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Mexican or American(Fender)...Your preference?

#81
nellie48 said:
You get what you pay for.
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thats the dumbest thing i ever seen... What does that have to do in reference to the thread. wow...thats just stupid. duh you always get what you pay for. dont matter what it IS.

The only time it ever trulyl matters with wood or how many pieces is Acoustic guitars. All of ya'll are such stupid nerds who keep sayin MIA have better wood so American is better. When you play an MIA or MIM. One will always sound just a tad bit better than the other one. AFter a few minutes of playing the both of them you wont know the difference. Also once you start playing it with a band you wont notice any difference. The only difference is the feel of the bass. If it matters that much to you to spend 5 hundred more dollars for an mia or w/e the price difference is just for that such small of a difference then go ahead. MIM can sound like crap tho. SO can MIA's. Also once you change the bass to a different amp, of course your gonna get a different sound and one will sound better on one amp than the other.. I would rather save money and still have a great guitar. At the end of the day it dont matter how tricked out your bass is. If you cant play then you dont deserve it.

I would really like to know how some of you guys say one sounds thinner than the other. Ive compared Americans to my MIM deluxe jazz and I cant hear a difference. There both quality bass guitars. Every one has there opinion and preference. Its just stupid how some just say American is better and act like MIM are not good. My MIM deluxe jazz is by far the best fender I have ever played out of the jazz basses. I compared mine to a custom shop fender jazz and the sound was no different to me. I did like the feeling of the MIA alot more and yes the quality of build was alittle better. Idc about that tho. Sound and money are my major issue. If somethign is 50 bucks and the other is 200, if it does the same thing just as good as the other then I want the 50 dollar item.
 
#82
FenderBinder said:
thats the dumbest thing i ever seen... What does that have to do in reference to the thread. wow...thats just stupid. duh you always get what you pay for. dont matter what it IS.

The only time it ever trulyl matters with wood or how many pieces is Acoustic guitars. All of ya'll are such stupid nerds who keep sayin MIA have better wood so American is better. When you play an MIA or MIM. One will always sound just a tad bit better than the other one. AFter a few minutes of playing the both of them you wont know the difference. Also once you start playing it with a band you wont notice any difference. The only difference is the feel of the bass. If it matters that much to you to spend 5 hundred more dollars for an mia or w/e the price difference is just for that such small of a difference then go ahead. MIM can sound like crap tho. SO can MIA's. Also once you change the bass to a different amp, of course your gonna get a different sound and one will sound better on one amp than the other.. I would rather save money and still have a great guitar. At the end of the day it dont matter how tricked out your bass is. If you cant play then you dont deserve it.

I would really like to know how some of you guys say one sounds thinner than the other. Ive compared Americans to my MIM deluxe jazz and I cant hear a difference. There both quality bass guitars. Every one has there opinion and preference. Its just stupid how some just say American is better and act like MIM are not good. My MIM deluxe jazz is by far the best fender I have ever played out of the jazz basses. I compared mine to a custom shop fender jazz and the sound was no different to me. I did like the feeling of the MIA alot more and yes the quality of build was alittle better. Idc about that tho. Sound and money are my major issue. If somethign is 50 bucks and the other is 200, if it does the same thing just as good as the other then I want the 50 dollar item.
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Many of your points in here make sense but to say the timber that helps in a considerable way generate a tone doesn't I think is wrong.

Almost all parts of the bass add to the total of the sound. The body is a fundamental part that connects all other vibrating/resonating parts together. Being a solid body doesn't mean that it doesn't change tone. Alder and ash do sound different.

I agree because the wood might be better in the mia doesn't mean it will sound better just different. Maybe some dudes will like the mim better???

The current mia jazz bass sold here are all made of alder. I have one also. The only j bass that's sold in ash is a translucent colour (color).

The part about mia not automatically being superior I must agree.

I can't honestly say I'd have any problem buying a mexican made instrument at all. And as for a classical acoustic, mexican would be number one choice.

I think we can conclude that many people here do have open minds about buying other basses than mia. There's been a lot of support here for mim and japanese made basses too.

