DreX
New member
Re: Fender MIM quality, a couple things to look out for
in this case the opposite occurred
in this case the opposite occurred
Fender MIM quality, a couple things to look out for
- Thread starter DreX
- Start date
blaise.brown.7967
New member
Re: Fender MIM quality, a couple things to look out for
I have no issues with my MIM strat!! It plays & sounds great!!
I have no issues with my MIM strat!! It plays & sounds great!!
DreX
New member
Re: Fender MIM quality, a couple things to look out for
"Fender MIM quality, a couple things to look out for" != "Your MIM sucks"
"Fender MIM quality, a couple things to look out for" != "Your MIM sucks"
Kac
Hootersologist
Re: Fender MIM quality, a couple things to look out for
I appreciate these things to look out for. I don't think they would stop me from getting a guitar that otherwise felt and sounded good though. That being said I'm happy with old guitars that have plenty of dings and mojo.
I appreciate these things to look out for. I don't think they would stop me from getting a guitar that otherwise felt and sounded good though. That being said I'm happy with old guitars that have plenty of dings and mojo.
blaise.brown.7967
New member
Re: Fender MIM quality, a couple things to look out for
Hey Drex, do I know you !!?? If not why is your message so damn rude!!??
Hey Drex, do I know you !!?? If not why is your message so damn rude!!??
DreX
New member
Re: Fender MIM quality, a couple things to look out for
Sorry I forget that a lot of people don't realize != mean "doesn't equal".
It's annoying how any slightly unflattering post about anything is taken as a personal attack on one's own personal gear. There's hints of his all throughout page one, but your post was especially pointed. In no way shape or form does this post imply that your MIM is not a fantastic guitar. It's fantastically fantastic. I have a couple MIMs that are not as fantastical as your own.
Sorry I forget that a lot of people don't realize != mean "doesn't equal".
It's annoying how any slightly unflattering post about anything is taken as a personal attack on one's own personal gear. There's hints of his all throughout page one, but your post was especially pointed. In no way shape or form does this post imply that your MIM is not a fantastic guitar. It's fantastically fantastic. I have a couple MIMs that are not as fantastical as your own.
DreX
New member
Re: Fender MIM quality, a couple things to look out for
I'll keep them, and I'm still proud to own them. In fact, I found that, much to my surprise, the messed-up-neck Cabro weighs two to three hundred grams more than than the correct one with the wood filled neck, and they're both thinline Teles. It's an amazingly dense, heavy guitar for having a chamber in it.
I'm mostly just disappointed in Fender Mexico. I wanted to believe this stuff was behind them, and I've been a big proponent of MIMs. You don't see these sorts of issues from Eastern guitars in that price range, and the issues I do see are more fixable, such as badly slotted nuts or swirly finishes. These are the sorts of flaws that you can't fix over a weekend with a few beers. They say "try before you buy" with imports, but with the fading away of Guitar Center and the massive selection of guitars online, that's just not realistic, and so this is a real blow to the practicality of shopping for MIMs in the future. I don't want t buy things knowing there's a high likelihood I'll want to return it for some reason, it's both a total hassle and emotionally draining.
I'll keep them, and I'm still proud to own them. In fact, I found that, much to my surprise, the messed-up-neck Cabro weighs two to three hundred grams more than than the correct one with the wood filled neck, and they're both thinline Teles. It's an amazingly dense, heavy guitar for having a chamber in it.
I'm mostly just disappointed in Fender Mexico. I wanted to believe this stuff was behind them, and I've been a big proponent of MIMs. You don't see these sorts of issues from Eastern guitars in that price range, and the issues I do see are more fixable, such as badly slotted nuts or swirly finishes. These are the sorts of flaws that you can't fix over a weekend with a few beers. They say "try before you buy" with imports, but with the fading away of Guitar Center and the massive selection of guitars online, that's just not realistic, and so this is a real blow to the practicality of shopping for MIMs in the future. I don't want t buy things knowing there's a high likelihood I'll want to return it for some reason, it's both a total hassle and emotionally draining.
F
Funkfingers
Guest
Re: Fender MIM quality, a couple things to look out for
On a general level, after a set-up, the majority of Fender MIM guitars have the playability sorted. Hardware and pickups tend to be "good enough" rather than outstanding. Where wood grain is visible through transparent finishes, it tends to be less visually appealing than on USA production instruments. There also tend to be more pieces glued together to make up the width needed for a guitar body.
This is all pretty inevitable. The instruments are built to a price. Fender has a reputation to maintain. A balance has been struck.
Like any guitar manufacturer, Fender grades lumber and directs the most appealing pieces to their top-of-the-range production. Needless to say, the mid-price lines get the less pretty lumber. Ironically, this is closer to the original Leo Fender ethic than some of what the Custom Shop and Masterbuilt lines get up to.
On a general level, after a set-up, the majority of Fender MIM guitars have the playability sorted. Hardware and pickups tend to be "good enough" rather than outstanding. Where wood grain is visible through transparent finishes, it tends to be less visually appealing than on USA production instruments. There also tend to be more pieces glued together to make up the width needed for a guitar body.
This is all pretty inevitable. The instruments are built to a price. Fender has a reputation to maintain. A balance has been struck.
Like any guitar manufacturer, Fender grades lumber and directs the most appealing pieces to their top-of-the-range production. Needless to say, the mid-price lines get the less pretty lumber. Ironically, this is closer to the original Leo Fender ethic than some of what the Custom Shop and Masterbuilt lines get up to.
