Yet another Fender decision question

[bassbully]

there is no reason to buy a MIM when you can get a Squier Vintage Modified or Classic Vibe..

I disagree, Owned a jazz VM sold it didnt like the neck or tone. The classic vibe jazz is ok sounding..great looks and make sound ok.. IMO. I had a killer MIM jazz and a squier P/J thats awsome too so i do like squiers. I buy used alot and a good used MIM is hard to beat. The classic line of MIMs unbeatable only next to MIAs.

 

[MtManiac]

If you want an eye opener, Do what i did. Close your eyes, no peeking now, and have a friend start handing you Fenders to play. When you hear and feel the one you want, open your eyes. We just did this the other day. The results were not what I expected. I liked a MIA standard P-Bass the best. He tried to trip me up by handing me the bass back to back twice, but it didn't matter. I still liked it as much as "the bass I just played" and I said I would have to see the colors later. My second favorite was a MIM standard P-Bass. The MIA did have a more adjustable volume, where the MIM had no change until you got about halfway and then a big jump. The neck on the MIA was definately better, the MIM could use a wee bit of fret dressing. The MIA had a bit more "hearable sustain". Is the MIA 900.00 better? I don't know, as of right now I'm sitting on the fence trying to decide. I'll let you know...

Yeah, I expect there'd be a noticable difference in a "blind taste test," but there are other differences, IMHO, that are more apparent as time goes by.

If you have the budget, and expect to any gigging, ever, with this instrument, you will not regret the MIA...

 

[Framus-bass]

Seriously the only difference, besides where they are made, is the quality of the electronics. I'd save yourself the thousand and make some unique changes in pickups to the mexican. I have owned and played a meixican P-bass for two years and have played the american standards, no differnce. Same wood and everything. Sure if I had the money the Americans will hold their value better as they age, but a quality Fender is a quality Fender. End of story.

 

[N8116B]

I have had that experience with most Fenders, especially at Guitar Center where they take them out of the box and hang them on the wall. :scowl:

Most of the big box stores do this. It is a rare big box store that has someone on staff who will take the time to do a set up. Or have someone like me come in and do it for them. As I am also a banjo player I like to fool around with any banjos that are hanging around. But there are very few people at big music stores that know anything about banjos. So when I am in the acoustic room I'll take the time to set the bridge up correctly and put the darn things in tune.

When of the things I look for in a music store is that when I pick something up off of the wall I want it to be in tune or at least close to in tune. The GCs and Sam Ashes rarely do that.

To the OPs point and question. I would say play a few and see which one you like. I notice on MIM Fenders that quality does vary a lot more than on the MIAs between basses. Also you might want to aim to a little higher tier too and look at used Laklands and Sadowskys.

 

[chakah]

i think i remember seeing or hearing that price increases were coming feb. 1st. my only question is do i buy an '08 or '09 model.

 

[bassbully]

Seriously the only difference, besides where they are made, is the quality of the electronics. I'd save yourself the thousand and make some unique changes in pickups to the mexican. I have owned and played a meixican P-bass for two years and have played the american standards, no differnce. Same wood and everything. Sure if I had the money the Americans will hold their value better as they age, but a quality Fender is a quality Fender. End of story.

I see your point and agree somewhat but the MIAs are made of better materials than MIMs. The question is is it worth 2x the cost of an standard MIM for a standard MIA? Thats where i say NO. If you have a good MIM platform you can ad all the american parts from pups,tuners,bridge, pickguards, nut, pots etc and still save hundreds and say its as close to MIA as you can get Or find a good one and just play it. To say it wont be gigable in the long haul or that a MIA is the only choice for gigging the longhaul

 

[MtManiac]

Seriously the only difference, besides where they are made, is the quality of the electronics. I'd save yourself the thousand and make some unique changes in pickups to the mexican. I have owned and played a meixican P-bass for two years and have played the american standards, no differnce. Same wood and everything. Sure if I had the money the Americans will hold their value better as they age, but a quality Fender is a quality Fender. End of story.

I'm not talking about resale value, although that's a valid point too, I'm talking about holding up to years of service with constant playing, gigging, etc. There are reasons why the MIAs have two graphite reinforced truss rods, for example...

