MEXICAN STRAT vs AMERICAN STRAT - Guitar Tone Comparison!
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 23 ก.ค. 2024
- Having a hard time figuring out which Fender Stratocaster is a good fit for your playing style and budget? Check out this comparison between a MIM Strat and a USA Strat!
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SONGS:
Pos 5: Posters - Jack Johnosn
Pos 4: Nobody Knows You - Clapton
Pos 3: A Field of Flowers - Phil Keaggy
Pos 2: Satalite - DMB
Pos 1: In A Little While - U2
BACKING TRACK CREDIT:
BackingTrack by VitoAstone
• Rock Blues Eric Johnso...
Enjoy! - เพลง
Let me know which guitar you preferred in this comparison, #TeamMIM or #TeamMIA?
If you've been lucky enough to play on both I'd love to know what your observations were!
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Darrell Braun Guitar Hey Darrel! I'm learning simple man right now. I love playing so much and your channel has made me love it even more.
Thanks so much.
Darrell Braun Guitar loving the jack Johnson :)
+David Oster 😀👍👍👍
+Jackson Rigney Thanks!
Simple man is such a great tune! 👍
Honestly, can't say I preferred any one. They just seem different, but not better or worse. One can easily find application for both of the strats, depending on the required result.
Mexican Fenders have some of the greatest quality to price ratio, can't go wrong.
Everything, yep. I’ve got a left handed 1994 MIM ‘Squier Series’ Fender. Squier is acompany and not a series. It’s an anomaly for a few years in the ‘90’s with American parts. I got it for $150. I convinced the person a used left handed Squier wasn’t worth that much.
@@Dave_MB I have a 94 squier series strat that I got for 150 and it plays like butter.
@@JoeBat95 Yep. They're pretty sweet.
Mexican fender good price
They're made literally 20 miles away from the American Factory
Call me crazy, but I prefer the fatter, warmer sound of the MIM.
+Parker Bilbro Not crazy at all! I think it sounds great too - especially for certain genres ☺
Yeah, me too.
I dont really prefer the warmer tone bit, but it definitely has a more PURE tone if you know what I meam
Parker Bilbro me too!! The USA was very thin and too toppy by comparison.
If only they made an MIM in Sienna Sunburst...
I bought a mim strat 10 years ago, and I have never even thought I need to "upgrade" to a usa. The build quality is great and the tone is beautiful. I'm keeping it for life.
I have owned a Mexican
Strat. It had been modded with Tex-Mex Alnico 5 pickups. Later I tried a Squier Classic Vibe Strat. I liked it better than the Mexican. Sold the Mexican. Now I have two Classic Vibes, a 50's and a 60's model.
@@gordonipock9385 ah yes the classic vibes are great! Years ago I was trying out usa made standard strats and i noticed a classic vibe squier, that squier was just a better guitar..
I used to work with a guy who was a helluva guitar player. He had one of the earliest Squiers that was made in Japan. Fantastic quality. Fender stopped making the Japanese Squiers because they were so good. Japanese make a lot of high-quality products. The Classic Vibes I have were made in China. They were Squier's effort to prove they could build a high-quality guitar. The necks and the string action are perfect on mine. No buzz. Easy to play. I did some research. Squier outsourced the pickups to a specialty place in South Korea. Great sounding pickups. I had another Mexican Strat that had the stock ceramic pickups. Nowhere near the clarity and tone of the Classic Vibe strats.
I’ve had mine 20 years. Going to have to replace the selector switch and the middle pickup isn’t wanting to pickup any more so time to upgrade my old friend.
Yeah I started on a MiM back in 2003. Stopped playing after a few years and sold it. Bought another one when I started back up again, last year. They're like exactly the right first guitar for someone who will be taking guitar/music seriously.
Not expensive, and good enough that you'll still play it even after years of practicing.
I get so excited when I’m looking for a comparison and it happens to be from your channel. The best!!!!!
I just bought a Mexican Strat. As beginner, I feel like I made the right decision. Especially after watching your video. Thanks for the explanation.
James Mabry Me too, lots of squabbles and ego online but this validates the decision. Nice to have the saved money for other goodies.
