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MIM vs MIA Sunburst?

B

Bass_masta16

Jul 9, 2008
1,084
3
32
Wellington, Ontario, Canada
#1
hey there.. so The other day I heard someone say that the MIA Sunburst blows the MIM sunburst out of the water, as far as the looks of the actual Sunburst itself. I was wondering if anyone else can confirm this? I've never really sat down with the two and compared.

I'm in the market for a sunburst pbass right now and i'm torn between a MIM and throwing GZR Pickups in it, or dishing out the extra cash for the MIA and leaving it stock, for a while at least.

Does anyone own one of each and can maybe post a side by side picture? or vouch for this?

is there a massive difference? which do you prefer?

also whats your opinion on which I should go with? (thought I'd ask while I'm here)
 
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#2
I have a Fender MIM Sunburst Jazz Bass that's maybe 2 years old and I don't feel there's THAT much of a MASSIVE difference between the Sunburst color of the MIA Fenders and the MIM Fenders. And I don't believe that the MIA Sunburst "blows the MIM Sunburst out of the water." But that's just me. There are those that live and die by having a MIA Fender and that will feel a certain way about them. And that's OK.
 
#3
On Saturday, I bought a brand new American Standard Precision - Sunburst with a rosewood board.

On the same day, I played 6 different MIM Standards and the 3 Am Stds. The American Standard I bought was head and shoulders above the MIM.

Now I'm sure there are some great MIM basses and I would have liked to pay for one vs. the Am Std - but truly, it wasn't even close. So I ponied up an extra $500 for the one I got and am very happy with it.

I gigged with it on Sunday and it was great.
 
#4
Bass_masta16 said:
hey there.. so The other day I heard someone say that the MIA Sunburst blows the MIM sunburst out of the water, as far as the looks of the actual Sunburst itself. I was wondering if anyone else can confirm this? I've never really sat down with the two and compared.

I'm in the market for a sunburst pbass right now and i'm torn between a MIM and throwing GZR Pickups in it, or dishing out the extra cash for the MIA and leaving it stock, for a while at least.

Does anyone own one of each and can maybe post a side by side picture? or vouch for this?

is there a massive difference? which do you prefer?

also whats your opinion on which I should go with? (thought I'd ask while I'm here)
Click to expand...

I'd believe it. The biggest difference I've noticed from the MIMs to the MIAs is that the MIA's look much much better. Playability has been all over the map and tone is subjective, but dang do those American Fenders look pretty.
 
#5
I have one of those great playing MIM basses but I have money invested in mine to get it that way. Looking at the money I have invested in my MIM Jazz bass I could have purchased the American Standard model.

The American Standard's come with wood bodies that supposedly made from no more then 2 pieces of wood where the MIM's can be made from multiple pieces glued together. The MIA's also have better hardware, electronics and a nicer neck. The necks on the MIA's have better details like rolled edges and the graphite reinforcement rods. Looking strictly at the sum of parts and materials the MIA's are better IMHO. However, a bad set will negate any of those benefits.

If you can afford the MIA get it.
 
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#6
ImageUploadedByTalkBass1402101901.842305.jpg

i had a couple of really good mim jazz basses and squiers too !!! i sold all of them to get a mia ... i cant say one is better than the other but the mia is really really good on looks , sound , details and the neck is sweet !!! after i sold all my stuff for the mia i saved a couple of bucks and bought a used mim p bass that i really like too
ImageUploadedByTalkBass1402102097.491982.jpg
 
#7
image.jpg
srxplayer said:
I have one of those great playing MIM basses but I have money invested in mine to get it that way. Looking at the money I have invested in my MIM Jazz bass I could have purchased the American Standard model.

The American Standard's come with wood bodies that supposedly made from no more then 2 pieces of wood where the MIM's can be made from multiple pieces glued together. The MIA's also have better hardware, electronics and a nicer neck. The necks on the MIA's have better details like rolled edges and the graphite reinforcement rods. Looking strictly at the sum of parts and materials the MIA's are better IMHO. However, a bad set will negate any of those benefits.

If you can afford the MIA get it.
Click to expand...

+1

Just traded a MIM for an American Special with some extra cash.