 

[wingnut]

If you want an eye opener, Do what i did. Close your eyes, no peeking now, and have a friend start handing you Fenders to play. When you hear and feel the one you want, open your eyes. We just did this the other day. The results were not what I expected. I liked a MIA standard P-Bass the best. He tried to trip me up by handing me the bass back to back twice, but it didn't matter. I still liked it as much as "the bass I just played" and I said I would have to see the colors later. My second favorite was a MIM standard P-Bass. The MIA did have a more adjustable volume, where the MIM had no change until you got about halfway and then a big jump. The neck on the MIA was definately better, the MIM could use a wee bit of fret dressing. The MIA had a bit more "hearable sustain". Is the MIA 900.00 better? I don't know, as of right now I'm sitting on the fence trying to decide. I'll let you know...

 

[sears]

I know someone with a really special MIM Jazz. If you can play 20 MIM Jazz basses, you might find an outstanding one. That said, I would play some MIAs and make your own decision. I own both kinds of Fenders (though not a MIM bass) and wouldn't get rid of any of them.

 

[Surly]

IMO just buy what you can afford, need, or feel like spending. I own a Squier CV P-bass and an American, and have played the MIM's. You get what you pay for, bottom line.

 

[EagleMoon]

If you want an eye opener, Do what i did. Close your eyes, no peeking now, and have a friend start handing you Fenders to play. When you hear and feel the one you want, open your eyes. We just did this the other day. The results were not what I expected. I liked a MIA standard P-Bass the best. He tried to trip me up by handing me the bass back to back twice, but it didn't matter. I still liked it as much as "the bass I just played" and I said I would have to see the colors later. My second favorite was a MIM standard P-Bass. The MIA did have a more adjustable volume, where the MIM had no change until you got about halfway and then a big jump. The neck on the MIA was definately better, the MIM could use a wee bit of fret dressing. The MIA had a bit more "hearable sustain". Is the MIA 900.00 better? I don't know, as of right now I'm sitting on the fence trying to decide. I'll let you know...

Deja Vu? I feel like I'm in the Matrix.

I have one of the new '08 American Fender Jazz basses and I would agree that MIA's are worth the money. It's hands down the best jazz bass I've played, and I've had several. The MIA's just have that extra "something". A quality feel to them that the MIJ/CIJ/MIM's do not. I agree that the Japan-made Fenders are great instruments but in my opinion just don't equal the MIA's in durability/gigability and toughness down the line.

 

[JasonLamb]

Yes, it is worth it in terms of the feel and the sound of the instrument. You will not regret it.

 

[bassbully]

Can or could someone prove this MIA gig worthy tuffness that has been brought up here. Yes they have dual truss rods but the Fenders of years ago didnt have them and if properly attended to play great today. I disagree that an MIA is built to take more abuse and gig wear than a MIM or good squier...prove it!

 

[MtManiac]

Can or could someone prove this MIA gig worthy tuffness that has been brought up here. Yes they have dual truss rods but the Fenders of years ago didnt have them and if properly attended to play great today. I disagree that an MIA is built to take more abuse and gig wear than a MIM or good squier...prove it!

How long ago did Fender start building basses in Mexico? Take ten Mexican instruments from that period and compare them to ten American built ones from that period. Let us know what you find out.

 

[drteeth]

Feels like I've opened a can of worms..

Another question: what should I be aware off when trying out basses? (What are signs that an instrument has certain defaults/flaws/.. )?

 

[bassbully]

How long ago did Fender start building basses in Mexico? Take ten Mexican instruments from that period and compare them to ten American built ones from that period. Let us know what you find out.

No , i asked those of you who have made these statements to prove them. I am sure many MIMs are still gigging after 10 years as well as MIAs of the same years. I have a beat to @ell squier that was highly abused when i bought it thats at least 10 years old and it sounds terriffic. So should someone say that squier wont be gig worthy in another 10 years? In my hands hardly. I am not worried one bit in the next 10 years of one of my MIMs falling apart, no more than i would with a MIA.

 

[MtManiac]

No , i asked those of you who have made these statements to prove them. I am sure many MIMs are still gigging after 10 years as well as MIAs of the same years. I have a beat to @ell squier that was highly abused when i bought it thats at least 10 years old and it sounds terriffic. So should someone say that squier wont be gig worthy in another 10 years? In my hands hardly. I am not worried one bit in the next 10 years of one of my MIMs falling apart, no more than i would with a MIA.