Same here bro... have my MIM standard strat and I like the fret size and grip as well and it sound is pretty cool. No doubts and frustrations,
Mim line is fantastic. I don't like the string spacing on the MIM guits due to narrower neck. But damn they're really great.
never start out on the wrong foot .... change your pickups ..
I love my Mexican strat. It is well built by people who love guitars, and to Fenders specs. No doubt I will never sell it.
I think I prefer the Mexican. It sounds warmer snd fuller.
Nice comparison, thank for the video.
I swear I hear bits of Floyd/Gilmor in your jam, really nice.
Candy apple strats with maple necks make everyone play gilmourish or knoplerish
You forgot noisier and more susceptible to feedback.
@@professorstein5855 kinda grungey I love it !
Yeah I prefer the Mexican one .
I'm a drummer and played piano for a while. I got a beautiful blupurple MIM for christmas in 1997. I tried teaching myself over the years, but never got far. It's been in storage for the last 10+ years. I've really been wanting to make another run at it since the internet has so many of learning now. I feel blessed to have recieved that guitar and would love to justify the gift. Hearing how that guitar can sound motivates me.
The guitar you have is actually a USA body and neck. The bodies and necks were made in Corona and shipped to Ensenada for finish sanding and painting. The Ensenada plant’s production side wasn’t back up and running after the fire until 1998.
Get that guitar out of storage and play it, or sell it to me!
I have one of these 97 blupurples as well. My mother is a blues player and she gave it to me for Christmas and she did the setup on it.
It took me multiple tries to get guitar to finally stick. Keep going!
@@aidangittings7810 thx man
Darrell, I really enjoy your playing/riffs. Very melodic and pleasing!
I have owned both.
As a solo instrument, the Mexican Standard sounds nice, warm and great on it's own.
With a band, the American Standard cuts through the mud and really shines.
Both are fine instruments and you should be proud to own either.
+Ben Aaron ☺👍 Well said!
Thanks for this comment. This the reason i am looking to swap from MIM to MIA. Love my MIM but now playing in a 7 piece band with 3 piece horn section and always feel i am struggling to cut through on some sections especially when playing backing melodies rather than chords. Hopefully a MIA will make the difference.
MIA - Missing in action?
I agree, but the American Telecaster even more so. they will cut through just about anything :-)
Gliddo mia is Mexican strat
I have been playing the guitar since I was 12 years old and I still have my 1957 Fender Musicmaster that I bought new with my paper route money. All my life, I have always wanted a Strat and finally bought one this week. I watched a lot of vlogs comparing the Mexican to the American. The older gentleman at Guitar center was very knowledgeable and has been playing all his life. He told me that the Mex strat was almost identical to the American with only a slight difference in the electronics and sound. The Mex factory and the American factory are only 20 miles apart and both are painted in the Mex factory. For someone like me who doesn’t play in a band and only plays in my home office for my own enjoyment, the Mexican strat was a no brainer. I have a Fender Mustang amp and it does everything I need. The price difference was a huge deciding factor as well. I also have a Les Paul Standard that I really enjoy also. Thanks for a great video.
Hey, that’s a sweet story 🤓 I also own a Mex Strat and like you also paid for my starter guitars with paper route money, although they were nowhere near as nice as a Fender Musicmaster 😅 Small correction however, the Mexican factory is in fact 180 miles away from the American factory
The mustang amp is great for home players I also had a Gdec 3 and it was good enough for me
You've been wanting a real strat your whole life and when the time finally came to buy one you cheeped out? Dude you did life wrong. The American doesn't just cut through a mix better it sounds better period. The ceramics are noticeably muddier. You did yourself dirty by not spending an extra 500 bucks. Not that the MIM sounds bad but come on who wants something their whole life and then gets the shittier version to save half a grand.
