Mexican vs American

Ok it's an all out grudge match right now, which do I do? Buy a mexican fender strat or save and but the american. I've been told that there is no substitution for an american made strat but they cost a significant amount more and do not come with a double coil humbucker. So my question is what should I do. Go for the mexican fat strat or put in the four hundred dollars more for the american and give up the double coil?

If you know a good place to get a strat for real cheap let me know...The lowest I've seen is for about seven or so.

Thanks

Andrew

Obviously, the AmStrat is better, and i'd go for that if I were you...Just a thought, try an LP if you haven't already, there are more guitars than just strats.

Originally posted by jedi817
...Go for the mexican fat strat or put in the four hundred dollars more for the american and give up the double coil?...

None of the above!

Quality control on the Am-Strats is getting spotty - almost as bad as Gibson! And they never were worth more than any other model.

If you just have to get a Strat, look around for one of the made-in-Japan re-issues. My '62 RI Jap-Strat was better-built, and better-sounding than anything else in the store when I bought it. I later sold it (for more than I paid) when I needed rent money. I don't miss the made-in-USA Jaguar I played in the mid-70's, but I still get kinda misty-eyed about that '62 RI Jap-Strat.

At the lower prices they command, (sorta like the folks that buy Harley's instead of rice-rockets) you should still have cash in pocket for a good humbucker.

I've heard stories about Gibson doing crappy jobs at certain things, but when I got my Gibson Les Paul DC+, it was absolutely perfect. and for $1090, you couldn't beat the price. absolutely love it.

I have a Les paul and I sold and old yamaha strat to get it as well as my amplifier and I was disatisfied. As much as I do like my Les, it made me want my crappy strat back. A Les Paul is getting in the way of my playing and I need both. As for the comment made about Strats in general. I understand that some people don't like them especially fenders, but I really must say that I disagree with you. I've played many Strats all over the place and the American is far superior, although it's alot more expensive and for a college student it's going to take some time to save. As far as them being "spotty" I would also have to disagree, I think that the Fender strat is far superior to any other that I've played and I've never played or heard an American Strat that I found one problem with. Also I know many people who play Fenders themselves and never had I heard a complaint.
Well, now that thats over, I'm actually considering another route. I have played the Roland Ready Strat and loved it, it's cheaper and will last me a long time even after I someday purchase an American, which will one day happen. But I am torn as to whether I should go with the Roland and buy the extra gear to make it work or to buy the American and leave the Roland for a rainy day.

Thanks for all your help,

Andrew

I play an AmStrat and an AmTele. Will not trade them for anything. But you may like the mex or Japan strat. Especialy since you are playing a style that requires double-coil pickups.

The action and setup is different, becuase they are designed for diffrent markets. The mex and Japan strat are easier and faster to play, but lacks the control an experianced player needs.

Just go play them and get the one that feels the best.

If you like the American strat get a used one. Most of the time they are better. New ones can change over time and you could get a lemon.

You will be happy with either.

i find the american to be faster and easier to play as i have a mexican. IF your an accomplished player (over 2 years regularly playin) you should go for the am, if your not go for the mex. Rmember that you may have an american in a cheap amp and it wont sound better as a mex in a expensive amp so thier more to it as far as sound goes then just one or the other. I would save and go AM, just stop the drinking for a week if your in schooll :)

but a nice guitar through a nice amp will sound better than a crap guitar through a nice amp...

i play my Gibson Les Paul through my Fender '65 Deluxe Reverb, and for a 14 year old, i have quite the rig.

Someone mentioned the American models don't come as a fat strat. Well, I think they need to rethink that statement, because I had a 2002 American Fat Strat that I sold not too long ago. I loved the way it played, but I just couldn't get the sound I was looking for with it. I wish I still had it though. Great guitar.

what they meant was, price-wise. I think they cost like $200-$300 more for the fat strat, could be wrong though.

I have a mexican fat strat deluxe.
i could have got american standart instead but i think that my fat strat is just a better guitar because of the HSS configuration and the tex mex pick ups which allow me to play anything from heavy metal to jazz..
i played on this guitar with fender's prinecton (sp?) amp
and i could get about any sound in the world, from SRV to yngwie malmsteen to jimmy page.
the only problem im having with this guitar is that the high E string gets too close to the fretboard after some time and i dont know why..
if you are speed freak this guitar probably wont suit you much , and you should get anything which is not fender but for anything else this guitar rocks (and its pretty damn cheap in american prices).

I think you should buy a jap-strat.
Its the most strat you'll get for your money.
Japanese strats are just as good as any american strat
nowadays. A few years ago the japanese started
to shape up, and now they're really good guitar-builders.
I have a '98 Fat strat signature (HSS) and its
wonderful, better than any american strat.
I wouldnt recommend a mexican standard because,
quite simply, I think they're awful. But thats just me..
So:
american = good but overpriced
mexican = cheap but not so good
japanese = reasonable price, good guitar

i like my mexican strat more and more everyday...but i wish i can get my hands on a japanese strat...sounds interesting...

mexican is worth the price!

Originally posted by Polera
...but i wish i can get my hands on a japanese strat...sounds interesting...

I had a 1986 Jap-strat '62 Re-issue. I'd probably still have it except I came up short for rent money, and I liked my 1984 Yamaha SGB 1000 better.

As for Strats, I've played both Mexicans and Americans. My friend has an American strat with something called a "Deluxe Neck" or something like that, and I LOVE the feel of it. The Mexican plays well, but just not as good. There's nothing wrong with it, per se. I, in fact, own a Mexican Roland Ready Strat (GK2 pickup built in). This is a good guitar, and cheaper than a good American Strat, BUT you have to buy a guitar synthesizer to have the full effect of the GK2 pickup, and a good synth can be nearly $1000. The other guitar I own, an Ibanez Talman, plays as well as a well made American Strat, but sounds a bit thicker, due to its humbuckers. I LOVE my Talman.

Originally posted by Zeppelin
if you are speed freak this guitar probably wont suit you much , and you should get anything which is not fender but for anything else this guitar rocks (and its pretty damn cheap in american prices).
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I find the speed on my mexi strat a hell of a lot easier to get than on a les paul when it comes to alt/trem picking and fast licks. And hell yeah, the value for money is good considering what a range of good sound mexi strats have.