• From: BELGIUM
  • Registered: 2007-01-27
  • Posts: 3,403

Topic: FENDER Mexico versus USA

Can a human ear hear the difference between a Mexican Fender and an American Fender.
More specific: using a very good amp, ready for a gig, so at least 100W and more, and using a high volume, only producing a crystal clear sound.
WHICH CHORDIAN CAN HELP ME OUT ON THIS PROBLEM.
They claim that a Mexican Fender is approved in the US plant.

If there is difference: is it the wood, the neck-body part, the coils?
I really would appreciate your opinion.

[color=blue]- GITAARDOCPHIL SAIS: TO CONQUER DEAD, YOU HAVE TO DIE[/color]   AND [color=blue] we are born to die[/color]
- MY GUITAR PLAYS EVERY STYLE = BLUES, ROCK, METAL, so I NEED TO LEARN HOW TO PLAY IT.
[color=blue]Civilization began the first time an angry person cast a word instead of a rock.[/color]

gitaardocphil's Website

  • From: Pico Rivera, Calif. U.S.A.
  • Registered: 2006-10-26
  • Posts: 785

Re: FENDER Mexico versus USA

Fender USA made and MIM (made in Mexico) differ in quality. The USA fenders use better wood two piece swamp ash and alder where as the MIM are usually three piece alder. There is not much difference in the tonal construction between two or three piece bodies but the three piece will vibrate more that the two piece. Also the hardware and electronics are better on the USA fender than the MIM ones that's why you will see a three hundred and up price difference.

Bootlegger.

  • Registered: 2007-06-23
  • Posts: 113

Re: FENDER Mexico versus USA

If you can swing an American, do so for it's value will maintain better.

There is a guy on my block who lives for rock, he plays records day and night, and when he feels down he puts the rock and roll on and it makes him feel alright. - The Kinks, Rock And Roll Fantasy
  • From: BELGIUM
  • Registered: 2007-01-27
  • Posts: 3,403

Re: FENDER Mexico versus USA

The KINKS: Rock and Roll Fantasy, is a beautiful song. In fact one of the most beautiful tunes.
You know, in Napster time, I had more than 300 KINKS songs
PROCOL HARUM: 300-400 songs. This is unbelievable.
I have paid for WinMx, and this is one of the best today. I was able to download the complete Creedence Clearwater Revival, box. See on Amazon. Every single song is in that bow. Of course I have all their CD's, I baught one in a Pawn shop for 2$.
The Who: incredible. BUT I HAVE ONE BIG PROBLEM: since I had to stop working as MD, I don't listen (sometimes) my albums. When I was still active, I spend a lot of time listening my CD's, I listened 6 CD's in 4-5 days.
But on the other hand, I am glad. When I had to stop because of medical reasons (I was a walking pill, at the end, you never get used to pain) I started more to play myself, and having the opportunity, I purchased 10 guitars, on eBay, PRS (4) Gibson (3) and of course a Fender strat and tele. Add 4 acoustic guitars.. I shouldn't have done that last year, but I play AND collect guitars. The price of the PRS EG series has doubled in price in 1 year. That's why I always give advise to spend some more $$, obtaing a guitar that is no longer produced.

[color=blue]- GITAARDOCPHIL SAIS: TO CONQUER DEAD, YOU HAVE TO DIE[/color]   AND [color=blue] we are born to die[/color]
- MY GUITAR PLAYS EVERY STYLE = BLUES, ROCK, METAL, so I NEED TO LEARN HOW TO PLAY IT.
[color=blue]Civilization began the first time an angry person cast a word instead of a rock.[/color]

gitaardocphil's Website

  • Registered: 2007-09-05
  • Posts: 9

Re: FENDER Mexico versus USA

I use to have a Guitar shop I have tried the test with a whole bunch of Fender / Squier Strats
We had a bottom of the range Squier a Korean made Gold Series Squier
Mex Strat,  Jap Strat,  USA Standard and a USA Strat Delux. they were all plugged into a 2 channel amp and tried on clean and distorted chanels without altering the amp settings.
In terms of how they were to play the USA Delux won hands down.
But for all round sound quality all three of us that were there voted the Jap the best sound. The second best sound was the Korean Squier then the USA Delux then the Standard then the Mex then the beginers Squier.
But to conclude I bet if you tried it with another bunch of strats the results would be different. Because I think the truth is that no 2 guitars sound the same. Some of the sound is down to set up string type etc

  • From: BELGIUM
  • Registered: 2007-01-27
  • Posts: 3,403

Re: FENDER Mexico versus USA

Well this is interesting news, do they still make Fenders in Japan?
It also depends what a FENDER STRATOCASTER is today. 30 years ago, you had a stratocaster and a telecaster, and that was all I think. But if you stand in front of US stratocasters today, you don't know what to choose, a Beck model, a Clapton model, the relic series, some almost identical Fenders, have a different price, sometimes only 50-100$, it is really searching to find the right guitar.

[color=blue]- GITAARDOCPHIL SAIS: TO CONQUER DEAD, YOU HAVE TO DIE[/color]   AND [color=blue] we are born to die[/color]
- MY GUITAR PLAYS EVERY STYLE = BLUES, ROCK, METAL, so I NEED TO LEARN HOW TO PLAY IT.
[color=blue]Civilization began the first time an angry person cast a word instead of a rock.[/color]

gitaardocphil's Website

  • From: Anchorage
  • Registered: 2006-03-04
  • Posts: 82

Re: FENDER Mexico versus USA

I think that for the money . . . the MIM strats & tele's are a very good products and a very good deal, especially if you get something a cut above the "standard", like the Players Strat or Nashville Power Tele.  I've got a Nashville Power Tele (MIM) and it's great.  It cost a couple hundred more than the standard, but not as much as an American standard.

I also have a 1994 standard strat (MIM) that was really good sounding and very easy playing, but is even better now since I upgraded the pickups. 

However . . . the sweetest sounding and playing guitar I have is a Korean Made tele with set mahogany neck, and coil tapped humbuckers.  When the humbuckers are engaged it has a louder but warmer "les Paul" sound, but when you put them in single coil mode . . . it's got the tele twang and bite.  It's an outstanding guitar with and can play anything.  I had my heart set on a USA made tele, but after playing it and the Korean (about $300 less) . . . the Korean tele beat the American tele hands down in every way. 

Not too long ago, I saw a Japanese made tele with a bigsby on it, but I don't think they still make any strats there, as the only Japan made strats you see are several years old.

  • Registered: 2007-02-07
  • Posts: 18

Re: FENDER Mexico versus USA

the mexican one might have been made someones garage.....lol, jk. my friend said in mexico u can get tons of nylon string guitars that say fender and gibson when they were made in some creepy guys garage....