@Timothy Iorlano i know exactly what it is ive owned one i was just expressing amazement that this dude has wanted something his whole life and then cheaped out when the time came to buy it i mean if saving 500 bucks was that big of a deal at the time he probably had better things to spend money on than a guitar cause 500 is literally no money at all im working my way through school and poor and 500 still isnt a lot to me like thats about a month worth of tips from the coffee shop i work at also he wouldnt be out 4 grand for the american made i spend 2 on mine so yeah you could easily spend 4 grand but its disingenuous to say thats how much it woulda cost him i bet he coulda got one for even cheaper than i did ive seen some of the american mades go for like 1500 also the MIMs are not literally the same as the americans so thats another lie you told they sound worse they have worse electronics and a worse bridge PERIOD honestly you didnt say anything true in your comment seems to me like you're just trying to justify your own purchase you're not just paying for the fact thats its american made you're paying for a better guitar i should know ive owned both so why would u cheap out on your dream guitar when the difference in price is so small...... no brainer dude
@@rose.i he could upgrade the pups for better ones all around anyways and then boom, better sounding. The new MIM have the new two point trem system as well now so...
I like coming back and watching this vid. I’m really happy with my MIM, so happy that I have no GAS for an American strat. I’ve had some really good upgrades done to mine, like new bone nut, the fret ends filed by a luthier and the edges of the fret board smoothed out a bit. I also changed the trem system to a blade runner super Vee. The trem system alone was like 190 but all of it was money well spent. It plays like a dream. And I actually like the sound of the MIM pups better. They aren’t as bright. I didn’t do locking tuners only because I have zero tuning issues with the blade runner super Vee trem. I am thinking on getting a mint green pick guard tho. I think it will look really good on a sunburst strat.
Once again great vid!
Great demo Darrell, fair and impartial. Its good that you let everyone have their own opinion, and you included a little guitar economics 101. Personally I think the MIM is a great buy
Darrel, its very very helpful when on editing you switch guitars without any pause or fade, just jumping from 1 to another several times, no pauses, its the best way to notice the differences in sound, try to do this more often is more helful, thanks for the great video
Hallelujah
Make your own videos weirdo
Your right!
Just put one guitar down and grab another With no pause. Both guitars plugged in the same Jack on the same amplifier. No pause or editing changing the guitars
Yes, definitely can tell the difference without the pause in editing and the American sound is more American sounding or not as tinty.
Gotta say i love the choice of riff! I've been an acoustic player going on 17 years now. Finally starting to seriously get into electric and having a hard time picking out my first DECENT electric. This video is helping a lot.
What did you pick ? Or have stop playing ?
I think that there's a few things to consider with these comparisons
1. Tone knobs exists on amps, pedels, guitars, etc. Would the american strat still sound (brighter) if we dialed in the amp settings a bit? Could we also make the american sound "fatter" if we wanted to?
2. Engineers and sound guys are gonna compress and eq your guitar regardless of what country it was made in.
3. Play what makes you feel inspired, not what someone on TH-cam (including me and my comments) told you to do.
4. Don't go broke over one guitar (but that doesn't necessarily mean you shouldn't get the american strat if that's what you really want).
5. What I'm trying to say is: play what YOU want. And don't worry about what people try to tell you otherwise. Your sound and style might not be exactly there style. End of the day it's a guitar, and that's rock n roll
Nobody observed the great solo he played? Damn!
Sorry, for these old ears, the MIM has my vote..the American just seems over-the-top bright.
Dave J There is a way to tone down the brightness on a fender Strat, you have to go old fashion and put pure nickel strings.. it will make it sound a lot warmer and cut through all that higher treble.
I respect your opinion
Agree. I guess if you want that really twangy sound as opposed to the warmer MIM sound it may be worth double the cash. Not for me.
Yep, just what I was thinking.
I have to agree.I would buy the MIM out of choice not budget
That Dave Matthews Band "Satellite" arpeggio made my day!
Thanks for that...
BTW excellent vid as usual!
This is super helpful! I'm upgrading from a terrible strat copy, and this makes me feel better about choosing the MIM within my price range vs shelling out bigger bucks. I'm sure that the MIA can get more bang while ripping through solos, but it's a little too bright for me.
Wow the Mex strat has a warmer fuzzier tone that sounds amazing! Both sound awesome I just prefer the tone from the Mex strat which is surprising!
I've noticed ceramic pickups are a little secret everybody seems to overlook. Ceramic pickups offer a great foundation for a heavy bottom/ mid-range That never really peaks, it kinda keeps its bandwidth in the mid-range territory. Your standard Stratocaster pickup is typically flush alnico poles and the bobbins tend to be plastic in the more recent years. Which really started around 1982 with the plastic bobbin pickups. The characteristic of AlNico pickups is the bandwidth tends to Peak in your mid-to-high range territory which gives it that wet Stratocaster sound. Seems like ceramic pickups or like a dry wine vs alnico being a wet wine
I thought the Mex Strat sounded better too...
