Fender Strat

The big difference between a 'fat' strat and the standard ones is it comes with a humbucker mounted in the bridge position. Since that is the pickup most people use for overdrive and distortion effects it can be good if you like to use a lot of that (ie. punk, metal, music like that), because the humbucker cancels out the feedback 'hum' from single coils. If you see an "HSS strat," that's the same thing as a fat strat, the H refers to humbucker and the S to the single coil pickups in the remaining middle and neck positions. Similarly, a 'normal' strat is an SSS (for the three single coil pickups).

Mexican Strats are the standard alternative to the more expensive American model. It's basically the same thing (with a few small changes I might not remember, such as the US one having an extra fret) but the quality of things like the pickups and the overall fit and finish often isn't as good. There are good ones but the quality varies more so you may want to try before you buy. The sunburst is just a color option, mim means Made in Mexico.

Japanese strats are considered to be better quality than the Mexicans, and they're harder to import into the US now iirc. So kind of midway between Mexican and American quality.

Some answers:

Fat Strat has a bridge humbucker instead of the usual, slanted single-coil bridge pup (obvious in the pics). Makes the Strat a bit more versatile at the expense of bridge pup bite. Most feel this is a good compromise.

MIM = Made in Mexico. Purists claim lower quality and not as good tone as those made in USA and/or Japan. Mere mortals debate. Noobs rarely care.

Japanese Strats may sound somewhat different than USA Strats, but that is probably only minor and quality is of Japan-made is typically very good -- maybe even better than USA Strats. Note this answer disagrees somewhat with Noff's, who I see answered while I was typing ... I didn't bother deleting the duplicate info.

Nick edited the forums to reduce the number. Here's a link to the announcement about how some forums were integrated into others:

https://www.guitarnoise.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=4&t=37667

A salesman in a guitar store (who was actually a good guitar player and an honest person) told me that the wood they use in Mexico is different, but not necessarily better. The only difference he found between Mexican and US made Strats was the wiring in the pickups was thinner in the US made Strats. So our conclusion was that if you wanted a $1000 US Strat was to buy a $400 Mexican Strat and spend $100 to replace the pick-up. Personally, there are slight differences bewteen the US and Mexican Strats, but I don't consider them desirable enough to spend the extra $600-$1000.

When I bought my Mexican Strat, I tried out quite a few before I chose the one I bought. I found one with a Maple neck, a dual pickup at the bridge (hence 4-pickups!) and a wang bar that didn't throw the strings out of tune when I used it. I feel that any guitar line made anywhere has a few gems as well as a few rotten apples. Then, there's the question of how it's been taken care of it's used.

As far as the Japanese Strats, I have also heard the stories that they're better than the US made, but my question as always is "What defines better?" It's all about what you want out of it and will it satisfy you.

when i bought mine the difference between MiA and MiM was much more than just the wood.
* the wiring was thinner and also the pots were of less quality.
* the metal used for the bridge was machined in the MiA, i believe the MiM was stamped or other.
* the Am. Series bodies are three pieces of Alder; the MIM Strats have five pieces.
* MiAs had 22 frets, and the MiMs had 21
* the nut was smaller on the MiMs i looked at, and had the "vintage" fret wire as opposed to the MiAs "med jumbo" fret wire
* MiAs had the Bi flex truss rod as well as a tilt adjustment to correct a back-bowed and normally bowed neck, most truss rods only straighten the bowed neck.
* the quality control in the MiAs was not fantastic, but compared to the MiMs i looked at it was great. i saw so many MiM necks that had big gaps, as well as pickguards and pups that did not line up well.
* i think the tuners were also different but i may be wrong.

i bought mine in 2004 so many of these things may not be true today, also i opted to spend just a "little" more to get a "deluxe" model. there was another jump in QC and the necks are hand rolled.
i have never felt a neck on any guitar to compare with my am deluxe 50th anni model.

* the quality control in the MiAs was not fantastic

Yeah, you learn that quickly when you order one online. Mine came with a shifting neck and the finish was trash. My MIM on the other hand I had no problem with. My experience is the more something costs, the more likely someone will try to rip you off. But, I'm waiting patiently for the replacement MIA. :D

to be accurate the quote you chose to use takes what i said completely out of context.
the entire sentence reads;
"the quality control in the MiAs was not fantastic, but compared to the MiMs i looked at it was great."

if you wish to convey that in your experiance buying online = getting ripped off, then simply say that,
or cut and paste what you want without attributing the quote to someone else.

please don't make my quote appear to mean something else than what i intended.

to address QC issues independently ,i will witness that every single Deluxe model i had brought out of the warehouse was set up perfectly and the only QC issue i was able to find was a thumb print in the gold plating on all the bridges and neck plates. (5 in a row before they gave up and gave me a $200 in store credit to make me go away)

this was at the old MF distribution center and details can be found in past posts about my adventure using the search feature.

Hi Clau! :D

It seems you're deciding on Fender Strat, eh? Good choice!

Some questions were discussed in your old post (BTW now it is in this forum): https://www.guitarnoise.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=16&t=37055#p340544

I wrote a couple of links about the differences between MIM and MIA. It could be intersenting reread them one more time:

https://www.guitarnoise.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=8&t=35038

http://guitargeek.com/chat/showthread.php?threadid=73845

And if you want my opinion on those three guitars, I like the Japanese! :wink:
(Although my Strat is 2 colors sunburst and the fretboard is made with maple.)

Good luck!

PS. My Strat is MIM and it has three pieces of wood. All is relative. Fender has more than 30 different Strat models currently and, after the NAMM, they are updating the catalogue. You can not generalize.

As far as the Japanese Strats, I have also heard the stories that they're better than the US made, but my question as always is "What defines better?" It's all about what you want out of it and will it satisfy you.

In this case, quality control. Japan is being used for some reissues and specials. The design benefits (including woods and materials) and whether they result in improved playability and/or tones is pretty much up to the player. It's the attention to fit and finish details that wins kudos for the MIJ models.

Yeah, I played the Richie Kotzen Tele signature model (it is MIJ) and it was a great guitar. Great quality control!

But I don't want generalize here, I just play that MIJ model.

I post something on Kijii (kind of Ebay for local selling) saying that I was searching for a Fender Strat (American) between 500-700$. I also said that I could include an acoustic Takamine G Series an pay the difference...

Someone wrote me and offered a
Fender Foto Flame strat, Collector Series made in Japan 95-96, color aged cherry sunburst with a Fender hard case

I never heard of that king of guitar, someone can give me more details?

He asked me 500$ and the Takamine (bought 200$) for it... But I think I could negociate... Do you think it's a fair price?

I'm going to try it in the next few days, he's living on my street so, easy to meet :)

if it looks good, i would keep the Tak and offer 300-375 to start. unless he's providing a nice hard case with it, then i'd bump it up a bit higher.
here's some HC reviews to get you in the ball park
http://reviews.harmony-central.com/reviews/Guitar/product/Fender/Foto-Flame+Stratocaster/10/1

imo, these are nice strats (as most Japanese are) the "foto" means the flame or quilt pattern on the wood is actually a sticker and not the wood itself.
do a thorough google search for both "foto" and "photo" strats and get an idea before you decide.