This might be more about Fender in general than Strats specifically, but…
Where are Strats made? And how does the country of manufacture affect quality and price? I’ve heard that USA made is best, but I’ll probably have to sell a kidney to afford one. How do Japanese and Mexican instruments compare? Where else are they made?
Let’s say I have a budget of around $400. What can I expect to get?
I’m trying to sell an American-made Strat right now on Craigslist, and the first question I usually get is, “It’s made in USA, not Mexico, right?”
Not sure why, but Fender enthusiasts definitely seem to prefer U.S. made instruments.
For $400 I suspect you could get a not-pristine Strat. Saw them in a music store the other day for about that. There are also lots of Fender knockoffs that would probably suffice if you’re not a professional or collector.
Thing is, I’ve heard that Mexicans are the next best thing to Americans, and that Japanese are far inferior.
I ask because I recently bought a Squier, which is the worst that bears the Fender name. The guy at the repair shop told me that the difference in quality is partially due to the quality of the wood. Squiers get the scrap that’s been rejected for everything else, which might be why the neck warped and twisted so horribly.
Here’s an overview. (link to prior Cafe Society thread).
US-made Strats are marketing as Fenders top of the line, going up into their Custom Shop models.
Mexican-made Strats - nicknamed Mexi-Strats by online geeks - are next down. They typically sell for $400 - $700. There is a new line, the Road Worn series, which is made in Mexico. They are causing a lot of controversy on line because they are relic’d - i.e., made to look old right out of the factory (an in this case, even the relic’ing is assembly line - they all have the EXACT SAME wear pseudo-wear marks :rolleyes:). But you know what? Pretty much every one of those Road Worns I have played at the local Guitar Center have been solid players - frankly, a higher ratio vs. US Strats. I don’t know what they did differently when they set up the Road Worn assembly lines, but the guitars are good deals - folks who love a good deal but hate fake wear on guitars are chasing their tails about this, that’s for sure! 
If you have other specific questions, let me (and all us git-geek Dopers) know…
Yamaha Pacificas are very good for the money, better than a Strat that costs the same. Look at various brands such as Schecter, Hamer , etc.
The Japanese Fenders are not inferior. Some of them are considered to be equal or superior to USA models. I have a Japanese made 1967 reissue that is easily as good as any of my American made Strats. One opinion I’ve heard several times is that Japanese Fenders have equal or superior fit and finish with slightly inferior pick-ups and switches. There is also some differentiation among enthusiasts between models made in Japan for export and models made for domestic sale, with the ones made for Japan only sale being superior.
Absolutely nothing wrong with Mexican strats. Just play a bunch until one speaks to you. Believe me, you’ll know it.
Another idea: after CBS bought Fender in the 70’s, Leo Fender teamed up with George Fullerton and founded G&L guitars. G&L now has two price points of guitars: the made in America (MIA) and the foreign-made Tribute series.
A couple of things: MIA G&L’s are pretty pricey new. BUT - because they don’t have the name recognition of Fender, the used prices are still crazy low. My local shop had a used $1800 Legacy (G&L strat), MINT, for $750. Search Craigslist. They come up occasionally for even better prices.
The Tribute series is also top quality. They use all the MIA pickups, pots, wiring, and switches in them, but they are assembled overseas. These are priced to compete with the Mexican strats.
Now, how are they, you might ask? Uniformly, every single G&L I have ever played, I wanted to take home with me. I currently own two of them, and would love to get my mitts on more. They are truly top-drawer world-class instruments.
As one of our local shop owners said when he took a look at my G&L L-2000 bass, “Damn, Leo really wanted to prove a point when he was making these things, didn’t he?”
There are always good used guitars for sale as some people give up playing after just a few months. In fact about now Christmas gift guitars should be hitting the used market.
Let me also sing the praises of G&L instruments. I’ve owned a couple and played many more. They are much more uniformly high quality than the big names.
My most recent purchase is a mint mid-90s G&L Legacy that I got for less than $500. Now part of the reason for the low price is the Sparkle Purple finish, but the lack of name recognition is the biggest part of it.
I’ve never gotten my hands on a Tribute model, but I understand them to be fine instruments, with the added bonus that each one is actually final-inspected and set-up in the US G&L factory on Fender Avenue.
Yes they are. This is the guitar I try to talk everyone who wants a strat into buying instead. I don’t own my Yamaha anymore (I was young and stupid and left it in my car overnight), but I do own a MIM Strat, and the Yamaha was every bit as good a guitar and I liked the double coil pickup on the bridge better than the signle coil that the strats come with.
I too have played the Road Worns and they are pretty nice. Although, some of the pickguards are so warped that they almost come up high enough off the body to touch the strings - very annoying to me…
Anyway, just play as many strats in your price range as possible and keep trying them out until one feels right. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again - a great guitar inspires you to play more often, and as a result, makes you better. It doesn’t matter how much it costs…
I’ve personally given up on buying mass produced guitars. I’d rather build my own 
Tell it! I just traded emails with Bill - the finishing continues…
Perhaps Stratocaster can weigh in on this?
That would be great! I had this threada while ago which links to a guitar website where a guy with a set of Stratocasters from the original 1954 to more recent compares tones - I was hoping we’d hear from **Stratocaster **on that one, too!
This is all great stuff, thanks!
I probably won’t go shopping for another month or two, but when I do, I’ll print this thread out and take it with me.
How about those of us who don’t know how to play yet? I’m thinking of learning the guitar, and if it makes such a huge difference, I’d like to get one that’s at least decent. I’m a bit more drawn to electric than accoustic, and perhaps a Telecaster more than a Strat.
When you buy take a friend along (if possible) that knows how to play.
tdn, let me know when you’re going shopping.
I will! Like I said, probably a month or three from now. I’ll probably go to Guitar Center near BU. They seem to be the best place around.
Hm. I’m not big fan of Guitar Center although I’ll admit that some are much better than others. SO many that I’ve been in have had the guitars indifferently setup and have been staffed by people who may or may not be able to help you find the right guitar for you.
Of course not all of the small local shops are anything to write home about, but I’ve had better experiences in that type of shop on average. When I went in to by my most recent acoustic, it was ridiculous how much time the staff spent with me over a couple of visits. I went in looking to buy a specific type of guitar, but they watched me play, asked lots about what I was looking for and brought me many different instruments to compare based what they heard. I ended up leaving with a guitar that I wouldn’t have looked twice at based on what I thought coming in.