Es chicano el vato
Bro you have the best comparison videos on the web. Keep it up, you bring a lot of comfort to those who are starting out and need real life examples of the differences. I purchased a MIM Strat in Agave Blue with rosewood neck and I can’t tell you how much I love love love this guitar. Your playing is very inspirational. Great job man.
Thanks!
Congratulations on the new Guitar!
Thanks Darrell, another great informative video.
I have a Jimmie Vaughan Fender Strat and a Fender Baja Telecaster, both are MIM and I love them dearly. Playability, appointments, fit and finish - All top notch. The necks are super chunky which I love.
So happy I picked up all these instruments years ago (pre-covid/inflation) or I probably couldn't any of them in today's market.
Rock on DBG!
About to jump off on a new strat and glad I saw this. Of these two I prefer the MIM. The tone is just more of a warm sound. I’d love to see these tested against the classic vibe Squier strats
Darrell, thank you so much for all the efforts you put into making yours videos. They are extremely informative and a great help when in need of making sound decisions. Having never owned a Stratocaster before and being on a tight budget, I went for a MIM as a result and found a real gem "Special Edition" that was barely used! It looks fantastic and plays beautifully! I couldn't be happier and it would not have happen without your love for the instrument and your desire to share your tremendous knowledge. Sincerely, my best wishes to you for a continued success! Alan
Congratulations! They are great guitars!
They both sound great. Also holy cow at that soloing w/ the backing track.
Darrell, love the comparison. I have both, more than one of both :-) My biggest complaint on the MIM Strats is the lack of fret finishing, particularly sharp unfinished fret ends. I can easily fix that, but a little more attention to this would go a long way. My best strat I have is actually a Partscaster, MIM body, Fender Neck, and Fender Samarium Cobalt Pickups. I grab this more than my MIA strats :-) Thanks again for a GREAT channel!
well done on this presentation! very thoroughly explained and well demonstrated. Thanks
I had a hard time defining which was more to my taste. You made both sound really good so going back to the player that makes the difference is very noteworthy.
I’m glad I watched this. I bought a Mexican HSS last summer for $499 and didn’t know there was such a difference between them. I couldn’t be happier with my strat, thanks!
I love my MiM HSS Strat
Awesome videos!!! I think my preferences, having watched a few, are the ceramic magnets paired with an amp with alnico magnets in their speakers. I like the big-sounding warmth of the guitar paired with the clarity of the amp. Thanks for helping me sort this out.
Whats your favorito alnico speaker?
I have a jensen c12n thats ceramic. My strat is ceramic as well and im considering an alnico speaker for c12n style cleans
I just bought the American pro today and I absolutely love it. This guitar is amazing, especially with the new V-Mod pickups.
I have a 2018 MIM Fender Stratocaster Deluxe and couldn't be happier. 👍
As I have, and the more I read the happier I am with my choice. I have been playing guitar for 40 years but have to admit I still play like Les Dawson 🙁
Great video! Really digging the MIM.
Thanks so much for the quality work in this video both in production and sound and playing!! I appreciate this!!! I own a MIM the butter cream color!! In this video I saw that in the first part where you were chording out....the MIM actually had warmer tones and weren't piercing at the top like the AS however in soloing they were pound for pound....I'm listening on ATH-M5Ox's too!
Gonna keep this one forever!! God Bless!
I can hear the difference for sure but I got a question? 🙋♂️ Them the same strings on both guitars? I hear new strings on the American and old on the Mexican and or different.
There’s so many simple things that can be done to change the sound on both guitars to fit your sound, love both.
Back in the day I owned a 1970 Strat. For the last few years I have been playing a MIM strat w/ a maple neck. I am totally satisfied with the action and the sound. It is a good bang for the buck. Enjoy!
Not a huge fan of tapping, but really loved your solos! Enjoyed both the strats, but I'd rather go for the MIM and invest my savings on a nicer amp. Thanks for the nice review and for the great improvisation!
