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MIM Strats?

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mim strats
3K views 28 replies 22 participants last post by  Rev Drucifer 
#1 ·
What do you guys think of Mexican Strats? A few months from now (3-4) I'm thinking of picking up a stat just to try it out. SSS with a trem, probably.

I know everyone prizes American Strats.

Opinions?
 
#3 ·
Wirelessly posted

I had two im down to one. I blocked the trems and swapped out the bridge pickup and tuners. If you can save up $600 you can get a US standard at times.

Im not a huge strat guy, but i do like them and understand why people gravitate to them.
 
#4 ·
I have a ton of them and they are pretty solid. If you arent shy about used gear then you can typically find them for around $300 with at least a gig bag. If you keep an eye out you can usually catch one for not much more that someone has swapped pickups on to either USA Fender or a variety of duncan pickups :metal:

Oh and before you buy PM me and I can get you more info :yesway:
 
#28 ·
MIM stuff is the shit. My first instrument was a MIM Precision I tricked out (Mirrored aluminum pickguard, QPB pickups) to be a Steve Harris tribute instrument. Fucking wish I still had it, they can hang with more expensive stuff no problem.

[giant pic of a P bass]
So much this with the MIM basses. I don't think I'll ever sell my MIM P bass. Now if I can just decide which pickup I want to put in there. I'm between the Duncan Quarter Pound and the Dimarzio Model P.
 
#10 ·
Agreed on trying to score a G&L first before Fender. But even saying that, I quite enjoyed the MIM Fenders I've played lately... and I own a US G&L Legacy.

Speaking of which...



This MIM strat has been on my GAS radar for quite some time. Add a new nut, tuners a set of SD Antiquity Surfers and I'm set. :yum:
 
#13 ·
I had 3 down to 1 now. I only got rid of them because I got a 1980 tokai strat that is incredible beyond words. I traded the other for an epiphone firebird which have been almost impossible to find here in Australia.

As others have said, pickup swap and you've got an incredible guitar. Oh, wire the bridge for tone as well. God knows why they can't do that in the factory. It's one freakin wire!
 
#15 ·
MIM strats are pretty decent. You can snag a used one for under $300 already loaded with upgraded pickups. Mine has a few quality issues like messy cuts in the trem cavity and sharp fret ends, but it plays fantastic, especially after filing the fret ends.
 
#20 ·
Really, in the last couple years Fender has been killing it pretty much across the board.

Play a bunch of them to find the one that speaks to YOU, but MIM Strats are pretty good guitars for a very reasonable price. The two biggest differences between a MIM and a MIA are going to be the 21 fret neck vs 22 on a MIA, and a 2-point trem vs the 6-point on a MIM. Fit and finish, as well as consistency, will be a little better on the American ones as well, but if you just want a nice player, a good MIM might be hard to beat.
 
#17 ·
My MIM Strat was the first good guitar I owned. My dad got it for me in '95 and it's in better condition than any of my other guitars that are a few years younger than the the Strat.

I don't know if they're still making the bodies out of poplar, but that wood mixed with the ridiculously thick coat of poly makes for a dull sounding guitar, which I've found to be the case with pretty much all the MIM's I've played.

I've got a lot of sentimental value attached to my Strat, but because of it's sound, I rarely play it. It's candy apple red with a maple neck because of my Gilmour love and since he doesn't have a problem swapping necks with bodies, I don't feel bad doing the same. I'm going to re-finish the neck with a vintage Fender logo and get an ash sunburst body, beat the shit out of it and make myself a Joe Holmes Strat. :yesway:
 
#19 · (Edited)
My MIM Strat was the first good guitar I owned. My dad got it for me in '95 and it's in better condition than any of my other guitars that are a few years younger than the the Strat.

I don't know if they're still making the bodies out of poplar, but that wood mixed with the ridiculously thick coat of poly makes for a dull sounding guitar, which I've found to be the case with pretty much all the MIM's I've played.

I've got a lot of sentimental value attached to my Strat, but because of it's sound, I rarely play it. It's candy apple red with a maple neck because of my Gilmour love and since he doesn't have a problem swapping necks with bodies, I don't feel bad doing the same. I'm going to re-finish the neck with a vintage Fender logo and get an ash sunburst body, beat the shit out of it and make myself a Joe Holmes Strat. :yesway:
No they switched over to alder at some point, cant remember the year, they also stopped doing the pool route for pickups at some point. Funny I have a 1998 which is poplar and that guitar sounds killer and I also have a 2010 which also sounds killer, but they both sound a bit different and the 1998 has a lot of upgrades where the 2010 is bone stock and needs a bit better of a setup.
 
#21 ·
Just play as many as you can… when shopping for a Strat with my brother a few years ago, we tried a ton in every line, new and used. Finally, after trying at least half a dozen or so in one store, he pulled down this plane-Jane black-with-white-pickguard-and-maple-board Mexican Strat off the wall, and noodled on it, then handed it to me to check out. I took a couple of strums and handed it back to him… "This is the one you should buy."

When you find a great one, you'll know it.
 
#25 ·
I've got a MIM Kenny Wayne Shepherd signature Strat, which I really like. The quality on it is just as good as the current USA Strats I've played. It's basically a poor man's Eric Johnson Strat, since it has a similar fat neck and 12" fretboard radius.

The KWS strats, however, sell for a little more than a regular MIM strat, even used. I wanted a non-floating vintage trem, otherwise I would have gone for a G&L Legacy Tribute. If you go the G&L Tribute route, be sure to get one with a transparent finish. The solid finish ones are basswood, which is exactly what you don't want for a classic strat sound. The transparent ones are swamp ash.
 
#26 ·
Like others said - try before you buy. Bought a Candy Apple Red MIM Strat, either 2008 or 2009 (whenever they changed the color of the fretboard tinting). Liked it quite a bit. Tried an American Standard Strat at the same time and really liked the rounding over of the fretboard edges but couldn't justify spending that much more on one.

Later bought a 2005 MIM Strat - black. Bought it 'cause I wanted something to practice modding. Changed almost everything on it.

Later, wanted a Tele but had to get rid of a Strat. Got rid of the red one. Liked the looks of it better but the neck on the 2005 felt better - shaped better, felt sleeker, felt like a different coating/finish - something about it was better. I could definitely feel the difference between the two.

So grab several and try them out - there are differences in feel - you have to find the one you like.
 
#27 · (Edited)
One of my favorite strats is the Fender Classic Player '50s Strat. Surprisingly one of the best Strats I've felt, even compared to some MiA ones. Also one of the few sub-$1000 Fenders with a 2-point, which I loved. If it had a more modern neck (22 frets, 12''+ radius or compound radius) and solid bridge saddles instead of bent-steel ones, it would be the best sub-$1000 Strat, IMO.
 
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