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Post subject: Re: difference between USA and Mexico made Fender
Posted: Thu Sep 22, 2011 6:12 am
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I own 3 telecasters. The awesome 72RI thinline ash. $940 MIM, a nashville MIM and an American Std $900. The MIA is the best quality. Cost is, as shown, not much difference in price. All three different and can't compare to each other.


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Post subject: Re: difference between USA and Mexico made Fender
Posted: Thu Sep 22, 2011 5:25 pm
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You could do a rat Tele (like me) It's a mixture of Fender MIA, MIM, MIJ, Gibson, and Epiphone parts. To be honest, it works great.

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1984 Squier Contemporary Stratocaster
1986 Peavey Envoy 110
1967 Kingston Acoustic


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Post subject: Re:
Posted: Fri Sep 30, 2011 9:11 pm
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Red Paul wrote:
I always thought the US vs $@! vs Mexican debate was just snobbery.. until I played a US Strat! You really can tell the difference... it sounds better and is easier and more natural to play - I still don't know exactly why, but I guess it's just the sum of all the slightly better woods, hardware and workmanship. :)


That's why I don't want to play a USA Fender. I'm perfectly happy with my Japanese and Mexican Fenders, and I don't want that being ruined.


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Post subject: Re:
Posted: Fri Sep 30, 2011 9:15 pm
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tanglefingers wrote:
My solution is to purchase Mexican Fenders and give them upgrades. I own a couple of Mexican Telecasters and a couple of Mexican Strats. They all now have either "SCN" or "Vintage Noiseless" pickups and they play and sound great. I selected the guitars primarily on their ACOUSTIC tone. Electronics can be modified, but you have got to have the basic wooden tone to begin with.


There's nothing wrong with the pickups in my Mexican Stratocaster. I see no reason to replace them.


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Post subject: Re: difference between USA and Mexico made Fender
Posted: Fri Sep 30, 2011 9:32 pm
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Aurelian wrote:
My newest Fender is a Roland-ready Strat with a "Made in Mexico" decal on the headstock. The serial number indicates it was made in 2005-2006 at Ensenada.


Does it have the "Fender 60" diamond on the back of the headstock? If so it's a 2006. If not it's a 2005.


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Post subject: Re: difference between USA and Mexico made Fender
Posted: Sun Oct 02, 2011 8:06 am
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Here's my 2p worth:

Well firstly I'd imagin that if they have two different factories then they're not going to be making exactly the same product in each factory particularly considering these tow production facilities are only about 150 miles apart (as the crow flies).

My second point is that I only have a Mexican tele, I've never played a USA made model, but the quality of my MIM is such that I wouldn't swap it for any other guitar and would not consider selling it. I have one of the Telebration series teles on order wich I hope will be here by about December this year and though it's costing more than three times what I payed for my MIM brand new I find it difficult to imagine that this new guitar will be all that much better than my MIM.

I am very much looking forward to my new arrival and will be glad to post a review or report that compares the Mexican and USA made guitars though I think that where they are made isn't going to be what makes the difference but the specifications to which they are respecively built.

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Post subject: Re: difference between USA and Mexico made Fender
Posted: Sun Oct 16, 2011 1:40 am
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bugo wrote:
Aurelian wrote:
My newest Fender is a Roland-ready Strat with a "Made in Mexico" decal on the headstock. The serial number indicates it was made in 2005-2006 at Ensenada.
Does it have the "Fender 60" diamond on the back of the headstock? If so it's a 2006. If not it's a 2005.
No, bugo, the back of the headstock is bare. There's no diamond, so that makes it a 2005 instrument.
Many thanks for that interesting piece of lore.


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Post subject: Re: difference between USA and Mexico made Fender
Posted: Tue Nov 01, 2011 5:33 pm
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I have had a number of MIM Teles, but my MIA blows them away on all accounts. My MIM Jaguar, OTOH, is every bit as good sounding as my MIA Tele. The parts, body grain, and the fact that it is a 3-piece body makes it "inferior" to the MIA Tele. Playing-wise they are equal. The Jaguar actually has a more even paint job. Bottom line, it all depends on how the guitar "connects" with you.


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Post subject: Re: difference between USA and Mexico made Fender
Posted: Sat Nov 05, 2011 3:22 pm
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From what I found, there are good and bad guitars in every category. Just because you pay a lot of money doesn't mean that you can't still get a dud. A good MIA and a good MIM can both play nice but the features should be what you compare.


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Post subject: Re: difference between USA and Mexico made Fender
Posted: Sun Nov 13, 2011 6:11 am
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Location: Stillwater, MN
I have owned MIM, MIA and Japan based Fenders and will just say that the most important factor between all of them for me is:

-How does the neck feel and how is the fit and finish - For example, are the frets nice and smooth when I have my thumb wrapped over the top of the neck, or am I feeling everything and getting ripped apart... should be completely SMOOTH for my liking - And I have found good and bad from all of them... Just gotta play 'em to know

-Then assuming that the neck is EXACTLY what I want (since that's where most of my time will be spent) I always know that I can swap out the pots and capacitors and get the tone where I want to be. I've certainly swapped out some pickups as well, but at this point I tend to like most of the pickups in a number of Fenders products, but feel that the biggest improvements come from upgrading the electronics (pots and capacitors)

I do look at a number of other factors like the fit and finish of the nut, bridge, body, etc., but all in all I'm REALLY picky about the neck and swapping out some basic electronics.

