Mexican Fenders

Neil

Just got a new Classic '60's Strat for Christmas and it really is a high quality guitar for the money.

The only real difference between that and my US Standard is the rolled fingerboard edges on the USA and the switch feels a little bit cheaper on the MIM but still perfectly good. 

Excellent quality coming out of Ensenada on the higher grade stuff nowadays.

suspiciousminds

Absolutely loving my mim tele at the moment.
I was toying with the idea of changing the pups but i've swapped the ceramic cap for a russion PIO and it does seem to have improved the tone (at least i think so).
Neck is incredible and the finish superb.

Sassafras

Blimey! Anyone would think that Mexicans were all criminal drug dealers and rapists. You can't believe a man who wears candyfloss on his head.

Johnnyseven

I have a US and Mexican Standard Tele. The US has a wider nut and a chunkier neck. The US is noticeably heavier. The neck on the US looks and feels nicer. I really like both though.

chrisj1602

I've been really impressed with every MIM I've owned. Right now, my only two electrics are MIM Classic 60s guitars. One is a black Tele and my newest acquisition is a Fiesta Red Lacquer Jaguar. Both are great, and the nitro Jag with '65 vintage reissue pickups is already one of my favourite ever guitars.

Clarky

so it seems like a bit of a thumbs up for the Mex Fenders then…

thanks for all the comments.. I'll ping my mate and let him know..

nick_s

Absolutely   As with anything, try a few to find 'the one' and you can't go wrong.

Clarky

nick_s said:

Absolutely   As with anything, try a few to find 'the one' and you can't go wrong.

that's a good point… I recall trying quite a few Strats before settling on the one I ended up getting..

mike_l

My Dave Murray Strat is a Mexican, and it's awesomes. PLays fantastically. Sounds fantastic.

Dan

Ive got a Classic Series 60's Strat and its bloody brilliant! Tuners (on mine anyway) are a bit rubbish and the trem block needed swapping out but other than that its superb.

Different feel to USA strats, I find they are great but some are a little cold?

MattFGBI

mike_l said:

My Dave Murray Strat is a Mexican, and it's awesomes. PLays fantastically. Sounds fantastic.

Although it is a copy of a US made guitar :-) 

strtdv

Try both. IMO the American Standard range isn't worth the new price, I bought mine new for £750 in 2007 and I don't see the new ones being with £400 more.
Used prices are very attractive though, and they're excellent guitars. Older ones tend to be in need of a pickup upgrade, and I wish Fender would give the tele proper tele saddles, but otherwise hard to fault. Build quality is excellent and I'm going to go against the grain here and say that it is a nicer guitar than most MIM ones I've played.
The main drawback for me is that I find the necks of the MIMs generally more comfortable than the American Standards, which is what led me to sell mine in the end

Fuzzdog

Dan said:

Different feel to USA strats, I find they are great but some are a little cold?

I'd definitely say that about the US Standards - they just feel a bit bland and devoid of character to me.  Solid working guitars though, and good platforms for upgrades, I've just never played one made in the past 20 years or so which really made me smile.

MattFGBI

Fuzzdog;938046" said:

Dan said:



Different feel to USA strats, I find they are great but some are a little cold?










I'd definitely say that about the US Standards - they just feel a bit bland and devoid of character to me.  Solid working guitars though, and good platforms for upgrades, I've just never played one made in the past 20 years or so which really made me smile.

You haven't played the right one.

Excluding Custom Shop, if I had to buy a new Strat today it would be the American Standard. Yes the Mexican made guitars are very good but most of that is down to the talent of the builders. On paper they shouldn't play or feel as good as they do.

...... I do think the new American Elite guitars might change my mind though. The previous Deluxes left me a bit cold but the Elites have features that make sense and the new N4 pickups sound like real pickups.

I guess it's horses for courses. It really does depend on what you want out of the guitar and where you're going to use it.

GavRichList

I've owned two US tele standards, one from circa '03/04 and the other was a mid ninetees. The former was a superb guitar that I still miss from time to time, and the latter was just ok. Further to that, the Mexican classic player jaguar I had was a lovely guitar that I thoroughly enjoyed touring. Fret edges needed a bit of attention and it was a shade on the heavy side, but absolutely solid as a rock and sounded great.

Philly_Q

I've owned several American Standards (and American Series, which then became American Standards again).  They were all good, but I never really bonded with any of them and they're all sold now.

I wouldn't buy one now because over the years I've come to strongly prefer fatter necks, nitro finishes and vintage-style hardware.  But I guess I still think of the American Standards as the models to go to first before exploring the rest of the (huge) range.

Fuzzdog

MattFGBI said:

I guess it's horses for courses. It really does depend on what you want out of the guitar and where you're going to use it.

Indeed - I have certainly never played a 'bad' US Standard or indeed any which were less than good, and for that Fender can be highly commended - I've just never played one which has really given me that tingly feeling that I get when playing something I really bond with, and I've pretty much been mostly a Strat person for 25 years now.

I think it's mostly the rather wishy-washy C shaped necks for me - I truly wish Fender would offer a few variations of neck profile on the Standard.  That's the one thing that made me love my CP 50's instantly. I love that soft V neck in ways I never thought I would be able to love a neck.  Sure, other bits of it needed upgrading, but the basic instrument was faultlessly made and felt amazing.

crunchman

I have two Mexican Fenders, one AV reissue and one Custom Shop (plus a Chinese made Modern Player).  The Mexican ones are very good and see playing time.

If I had choose between a Classic Player Strat and a US Standard or Deluxe I'd go for the classic player.  There is something about the vintage specs that just sounds better.  I think a lot of it is the vintage style bridge but the pickups are probably part of it as well.

grungebob

For most of my early playing life I've been a fender man, I've had countless USA and MIM guitars, from my experience I've had consitantly better guitars that where Mexico made than USA. Couple that with the price costs and I'd always look at a MIM first unless the spec I wanted isn't available. I appreciate the necks on USA strata are better finished but the finishing isn't something that you couldn't do yourself for less money.

close2u

@MattFGBI

Is it still true (was it ever) that MiM bodies are more than 2 piece?

If 'depends' please elaborate on which ones etc.

And, which MiM models do / do not match the spacings of the MiA?