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Post subject: Re: MIM Tele
Posted: Tue Mar 15, 2011 3:42 pm
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TimDrakeMusic wrote:
I am an MIM believer. My MIM Tele is by far my favorite guitar. I could easily have left the store with an MIA model, but nothing felt as nice in my hands as the MIM blackout Tele I bought. The wood on MIM guitars is no different than on MIA guitars, and if your bass player thinks there's something magical in the wood here in america, I got a house with an ocean view for sale in Nebraska he might be interested in :wink: :lol:


LOL. Good point.

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Post subject: Re: MIM Tele
Posted: Tue Mar 15, 2011 5:19 pm
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Ive herd great things about the guitars too, they sound and play like amarican mada, but made in mexico!!!

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Post subject: Re: MIM Tele
Posted: Thu Mar 17, 2011 2:03 am
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To suggest that there is no difference in the matching of the wood, the finish, the electronics, the bridge, and the pickups of a MIM Fender guitar, as compared to MIA guitars is ridiculous. While the MIM guitars are very playable and the necks and fret finish are pretty damn close, GET F***ING REAL!!!

A MIM guitar is not the "same" as a MIA guitar. You can have minor blemish variations, minor inferior fit and finish differences, differences in the thicknesses of the neck on the same guitar, mis-matched grain in laminated bodies, inferior electronics and inferior bridge saddles on MIM guitars, and a Fender logo that is not as nice, as compared to MIA guitars.

MIM Fender guitars are not equal to their MIA cousins by design, not because they could not make an equal quality guitar in Mexico. The only question is whether you can justify paying as much as $800 to $1,000 more for a MIA guitar. And it comes down to the size of your wallet and how much you value the nuanced improvements.

A much more difficult issue is whether you can justify the the $1,000 to $3,800 difference between Custom Shop guitars and in-line MIA guitars. Here the nuance is generally even closer, but coupled with added Custom Shop providence that comes with Custom Shop guitars.

The bottom line is the size of your wallet. A 300 hp 6 cylinder Camaro is nice, but wouldn't you really like to have an 8 cylinder Camaro, or better yet, a Limited Edition ZL1 Camero with limited edition colors and nicer wheels, which will hold its value over time and possibly even appreciate?? But yet, you can do practically every thing possible with the 6 cylinder Camero, which still looks good...

It all depends on the size of your wallet...


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Post subject: Re: MIM Tele
Posted: Thu Mar 17, 2011 7:08 am
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MickJagger wrote:
To suggest that there is no difference in the matching of the wood, the finish, the electronics, the bridge, and the pickups of a MIM Fender guitar, as compared to MIA guitars is ridiculous. While the MIM guitars are very playable and the necks and fret finish are pretty damn close, GET F***ING REAL!!!

A MIM guitar is not the "same" as a MIA guitar. You can have minor blemish variations, minor inferior fit and finish differences, differences in the thicknesses of the neck on the same guitar, mis-matched grain in laminated bodies, inferior electronics and inferior bridge saddles on MIM guitars, and a Fender logo that is not as nice, as compared to MIA guitars.

MIM Fender guitars are not equal to their MIA cousins by design, not because they could not make an equal quality guitar in Mexico. The only question is whether you can justify paying as much as $800 to $1,000 more for a MIA guitar. And it comes down to the size of your wallet and how much you value the nuanced improvements.

A much more difficult issue is whether you can justify the the $1,000 to $3,800 difference between Custom Shop guitars and in-line MIA guitars. Here the nuance is generally even closer, but coupled with added Custom Shop providence that comes with Custom Shop guitars.

The bottom line is the size of your wallet. A 300 hp 6 cylinder Camaro is nice, but wouldn't you really like to have an 8 cylinder Camaro, or better yet, a Limited Edition ZL1 Camero with limited edition colors and nicer wheels, which will hold its value over time and possibly even appreciate?? But yet, you can do practically every thing possible with the 6 cylinder Camero, which still looks good...

It all depends on the size of your wallet...


Yeah, I hear what you're saying. I did go with American anyway, but the MIM isn't a bad guitar, I don't believe. I had the money for American, so I went American.

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Post subject: Re: MIM Tele
Posted: Thu Mar 17, 2011 10:01 am
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Sorry I don't buy it...
An American Standard Strat is $999 a MIM is $499. Not thousands of dollars difference.
Yup the electronics and pups may be different but the logo??

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Post subject: Re: MIM Tele
Posted: Thu Mar 17, 2011 10:09 am
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Fender American Special Telecaster Electric Guitar - $849
Fender FSR Telecaster (MIM) - $649

$200 difference.

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Post subject: Re: MIM Tele
Posted: Thu Mar 17, 2011 10:35 am
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It all comes down to the size of your wallet and how much you value the "nuanced" differences or improvements between MIM and MIA Teles.
That even includes the Fender logo.

Like Tim Drake Music, I love the MIM Blackout.

Image

But I'd really like to have this Deluxe Telecaster Plus from the mid 90's.

Image

This just doesn't look like any MIM guitar that I've ever seen.

Image


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Post subject: Re: MIM Tele
Posted: Thu Mar 17, 2011 11:50 am
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Here's a Fender Custom Shop 52 Tele Closet Classic master built by Dennis Galuszka in the Fender Custom Shop. It is a Lightweight 6 ¾ lb. Ash Body, Nitro Finish Body and Neck, Closet Classic Finish made to look like a well preserved 60 year old guitar, One Piece Quartersawn 52 Style “U” 9 ½” Radius maple neck.