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Post subject: Re: Re:
Posted: Sun Nov 20, 2011 9:29 pm
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bugo wrote:
tanglefingers wrote:
My solution is to purchase Mexican Fenders and give them upgrades. I own a couple of Mexican Telecasters and a couple of Mexican Strats. They all now have either "SCN" or "Vintage Noiseless" pickups and they play and sound great. I selected the guitars primarily on their ACOUSTIC tone. Electronics can be modified, but you have got to have the basic wooden tone to begin with.


There's nothing wrong with the pickups in my Mexican Stratocaster. I see no reason to replace them.


Any MIM tele can benefit from changing out the weak original pick-ups. It's a real shame that the "SCN" Tele pickups are no longer available, as they are great noiseless pickups. Long Live Bill Lawrence!!

If you have a MIM Tele, and your switch looks like this one, and you are replacing the weak original pick-ups, you might as well get rid of this cheap switch:

Image

Get a CRL 3 way switch, like this one

Image

While you are in there, you might as well swap out the original pots and replace them with CTS 250k Audio-Taper Pots, and add an SBE 716P Orange Drop 400 Volt .022µF Capacitor while you are at it.

And while you are in there, you might as well swap out the original female input jack for a Switchcraft jack.

If you want to use a guitar cable with an angled input plug instrument cable, get a "Switchcraft L11 Jack," which is a bit longer, and allows for the use of the angled input plug.

You can get all of these items at Antique Electronc Supply and Guitarelectronics.com.

http://www.tubesandmore.com/
http://www.guitarelectronics.com/

Or just order the whole deal from Acme Guitar Works for $50 and save yourself a lot of soldering.
You'll get a beautiful set-up like this one:

Image

http://www.acmeguitarworks.com/

I recommend "Fender Custom Shop Texas Special Tele Pickups",....

Image

...unless you want to go "noiseless."

Image

Granted, these upgrades will cost you around $150 - $180.
But this up-grade will greatly improve any MIM Telecaster and are well worth it.

Finally, get a Fret End Dressing File from Stewart MacDonald and dress the ends of the frets, any your MIM neck will feel and play as well as a MIA neck.

http://www.stewmac.com/shop/Tools/Speci ... =3&xsr=531


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Post subject: Re: difference between USA and Mexico made Fender
Posted: Mon Jun 04, 2012 7:16 pm
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Ill tell you the truth this came from a fender rep not three months ago told me that the wood and gear that are used on a american fender are the same that they use in mexico no difference but a zip code hell i have the email i need post... any way there is your answer a zip code and a price are the difference


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Post subject: Re: difference between USA and Mexico made Fender
Posted: Tue Jun 05, 2012 5:43 am
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Grungelives wrote:
Ill tell you the truth this came from a fender rep not three months ago told me that the wood and gear that are used on a american fender are the same that they use in mexico no difference but a zip code hell i have the email i need post... any way there is your answer a zip code and a price are the difference

Believe what you wish to believe.

The fact of the matter is that the bodies are graded and you will generally have better matched wood laminations on American bodies with transparent finishes. The necks are "rolled," and the ends of the frets are dressed much better on an American Fender, making for a much nicer feeling American Fender neck. The Mexican tuners look like Schaller tunners, but are actually Ping tuners, made in China. Is there a fuctional difference? Probably not. It actually wouldn't surprise me if Schaller tuners were made in the Ping factory now-a-days.

As for electronics, some Mexican are using CRL switches, or switches of similar quality. But there is generally no comparison with Fender Mexican pickups and most Fender American pickups.

If these differences don't justify buying an American Fender guitar for you, by all means, buy a Fender Mexican guitar. They are generally fine guitars except for the pickups. And by the way, next time, don't let a Fender rep blow smoke up your input jack!!


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Post subject: Re: difference between USA and Mexico made Fender
Posted: Tue Jun 05, 2012 9:29 am
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You know, I have both MIM and MIA and love them both dearly....I bet if we(me included) all just decided to practice more and talk less none of this would matter....we would all sound great :D
ABS


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Post subject: Re: difference between USA and Mexico made Fender
Posted: Tue Jun 05, 2012 9:39 am
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It's just an inferiority complex mixed with snootiness and arrogance. Many players who refuse to play Mexican Fenders are insecure about themselves and hide behind the USA logo. They are not confident in their playing ability and try to compensate with a "nicer" (read: more expensive) guitar. Personally, I don't care where they're made. I'm a value guy, and I like to get a lot for my money, That's why I play Mexican and Japanese (and one Chinese) Fenders, because of the tremendous value. I've played good and bad American guitars, and I've played good and bad imports. My Japanese '50s style Tele from the mid-late '80s plays almost identical to a $1500+ Hot Rod Tele that I played a few months ago. It was uncanny how much the Hot Rod felt like my Tele. And I have about $350 in my guitar (I acquired it in 1995.) And my Mexican-made '50s Classic Strat plays just as well. Sure, some US made guitars might feel a little bit better than equivalent Mexican made guitars, but the difference is so minor these days that it makes no sense to me to pay the extra money. That being said, one day I would like to own an American Fender, just to shut up all the naysayers. I was thinking about an American Standard Tele, but I don't like the body contour on the new ones, so I'd have to move up to a more expensive model.

Somebody needs to sponsor a scientific experiment where guitar players are given guitars with no label on the headstock and to evaluate each one. I bet some of you cork sniffers would be shocked by the results.


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