Anyone familiar with Fender Mexican Strat?

[Brian Griffin]

So I just bought this MIM 2011 Strat in arctic white. Everything seems legit in comparison with the specs on Fender site but I am curious about the neck plate, which is blank. Is it the way it is supposed to be? I expected something like Fender logo or a serial number, anything but blank.

And when I popped the hood, I noticed the bridge pickup cavity is routed for a humbucker (despite the guitar using 3 singles) and there are three additional cavities that are very shallow and look like a bowl. I have no idea what purpose they serve.

The body has a barcode and numbers, and does the neck pocket.

All info would be much appreciated. Many thanks!

 

[Funkfingers]

Re: Anyone familiar with Fender Mexican Strat?

The body sounds legit. The Standard Stratocaster is not intended to precisely mimic vintage specifications. The three depressions are to distinguish the MIM from MIA. (I like to think of these as "crop circle" marks, left by aliens.)

Neck anchor plates vary. Some had the "spaghetti" script logo. Some had the CBS-era logo.

 

[ErikH]

Re: Anyone familiar with Fender Mexican Strat?

Those shallow holes are CNC guides. Most of them are routed HSS and can easily be made HSH. The neck cavity is about P-90 size.

 

[Securb]

Re: Anyone familiar with Fender Mexican Strat?

As others have said you sound legit. My MIM Telecaster was routed for a neck humbucker to my delight. I can't tell you how quickly I ripped the lipstick pickup out of there.

 

[PushedCrayon]

Re: Anyone familiar with Fender Mexican Strat?

My Strat is the same way, no back plate marking, routed HSS, and has the shallow bowl-like cuts. Your guitar should be 100% legit

 

[dominus]

Re: Anyone familiar with Fender Mexican Strat?

Short answer - You've got a real MIM Strat.

So I just bought this MIM 2011 Strat in arctic white. Everything seems legit in comparison with the specs on Fender site but I am curious about the neck plate, which is blank. Is it the way it is supposed to be? I expected something like Fender logo or a serial number, anything but blank.

MIMs have a blank neckplate, more recent ones have a CE sticker and a small sticker with a garbage can with an X over it on them. Most people would peel those stickers off. Yes, that's the way it's supposed to be.

And when I popped the hood, I noticed the bridge pickup cavity is routed for a humbucker (despite the guitar using 3 singles) and there are three additional cavities that are very shallow and look like a bowl. I have no idea what purpose they serve.

All standard MIMs are routed HSS. Those three smaller holes are supposed to be there. Most USA models have a single larger one.

The body has a barcode and numbers, and does the neck pocket.

All info would be much appreciated. Many thanks!

Also present on the newer (2006ish and up?) - you should have a thick block on the tremolo.

 

[ratherdashing]

Re: Anyone familiar with Fender Mexican Strat?

Your Strat, other than the color, matches the 2009 MIM Standard I used to own: blank neck plate, humbucker routing in the bridge, and CNC guide holes under the pickguard.

 

[PFDarkside]

Re: Anyone familiar with Fender Mexican Strat?

I always thought MIMs were HSH! I guess I learned something today, so I can go home.

 

[beaubrummels]

Re: Anyone familiar with Fender Mexican Strat?

Might be hard to see in the top left corner, but mine was routed H-S-S. I don't have good pictures of it, but it has a plain backplate with CE sticker. Surpisingly, though, it has a beautiful flamed maple neck. Do they send American rejects to Mexico or something?

 

[Jermo3178]

Re: Anyone familiar with Fender Mexican Strat?

You have a legitimate MIM strat my friend.

MIM Strats have blank neck plates. At one point they were using swimming pool routes, but more recently became Hss bodies, unless you get a direct fender replacement body(the MIM's are SSS and the MIA's are HSH). The 3 shallow holes are guide holes for the CNC machines. The barcodes are for when the parts are pulled in the warehouse. You scan the location that the parts come from, and the part itself... helps keep up with that particular build and inventory control...

 

[dominus]

Re: Anyone familiar with Fender Mexican Strat?

You have a legitimate MIM strat my friend.

MIM Strats have blank neck plates. At one point they were using swimming pool routes, but more recently became Hss bodies, unless you get a direct fender replacement body(the MIM's are SSS and the MIA's are HSH). The 3 shallow holes are guide holes for the CNC machines. The barcodes are for when the parts are pulled in the warehouse. You scan the location that the parts come from, and the part itself... helps keep up with that particular build and inventory control...

Standard MIMs were always HSS. USAs went through a period of swimming pools before going HSH.

 

[ehdwuld]

Re: Anyone familiar with Fender Mexican Strat?

my MIM also has blank neck plate
HSS routing with Large single routes
mine has the CNC holes
partially filled with finish
big block
bent saddles


should be a 9.5 radius fretboard

mine has a serial number starting MX1217.....
I believe that means it was made in the 2012-2013 fiscal year, or some such

 

[Jermo3178]

Re: Anyone familiar with Fender Mexican Strat?

Except for around 95-96.. most the MIMs I've had and seen from then are swimming pools. But they aren't technically MIMs bodies I guess.

 

[B2D]

Re: Anyone familiar with Fender Mexican Strat?

My MIM was a '94, had an SSH routing and a bare neckplate. It's all good.

 

[Brian Griffin]

Re: Anyone familiar with Fender Mexican Strat?

Thanks for all your replies. Yes, the trem block is also a big one also, and the neck pickup routing seems to be large enough to squeeze a humbucker or at least a P-90 in. The neckplate also has that CE and trash bin stickers on.

I just couldn't be 100% sure without all your confirmation. Thanks again!

 

[Brian Griffin]

Re: Anyone familiar with Fender Mexican Strat?

I can easily turn that thing into a Charvel Jake E. Lee knockoff with that HSS routing

 

[WhoFan]

Re: Anyone familiar with Fender Mexican Strat?

i have used a bunch of MIM Standard strats and teles over the years... players think i'm strange for liking the stock MIM Ceremic Pickups over most vintage spec strat pick ups out there

 

[synzzzer]

Re: Anyone familiar with Fender Mexican Strat?

i have used a bunch of MIM Standard strats and teles over the years... players think i'm strange for liking the stock MIM Ceremic Pickups over most vintage spec strat pick ups out there

I found that even though the pickups are split ceramic, the winds can be different over the years. I have a 99 MIM Strat that has those pickups wound to 7.0K ohms, and they are awesome. I almost hated to pull them out, but I did want something very specific for that guitar. So I can completely understand you liking those, cause I kind of dig them.

 

[daan]

Re: Anyone familiar with Fender Mexican Strat?

MIM ceramics are the most under-rated Strat singles out there. I have a 94/95 MIM and replaced the stock pups, and the new ones didn't sound as good as the stockers. Now Indonesian/Indian/etc Squier ceramic pups sound tinny and cheap but the MIM ones (they have 2 ceramic bars on either side of the bottom instead of one large bar glued across the whole bottom) those aren't so nice.
And MIA guitars all seem to have either really plain necks or AAAAAAAAA flame ones, nothing in between. I've seen more Squiers/MIMs with pretty flame than MIAs.
It's all good though.

 

[DreX]

Re: Anyone familiar with Fender Mexican Strat?

I've heard theories that the ceramics are wound hot in order to compete with humbuckers, because it's presumed that younger buyers of cheaper guitars prefer that more aggressive sound over the thin, classic single coil sound.

What I'd like to know is, if the ceramic is too strong, and this causes to harsh of an attack, what would happen if they used smaller ceramic bars?