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Author Topic: American and Mexican Guitars  (Read 4078 times)

Offline note4note

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American and Mexican Guitars
« on: July 25, 2010, 06:20:32 PM »
hi guys..im looking forward having my guitar..i'll go for strat or tele.. i've tried mexican tele and i really like it..just wondering whats the difference between american made and mexican made guitar specifically for strat and tele...i haven't tried and american made so im asking to those who had the opportunity to compare those guitars..


thanks
« Last Edit: July 25, 2010, 06:21:40 PM by note4note »

Offline note4note

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Re: American and Mexican Guitars
« Reply #1 on: July 26, 2010, 06:52:10 AM »
mga sir...can anyone share their thoughts and experiences :-D

Offline itsallintheblues

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Re: American and Mexican Guitars
« Reply #2 on: July 26, 2010, 01:51:43 PM »
I've tried a handful of mexican teles for the past few weeks since I'm in the market for a Tele.. there are good ones, and there are better ones.. but these are just based on my preferences and the way I felt when I was playing with them.. your mileage may vary..

I was not interested in the american made ones since I can never afford them at the moment until last week I finally had the courage to try them....

and I almost fell from my seat.. the quality is awesome, the feel is great and I feel like I'm in tele heaven.. LOL.. even my girlfriend noticed the difference when it was plugged in a fender amp.. she felt that I felt home with the american..

but the US made is out my league.. so I'm still looking for a mexican one that can take me there.. and so far I haven't found it.. and a friend told me to save my money and get what I REALLY want, and it will be a better investment in the long run..

you'll never know until you try one.. so try them all until you find the "one"
You don't choose the guitar, it chooses you.

If at any point in time you cannot afford a particular guitar, don't play it. If it chooses you, you have to buy it.  If you simply can't beg, steal, or borrow, you will eventually die of a broken heart..

Offline note4note

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Re: American and Mexican Guitars
« Reply #3 on: July 26, 2010, 03:40:13 PM »

Congrat!! 1st reply... =)

mexican are cheaper..but I think it has same quality. even japanese are good quality.. =)

I've tried a handful of mexican teles for the past few weeks since I'm in the market for a Tele.. there are good ones, and there are better ones.. but these are just based on my preferences and the way I felt when I was playing with them.. your mileage may vary..

I was not interested in the american made ones since I can never afford them at the moment until last week I finally had the courage to try them....

and I almost fell from my seat.. the quality is awesome, the feel is great and I feel like I'm in tele heaven.. LOL.. even my girlfriend noticed the difference when it was plugged in a fender amp.. she felt that I felt home with the american..

but the US made is out my league.. so I'm still looking for a mexican one that can take me there.. and so far I haven't found it.. and a friend told me to save my money and get what I REALLY want, and it will be a better investment in the long run..

you'll never know until you try one.. so try them all until you find the "one"



thanks po mga sir :-)..malayo po b pagkakaiba ng tunog ng american at mexican guitars..comparison sa pick ups ng dalwang gitara po, ano po yung mas maganda sa clean?
« Last Edit: July 26, 2010, 03:59:56 PM by note4note »

Offline itsallintheblues

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Re: American and Mexican Guitars
« Reply #4 on: July 26, 2010, 04:35:14 PM »


thanks po mga sir :-)..malayo po b pagkakaiba ng tunog ng american at mexican guitars..comparison sa pick ups ng dalwang gitara po, ano po yung mas maganda sa clean?

I don't know much about that.. I'm no sound expert.. I base my purchases according to the feel of the guitar.. the better the feel, the better you play, the better the sound you make.. that's how I put it..

and anything will sound great when played through a great amp.. even the most crappy guitars will sound great.. but for comparison, there are mexicans that sound great.. some are ordinary sounding.. what sounds great to me may be different to you.. I can't make any guitar sound great since I'm no pro, I just trust my ears whether it sounds good or not..

but the MIA Highway one I've tried sounds beautiful.. I went into the store, tried the MIM, and then tried the MIA.. In my ears, the mexican was a bit lacking, it didn't sound bad, but the american have something the mexican didn't have.. but I'm not giving up on the mexican, I know there's one out there that fits my bill and will sound, and feel better than the american at least in my ears..
You don't choose the guitar, it chooses you.

If at any point in time you cannot afford a particular guitar, don't play it. If it chooses you, you have to buy it.  If you simply can't beg, steal, or borrow, you will eventually die of a broken heart..


