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Gitfiddler
Well-known member
I played a 70's reissue the other day and the gas is getting the better of me. anyone happy with their MIM strat? love? hate?
thanks
thanks
iplayloudly
Active member
mine plays amazing, but i may have to pop in some new pickups soon 
IndyWS6
Well-known member
I have a MIM Robert Cray Signature. It seems to be built well and plays nicely, but the pickups sound like complete ASS. It has that trademark single coil neck pickup vibe going, which is great, but that's all it has. It seriously needs new pickups - and better tuners...
bravedude2
New member
Ayrton
Active member
Lovin' my Road Worn strat...
311boogieman
Well-known member
I've been happy with mine. I've had since '07. Frets are nice, stays in tune extremely well (vintage 6pt trem), rosewood, etc. I put a Duncan Custom Custom in it and it can do metal now too
Sierra Voodoo
Member
I've had one for 5+ years and have no complaints. Mine is the HSS configuration with some minor upgrades. I put a Seymour Duncan JB in the bridge, white pearloid pickguard (black body), and Graph Tech saddles. I mainly use it for dropped tuning material and it plays every bit as good as my American Strat that has the same configuration (HSS) and JB bridge PUP as well. As far as bang for the buck is concerned, it's hard to do better in my opinion.
steve_k
New member
No Strats, but I have two MIM Jim Root Tele's. They were both delivered as soon as they hit the market and played them since. The hold their drop tunings well like most Tele's and are always true. I think the parts are all delivered from the US anyway and assembled just across the border. Same Calixican assemblers both sides of the border anyway.
neilrocks25
New member
I love mine, I have had it since 1994 (it was a kind of prototype, with all US hardware) and I have modded the hell out of it.
I will never sell it.
I will never sell it.
blackba
Well-known member
I have a '93 MIM strat, it was my first electric guitar and I really like it. It has a poplar body and is really light, also only 21 frets. Compared to my MIA strats it does not sustain as well or sound as big, but makes a nice backup or alternate tunning guitar. Mine has all new pickups and new graphtec saddles (helped with string breakage). I like my MIA strats better, but will never sell my MIM strat.
On the new MIM strats they got away from poplar I believe. I had a Fender Players strat that was MIM, nice guitar overall. I think Fender has improved their MIM strats since the 90's.
On the new MIM strats they got away from poplar I believe. I had a Fender Players strat that was MIM, nice guitar overall. I think Fender has improved their MIM strats since the 90's.
srinivassa
New member
Here's the thing with buying an MIM Strat, especially on eBay. There are some that have issues. If I had it to do over, I would have just paid the extra $100 and got a new one. At least if there had been an issue, I could have exchanged it.
That's not to say I didn't get killer tone out of it right away. I remember wondering if my pickups were really MIM because they sounded so good. Of course, I was still kind of a noob rocker then. I didn't plan on returning it because it sounded great, but I did find problems.
The bridge piece was a nightmare. The screw holes were on a slight slant to the pickguard, so I was constantly dropping out the high E as I moved toward the neck pup. Also, the trem HAD to be blocked. The intonation became intolerable quickly, just with normal use.
So I had to use all 5 springs and finally block both sides of the trem block to get a decent stop tailpiece. Plus it took forever to sort out the crookedness of the bridge, which ultimately became un acceptable. I finally found that holes 1 and 5 were almost perfectly straight, so I made it a 2-point trem/bridge with the two straightest screws out of that mangled lot.
In short, I had to learn about guitars to make mine playable, but that's not an adventure I would go on again for the price of $100. Plus, with some new pups, it's a happy ending. Everyone should own a MIM Strat. For $500, you should just have one. It's a great playing guitar, extremely versatile for dirty and clean, vintage stuff, blues, classic rock, alternative. The list of Strat players is endless, and it just feels and sounds good to be able to strap one on, even if it's not your main thing.
@bravedude--> That blue one in your picture is my Strat. A MIM Agave Blue with a rosewood fretboard. Yours is probably in better shape than mine, but I love the look of that thing. I was considering a pearloid pickguard. Is your stock? It looks like it might have a swirl to it.
That's not to say I didn't get killer tone out of it right away. I remember wondering if my pickups were really MIM because they sounded so good. Of course, I was still kind of a noob rocker then. I didn't plan on returning it because it sounded great, but I did find problems.
The bridge piece was a nightmare. The screw holes were on a slight slant to the pickguard, so I was constantly dropping out the high E as I moved toward the neck pup. Also, the trem HAD to be blocked. The intonation became intolerable quickly, just with normal use.
So I had to use all 5 springs and finally block both sides of the trem block to get a decent stop tailpiece. Plus it took forever to sort out the crookedness of the bridge, which ultimately became un acceptable. I finally found that holes 1 and 5 were almost perfectly straight, so I made it a 2-point trem/bridge with the two straightest screws out of that mangled lot.
In short, I had to learn about guitars to make mine playable, but that's not an adventure I would go on again for the price of $100. Plus, with some new pups, it's a happy ending. Everyone should own a MIM Strat. For $500, you should just have one. It's a great playing guitar, extremely versatile for dirty and clean, vintage stuff, blues, classic rock, alternative. The list of Strat players is endless, and it just feels and sounds good to be able to strap one on, even if it's not your main thing.
@bravedude--> That blue one in your picture is my Strat. A MIM Agave Blue with a rosewood fretboard. Yours is probably in better shape than mine, but I love the look of that thing. I was considering a pearloid pickguard. Is your stock? It looks like it might have a swirl to it.
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polaris20
Member
Gitfiddler":olbouimq said:
I'm quite pleased with mine. Got it used for $275 w/ SKB case, mint. Needs new pickups though. I'm probably going to go for the Dimarzio Area set. Also is getting a Warmoth half scalloped birdseye neck, Sperzels, and a pearloid pickguard.
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Gitfiddler
Well-known member
this one is in the high $500's, has locking tuners, and has a hotrail in it. should i spend a little more and get a used g&l legacy?
blackba
Well-known member
Gitfiddler":24uwe81y said:
G&L Legacy's are great guitars, better in general than a MIM strat. Just make sure you like the neck on the Legacy, its a fine neck, but feels different than your average strat neck.