Mexican Stratocaster vs American

I have a MIM Strat and the hardware is actually quite good. That said, mine is a 1992 and from what I understand the older ones like mine were basically just assembled in Mexico. (Each and every saddle on the bridge has the word "Fender" engraved on it as well as the back of the tuning machines) I know there is more actual fabrication in Mexico now. I believe the USA Strats are 3 piece bodies where the MIM are 5. The USA Strats have better finish and more attention to detail. They might have wider fret wire too. My advice? Say if you were to buy a MIM Strat I think you would get a good trade in value if you decided to upgrade to a USA Strat when you were ready. I know you said you only want to do this once, but something to consider. The USA will be a better guitar but the MIM is a very nice guitar.

I've got a Mex Strat. I've just had a set of the Bill Turner Hot noiseless pups put in as it suffered from the 60 cycle hum when I used gain or od. Apart from the noise I loved it as it was but I couldnt put up with the noise so had the pups changed and now its everything I need. Ive got no intention of changing the trem as it stays in tune even though I have it floating.

g&l

Try both in a shop and decide for yourself. There are fair arguments for either option. Unfortunately, GuitarNoise wont refund you the cost of your guitar should you make your decision based on a post you read here and then later become disatisfied with your choice.

As an owner of an American Strat, a Mex Tele, and a 'stratocaster' built from parts, I love all my guitars and think they would all be good enough for professional and long-term use. But, personally, were I to buy another, I'd go American. That may be influenced some by the fact that I already own several guitars though.

I have a Mexican Strat and love it,but it fails to live up to a grade A American Strat. The pickups are tinny on my MIM Strat,but love the neck and frets. I bought mine in 2000 for $200,and the best $200 I ever spent.

MIM Strats have undergone some questionable improvements (with CNC and plant automation including self-sufficiency), the year was maybe 2006 with a larger sustain block, and supposedly improved frets. But some necks, about 50% warped - I found out, in a Canadian a climate. Earlier MIM necks which might have been from the USA and finished or assembled in Mexico were always good in my expereince and I have several dating back to 1993. I played one comfortably till the frets wore out. I started having problems with the tinted ones and larger frets which were poorly finished, and corrosive-from-new , or perhaps just rough - it followed those "improvements" by Fender. In any case, MIM Std. pickups are ceramic and don't sound as good to me as traditional alnico pickups which are in MIM Classic re-issues or stock MIA's.

A Highway One doesn't usually cost much more than a MIM Standard and is a bonafide guitar to keep as long as you want.
That's my opinion, and I've come across many in the guitar community who agree, except I'll keep my modified MIM's too.
Old MIM (1998): entire PG removed and new mint-green installed with aged plastics, Dimarzio pickups/custom switching.

I remember an old thread with more than 7 pages with a good comparative of both guitars. Perhaps somebody saves the link but try to search in the old posts, some posts were really good.

Edit: Well, I found it. It is only 4 pages: https://www.guitarnoise.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=8&t=35038

Thanks for all the feedback folks! Since budget is a consideration I am leaning towards the MIM unless I find a smoking deal that I just cant pass up.

Right you are Nuno and by participating in that thread I got an education in the subject, both from hearing others views and information and seeking out my own. This forum is good for that.

Why do I own a MIM Strat when I could buy a USA Strat? I don't play a Strat much at all. I also failed to mention I changed the bridge pickup to a Duncan HotRail. I'm a Les Paul guy, got USA and Epi models and love them all but that is another thread. To be honest though, a nice high end USA Strat does feel good in ones hand. I don't think you can go wrong either way or as mentioned above, split the difference and go Highway 1.

I probably got one of those MIM necks Bluejay was talking about that warped. I broke it, replaced it and it was OK for a while and then it started sounding like crud. I think mine was an '05. I am not 100% sure on that. It's nong gone along with the old neck too.

No this has been about 7-8 months or so, but when I went walking down the Strat row at a local guitar chain store, I took a look down the neck on quite a few. Warp city. Some of them were horrendous, while some had only minor imprefections that could be dealt with.

I do have a few 25 1/2 inch scale guitars that are not Strats. One even has single coil pick-ups called P-90. Love it, and I paid 1/4th the price. I also have a 25 inch scale dble HB set-up with the strat body design and even the same type of trem. It's been a pleasure to own.

Sooo, I guess I am not a MIM Strat guy.

Don't have an American Strat but I do have an MIM one which I think is an 05 model. My neck is fine. When I bought it this was the first one I looked at and had them bring out several. Almost everyone had a twist in the neck of varying degrees so I guess I was pretty lucky.

I have since changed the bridge pickup and put in a Seymour Duncan Hotrail which makes the guitar sound so much better than the stock pickup but other than that no other changes.

I don't think you can go wrong with either one as long as you don't get a dud so try them and see what you think and decied if the extra $800 or so for an American strat is worth it.

Wow! I'm gonna have to get mine out tomorrow. Shhhhh! I'm at work. Mine is perfect and it's a 1992. Thats 18 years old! Where did the time go? (TR looks in the mirror, screams and faints)

I listed a bit ago to a video that compared 10 different guitars, and to me, I couldn't tell the tone difference....so maybe I'm just electric retarded...but to me, I can't seem to find differences...even when I hear people playing a $200 SX like mine.

Granted the change in pickups is a must I think, or at least that's what they did...but I really don't know.

MIM's and American Strats both sounds the same to me.

Joe I think you are right for the most it is hard to tell the difference and if you had a good MIM and a good American made and they blindfolded you it would be hard to tell any diffeence, but the feel, craftmanship, quality of materials is different and that has value also so it comes down to breaking it all down and deciding what's important to you.

To me an MIM Strat vs an American made comes down to price pretty much. You have to decide if the difference in hardware is worth the extra $$ because tone wise they are about the same.