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MIM vs MIA Jazz

#21
MIA!!!
Better everything! Even just the smoothness of the fingerboard or the perfect joints - it is just better - I will never go back. I had a MIJ for years and ignored other basses thinking it's a piece of wood how can they be better. Then my pickup died and by chance a guy I worked with had an MIA for $375 (my current) and they let me borrow it. WOW - I never gave it back!!!
 
#23
MIM's do vary from bass to bass as Fender's QC is not as reliable as it once was IME. However, the same is true of the MIA's. I've owned several of each and had to "cherry pick" them to get a really good sample.

Also, when it comes to the Jazz basses, I find the pickups to be rather underwhelming in both versions...the MIA pups certainly don't sound significantly better then the MIM's to me...so if you factor in new pickups getting a solid MIM seems like quite a deal to me.

I currently own an '09 MIM Precision and '09 MIM Jazz that I upgraded the pups in and they are my primary gigging basses.
 
#24
Sparkdog said:
MIM's do vary from bass to bass as Fender's QC is not as reliable as it once was IME. However, the same is true of the MIA's. I've owned several of each and had to "cherry pick" them to get a really good sample.
Click to expand...

Sparkdog makes the point that everyone here is missing. Everyone gets an opinion that the bass I own (be it MIM or MIA) is the "best". Well that may be right for them but it's sure no general rule for the buyer.

When I decided to by a "real" Fender I played every one in town and a few more besides. What I observed was that if you want a killer "keeper" Fender, it makes no difference if it says Squirer, MIM or MIA! Killer basses can be found in all three. And if someone says that MIA assures a guarantee of a decent bass, then I'll have them explain the one I played with the ultra high (and non lowerable) setup, warped neck and dead spots for well over a grand.

Just get it in your head. Fenders are VARIABLE. Good ones come in all models. So do bad ones. Now in my survey, I will admit that if you pick MIA the chances of a good one are much better than if it says Squirer. But it's just chances. Bad ones come in all of them.

Hence the rule is PLAY IT FIRST and then see where it was made. In my survey I found decent MIA basses and MIM basses. I didn't find a decent Squirer, but they do exist because I know a guy who owns one like that. His Squirer is the match of ANY MIA Fender. For the record my Jazz that I bought was MIM. I got it at GC of all places and it is every bit as killer as the best MIA jazz basses I played. It was used, but like new and $300. How could I go wrong? But had I not stumbled on that deal, I was getting ready to plunk down for one of about two MIA jazz basses that I had judged as killer.

So go to it.
 
#28
JSK5String said:
They guys who own MIA's will say buy MIA's. The guys who own MIM's will say buy MIM's.

I say play it before you buy it, without looking where it's made. If it feels good and sounds good to you, then buy it!
Click to expand...

The problem is that most folks (not all) who ask questions like this is that they don't really know what a good bass feels like or sounds like and don't know how to set up an instrument.
 
#30
I own a MIM Fender Jazz with Bassline p/u's, a Squier Modified P Bass, and a Yamaha RBX 765 5 String bass. If I had the money, I would buy an American Fender in a heartbeat. I've tried a few. Some were meh, some were WOW. I promise you, I would find my dream bass.

Since I can't afford an American Standard, i will happily play my MIM...or my Squier....or my Yamaha.
 
#31
 
#32
I, personally, have an MIM standard jazz, and I'm planning on getting a MIM standard precision, but that's only because i don't have the money for an MIA. If i had the money, i'd definitely get an MIA just because it's American and i could show it off.

So yeah, if i had the money, i'd go for an MIA, not cause it sounds or feels any better, because there's no way in hell i'd buy a bass that i didn't vibe with no matter where it's from, it just looks slightly better and i'd probably get more compliments on it.
 
#34
OK. Awesome advice guys, thanks very much!
I am glad that its not as straight forward as MIA is best!
Sounds like there are good MIA MIM CIJ and Squires to be had.

My problem is I only have around £500 to spend.
The cost of fenders in the UK has skyrocketed recently. So a MIM is upwards of £700 and a MIA is easily over £1000.
however, if I buy online, or second hand through ebay, I can pick up a MIM or CIJ for under £500.

There lies the problem. I cant play it before I buy it!
Second hand guitar shops in my neck of the woods are like hens teeth.

It is indeed a conundrum.

I guess one option would be to go and collect the bass I bought on ebay, try it out, and if I wasnt happy, dont pay for it!
 
#35
Evolmonster said:
My problem is I only have around £500 to spend.
The cost of fenders in the UK has skyrocketed recently. So a MIM is upwards of £700 and a MIA is easily over £1000.
however, if I buy online, or second hand through ebay, I can pick up a MIM or CIJ for under £500.
Click to expand...

GAK are doing a Standard MIA Jazz for £ 829 and the MIM's for £ 449.

As I mentioned in another posting don't forget with the MIM you are only getting a gig bag. With the MIA you get the SKB Hard Case which is superb and worth over £ 100 in its own right!

So, the MIA is £ 380 more than the MIM but about £ 130 is in the Hard Case, so in actual fact the MIA itself is only just over £ 200 more than the MIM!

Worth thinking about!!!
 
#37
Evolmonster said:
OK. Awesome advice guys, thanks very much!
I am glad that its not as straight forward as MIA is best!
Sounds like there are good MIA MIM CIJ and Squires to be had.

My problem is I only have around £500 to spend.
The cost of fenders in the UK has skyrocketed recently. So a MIM is upwards of £700 and a MIA is easily over £1000.
however, if I buy online, or second hand through ebay, I can pick up a MIM or CIJ for under £500.

There lies the problem. I cant play it before I buy it!
Second hand guitar shops in my neck of the woods are like hens teeth.
Click to expand...
I think the answer is pretty easy in this case. Since you can't really go to a store and test to find the best ones, buy used from someone who knows what they're doing (for instance, the someone on the classifieds here).

That'll fit in your budget, and you're likely to get a very good bass that passed someone's QC criterias.
 
#38
Just bought a Fender Jazz Standard (MIM).
I was trying out both MIA's and MIM's, didn't really have the money for a MIA so was just comparing.

I played over 10-15 of each, i found that the feel of the MIA was hardly different to the MIMs apart from one of the MIM which i played which was alot worse than a no brand bass. (just shows there are some duds).
So the feel is very similar. But when you plug them in the MIA does win.
But does it win enough for the extra cash, i don't know you decide!

Advice is if your minted, by the MIA, if it's like half your months salary then **** it get the MIM. Im a student i can't afford $$$$, saved up for ages just for the MIM.

P.S. however i do plan to own a MIA in the Future!!!
 
#39
Having owned many of each in the past (MIA, MIM, MIJ, CIJ), I personally feel that of all of them, the older MIJ Fender are the most consistant in terms of build quality. Sure you can find gems in each of the above. I've had plenty of gems and duds, but the older MIJ Fenders seem to all be gems.....at least in my experience. I've not gotten a bad older MIJ yet, but I have gotten duds of the others including MIA!
 
#40
I went the MIM route because I just couldn't afford to drop 800-1200 in one shot.

By spending money on it here and there, for setup, bridge, pickups, and so on, I'm getting a lot of mileage out of it. Is it as "good" as an MIA? It sure is for the differences i can notice at this stage in my playing experience, with my first Fender.
 

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