Which Fender?

Im a gibson man but I want a fender to play some Aerosmith stuff with. The trouble is I dont no anything about the types and the pricing structure. What are the main categories of Fender, which are good. Id spent around £599($1,000).
Also whats the deal with Mexican fenders? Are they offical fenders or copies?
Later

Mexican fenders are real fenders but they are cheaply made. I got one (a Tele) and I hat it the frets are unfinished and it literaly rips your hand up. I also have a 25 year old Strat which is awsome. My fender dream is the Jeff Beck Strat it lists around $1350.00 usd.

I disagree with buddy on the Mex Fenders. I got a Mexican Tele that I love. I played all the Tele's in the store, and some of the jap models were better built than the American. I would go for the Mexican ones, because there isn't a whole lot of difference. When you buy an American you get some accessories with it, and thats about it, unless you start getting really high-end.

As for Strats, they come out of tune alot unless you put a block on the bridge so it doesn't move.

I'm not sure what Aerosmith used, as far as Fenders go, I always saw Joe Perry with a Les Paul.

Right cool.. so we have Jap, Mexican and US fenders. There are all offical? Or is it like Epiphone being a subdivision of gibson? So generally US are best but overpriced? Kinda like gibsons.

Also, you get Strats and teles. Which is best? What are the main difference if any?

What ever I decided Ill be buying it 2nd hand off ebay of course!

I say they're all overpriced!

Go used, get an HM Strat! :P

http://www.sambob.net/pictures/hmfron.html

Looks like ****, but with a Dimarzio Super Distortion (or Super 3) coming in the bridge position, a kahler spyder two bridge, a flat fretboard radius (shredders dream!)... can't beat it. Especially since they regularly go for under $200 used.

I have played strats for nearly 20 years.

I currently have a TexMex Calif strat, a USA made Jap strat (I series), a Mexican Tele and a standard US Strat.

Where it is assembled is no indication of how the guitar will play or sound. There is a lot of variability between strats and Teles are just weird !

Ok so having qualified my opinion here are my words of wisdom....

Buy second hand and don't pay more than 500 USD. Try before you buy, cos there is a lot of variability in Fender quality control playing the very axe you are going to buy. If you are going to buy on line make sure they have a free returns policy (with no restocking fee).

Strats are strange next to LPs the extra scale length makes a big difference though that is not to say they are slower. My Jap Strat has the fastest action I have ever played ! Puts my Lp and PRS to shame !

OK Dr Simon!! Its your call! You get to pick which Fender I buy! Pick one that retails for around under $1000! I would prefer a Tele simply because Ive seen a couple I like used by Perry and Gibly Clarke of Guns n Roses. Also.. The tele I saw and liked the sound of that Gilby used was red with a glittery scratch plate! Dont laugh!

Seriously though, which would you recommend and Ill give it a go,

http://www.fender.com/products/show.php?seek=electricguitars

Thats a link to fender site, are they all "US" fenders? Do you get Jap and Mexican versions of all of those on that link?

Well to be honest the way I'd do it would be go on a tour of your local stores, see what they have got and give 'em a play.

They will all sound and play a little different. Keep in mind the sound you want and go for it !

Something to avoid is plugging them into a JCM900 and maxing out the overdrive.

I have found that it is often more productive to listen to both clean and distorted channels (took me a while to work that one out !)!!

The best Fender I've ever played was my 1986 ''62 Re-Issue Jap-Strat. I took out the whammy bar and machined a brass block to fill the cavity under the bridge. That baby would sustain for days! The rosewood & maple neck gave it a really sweet tone. The metalic blue body with a white pick guard looked cool too.

If you really want a Fender, that's the sort to look for. I bought that particular axe new, but unless you get a very good price, you really are better off to buy used. And with a Strat, you must always 'try before you buy'! Some of them will quack like a duck in true vintage style, but sound harsh or muddy. Some have one or two settings that sound really good, but don't have anything else to offer.

In the early '90s I was unemployed and short of money for my rent. I sold my Strat, and kept my Yamaha SBG1000. I still have it, plus another SBG1000 that I bought last year. Go try out some Strats. You may decide that you've been spending entirely too much of your time and money on Les Pauls. Or not. I ultimately decided that I wasn't exactly in love with the single-coil sound, and I see enough humbucker-loaded Strats to assure me that I'm not the only one. I wasn't really comfortable with the longer scale length, either. But then again, I now have an old Washburn A20-CS, with the same scale length, which sounds so good that I love to play it.

As I've said before, try out as many as you can get your hands on. Close your eyes. Open your ears and your mind. [u]Nobody[/u] can hear what's written on the headstock.

Why brass, Lorda?

Originally posted by iamthe_eggman
Why brass, Lorda?

It's easier to machine than steel... and I had a bloody great chunk of it sitting on my bench waiting for me to decide what to do with it! :D

As it turned out, it was the right choice - the result was very gratifying. If I had it to do again, I wouldn't change a thing. In fact, I have an early-production Odyssey V neck-through that I'm going to do something similar to. I loathe the Badass bridge that's on it now, so I'm designing a new bridge based on a big block of brass. I'll route a pocket into the top of the guitar body, and set the bridge block into it.

At one time I had a Fender American fat strat which felt and played amazing. I kick myself in the rump for selling it, but at the time I wasn't really getting the sound I was looking for out of it. Now I'm looking for that sound again......go figure.

Originally posted by Lordathestrings

Originally posted by iamthe_eggman
Why brass, Lorda?

It's easier to machine than steel... and I had a bloody great chunk of it sitting on my bench waiting for me to decide what to do with it! :D

As it turned out, it was the right choice - the result was very gratifying. If I had it to do again, I wouldn't change a thing. In fact, I have an early-production Odyssey V neck-through that I'm going to do something similar to. I loathe the Badass bridge that's on it now, so I'm designing a new bridge based on a big block of brass. I'll route a pocket into the top of the guitar body, and set the bridge block into it.

Yeah, I know, Lorda... I was just playin' with ya. I've heard you explain that a couple times before, and you usually ask "Why brass?" yourself, and then answer "Because I had a piece lying around!". But you didn't, so I thought I would ask, in all my smarmy glory.

:rolleyes: :p

not true, I have owned all permutations, USA, USA jap, Mexican, tex mex and it is impossible to attribute overall quality to where the thing was made / assembled.

i just bought my dream tele a 52' reissue {2} an american and a japanese both are execellent i love them both i also have a hardtail parts strat that i love better than the 64' i had years ago i'm currently looking for a robert cray hardtail strat {made in japan} anybody??????? in response to some of the postings i would like to add that of the non american fenders the japanese are the best but like the man says try before buy

Axl, in most good big stores in London (dunno about the rest of the Uk) Usa Strats and Teles sell for 599...exactly 599...its a sign.

check out www.sohosoundhouse.com...they are very good...also try your local soundcontrol...I have only been to the ones is London and Dundee, but I am sure there is one in your nearest city...try www.soundcontrol.com

also, another really great store (that do alot of internet stuff...I bought my Prs there, but in person) is www.guitars4you.com, or maybe .co.uk.

The guy who runs guitars4you is called Mark and he is a really nice guy.

But you should be able to get your choice of usa strat or tele (the standard ones, not deluxe or anything).

I personally like the ash Teles that sell for about 759