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Mexican vs American Fenders question
Posted on 5/19/15 at 11:40 am
Posted on 5/19/15 at 11:40 am
Is there a big difference in sound? Is it worth the price? What say you?
Posted on 5/19/15 at 11:58 am to Jiggy Moondust
Ive owned both and they are both great instruments. You pay for slightly better tone woods, fret work, and finishing details and vastly superior electronics when you go American. Dont let the name American fool you though. Much of that guitar was made in Mexico regardless. Ive ownded Mexican strats with upgraded PUP's in them and new wiring that absolutely smoked. Ive ownend some Americans that were just meh and didnt play as well as some Mexicans. It depends on your guitar competency level and how long youve been playing to really get that extra tonal/playability benefit to jusity the cost difference. A Mexi on ebay for sub $400 is a sweet rig if it plays well.
Posted on 5/19/15 at 12:03 pm to Jiggy Moondust
My suggestion would be to buy a "cheap" American made strat, purely for the quality of the wood and the general build. Then, buy yourself some upgraded pups. Personally, I bought some John Mayer Big Dipper pickups and threw them in my Highway One strat.
Looks exactly like this (different bridge though):
Looks exactly like this (different bridge though):
Posted on 5/19/15 at 12:29 pm to Jiggy Moondust
quote:
Is there a big difference in sound?
Define "big" - I think most serious players will want to upgrade the electronics of a Mexi, while an American or American Deluxe may stay stock (at least longer).
The fit and finish are close, although clearly more flaws get through on the Mexi - but, for all practical purposes, they're using the same CNC setups, the same software and very, very comparable materials in factories on both sides of the border. The biggest difference in cost is the labor costs (ETA: And electronics). I suspect the best Mexis are a little better than the worst Americans (fit and finish-wise), so you could even get lucky.
For me (I'm an American Deluxe, 50th Anniversary Strat owner, BTW), I think the question will be stock or not - if you're going to do Lace pickups or heavily modify/customize the guitar to your liking, you will gain less by buying American. If the guitar will be part of a gigging rig, Mexi is probably the way to go. If it will be for a youngster, a Mexi might be the way to go.
But, an American made Fender (or Gibson, for that matter) electric guitar, even if seldom played, might be a better choice if it going to be left stock. And, the fit and finish differences are noticeable, there is no question about that.
This post was edited on 5/19/15 at 12:31 pm
Posted on 5/19/15 at 12:50 pm to Jiggy Moondust
If youre even asking the question you can probably do fine with a mexi. An American made is going to be more for someone determined to have it or a collector or studio musician.
Posted on 5/19/15 at 1:02 pm to ErshterMang
could get a mexi and upgrade everything on it I guess
Posted on 5/19/15 at 3:57 pm to Jiggy Moondust
Get a used Japanese model. They're good guitars. They don't make em there anymore, but they were high quality when they did.
Posted on 5/19/15 at 6:20 pm to monsterballads
quote:
could get a mexi and upgrade everything on it I guess
If the guitar is mechanically sound and setup well, you'll probably only need to swap out pickups. Maybe not even that. I have found that the biggest difference between MIA and MIM is consistency. If you get a good MIM it's fine but sometimes you'll get MIMs where the frets weren't dressed properly and have burrs on them, stuff like that.
Posted on 5/19/15 at 7:22 pm to Jiggy Moondust
check out deluxe players strat. MIM but has vintage noiseless pups. hellava guitar! had the honey blonde w/ gold hardware. beautiful ax.
Posted on 5/20/15 at 9:29 am to Jiggy Moondust
Fender MIM are solid and quality instruments. Hard to go wrong with them unless you want to or can afford to spend the extra $500 to $700 extra for an American made Fender.
Posted on 5/20/15 at 9:49 am to Jiggy Moondust
Another option I'm big on these days is G&L. Leo Fender started it after leaving Fender, and they have a "tribute" series much like Fender in that they are made overseas but are more affordable copies of their more expensive guitars.
Tribute strats (called a legacy) or tele (ASAT) tend to get reviewed almost as well as american fenders. I recently got a tribute ASAT special and it might be my favorite guitar of all time.
Tribute strats (called a legacy) or tele (ASAT) tend to get reviewed almost as well as american fenders. I recently got a tribute ASAT special and it might be my favorite guitar of all time.
Posted on 5/20/15 at 10:22 am to SpyBoy
I agree that if you're asking this question Mexican is probably the way to go. Fender really has four production "lines" - not counting Squier - standard Mexican, high-end Mexican, standard American, American Deluxe/Reissues. I think all their lines are outstanding in terms of value per dollar at that particular price point (with the possible exception of the high end line where you pay extra to have an axe that is "exactly" like Clapton's 1957 strat or whatever). I also think that if you're patient you can get incredible deals on used guitars that sat in a case or next to somebody's bed for two years and look brand new.
But the most important thing is to play it. Everyone has very different preferences in terms of necks, fret size, scale length, and who knows what else. Specs can vary widely across brand and across models. You're not looking for a generically "better" guitar, you're looking for one that fits you.
But the most important thing is to play it. Everyone has very different preferences in terms of necks, fret size, scale length, and who knows what else. Specs can vary widely across brand and across models. You're not looking for a generically "better" guitar, you're looking for one that fits you.
Posted on 5/20/15 at 5:07 pm to Cold Cous Cous
If I were on a budget and knew I was going to change stuff anyway, I'd just get a Squier Classic Vibe. They're awesome guitars and you'll have money to upgrade the pickups and pots. Go play one. If you get one that's properly set up, you will love it.
Posted on 5/20/15 at 6:26 pm to TigerRanter
Squier is budget line entry level crap
Compare them to a well built American fender and the tone sounds like a toy
Compare them to a well built American fender and the tone sounds like a toy
Posted on 5/20/15 at 6:40 pm to monsterballads
Oh a $1000 guitar sounds better than a $200 guitar? Knock me over with a feather
I have read very good things about the Squier CV line but have never played one. I do think that budget guitars today are much improved over budget guitars 20 years ago.
I have read very good things about the Squier CV line but have never played one. I do think that budget guitars today are much improved over budget guitars 20 years ago.
Posted on 5/20/15 at 7:02 pm to TigerRanter
I'm with you. At some point it's more what you can do with an instrument than where it was made. Nothing inherently wrong with a Squier.
Posted on 5/20/15 at 8:15 pm to shutterspeed
They may look the same, the cheaper ones are basically made from cheaper materials by workforce with lower labor costs. Cost is cut at almost every point. Pickups, woods used, switches, wiring, frets, tuners, bridge.......everything.
The playability of an American and squier is worlds apart and the tone.
I used to have a mexi jazz bass years ago and then played a a G&L and an Ernie ball stingray. Both of those instruments made the mexi bass sound thin and like a toy. I ended up selling the Ernie ball when I grew tired of it and upgraded to a 70's Rickenbacker 4001.
The playability of an American and squier is worlds apart and the tone.
I used to have a mexi jazz bass years ago and then played a a G&L and an Ernie ball stingray. Both of those instruments made the mexi bass sound thin and like a toy. I ended up selling the Ernie ball when I grew tired of it and upgraded to a 70's Rickenbacker 4001.
Posted on 5/20/15 at 8:25 pm to monsterballads
quote:No it isn't. Have you played a CV? It's nothing like a Bullet or Affinity.
Squier is budget line entry level crap
Compare them to a well built American fender and the tone sounds like a toy
This post was edited on 5/20/15 at 8:27 pm
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