A major online guitar shop is selling Custom Shop 52 Tele Closet Classic or $5,400.00.

Image

Here's the Fender Custom Shop LTD Roadshow Telecaster that is specifically made for its 2010 Fender Custom Shop Road Show. It has a Lightweight Ash, 7 1/4 lbs Nitro finished body, Quartersawn Mid 60's Oval "C" 9.5” radius neck, Dark Indian Rosewood, fretboard, 4 way switch, Grease Bucket Tone Circuit, Abby Handwound Twisted Tele neck pickup, Duncan BG bridge pickup Custom Classic Tele bridge, Sperzel locking tuners and a Bone Nut.

The same major online guitar shop is selling the Custom Shop LTD Roadshow Tele for $2,950.00.

Image

Can you justify the $1,450.00 difference in price? Is it all just Fender marketing??
It all comes down to the size of your wallet and how much you value the "nuanced" differences.
And I would suggest that neither of these guitars look like a MIM guitar, which in their own right, are quite nice guitars.
And if you could hold these guitars, the difference between them and a MIM guitar would be even more apparent.


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Post subject: Re: MIM Tele
Posted: Fri Mar 18, 2011 1:28 am
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tyronne wrote:
Fender American Special Telecaster Electric Guitar - $849
Fender FSR Telecaster (MIM) - $649

$200 difference.

Fender American Deluxe Telecaster Ash Electric Guitar @ GC: $1,799.99
Fender G.E. Smith Telecaster Electric Guitar @ GC: $1,749.99
Fender American Deluxe Telecaster Electric Guitar @ GC: $1,699.99
Fender Vintage Hot Rod '52 Telecaster Electric Guitar @ GC: $1,699.99
Fender American Vintage Series '52 Telecaster Electric Guitar @ GC: $1,599.99

These guitars are approximately $1,000 more than a Fender FSR Telecaster (MIM).

Here is American Vintage '52 Telecaster Reissue
Image

Here's the American Special Telecaster
Image

The American Special Telecaster is basically a MIA guitar that is made to MIM standards as is designated by the price and the same headstock graphic, while having 22 frets. You would likely find the same electronics and minor variations as you would find in MIM guitars. It is not equivalent to the guitars listed above. Go play, inspect and compare them closely.

If you can't find any differences, you're not looking very hard. Now whether you think those differences are worth the price increase, that's for your judgement, which is not a question that has universal agreement. That's why Fender makes different levels of guitars, with different attributes, with different prices, for different people, of different financial means.

While marketing plays a roll, if you want to write off the price differences of different models as just Fender marketing, and wish to think that all Fender guitars are the same, be my guest. If you are happy with eating McDonald's quarter pounders, that's fine. Some people like tenderloin.


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Post subject: Re: MIM Tele
Posted: Fri Mar 18, 2011 3:01 am
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My point was the basic models of both countries are closer in cost and quality than not.

If you are fortunate enough and can afford "tenderloin" by all means buy it!

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Post subject: Re: MIM Tele
Posted: Sat Mar 19, 2011 8:58 pm
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You are also paying for what you like. If you like the feel and the sound in an mim guitar than go with an mim. If you like the feel of an mia than go with an mia. Really go with the guitar you would like and dont worry about the extra 200 to 300 because in the long run it really will not matter.


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Post subject: Re: MIM Tele
Posted: Fri Mar 25, 2011 12:20 pm
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All this vasilating between MIA vs MIM...is just funny. This same thing happened when Fender started making guitars in Japan...and now those are considered dare I say it? Collectable? At the very least...desired for their quality....and tone.

Now don't get me wrong some of the early MIM were not that good, especially the cheaper models, but since '02 or '03 the MIM guitars that were versions of vintage type guitars have been made with excellent quality. As an example my 04 MIM 50th Anniversary Golden Strat is my favorite guitar since I bought it new in '04, and I own a great '82 57 Vintage Reissue Strat...and the differences (besides finish type) is not as wide as one would expect. If I didn't tell people it was MIM, they wouldn't know.

I think if you know what you want and you take the time to do a real good sound and build check you will know if it is of the quality you want vs the $$ you want or have to spend.

Either way enjoy what ever guitar you buy and don't worry about what everyone else thinks about it's country of origin.

T2
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Post subject: Re: MIM Tele
Posted: Sat Mar 26, 2011 4:05 pm
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Ok, you guys got me out of the cave. I have both MIA and MIM Teles. Are there differences...YES! Am I cork sniffer who will only go with MIA no. I buy the guitar that speaks to me. This is after all what it is about. You go in and sit down and play every guitar and the one that feels, plays and speaks to you is the one you buy....regardless of the origin of make.
ABS :D


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Post subject: Re: MIM Tele
Posted: Sat Mar 26, 2011 11:36 pm
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Not everything depends on the size of your wallet.When I purchased my most recent Strat I set aside a budget of $2,500 as the ceiling price.I tried out 8 or 9 Strats and made it a point not to look at the price tags or country of origin etc.I was looking for a Strat that felt good in my hands and sounded as close as possible to my '65 Strat. After I had tried quite a few I picked up an Olympic White one that blew me away with the sound and feel,it was a $900 Jimmie Vaughn.I had picked that guitar over Strats costing much more and money was no object ,tone and playabiity were foremost in my mind.

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Post subject: Re: MIM Tele
Posted: Tue Mar 29, 2011 9:25 am
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I also have MIM blackout tele. Seems to be a very well made guitar

Whatever you buy, make sure they set it up to your specs


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