.

The Special uses a greasebucket circuit which rolls off the highs without adding lows while the Professional sports a no-load tone control.

American Special necks lack off a micro-tilt adjuster & biflex truss rod.


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Post subject: Re: Mexican Tele vs American Tele
Posted: Mon Jul 30, 2018 7:11 pm
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chromeface wrote:
There are differences between the American Special and American Professional.

Electronics are not the same.

The Special uses a greasebucket circuit which rolls off the highs without adding lows while the Professional sports a no-load tone control.

American Special necks lack off a micro-tilt adjuster & biflex truss rod.

By "same" electronics I was referring more to the quality of parts... not the specific circuit (which would not really impact the cost). The AmSpec doesn't get mini-pots and the "cased" PCB switch.
Good point about the micro-tilt, and that makes up part of the cost difference along with the case and case-candy.

Again, there is absolutely nothing wrong with the MiM products, but I'm not sure that I'd rank the AmSpec below any of the MiM models... likewise, I think in a true blindfolded side by side test, most of us would be hard pressed to accurately make the correct call 6 out of 6 times comparing Am-Pro, Am-Spec, and Classic Series models. Heck, when I was noodling at Sam Ash before buying my AmSpec, my wife's suggestion was to buy the Hendrix Monterey model. I liked the AmStd, but the big CBS headstock won me over :D

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Post subject: Re: Mexican Tele vs American Tele
Posted: Tue Jul 31, 2018 1:15 pm
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I own a new MIM Deluxe Ash body Butterscotch which I upgraded the machine heads to the deluxe Fender locking and the pick ups to the Texas Specials. I have not had 1 person in over 50 I tested tell me it is a MIM and these are what I call US serial number snobs. If you like the way it plays buy it.

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