There is a few that only ever say mia only.

But there is also finally some information in this thread that says why an mia is different to a mim. You could also take note that the person that posted that information simply shared what he saw and the differences. Never preached that mim is poor and mia is best.

I thought the info was not biast like many other posts in this thread earlier.

All this debate about mim basses almost encourages me to get one here to try out. My guess is it will be a good bass.

Maybe the sunburst p bass could be my mim buy if they make it.

A 62 revamp would be the go.......
 
#84
mlowe said:
Many of your points in here make sense but to say the timber that helps in a considerable way generate a tone doesn't I think is wrong.

Almost all parts of the bass add to the total of the sound. The body is a fundamental part that connects all other vibrating/resonating parts together. Being a solid body doesn't mean that it doesn't change tone. Alder and ash do sound different.

I agree because the wood might be better in the mia doesn't mean it will sound better just different. Maybe some dudes will like the mim better???

The current mia jazz bass sold here are all made of alder. I have one also. The only j bass that's sold in ash is a translucent colour (color).

The part about mia not automatically being superior I must agree.

I can't honestly say I'd have any problem buying a mexican made instrument at all. And as for a classical acoustic, mexican would be number one choice.

I think we can conclude that many people here do have open minds about buying other basses than mia. There's been a lot of support here for mim and japanese made basses too.

There is a few that only ever say mia only.

But there is also finally some information in this thread that says why an mia is different to a mim. You could also take note that the person that posted that information simply shared what he saw and the differences. Never preached that mim is poor and mia is best.

I thought the info was not biast like many other posts in this thread earlier.

All this debate about mim basses almost encourages me to get one here to try out. My guess is it will be a good bass.

Maybe the sunburst p bass could be my mim buy if they make it.

A 62 revamp would be the go.......
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I see what your saying..I know wood does make a slight difference. But it d oesnt make that much difference. Especially to the untrained ear. Yea mia is a great quality guitar if you the find right one. The price is steep tho. MIM is also a great guitar if you look around.
 
#85
pyrohr said:
Being a great player and it sounds good is all that matters! That bass was painted in Mexico and then assembled, I'm not sure where but they did use parts made in the USA. I can't remember the reason behind the short run but from what I remember it had to do with the true country of origin of this bass. We know MIM basses start out in California then are painted and assembled in Mexico while all MIA basses are made and assembled here, that bass is painted in Meixco and sent back the the USA. Whether it's assembled when it gets back I don't know, As far the part I believe they are all MIA. as for the quality or if they are the ones used on their MIA counterparts I don't know. Question, does you bass string through the body like other MIA basses?
Iv'e just read some reviews on harmony central about this bass, It's painted (laquer) in Mexico due to inviornmental restrictions here but allowed in Mexico, It has different tuners than it's MIA counterpart, No stb like all MIA basses ( MIA standard series at the time) most likely different pups but being all the parts originated in the USA it's called a MIA bass, it also came in a gig bag not a case like MIA basses. All the prices i've seen it's definately a less expensive bass then the MIA bass.
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My bass is a top loader, not the string through the body type. Your not gonna believe how I got this bass!!! A friend of mine and fellow bass player was in need of $200.00 and told me he would sell it for that amount. I asked why, and he said he was gonna quit playing altogether. I told him I wanted to play it first, so he loaned it to me for about a week. In that time period I called him and told him I'd take the bass. Another week passes and he comes by and tells me he's changed his mind, HMMMM.. Says he's got to have a bass for this weekend, so we dicker back and forth about me keeping the bass and come to an agreement. I swapped even, giving him an Ibanez SR400 for the P-bass Special. I felt kinda bad about me getting the better end of the deal, and then I remembered that I gave him a steal of a deal on a brand new Avatar 210 cab. I didn't feel so bad after that. :D
 
#86
mlowe said:
The discussion has been going on at least two years now in one form or another.

What I'm missing hear is the "actual" difference between the basses other than the serial prefix, cost and the build nationality.