Offline note4note

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Re: American and Mexican Guitars
« Reply #5 on: July 26, 2010, 04:43:33 PM »
I don't know much about that.. I'm no sound expert.. I base my purchases according to the feel of the guitar.. the better the feel, the better you play, the better the sound you make.. that's how I put it..

and anything will sound great when played through a great amp.. even the most crappy guitars will sound great.. but for comparison, there are mexicans that sound great.. some are ordinary sounding.. what sounds great to me may be different to you.. I can't make any guitar sound great since I'm no pro, I just trust my ears whether it sounds good or not..

but the MIA Highway one I've tried sounds beautiful.. I went into the store, tried the MIM, and then tried the MIA.. In my ears, the mexican was a bit lacking, it didn't sound bad, but the american have something the mexican didn't have.. but I'm not giving up on the mexican, I know there's one out there that fits my bill and will sound, and feel better than the american at least in my ears..
sir correct me if im wrong., but i thought the highway one guitars were made in mexico :-) hope i can also try some american guitars, kasi i've tried a mexican and really like it...just for curiosity i would like to try the amrican made guitars, pero wala ako mkita dito sa place..sana makapunta ako sa manila, to kill my curiousity,, :-)

Offline mandoytz

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Re: American and Mexican Guitars
« Reply #6 on: July 26, 2010, 05:13:12 PM »
fender Hi way 1's are made in usa :-)

Offline note4note

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Re: American and Mexican Guitars
« Reply #7 on: July 26, 2010, 07:46:40 PM »
fender Hi way 1's are made in usa :-)

ah ok po sir..thanks..kaya pala maha Highway one.. :cry:

Offline bryanarzaga

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Re: American and Mexican Guitars
« Reply #8 on: July 26, 2010, 08:01:32 PM »
ah ok po sir..thanks..kaya pala maha Highway one.. :cry:

you shouldnt be worrying about the price, get what feels right and sounds right..

now in topic between the two builds..as i've been told in regards to fender..fender mexico has american QC but made by mexicans now fender usa will also have mexican workers and has american QC lol! nothing wrong with that..

dont beat yourself to death over country of make of a guitar..

Offline echo_ikaw

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Re: American and Mexican Guitars
« Reply #9 on: July 26, 2010, 08:13:15 PM »
the difference between american and mexican guitars.. mexican guitars have an accent...
when you play a C chord on american it sounded like "C"
when you play a C chord on Mexican it sounded like "si".. :lol:

seriously... it doesn't matter where that guitar was made..you should be only worrying how it feels and if it sounds right..good to go..buy it..

Offline itsallintheblues

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Re: American and Mexican Guitars
« Reply #10 on: July 26, 2010, 09:44:39 PM »
the difference between american and mexican guitars.. mexican guitars have an accent...
when you play a C chord on american it sounded like "C"
when you play a C chord on Mexican it sounded like "si".. :lol:

seriously... it doesn't matter where that guitar was made..you should be only worrying how it feels and if it sounds right..good to go..buy it..


LOL ! this made me laugh hard!!

Okay,

I dropped by Perfect Pitch at Makati today.. I think I played a good mexican.. in fact a very nice mexican tele.. sounded great and the feel is awesome.. I put it on reserve already, I just want to visit yupangco muna before buying.. now who says mexican ain't great? but If I happen to have more money, I'll get the Highway one!
You don't choose the guitar, it chooses you.

If at any point in time you cannot afford a particular guitar, don't play it. If it chooses you, you have to buy it.  If you simply can't beg, steal, or borrow, you will eventually die of a broken heart..

Offline garunge

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Re: American and Mexican Guitars
« Reply #11 on: July 26, 2010, 11:16:36 PM »
if US Standard vs Mexican Standard, i have tried both, and i can say the american has better hardware, pickups and neck playability. IMO

but for the price, i'd buy two mexicans and upgrade it rather than buy the MIA. it's just me. the only thing i would lose is the 22nd fret.

maybe i'll even buy a squier classic vibe or a squier standard (with 22 frets) over a MIM.. :lol:

Offline mandoytz

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Re: American and Mexican Guitars
« Reply #12 on: July 26, 2010, 11:21:44 PM »
the difference between american and mexican guitars.. mexican guitars have an accent...
when you play a C chord on american it sounded like "C"
when you play a C chord on Mexican it sounded like "si".. :lol:

seriously... it doesn't matter where that guitar was made..you should be only worrying how it feels and if it sounds right..good to go..buy it..


natawa ako sobra dito hahaha :lol:

but he's right it doesn't matter where the guitar is made .. if swak sya sa taste and feel mo go buy it!. me, i have u.s and mexican made tele's and strat.. i love them all  :-) may kanya kanya silang personality :-D

Offline itsallintheblues

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Re: American and Mexican Guitars
« Reply #13 on: July 26, 2010, 11:25:09 PM »
if US Standard vs Mexican Standard, i have tried both, and i can say the american has better hardware, pickups and neck playability. IMO

but for the price, i'd buy two mexicans and upgrade it rather than buy the MIA. it's just me. the only thing i would lose is the 22nd fret.

maybe i'll even buy a squier classic vibe or a squier standard (with 22 frets) over a MIM.. :lol:

The standard is a good one too! I was tempted to buy it for a back up.. just for testing new pickups and all.. I love the neck on that guitar.. the thickness is perfect and not slim..
You don't choose the guitar, it chooses you.

If at any point in time you cannot afford a particular guitar, don't play it. If it chooses you, you have to buy it.  If you simply can't beg, steal, or borrow, you will eventually die of a broken heart..

Offline Jaco D

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Re: American and Mexican Guitars
« Reply #14 on: July 26, 2010, 11:29:40 PM »
you shouldnt be worrying about the price, get what feels right and sounds right..

dont beat yourself to death over country of make of a guitar..

