Strats! ---- or Teles!?

[Silence Dogood]

I've been flirting with the idea of getting into the electric guitar again.  It's been a while.  

I once had a great partscaster made up of a Warmoth ash body, Mexico neck from the early 90s, and pickups and guts from an early 90s USA Strat.  It was a very nice guitar.  Never should have sold it.  

A few years after that I ended up buying a Squier 1950s Classic Vibes Strat.  It looked GREAT but just had no soul.  The pickups were weak and the knobs, jack, and switch felt flimsy.  A somewhat easy fix but it just never inspired me a play it, so I let it go after a short time.  I'm not sure why, but I could also never get over the "Crafted in China" bit on the back of the neck (glossed over so no way to get rid of it).  The idea of some Asian knockoff of Buddy Holley's guitar just bugged me.  Even the neck just didn't feel right.  It seemed almost toy-like in some ways.  

Having said all, I want back into the Strat pool.  I'm thinking of getting a used Mexican Strat and a decent amp and calling it a day. What do you all suggest?  

[George]

See if you can find a Larrivee Lancaster, a much better guitar IMHO...

[unclrob]

The MIM stuff is really good.I do have a few clients that buy the really cheap Squire's as the necks and bodies are good bone's and we change out all the other parts,new tuners,new pu's and pots.The bones{neck and body} about $150,tuners $60,pots,jack and switch $40,pu's depending on price,so $250 plus the cost of the pu's is a good deal for them.

[ducktrapper]

You should be able to find a decent used American Standard Strat for not that much more than a MIM. If you're going down that road, that is.   

[ST]

And then there's the Silver Sky



[url=https://www.premierguitar.com/articles/27166-prs-silver-sky-john-mayer-review]Review on Premier Guitar

[AZLiberty]

Having said all, I want back into the Strat pool.  I'm thinking of getting a used Mexican Strat and a decent amp and calling it a day. What do you all suggest?  

What do I suggest?

Used Mexi-Strat on CL.  Here's mine.  Traded a Taylor Baby for it to a guy who was retired and driving about the country with a big RV.  Both of us thought we got the better end of the deal.  

[ducktrapper]

All I can say is that I tried copies, I tried MIM, I tried MIJ but until I got an American Standard, I was just not entirely happy. My Am Std is fabulous. It doesn't just look like a Strat, it is one.

[Silence Dogood]

What do I suggest?

Used Mexi-Strat on CL.  Here's mine.  Traded a Taylor Baby for it to a guy who was retired and driving about the country with a big RV.  Both of us thought we got the better end of the deal.  

Wow, very nice guitar.  I'm partial to white pickguards, but yours looks great.

[Silence Dogood]

All I can say is that I tried copies, I tried MIM, I tried MIJ but until I got an American Standard, I was just not entirely happy. My Am Std is fabulous. It doesn't just look like a Strat, it is one.

I hear you.  But in fairness, a MIM Strat is all-Fender at least: Fender facility, Fender employees, Fender parts, etc, etc.  Oddly enough, in those side-by-side YouTube comparisons, I tend to prefer the sound of the MIM pickups to the American ones. 

[AZLiberty]

Wow, very nice guitar.  I'm partial to white pickguards, but yours looks great.

I think it originally shipped with white.  Previous owner swapped it to black (which I think looks better on the Seafoam Green).   The white one is in the case.

[ducktrapper]

I hear you.  But in fairness, a MIM Strat is all-Fender at least: Fender facility, Fender employees, Fender parts, etc, etc.  Oddly enough, in those side-by-side YouTube comparisons, I tend to prefer the sound of the MIM pickups to the American ones. 

You could be right. This should help.

https://www.guitarworld.com/gear/mexican-strat-vs-american-strat-whats-difference

If you buy used, a MIA Strat is a better deal, if only because, you can recoup its cost if you resell. My experience with choosing a new Strat is 25 years out of date. Back then, I was right about them.   

[Silence Dogood]

You could be right. This should help.

https://www.guitarworld.com/gear/mexican-strat-vs-american-strat-whats-difference

If you buy used, a MIA Strat is a better deal, if only because, you can recoup its cost if you resell. My experience with choosing a new Strat is 25 years out of date. Back then, I was right about them.   

Yes, 20-25 yrs ago, a MIM Strat was very different than now.  But quality is way up and now they are very solid guitars.  The pots, wiring, and 5-way switch are the same as the USA-made models.  Things like that, and tuners, used to be flimsy and needed replacement almost immediately.  But the more current MIM stuff seems gig-worthy out of the box.  But on the other hand, who doesn't love an American Standard Strat?

[Mikeymac]

The main issue with the MIM Standard (which is now discontinued) is that it has ceramic magnet pickups that some folks love; others don't (I'm in the 'don't' group).  Also, I like a bit thicker neck than the MIM's, but if your previous Strat build had an MIM neck and it worked for you, that should be fine.

The new MIM "Player's Series" Fenders that replace the MIM Standards have alnico pickups in them; I'd suggest finding a shop that has both and compare the old with the new and see if it's worth getting the new model (the new Player's Series also has a two post bridge like the American ones, instead of the 6 screw bridge). The pickups and the new bridge/trem are the two big changes (along with a higher price, of course). To ME, the higher price would probably be worth it for alnico pickups...

[ducktrapper]

Yes, 20-25 yrs ago, a MIM Strat was very different than now.  But quality is way up and now they are very solid guitars.  The pots, wiring, and 5-way switch are the same as the USA-made models.  Things like that, and tuners, used to be flimsy and needed replacement almost immediately.  But the more current MIM stuff seems gig-worthy out of the box.  But on the other hand, who doesn't love an American Standard Strat?

Yeah funny how time slips away. 

[Silence Dogood]

The main issue with the MIM Standard (which is now discontinued) is that it has ceramic magnet pickups that some folks love; others don't (I'm in the 'don't' group).  Also, I like a bit thicker neck than the MIM's, but if your previous Strat build had an MIM neck and it worked for you, that should be fine.

The new MIM "Player's Series" Fenders that replace the MIM Standards have alnico pickups in them; I'd suggest finding a shop that has both and compare the old with the new and see if it's worth getting the new model (the new Player's Series also has a two post bridge like the American ones, instead of the 6 screw bridge). The pickups and the new bridge/trem are the two big changes (along with a higher price, of course). To ME, the higher price would probably be worth it for alnico pickups...

Good info here: thank you.   I hinted at this earlier, but I rather like the standard MIM pickups.  I'm probably in the minority on that though.  But all the other specs on the new "Player's" model look great, and like an improvement.

[ducktrapper]

The Strat Rd. photo is not photoshopped, by the way. How cool is that?    

[ST]

The Strat Rd. photo is not photoshopped, by the way. How cool is that?    

Too cool!

[Silence Dogood]

I've been spending quite a bit of time looking at the G&L line of guitars too.   I'm really liking the ASAT (tele copy), even the imported one from Indonesia.  Anyone have any experience with these? 

[ST]

Back in the 90s I thought of the G&L guitars as upscale units compared to the run-of-the-mill Strats and Teles.

There's lots of information about where various models were/are made

G&L Musical Instruments

[Scrambler17]

I've been spending quite a bit of time looking at the G&L line of guitars too.   I'm really liking the ASAT (tele copy), even the imported one from Indonesia.  Anyone have any experience with these? 

I custom ordered a G&L ASAT Classic in 2000, Great guitar, still play it.  I've gotten compliments from some accomplished players whom I really respect saying how good it sounds. 

I think G&L are similar to Larrivee, in as much as they are underrated or unknown because of the logo on the headstock.