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How are the Fender mim standards nowadays?

K

kaoz

Jan 15, 2010
27
0
#1
Hello all!

Sorry if this question has been asked 100 times but i cant find anything with the search tool! :P How are the new mexican standards compared to the older ones? I see they have new specs (high gloss finish etc). A salesman told me that they are way better than the standards made before 2010-11 and he got me thinking of buying one of these :bassist: Are they even compared to the ones of the classic series?
 
#2
kaoz said:
Hello all!

Sorry if this question has been asked 100 times but i cant find anything with the search tool! :P How are the new mexican standards compared to the older ones? I see they have new specs (high gloss finish etc). A salesman told me that they are way better than the standards made before 2010-11 and he got me thinking of buying one of these :bassist: Are they even compared to the ones of the classic series?
Click to expand...

Classic series still cost a lil' more for a reason.

Both MIM Standards and Classics can even be upgraded, but they stay, nowadays, very good basses for their price:bassist:

Cheers,
Wallace
 
#3
Well, unfortunately the classics cost a little more than they used to! :P Maybe 100-200 more. I tried a standard p 2-3 years ago but i wasnt that impressed. Are the new ones any better? Or go for a classic vibe and save some money?
 
#4
Classics cost a lil' more than Standards, but they sound better

Standards may, and sure may not, impress you. Still they improved from recent past... they tend to be consistent nowadays, so that you can testify if you like'em or not.

Around ten years ago, it just was a hit or miss kinda thing... Pure fate...

Now it's much more QC than fate.

A Classic Vibe is good and sure cheaper, yet different.

Vintage frets and singles, highgloss neck and basswood body.

A MIM Fender Standard bears the true Fender experience:
alder body, satin maple neck, rosewood/maple fingerboards:)

Cheers,
Wallace
 
#5
If I didn't already have a P bass I would have snatched up an MIM Standard I played last weekend. Red body, white pickguard, satin maple neck/freboard. I could not believe how well this bass played right off the rack. I was like...."how is this possible?" My experience with Fenders MIM's is very limited, but this one in particular was amazing. Played every bit as good as my AM STD Jazz bass.
 
#6
I have a 2008 MIM Fender P-Bass but I did look at a 2012 model recently and it's basically the same other then the high gloss finish on the headstock. The bridge did look slightly different but was about the same mass.
 
#9
“They’re Grrrrrreat!” — Kellogg’s Tony the Tiger

In all seriousness, I own MIAs, CIJs and MIMs, and think that the current-generation of MIM Standards are terrific basses. I almost bought a Copper Metallic Burst Jazz a few weeks ago, but talked myself out of it at the last minute because I already own a 2000 sunburst MIM.

In fact, I’ll be gigging with my MIM Classic ‘50s Precision this Saturday night. It’s not a Standard, but IMHO, the workmanship and quality on the Classics are just as good as the Standards.

I think the hit-or-miss thing is applicable to any manufacturer’s output — including Fender. I would never purchase a bass without inspecting it and playing it first.
 
#10
thanks for all the replies guys. So the newer standards have some improvements after all. i searched 2 online stores and came across a copper metallic burst jazz bass which is not listed in the fender site. What do u know about this? Is this discontinued or something?
 
#11
I just had and sold two Copper Metallic Burst P basses. They were an FSR or limited production run for 2011. Very cool color, looks much better in person. Specs are the same but the two P's came with gig bags. I don't know if the standard colors do or not.

Recent MIM's have been fine but some stores do a very poor job of maintaining the setups.
 
#12
BIGEJ2 said:
Recent MIM's have been fine but some stores do a very poor job of maintaining the setups.
Click to expand...

This cannot be stressed too much! Many dealers do not maintain set ups and do not have adequate humidifiers which results in high action and fret sprout.

I think Fender production is greatly improved at all levels. I am especially impressed with the Mexican Geddy Lee and Marcus Miller Signature basses. It would be cool if there were a Mexican version if the Tony what's his name fretless P-bass.
 