Thanks Darrell, I just bought a used MIM yesterday and I'm trying to learn everything about it.
I tried both MIM and MIA strats at the shop, they both feel exactly the same but the MIM warmer pickups sound nicer.
Darren. Smashing video. Some really nice playing, the material selected for the comparison worked well. Prefer the Mex for the chord work and the US for the lead stuff...Well done man!
Very helpful review - thank you Darrell !
Call the men in white to take me away, but the Mexican strat sounds better !
Dude you did an awesome job with this video. 🇺🇸🇲🇽🤘
+Adrian R. Thanks so much Adrian!
Much prefer the Mexi sound, which surprised me.
Me too
Same. The American is a little too tinny.
Might be the maple fretboard
So you like higher output ceranic pickups
@@thesuccessfulbarber In this comparison, yes.
Very nice playing Darrell... Hell yah!
I have had a couple of American strats, but the one I have kept and always return to as my go-to guitar is a 1985 MIJ 'Heavy Metal' Strat. Started with just two pickups, both split humbuckers, and I added the centre single coil, and upgraded the tuners and trem system. The neck is awesome, and the split buckers give me everything I need in terms of sounds. After having the big name guitars (LPs, American strats) I've come the point where I want a guitar that feels and sounds awesome. If you have that in your instrument, who cares where it's made or the name on the headstock.
Thanks for the comparison, Darrell. I personally like the Mexican Strat better especially when talking about the difference in price.
I'm amazed at how beautiful the Mex Strats and Teles are. So far I bought three.
Never played a MIM or Squire but have been disappointed with a few American standard Strats from 2011 and 2014. If I ever get another one I’ll look at the MIM version. It’s interesting to see the huge improvements in your video production on the past year. Really like your new amps and of course your playing is staying so consistent keeping your chops up!! 😀 thanks
What's a Squire?
Great video, as always. Professional and very helpful. To me, the pups on the American Std had a Fuzz component in their tone. Not something I liked. The ceramics on the MexiStrat sounded more authentic. While many look for the high note chimeyness as a defining tone in a Strat, for me it has always been the signature growl of a single coil bridge pup and Hendrix-style double stops mid neck that is almost impossible to replicate by any other guitar. I’d go with the MexiStrat. Regards. . .
hey that was intresting. thank you for taking the time to give us this info. plus you are a great guitar player.
+Buddha Joe Coughlin No problem! ☺👍
I like the distorted tone from the MIM the most!
I bought a MIM HSS Strat because I loved the way it plays, the feel and quality. I do, however, agree that the American Standard pickups are brighter and have that traditional Strat sound while my cermics are noticeably "muddier" sounding. Also, the humbucker at he bridge on my MIM is much hotter than the two single coils and does not blend that well with the middle pickup. I'm considering switching all three to an American Standard set-up. Thanks for the informative video!
Had a mex standard since 2014, this video is making me wanna swap the pickups out for some standard ones, that clarity is incredible
I have a Mexican player strat, which I bought in 2001. I wasn't too happy with the standard pickups, so I changed them for some lace sensor golds. Result is perfection, crystal clear and bell-like tone. I prefer it to my PRS custom
I bought the Mexican strat for 1 reason...
Money
And I bought a squire bullet strat hss for one reason... Money
@@ianmorgan3239 you're definitely the winner in this situation, cheap guitars ftw
@@tomrabbani but squires are just garbage... id only buy one if i was a first year player
@@lonewanderer958 they're really not garbage
tom rabbani compared to what 🤣 a denver ? 😂
Great analysis. Thanks for the side by side comparison. Very helpful! I’m going to get the MIM and some some $$$. If I have regrets, I’ll step up the the MIA.
Man, you play really good, I’ve been playing for 50 years and I can’t play close to what you sound like either with a Mexican or American guitar.
Regardless... Those were some mighty smooth solos.
I’d love to hear the Squier Deluxe against the Mexican and American. I like the way you do your comparison videos. Definitely the best I’ve seen. Cheers
+okiwatashi Thanks! I'll add it to my list ☺
Great review and awesome play. One question. I'm not sure I heard it in the video. Do you use the same strings on both guitars? Even I own an American Strat I would go for the Mexican Strat by the sound in all comparisons (ear phones) but it's a matter of taste of course. So others might think different.
