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Posted by: eaglesnh4 Feb 9 2010, 12:10 PM

Hi, What are your thoughts on this fender mexican strat.
http://www.nevadamusic.co.uk/Guitars/Electric_Guitars/Electric/sc1437/p1606_spec.aspx#customerReviews
every guitar i buy, it always needs work doing on it. Which is better, usa model?? or mexican model and have it customized??

Posted by: Ivan Milenkovic Feb 9 2010, 01:02 PM

It's a cool guitar for gigging. I advise you to try as many of these as possible, cause the sound varies a lot between the pieces, even from the same line.

Posted by: Sensible Jones Feb 9 2010, 02:48 PM

+1!!
They are great guitars for that money though and you can upgrade a Strat quite cheaply too!

Posted by: Bogdan Radovic Feb 9 2010, 03:12 PM

Those mexican strats are very cool! You should try many of them to find one you like the best. You can also compare them to some USA strats to see if you can hear/feel the difference. They are very nice guitars that can be upgraded later on...

Posted by: ZakkWylde Feb 9 2010, 03:27 PM

An American Strat is better than a Fully Tricked out Mexican!
You can customize and upgrade the hardware but you cannot change the tonewood! Even the best hardware can only enhace the natural sound of the guitar so the higher quality wood and built will result in the better guitar >> America Strat

Not saying the Mexico strats are bad but there is a reason why American Strats are more expensive, they are woth the money!
(plus you can always customize the USA strat later on..)

Posted by: Fran Feb 9 2010, 04:26 PM

I agree with Zakk.

Mex strats are good for the money though, so I guess you won't make a mistake with either one

Posted by: Staffy Feb 9 2010, 04:37 PM

I have exactly the same one, and I must say that You really get something for the bucks, its real price-worthy. But its also true what the other guys says here, there are better wood in the american one's in general. In the end its just about what You are willing to pay for what once was a "poor-mans" guitar...

//Staffay

Posted by: eaglesnh4 Feb 9 2010, 05:53 PM

what is it about USA models that make them better as i dont have that kind of cash

Posted by: Fran Feb 9 2010, 06:04 PM

Better wood & hardware (bridge, pickups, tuners, pots), better neck & body finish, improved quality control.

Posted by: Staffy Feb 9 2010, 09:07 PM

Actually, the one he linked to has 69' pickups, same bridge & tuners as the american one's. But the neck & wood is definitely better..

Posted by: Fran Feb 9 2010, 10:19 PM

Ok! That's pretty cool

Posted by: Ivan Milenkovic Feb 10 2010, 12:45 AM

Wood is very important aspect, and wood is generally better. Better wood - richer tone. Other factors are important as well, like better quality control. This improves the percent of well made (playable) US strats against MIM ones. In general, as I said before, both guitars are production line guitars so the quality varies a lot. I advise you be patient and look hard and long before you get one. The wait can pay out a LOT.

Posted by: eaglesnh4 Feb 10 2010, 01:26 AM

will bare that in mind

Posted by: Crazy_Diamond Feb 10 2010, 01:40 AM

I also think that Mexican strat are pretty good for the price. I wouldn't buy it online tho, I would go to a store to try them out. I remember when I bought my strat I have tried 30 of them that day. And only one was the perfect one for me. I have played on some mexican strat that to my sense where better than american one.

Posted by: jdriver Feb 10 2010, 03:09 AM

It's a shame the American Strats have gone up so much in price recently. I think you can find many examples of people with Mexi-strats that are fine guitars, but like everyone here has said, you have to look at a lot of them to find that special beauty. And if you've got it in your head that an American "must be better," then you should just save up, because you'll never be satisfied with anything else.

Posted by: Daniel Realpe Feb 20 2010, 05:09 PM

I tried a mex strat the other day, it was very good to play, and that's a nice price

Posted by: MickeM Feb 20 2010, 07:51 PM

I think a Mexico Strat sound just as well as a standard USA strat. Blind folded I couldn't tell them apart. So to me it's simple. Spend 1/3'rd of the money on a MIM and be done with it.


And on a side note, even if I bought the most expensive guitar in the world it wouldn't make me a better player

Posted by: Adrian Figallo Feb 20 2010, 08:11 PM

mexican strats are very good, i tested a lot of strats in the last 2-3 years, and some mexicans are better than some americans and vice versa, a good thing to do is, go to a store take like 10 guitars with you, dont look at the headstock or the price, plug em into a flat amp, maybe a fender something with a good clean, and something with a good blues/dist tone or whatever you play, and just trust your hands and ears, im sure you will fall in love with one of those, and could be -easily- a mexican.

Now, my advice is to check a Japanese second hand strat, 70s or 80s, those are budget guitars and you will get an outstanding quality instrument, i just got a tokai strat on my studio, and its AMAZING.

Posted by: stratman79 Feb 21 2010, 02:55 AM

Now this man speaks the truth... The 80's jap guitars are great. I have a Tokai strat and yes its AMAZING.

Even an early Japanese squire would be a great guitar. They where better than most of the USA fenders of the time.

Posted by: Adrian Figallo Feb 21 2010, 03:37 AM

Some people would kill you for saying that a japanese EARLY squier is better than an american standard, but, it is the truth

Posted by: eaglesnh4 Feb 21 2010, 05:50 PM

i played a fender mexican telecaster and i was really into it because the neck was so thin, probably because i play a semi acoustic gretsch, how do the necks compare on strats and telecasters, which are the thinnest necks?