#14
Dr. Cheese said:
This cannot be stressed too much! Many dealers do not maintain set ups and do not have adequate humidifiers which results in high action and fret sprout.

I think Fender production is greatly improved at all levels. I am especially impressed with the Mexican Geddy Lee and Marcus Miller Signature basses. It would be cool if there were a Mexican version if the Tony what's his name fretless P-bass.
Click to expand...


Here he plays first solo, second's from John Norum, third's from
Warren DeMartini:)

Lead vocals:
mighty Glenn Hughes:hyper:

Cheers,
Wallace
 
#16
I have a 2003 MIM p bass and for the price you really can't get a better bass plus you can really upgrade anything you want on it to improve any aspect you don't like. Here is what I have found as I have been a Fender lover for years. The MIM p bass are really very solid instruments for the price. The MIM J bass craftsmanship is the same but I find the sound to be lacking a bit, a bit to empty sounding. However, the American standard J basses are top notch stuff. I guess what it boils down to is I find that the standard P bass is pretty solid but I personally would not go for a standard J bass. If you are looking for a J bass I would save up a bit or look for a used American standard, they are everywhere and really solid instruments. Hope this helps.
 
#17
recently picked up an MIM standard jazz and out of the box I was floored how well it played. we put it up against an american special in the store and it was night and day with the feel. tone wise the MIA had a little more kick but not much. I threw an audere pre in, badass and it smokes. needed a new gig/beater bass and now it's my fav.
I think the old unwritten law with MIM's still applies. you need to play as many as you can, and more times than not one is gonna stick out as being on par with an MIA, but you have to root through a few crap ones before you find it.
 
#18
I have noticed something about Fender basses that I have never seen anyone else comment on.

That is, the headstock variation and I a talking Squier, MIM and MIA.

There is variance in the thickness of the taper from the nut and the scalloping of the face which effects the thickess of the headstock and permits a subtle foreward warp when too thin (scalloped) and the tone on these bases is thinner irrespective of the pickups and strings although they are a influence.

I once ditched a MIA Jazz V in favor of a Squier Infinity. That raised sime eyebrows here. After changing the pups and wiring to a new 2013 MIA set, I would put the sound if this up against any passive J V.

The headstock is thick with shallow scalloping coincidently near identical to a favored MIA P bass I have. The neck resonates beautifully when not pluged in and with EB Slinkies, playes very easily.

Now when I compare it to my Alembic Essence V with the slab of ebony it has for a fret board, I also think that the density of the fretboard is a contributor but ultimately how dense and stable the neck is, is the feature that I notice when it comes to maximising the tone sustain and obviousiy playability of the guitar.

My Squire is simply one of the best bases I have ever owned.

If another component can be identified as a benefit, I would say the multi piece body. Clear or burst MIA's tend to have 2-3 pieces. Certainly stronger than a single piece in most cases but the cheaper basses as well as the most expensive, again, like my Alembic, have more pieces in the body and obviously more will be hidden under solid colors that see thru's.

This I feel adds to rigidity and tone more than most give credit.

No matter where the bass is made, i think these arw important factors in tone generation again, obviously influenced further by the quality and density of the selected woods but a far greater determinator that thw superficial components lime hardware which can be progressively upgraded on whim.

Them's me thoughts.
 
#20
so its kinda like standards<classics and so on. Im asking now cause while i was almost about to buy a standard jazz, i came through a classic 50s precision which costs around the same money as the standard jazz. I know its a total different thing (p vs j), but you really got me thinking about it. Which of the two you would buy? Im going for a modern kinda prog-sludge or sth (:P) metal sound (mastodon,kylesa,cult of luna etc), so im thinking that the jazz is more what i'm looking for, but i guess the classic series are way better construction-wise. Which one of the two would you pick?
 

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