NEVER, EVER looking back at the MIM.

Nicer wood, flawless neck/frets, and a nicer tone.
 
#8
I know everybody says this but it really comes down to you playing both side by side. Pick which one speaks to you. I have a MIM jazz that I knew almost immediately after playing that i couldnt live without it. There are lots of lemons and it really comes down to what feels the best in your hands. One of the main reasons I picked my MIM was because the neck felt so perfect. It had a nice satin finish on it that the glossy MIAs just couldnt compare to in the speed department. As for the finish, the MIAs sunburst is a lot more consistent and like one of the previous posters said,its hard to get a MIM without a noticeable seem because they usually glue multiple pieces of wood together. That really ruins the look for me but if you can find a MIM that plays well and you dont mind then go for it.
 
#9
IMO, it's a silly thing to say.
A. Differences are likely to be negligible at best
B.Whether one is better than the other is strictly a matter of opinion.
The best looking sunburst I've seen in years was on a $110 SX Ursa 1 P-bass. (IMO)
 
#10
Mikey_B said:
I know everybody says this but it really comes down to you playing both side by side. Pick which one speaks to you. I have a MIM jazz that I knew almost immediately after playing that i couldnt live without it. There are lots of lemons and it really comes down to what feels the best in your hands. One of the main reasons I picked my MIM was because the neck felt so perfect. It had a nice satin finish on it that the glossy MIAs just couldnt compare to in the speed department. As for the finish, the MIAs sunburst is a lot more consistent and like one of the previous posters said,its hard to get a MIM without a noticeable seem because they usually glue multiple pieces of wood together. That really ruins the look for me but if you can find a MIM that plays well and you dont mind then go for it.
Click to expand...

... very good points, it is what each person prefers, and there certainly are more important things than the 'look' of the sunburst ... add to that there are so many different MIM models, and even so many different 'eras' of MIM Standards, that finishes are going to vary ... BTW, you won't see ANY seams on a 3TSB MIM Standard .. they laminate the front and the back so it always looks like one piece ... ;)
 
#11
tjh said:
... very good points, it is what each person prefers, and there certainly are more important things than the 'look' of the sunburst ... add to that there are so many different MIM models, and even so many different 'eras' of MIM Standards, that finishes are going to vary ... BTW, you won't see ANY seams on a 3TSB MIM Standard .. they laminate the front and the back so it always looks like one piece ... ;)
Click to expand...
Oh they must have changed it i can see a seem on some at GC. Maybe Im just going crazy and seeing things
 
#12
Sunbursts are funny animals. Personally, I love them; and always considered a Fender bass (Jazz or P) in Sunburst/rosewood to be the epitome of how an electric bass should look. That said, they vary so much from instrument to instrument that it's really hard to make any generalizations about them.

I've had a bunch of bursts over the years. I had an '08 Am. Std. P that was a great bass. But the sunburst itself was just so/so IMO. It seems like they've gone to a more "even", brownish color, whereas the older ones had more of an amber and reddish contrast to the brown and black. I personally like to see a bit more amber and red than what the newer bursts seem to have. Which country makes the best-looking burst? Don't get me to lying. I really don't know. Each one is kind of unique. To me, it's kind of like the old standard regarding porn (paraphrased): I can't really define it, but I know it when I see it... ;)
 
#13
Jeff K said:
It seems like they've gone to a more "even", brownish color, whereas the older ones had more of an amber and reddish contrast to the brown and black. I personally like to see a bit more amber and red than what the newer bursts seem to have.
Click to expand...

I'm the opposite. I prefer sunburst that's darker in the middle with brownish color, vs. lighter yellowish tone with pronounced red shading around.

Now, since this thread is specifically about the sunburst finish, let me ask a question, if I may...

Most of the sunburst finishes I've seen on newer Fender basses are darker in the middle (brownish) compared to a lot of the vintage Fenders I've seen, which tend to be lighter in the middle (yellowish) with stronger red shading. What I've always wondered about is whether this is because they used to do the sunburst finish differently back then, or is this the effect of aging, where the clear outer coat of lacquer actually turns yellow with time, giving it that vintage look?
 

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