Seems like current MIM are the quality of old MIA

[colchar]

I really don't like MIM Standards too too much, but I played a new Deluxe Roadhouse strat the other day that was really a great guitar. The neck just felt "completed", finished...more detailed. The pickups in it sounded good and the rotary switch, S-1 and preamp make it a very versatile guitar. For $599 I highly recommend it.

I have a 2013 MIM Standard Strat and, until recently, also had a 2012 MIM Baja Tele. The Standard has better fit and finish (especially on the fret ends) than the Baja did and that Baja costs roughly $300 more.

 

[dennistruckdriver]

....Just wondering why the need for the name-calling?

I didn't see where you were mentioned by name.

 

[corbo]

couple of months ago went to buy a MIM cabronita based on a previous play of one , when at the store, the ones in stock all had sharp fret edges and bridges mis -aligned , saw a Indonesian one and it was better finished played better and sounded the same , (albeit the MIM neck was slighter bigger which I would have preferred) the fret work was perfect by comparison to the MIM , end result got the Indonesian one which has the exact same pickups as the MIM version at half the price, my Indo cab gets as much use as my 52 AVRI tele . you get good and bad at all levels came across a tele from Indo that was made in 2005 and the neck was twisted and frets were popping out, you really need to play them

 

[tenchijin2]

Compare current MIMs and current MIAs. Comparing an 8-10 year old MIM to current MIAs is not a valid comparison as MIMs have gone through a couple of upgrades since your Thinline was made.

That's a totally fair point.

I will say that the American strat seems to be improved over what it was 10 years ago, too. My new standard is nicer than my '97 Lonestar. But I think my Lonestar was a little nicer than my '04 MIM Thinline.

The main point for me is that the MIM quality is good! They aren't junk like they seemed to be 20 years ago. The gap between MIA and MIM is quite small considering the difference in price.

 

[rich85]

It doesnt matter what the current MIM guitars "compare" to

you know when somebody like Jimmy Vaughan only tours with 2 of his stock sig MIM strats they are up to a high standard

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OzVLHMOe530]Rig Rundown - Jimmie Vaughan - YouTube[/ame]

 

[bigsnaketex]

when somebody like Jimmy Vaughan only tours with 2 of his stock sig MIM strats they are up to a high standard

Jimmy Vaughn (you know, the guy that taught his little brother Stevie to play guitar!) could play a broomstick with a wire and make it sound good!

 

[lunchbox]

Lots of Mexican-Americans working at the Fender plant.

Just sayin'...

 

[Alligatorbling]

My mim tele is spot on

 

[Blues Buzz]

My mim tele is spot on

+1 on the Tele...

 

[budg]

Lots of Mexican-Americans working at the Fender plant.

Just sayin'...

And this means what exactly?

 

[AngryHatter]

And this means what exactly?

The "joke" is that you buy a Fender made by Mexicans in Ensenada, Mexico or you buy a Fender made by Mexicans in Corona California.
(The two plants are about 120 miles apart)

That the cheap labor used is Hispanic in both plants.

It's is partly for the lower labor costs, but the differential is not that great.
$10 in Mexico and $12 here.

What is different is the air quality laws, worker safety regulations et cetera.
That...allows for a huge savings, not to mention they can use chemicals and paint and methods banned here but legal there.

Fender does have a QA process and the AQLs are very close throughout the lines. A Squier and an MIA should both last forever with no issues.

 

[colchar]

It doesnt matter what the current MIM guitars "compare" to

you know when somebody like Jimmy Vaughan only tours with 2 of his stock sig MIM strats they are up to a high standard

Rig Rundown - Jimmie Vaughan - YouTube

Buddy Guy also has MIMs in his touring rig.

 

[colchar]

My mim tele is spot on

+1

I couldn't be happier with my MIM Standard Strat and cannot wait to get it back from the tech who is putting new MHD pickups into it for me (not a comment on the stock ones as I also swapped pickups out of a $2000+ Gibson Les Paul).

 

[lunchbox]

The "joke" is that you buy a Fender made by Mexicans in Ensenada, Mexico or you buy a Fender made by Mexicans in Corona California.
(The two plants are about 120 miles apart)

That the cheap labor used is Hispanic in both plants.

It's is partly for the lower labor costs, but the differential is not that great.
$10 in Mexico and $12 here.

What is different is the air quality laws, worker safety regulations et cetera.
That...allows for a huge savings, not to mention they can use chemicals and paint and methods banned here but legal there.

Fender does have a QA process and the AQLs are very close throughout the lines. A Squier and an MIA should both last forever with no issues.

I used to know a couple of guys that worked at the Fender plant in Corona, friends of my old guitar player. They were Mexican-Americans.

They said it was the running joke at the Fender factory that people will pay more for a US made Fender when it's made by Mexicans anyway. They also knew people from the Mexico plant and said that there is literally no difference in production quality, only in types of woods used and parts. They said that the workers in Mexico really loved their work and produced the highest quality on a daily basis, which was the same as what the workers in Corona were producing.

So you can buy a Mexican made Fender and know that it's pretty much the same thing as a US made model. I'd rock one if I liked Fenders.

 

[colchar]

I used to know a couple of guys that worked at the Fender plant in Corona, friends of my old guitar player. They were Mexican-Americans.

They said it was the running joke at the Fender factory that people will pay more for a US made Fender when it's made by Mexicans anyway. They also knew people from the Mexico plant and said that there is literally no difference in production quality, only in types of woods used and parts. They said that the workers in Mexico really loved their work and produced the highest quality on a daily basis, which was the same as what the workers in Corona were producing.

So you can buy a Mexican made Fender and know that it's pretty much the same thing as a US made model. I'd rock one if I liked Fenders.

A lot of the parts for the MIMs are made in California these days and the guitars are only assembled in Mexico so even the difference in parts has decreased in recent years.

 

[Alligatorbling]

The "joke" is that you buy a Fender made by Mexicans in Ensenada, Mexico or you buy a Fender made by Mexicans in Corona California.
(The two plants are about 120 miles apart)

That the cheap labor used is Hispanic in both plants.

It's is partly for the lower labor costs, but the differential is not that great.
$10 in Mexico and $12 here.

What is different is the air quality laws, worker safety regulations et cetera.
That...allows for a huge savings, not to mention they can use chemicals and paint and methods banned here but legal there.

Fender does have a QA process and the AQLs are very close throughout the lines. A Squier and an MIA should both last forever with no issues.

i have a squier pj bass that ive had for nearly 15 years that plays just as great as it did the day i got it. all stock.