Exactly!  If it feels right and sounds right then iyon na iyon.  Don't over-think this entire thing.  Try out different axes in as many configurations as you can get access to and don't look at the front or back of the headstock as it will only color your opinion.  People often say that blind people have sharper ears because they have one less sense to deal with.  Well, if that is the case then their sense of smell, taste, touch, etc. should have been enhanced as well bit they haven't.  Me thinks that the reason why visually-challenged people have better ears or a sense of music is that they have less extraneous variables to color their perception of what sounds good and what sounds bad.

If it feels right, sounds right, and is right on the wallet, then go for it.

Offline markezekiel

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Re: American and Mexican Guitars
« Reply #15 on: July 26, 2010, 11:57:20 PM »
wanting to own 1.. hehe

Offline note4note

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Re: American and Mexican Guitars
« Reply #16 on: July 27, 2010, 06:59:09 AM »
salamat mga sir sa opinyon..hintayin ko Manila next month para maka try pa ng iba't ibang gitara. limited lang kasi dito e.. maganda din daw yung tele baja, any opinion on that guitar? salamat ulit :-D

Offline Bart

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Re: American and Mexican Guitars
« Reply #17 on: July 27, 2010, 07:27:48 AM »
Comparing apples to apples. American Standard has 2 - 3 slabs of wood to make the body. Mexican Standard has about 6 - 8 slabs sandwiched between a veneer top and back.

Offline spankyrigor

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Re: American and Mexican Guitars
« Reply #18 on: July 27, 2010, 08:20:09 AM »

^^ yup. more expensive to source bigger slabs of wood nowadays. To the OP: Of course less slabs don't necessarily make better tone. There are lemons in every bunch. Still need to try things out for yourself..

As far as I can remember, the old mexicans used to have cast saddles and a smaller tapered block. Nowadays the standards I see in Yupancs have bent steels and full-sized blocks. I still find MIM's a bit lacking in the pickup department. And the MIA's seem to have better fretwork overall. ymmv.
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Offline cumbersome

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Re: American and Mexican Guitars
« Reply #19 on: July 27, 2010, 11:25:26 AM »
The MIAs are still noticeable better overall- craftsmanship, materials, and feel- but at the price point, they should be. I tried 5 or so Mexicans recently, and they were mostly underwhelming. The Roadhouse was promising though, but as always, it had old strings on it, so it was difficult to give fair judgment. Ended up getting the Highway 1, which felt and sounded much better than the Mexicans. During Yupangco's sale period, Highways could go for as low as 35k- comfortably cheaper than fullblown MIAs, and not so far away from hot-rodded MIMs. Highways are not traditional strats though, with their jumbo frets and hotter pups, so they might not be for everybody. One model to look out for is the American Special- similar pricing to the Highway 1, but with the standard urethane finish (not so hot about the Highway 1 faux-nitro), and spiced with Texas Specials.

Offline bryanarzaga

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Re: American and Mexican Guitars
« Reply #20 on: July 27, 2010, 11:31:52 AM »
And the MIA's seem to have better fretwork overall.

except for the MIA part, yeah look for guitars that have better fretwork..

H4cks4w

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Re: American and Mexican Guitars
« Reply #21 on: July 27, 2010, 12:37:25 PM »
Hmmm  :roll: im not sure about this, but everytime i try to use an MIM fender, it seems like the neck is and too light and not that solid compare to the MIA's.  :?

Offline enrai

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Re: American and Mexican Guitars
« Reply #22 on: July 27, 2010, 12:46:46 PM »
 was able to try a Mexican Standard and an American Highway One yesterday they're both good enough for me although the American sounds more macho for me here in Jeddah around 12k ang difference nila sa price.... I felt good playing both of them pero mas matagal kong na test yung Mexican.......OT but kasi nung tinest ko yung American nalaglag ko yung metal wall mounted stand na pinagsasabitan ng Highway One biglang sabi ng isang Indiano sakin hey hey that is MADE IN AMERICA DON'T TOUCH... I was like "What the?? this f_ck_ng dipsh_t"....... buti nalang yung boss nasa likod ko tinapik likod ko and sinabing don't mind him try everything you want with a big cheesy smile hehe, buti nalang kundi ipapalo ko sa kanya yung Highway One hahah kidding.

Offline fraudulentzodiac

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Re: American and Mexican Guitars
« Reply #23 on: July 27, 2010, 02:56:10 PM »
the highway one series guitars are made in USA. one difference I know of is that Fender US gets first pick on which wood to use (which contributes a lot IMO) and uses high quality components compared to their mexican counterparts. IMO, if you want an american made fender, go for the standards, or if you have the budget, the american deluxe series, these are very well made guitars and most likely will not let you down in terms of quality and sound. mahal nga lang. :lol:

Offline cumbersome

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Re: American and Mexican Guitars
« Reply #24 on: July 27, 2010, 03:14:42 PM »
^Agree. The American Deluxe is the bomb. I wished they'd make a version with American Standard pickups though; I'm not so keen on the SCNs. But everything else is excellent. :)