F
Funkfingers
Guest
Re: Fender MIM quality, a couple things to look out for
It is worse than that. Some people seem to regard their chosen musical kit as a reflection upon themselves. They react to any less-than-flattering comments about their preferred brands as if it were an attack upon themselves.
This behaviour is characteristic of a particular personality type.
It is worse than that. Some people seem to regard their chosen musical kit as a reflection upon themselves. They react to any less-than-flattering comments about their preferred brands as if it were an attack upon themselves.
This behaviour is characteristic of a particular personality type.
blaise.brown.7967
New member
Re: Fender MIM quality, a couple things to look out for
My mim strat is not perfect, but by no means does it suck!!
My mim strat is not perfect, but by no means does it suck!!
Dahla
New member
Re: Fender MIM quality, a couple things to look out for
Dude, no one ever implied that YOUR guitar suck. You missed the whole point of the thread.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Dude, no one ever implied that YOUR guitar suck. You missed the whole point of the thread.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
blaise.brown.7967
New member
Re: Fender MIM quality, a couple things to look out for
Did anyone here read page 3!!?? Your MIM sucks.
Did anyone here read page 3!!?? Your MIM sucks.
Re: Fender MIM quality, a couple things to look out for
What page 3? Drex tried to explain what you missed in post #28 when he wrote ... "Sorry I forget that a lot of people don't realize != mean "doesn't equal". "
Try reading from posts #24 through #28 again.
What page 3? Drex tried to explain what you missed in post #28 when he wrote ... "Sorry I forget that a lot of people don't realize != mean "doesn't equal". "
Try reading from posts #24 through #28 again.
blaise.brown.7967
New member
Re: Fender MIM quality, a couple things to look out for
DreX24!! Let's not make this personal between you &me,ok?
DreX24!! Let's not make this personal between you &me,ok?
Kac
Hootersologist
Re: Fender MIM quality, a couple things to look out for
He never did, You did. He said that "Fender MIM quality, a couple things to look out for" DOES NOT EQUAL 'your mim sucks'. DOES NOT, meaning doesn't, it's a negative, not a positive. I don't know how else this can be explained to you.
He never did, You did. He said that "Fender MIM quality, a couple things to look out for" DOES NOT EQUAL 'your mim sucks'. DOES NOT, meaning doesn't, it's a negative, not a positive. I don't know how else this can be explained to you.
GilmourD
Burritotoneologist
Re: Fender MIM quality, a couple things to look out for
That's not wood filler. It's an imperfection in the wood. I bet you if you kept sanding through that spot on the headstock that the lighter area in between the two darker spots would get darker to match.
I've got a Tele neck that has a spot like that on the fretboard and the stripe extends all the way through the butt of the heel. It's wood, too, because it's the same unfinished texture as the surrounding wood.
Think of it as stretch marks... It's why we have acoustics with "bear claw" tops as a feature, now.
Wood filler used to repair some sort of gouge in the neck, on the headstock and at the 17th fret. Everything is bellow the poly, so it was like this at the factory before it was finished over. I'm curious to know how this sort of damage would have happened to the wood. They're curved, shallow gouges, as if a spider had bored through the wood before it was milled. Often these kinds of guitars are sold as "blems", but this one wasn't.
That's not wood filler. It's an imperfection in the wood. I bet you if you kept sanding through that spot on the headstock that the lighter area in between the two darker spots would get darker to match.
I've got a Tele neck that has a spot like that on the fretboard and the stripe extends all the way through the butt of the heel. It's wood, too, because it's the same unfinished texture as the surrounding wood.
Think of it as stretch marks... It's why we have acoustics with "bear claw" tops as a feature, now.
GilmourD
Burritotoneologist
Re: Fender MIM quality, a couple things to look out for
End it here. On topic from this point forward.
- Ease up and stop taking stuff so personally.
- If you have a personal issue with another user take it to private messages. DO NOT air your dirty laundry in public.
- Read, re-read, and then re-read again before you respond if you keep getting told your saying the opposite of what you're replying to.
End it here. On topic from this point forward.
DreX
New member
Re: Fender MIM quality, a couple things to look out for
What made me think filler is that it's very orange colored, doesn't appear to be fibrous like wood, and doesn't correspond to the surrounding grain. Do you know if there's a name for this sort of thing?
That's not wood filler. It's an imperfection in the wood. I bet you if you kept sanding through that spot on the headstock that the lighter area in between the two darker spots would get darker to match.
I've got a Tele neck that has a spot like that on the fretboard and the stripe extends all the way through the butt of the heel. It's wood, too, because it's the same unfinished texture as the surrounding wood.
Think of it as stretch marks... It's why we have acoustics with "bear claw" tops as a feature, now.
What made me think filler is that it's very orange colored, doesn't appear to be fibrous like wood, and doesn't correspond to the surrounding grain. Do you know if there's a name for this sort of thing?
GilmourD
Burritotoneologist
Re: Fender MIM quality, a couple things to look out for
I imagine that as wood becomes something we try to conserve more the not-so-nice looking bits end up in more guitars than they used to.
I dunno if there's a specific name for it, but it's just a cosmetic imperfection. There's lots of imperfections in maple, and all woods really, that don't affect stability or tone.
I imagine that as wood becomes something we try to conserve more the not-so-nice looking bits end up in more guitars than they used to.
Evan Skopp
SDUGF Founder
Re: Fender MIM quality, a couple things to look out for
I've been to FMIC's Ensenada factory and was very impressed with quality level there.
I've been to FMIC's Ensenada factory and was very impressed with quality level there.
Similar threads