Great video! Thank you!
That pick-tapping technique just blew my damn mind.. never seen that before !
Me too..
Eddy Van Halen does it ☺️
Check out Joe Satriani - Surfing with the Alien, he uses that technique during the solo
Thanks a million for your excellent comparison. The touch and feel of the American made Strat is noticeable but like you say the Mexican is definitely more value for money and they both are cut above many other guitars out there, hence they are the standard.
Hey Darrell, I used to live in Canada, between 1973 and 1984, I left and came back to Portugal when I was 17, my dad worked for an airline company ...one thing I still don't get with musicians in North America is that it seems that 80% prefer a rosewood or (now that there's a ban) a rosewood style fretboard. I love Strats it's my number one, but all my Strats have maple fretboards I guess it's the theory that rosewood makes the Strat sound warmer. Personally I never believed that it did because I had a couple of Strats with a rosewood fretboard. Cheers. Mike.
Why are you not in top 100 guitarist list !! Who tests a guitar like that !!! 🤣 That's beyond gorgeous guitar playing and it made me forget about the comparison
Classic vibe vs a MIM standard would be cool. I love those pickups on the classic vibe 50s strats. Great video as always Darrell. Keep em coming 🎸🎶✌😁
+Joseph Etherton I'll add it to my list! 😀
Joseph Etherton I think the CV Squiers are great, the only thing I've replaced for friends are the 5 way switch and tone caps. The feel of the neck are great and the pickups are warm and not too noisy.
That's some sexy playing there brother. They both have their own flavours. I like the american for definition, but I do like the mim.
I aldo have to mention that a lot of these guitars are great guitars when you just set them up properly. I followed your tremolo system vid and now my guitars never go out of tune. Tha ks for the tips.
+Vegechops Glad to hear it!
+Vegechops Thanks man!
The MIM pickups are really quite good and can cover a lot of ground. If you upgrade they make fantastic replacements for lower end Strat copies or cheap partscaster builds. Mine are chillin' in a $100 flea market find. The MIM has a Duncan humbucker and some off brand vintage strat single coils (GFS maybe, got them in trade but sound good)
Totally awesome Darell….I've been playin a PRS SE with a ton of mods (it's WAY out of tune on the G fret without an Earvana nut and the electronics SUCK!) so I'm looking real hard at a strat. I have Les Pauls too but I think I NEED a new guitar (I'm guitarded….go ahead with the jokes.....hehe) This was a great find for me. Hope you're enjoying the new music room....I just did the same thing....btw...I bought one of the Left Stage $229 amps....has pretty much become my fave practice amp....LOVE the tone...thanks again....Have a great day bro! PS....I'm a pilot and away on a trip...sort of scared to come home with another new guitar...warden would never approve....but...better to ask for pardon over permission!
I have owned several Americans and MIMs. I can't see spending the extra money on the American. I use a MIM now for gigging, have changed the pickups out and new fender locking tuners. Plays as good or better than american at a lower cost. I pick the MIM! BTW very good video!
I like the American a little bit better but the Mexican strat is a big bang for your buck
I've had the American Deluxe and made in Mexico... The MIM instrument really quite amazed me... I highly recommend the MIM as long as you set it up correctly... Best Bang for your buck out of any electric guitar made period.
I love the tones in the MIM that said USA sounds more like the traditional Stat sound that I fell in love with as a kid via Hendrix & Blackmore
It's harder to hear the difference when there's distortion. I think a clean sound without effects would be a better comparison.
I bought a MIM Strat Deluxe (all gold fittings).
Pristine condition, played for less than 100 hours. It's a 1998 !!!
Kid didn't like it, so his dad kept it in the closet until 2014.
Bought for $200.
VERY interesting. Very informative. I have a mexi strat I just got, a 2012, and I was wondering what it had in it for pickups, etc. It has the bent steel saddles and the ceramic pickups like what you showed in your squier vs mexi video. Really fun guitar to play for sure. I was just trying to determine what sort of a sound I want from my guitar and this helps me to know what that may be. My mexi sounds a lot like the one in this video: warm, raw, and grindy. Definitely works for certain applications.
I love the MIM strats. You can find them pretty cheap used and then update the pickups. DiMarzio has some great options.
