I'm glad TB is finally tackling the MIA vs MIM issue....
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Am Std vs Mex Std
- Thread starter secondbestcody
- Start date
I'm the type that buys American because it's made in America...I can't speak to exact differences becuase frankly I don't know what they are, but I suspect American made instruments probably have better components and wood.
That said...I've picked up some M.I.M. basses that were just fine and if it wasn't for the fact that I tend to be a gear snob I'd be happy with them. At some point I am probably going to pick up an M.I.M. jazz to have as a beater instrument.
It's long overdue and has been avoided long enough, don't you think?
To be fair, this thread is slightly different in that it's asking as it pertains to a couple of specific used basses....
What sort of people care whether your Fender was made in Mexico or America? Rednecks?
I've owned an Am std and a US special and didn't like either enough to justify the increased price so I sold one and returned the other. I could tell by feeling and holding them though they were more polished and well put together. If I spend over 1k on a Fender again it'll prob be vintage, cause you know, mojo.
A well made MIM with a new pickup is the ticket for me. YMMV.
A well made MIM with a new pickup is the ticket for me. YMMV.
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It’s very unwise to decide how to spend your money based on opinions of some random people on the Internet.
As if gearsnobbery is a “redneck” thing. LOL.
Lots of good answers here, and I like this one best. It all comes down to perceived value, meaning, is a MIA worth the extra price to any given person.
Me, I care. I keep a list of all TB users and where their basses were manufactured. Very important stuff.
Anybody mention the graphite stiffening rods and through body stringing in the AmStd (now AmPro...are they getting marketing confusion tips from Gibson?)?
It's one piece of the equation. All things being equal (never the case), I will buy USA made, but it doesn't trump everything else.
Eeewwww.. no pun intended.
I always say we should play what we like and it seems we both do just that. My Jazz is actually a Squire CV I've upgraded and I'm quite pleased with it. It may not be quite as pretty as a couple of others I've owned but it sounds and plays as well or better than many of them did and I have less than $500 into it including all of the upgrades. For me it's as good as any MIA Fender Jazz.
From my perspective alder is alder and if we check the Gallery on the Sweetwater site we find that MIM and MIA alder body Jazz Basses range from around 8 1/2 to 9 1/2 lbs. So essentially there is no major weight differences between them in that regard. MIA Performer basses are not getting lighter bodies than MIMs and I doubt there's a lick of difference in their necks either. Not at this level.
MIA tuners are different looking but are they really any better and the bridges are identical. IMHO any differences in electronics or pickups could easily be upgraded for less than the $525 difference in their MSRP price. So it's mostly the labor costs that make up the difference because Fender isn't even including a hard case with the base level MIA any longer. You get a gig bag.
I also don't buy into MIA QC being any better than MIM. There are good and bad and average coming out of both locations. I might pay 10%-20% more for a new MIA but not 75%-80% more.
It's not that I haven't owned many MIA Fender Basses either. I have including a Deluxe Jazz that had awful sounding soulless noiseless pickups but that was before they used Bill Lawrence designed ones or their current 4th generation ones which some seem to like. Personally I prefer a passive system but that's me. I just don't find enough difference between them to justify the higher cost on a new MIA.
Fit, finish, hardware, hard case, electronics, resale value, all make a American basses worth it additional price, in my ~and many others'~ opinions.
You can make a $25 Bradley bass sound great through the right recording/mixing equipment, but where the rubber hits the road is playing live (without makeup, so to speak) and holding up over time, and I believe the American series is superior in these areas.
Yes, MANY MANY MANY people play and love Mexican Fenders, that is fine, but what really matters is what you like best.
My opinion should mean exactly zero to anyone else; nonetheless, I'll throw it out there.
You can make a $25 Bradley bass sound great through the right recording/mixing equipment, but where the rubber hits the road is playing live (without makeup, so to speak) and holding up over time, and I believe the American series is superior in these areas.
Yes, MANY MANY MANY people play and love Mexican Fenders, that is fine, but what really matters is what you like best.
My opinion should mean exactly zero to anyone else; nonetheless, I'll throw it out there.
In my limited experience with them, MIAs feel a sturdier, have a littler more range in sound, and the tuners actually hold.
That said, I think the new MIM Player series bridges the gap between previous MIM (Standard Series) and MIA (Am. Standard Series) - it's almost like the Player and American Pro both improved on their respective previous versions each by 50%. The Player series is markedly nicer than the previous MIM Standard (especially in the pickups and neck).
If I were getting another Fender it would be one of those.
That said, I think the new MIM Player series bridges the gap between previous MIM (Standard Series) and MIA (Am. Standard Series) - it's almost like the Player and American Pro both improved on their respective previous versions each by 50%. The Player series is markedly nicer than the previous MIM Standard (especially in the pickups and neck).
If I were getting another Fender it would be one of those.
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