If your affinity Strat is as good as a Kramer, you've got a one-of-a-kind museum piece! And a 'Made in USA' sticker doesn't mean a thing to your ears!

PonyOne generally knows what he's about; he happens to have Kramer in his collection; and he's been playing for a whole lot longer than you have. I'm pretty sure he's the one who pointed out the shortcomings of the Tom DeLonge special. So take his advice, check out a Kramer, and then see if it's the same as your affinity Strat.

You should look into the Jap-Strats while you're at it. I had a '62 Re-Issue that made a lot of people regret laying out so much coin for an Am-Strat.

Bottom line - open your ears and your mind, ignore labels, and judge the guitar that's in your hands. The axe you hear on your favourite track is not the one you see on stage.