Darrell, I would LOVE to see a comparison between the MIM Standard and the MIM Deluxe (with noiseless pickups).
+Chris House I'll see what I can do!
Good ear, Chris. I noticed more single coil hum on the Mexican than on the American. That would be a good test.
I have a Blonde MIM FSR Noiseless Ash, and it is phenomenal. Gorgeous one-piece ash body with almost perfectly quartersawn neck, and factory wired with the mid and neck sharing the mid's tone pot. I swear the guy who put this one together was trying to impress somebody. And he succeeded!
This thing looks and sounds like a Custom Shop made Strat costing thousands. The only difference is the finish isn't nitro. But, at $450 (got it on sale from Musicians' Friend back in 2010), I can live with the polyester.
MeBeLonMon I think the poly finish is more practical. But then again I hate reliced guitars.
get the deluxe roadhouse from 2017 on...everything like the american. same two point trem, staggered tuners, deluxe string trees, easy access rounded neck heel, american vintage noiseless pick ups, and an awesome 6 positiin active eq.
Loving the nobody knows you when you're down and out riff!
Darrell you do the best reviews - no question - I may buy one of the Mexican Strats now - was thinking about a Squire but you changed my mind - thanks bud aye - keep up the great work !!!
Great video. I have a Mexican Strat, and it's nice to know that it is not quite the poor relation that some would say. Coupled to a Roland amp, I get a lovely sound out of it.
I always loved the Mexican instruments so much. They have a heavy body tone and a lot more thicker. American made is also good but I always thought the sounds always too bright for me. Fender Mexican basses are my personal favorite instruments. I own a Mexican jazz bass and It sounds amazing
Yep same bass too, amazing.
I just subscribed because of how amazing you are
+Batman Robin Thanks man!
Welcome aboard! ☺
I actually preferred the timbre of the MIM - that's how a Strat is supposed to sound in my (classic rock, R&B infused) mind. I could imagine that the MIA might be better for a cleaner The Shadows type of sound, though. Thank you for making the video.
Both sounds amazing. I got an american standard Fender since 1992 and i can not play anything else. It was love to first sight, and amaze me every day.
Interesting -- I've never seen anyone do that thing where you hit and move the side of the pick against the strings over the fretboard. I got a brand new MIM Standard Stratocaster yesterday. So great. I also played several American Pro Strats because my intention was to buy one of those and I just didn't feel like it was significantly better than the Standard -- for me.
+MikeMonson Congrats on the new Strat! 🎸😎
I love my Mex Strat, its more than good enough for home use :D
That Intro was mad!! Wow!
Great vid!!!
I have a Mexican Strat I put in a bone nut and put in Kluson pups reset up the guitar and centred the trem block it’s an awesome guitar Olympic White 2001 model the neck is as good as any USA strat.
I could not justify the cost of the USA strat when a little time and effort plus under £150.00 and it’s up there with the USA.
Just think £750 more and I could say woopee do I’ve got a USA Strat
What do you mean by "centered the trem block"? I want to learn! :)
Did you name it Excalibur?
Reconfirms my choice to get an MIM strat. Great instrument and actually made me a better player!
As soon as I heard the MIA strat go I could hear the difference in note definition. The MIM sounds good but the notes seem muddled together. Is there anyway to get the same note definition out of the MIM, perhaps by changing the pickups? Any answer would be appreciated
What is the wood finish strat hanging on the back with the black pick guard? That's what I am looking for!
Honestly, wow, I prefer the MIM?
Great DARRELL !!!
+Vito Astone Thanks Vito!
I love jamming to your tracks 😀👍
Hi Darrell, it's an old video, but I'll write below it.
I have a MIN Standard (no Player Series.) HSS configuration.
I got a loaded pickguard from a MIA 1991 SSS from a friend. Does it make sense to build this into a MIM?
(I once read that the MIA from 1991 should be TEXMEX pickups)
Does that bring so much, because an MIA still has fundamental changes compared to an MIM.
thanks
I own a MIM Strat and wasn't happy with the original pickups. I replaced them with the Lindy Fralin set and switching which allows Neck + Bridge combination, and the sound great. I did have a neck shim added, but still get fret buzz around 12-13. Any thoughts on that?