Ok, well, enjoy them!

 

[Powdered Toast]

To me, and to many others, the MIA is worth the extra cost. Otherwise, no one would buy them. This is a question that only you can answer...

I would *not* characterize the electronics in a Squier CV, Fender MIM or a Fender MIJ as equivalent to a Fender MIA, nor would I say that the build specs, Quality Assurance, or materials are equivalent. To suggest that they are, to me, is ridiculous.

The Squiers are fantastic *for the money*, as are the MIMs and MIJs. So too are the MIAs... They're all worth their street selling price, if you ask me.

It always seems that when this question gets asked and answered here on TB, people come from all directions talking about how their Squier or Mexican Fender blows away every American Fender they've ever played or owned. Seriously, give me a break...

The Fender American Standards are awesome, and so is every other pre-2008 model that I've ever owned or played. I also really like my Squier Vintage Modified fretless, and my Squier Strat, and my Squier Mini Strat, but I recognize they're not in the same league as my MIA P bass.

Sometimes where the quality really becomes noticable is after gigging the instrument for a couple of years. You'll find that some instruments go out of tune more often than others, things break, screws come out and get lost, bridges fail or need constant attention, caps/pots wear out or even break, some necks need constant adjustment, some instruments just don't sound consistent from venue to venue or season to season, etc. You will find that (in general, there are exceptions in both directions for any brand) a MIA Fender is a lot more consistent and reliable in the long run than a MIM or a Squier.

If you want something that will last you 2-3 years before you swap it out and replace it, go for the Squier. If you want something for 5-7 years, get the MIM. If you want something to keep for the next 25-30 years or more, get the MIA.

I think that's a bit melodramatic. An MIM lasts you 5-7 years? I've got two mid 90's teles and a 2001 Jazz Bass and they're still as good as the day I got them.

As for electronics, I'm speaking from the experience of opening up the control plates and seeing the exact same CTS pots and switches that are on my MIA bass. I know that MIM made early 90's Squiers had cheapo pots and switches - but the standards don't. Same stuff under the hood of your MIA as your MIM.

As for the "holds its value" arguments - it's my experience that ALL gear (non-vintage) seems to take about a 40% hit the minute you walk out of the store with it. I just sold a 2000 American Deluxe Jazz for about 50% of the new value. Why? Because it wouldn't move at anything higher.

 

[wingnut]

Yeah, I expect there'd be a noticable difference in a "blind taste test," but there are other differences, IMHO, that are more apparent as time goes by.

If you have the budget, and expect to any gigging, ever, with this instrument, you will not regret the MIA...

Definate gig rig, used to have an old "66" MIA P-bass that got destroyed, loved it! I have to say, as the competition puts out better and better quality, Fender will have to re-think some of the pricing on their MIA stuff. With the way the current economy is they're going to price themselves right out of the market. Of late, it seems even the MIJ Fenders are starting to creep into that "why does this one cost three times as much as that one?" realm.

 

[Nedmundo]

No , i asked those of you who have made these statements to prove them. I am sure many MIMs are still gigging after 10 years as well as MIAs of the same years. I have a beat to @ell squier that was highly abused when i bought it thats at least 10 years old and it sounds terriffic. So should someone say that squier wont be gig worthy in another 10 years? In my hands hardly. I am not worried one bit in the next 10 years of one of my MIMs falling apart, no more than i would with a MIA.

Seems to me this topic might deserve its own thread, and it would be interesting to get responses from folks who have owned both for several years. My impression is that the MIM Fenders have improved dramatically in the past 4-5 years, but that some were pretty rough in the early days. I have a franken-fretless Precision built primarily from MIM Fender parts manufactured around 2006, and the quality is extremely high. The fretless Jazz neck is excellent.

But my U.S. Fenders are built and finished to a higher standard, no question, especially the 2008 Jazz V. The hardware is more solid, the paint and finish are superior, and the necks have a more refined feel, easier truss rod adjustment, and graphite reinfocement.

So, while I wouldn't worry about a recent MIM Fender falling apart either, I also know which I'd take if I went on tour. (Which I probably won't, but that's another story...)