Some TB'r have mentioned that components such as carbon fibre re-enforced necks etc and yes that makes sense but to compare two absolute identical basses made in different countries and then without any real justification say one is inferior is plain BS. It seems the people who actually play the MIM don't have a problem with them?

Even in this thread there is a real biast to MIA without saying why. It really brings the credibility down on this forum when people answer with keep jobs in america. (tools) I'm in Australia, should I only buy Australian made bass and amps?

It may be worth taking a good look at where people on this forum are from. Some are from Japan, some from Mexico and many from Europe etc etc. What does it say to them when their fellow TB'rs are slagging off their fellow workers with unjustified remarks.

The united states is doing mighty fine so why not just leave the patriotism were it belongs and talk about basses without the BS. The audience isn't all in America. If those that behalve this way don't want foriegners on the forum just say so. I'm not sure that those I speak of may realise how bad it looks to others.

This nationality focus is just getting old. It's the same old answers, those how have mim's like them and those who have mia's like them and thos who have mij's like them.

My mia has gaps in the neck cavity the size of texas. I love the bass but I wouldn't be all that proud of it's build when comparing to my ex basses made in japan.

Yeh...... :o
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+1

I have seen / played some really poor quality MIA Fenders so MIA doesn't automaticly mean it's put together better. I don't think a US worker can screw a bass together any better than a factory worker in Mexico. It's just in the components of the bass (electronics, neck and hardware) that the real difference is seen and felt.

I have dialed in my MIM to suit me and I don't find any MIA's that sound or play any better to me.
 
#92
MIAs are generally better crafted, better hardware, pick-ups etc. But the differences in playability appearance and sound does not justify the price tag IMO.

Fender MIM QC isn't the best but a MIM is a definitaly a better deal if you can find one that looks, feels and plays right for you.

I also like the colours offered for the MIM better.
 
#93
Himself said:
MIAs are generally better crafted, better hardware, pick-ups etc. But the differences in playability appearance and sound does not justify the price tag.
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MIA basses don't need as much neck tweeking and are more "neck stable" than MIM basses. The price difference also reflects the fact they come with cases, wrenches, cords, cables etc. When you open a box with a MIM bass as apposed to opening a new case with an MIA bass the difference is even more evident!
 
#95
barthanatos said:
I bought my American for only $805. It is a 2001 model Jazz V, and it was new-old-stock, and came with the case... protective plastic still on the the bass.
For that kind of money, why not go American?
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In Nov 2001 I bought a Nos 2000 Series jazz bass new in the case for $750. The bass is natural ($150 extra for premium wood requirement according to Fender) with a maple neck!!! Sometimes you get lucky as this bass has become my staple bass, my go to bass when I'm unsure of the venue. It has never let me down, never needed a tweek, never out of tune and stays in tune all night!
 
#97
gkbass13 said:
i find that there are hits and misses in the fender company, regardless of where they are constructed.
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Buying Fenders off the wall in any store is like buying a used rented car! After awhile going through the hands of different people it won't be the same bass that came out the box, further more I played basses tuned too sharp (stresses the neck and if it doesn't when you tune to pitch the neck will backbow) I've seen basses with drop tunings, all these things will affect the neck when corrections are made by someone who may show a genuine interest in the bass! I've bought 9 Fenders brand new in the box and never returned one because of ANY ISSUE! 4 MIA 3 MIJ/CIJ and 2 MIM. only my MIM jazz had a tuner washer out of line the other 8 basses were perfect out the box! I don't know where this hit or miss comes from as I have even ordered basses directly from Fender, My FMT V, my Victor Bailey and my agave blue MIM p-bass (agave blue hadn't hit the street at that time and had no sku) so I had to order it. mine came with a neck from the previous year so my agave blue bass actually shows a year before that color was introduced! Again these basses ordered sight unseen and arrived perfect! I would do it again in a heartbeat!!! I don't listen to horror stories about new Fenders, if it's on the wall Fenders responsibility goes out the window as far as i'm concerned!

That's just how I feel. :)
 

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