Strat on a budget

[Willie D]

I'm looking in the next few months to acquire a strat and get rid of my '90s Telecaster Deluxe. I want to get a pretty good guitar but it doesn't have to be awesome - I'm mostly a living room and jam session twanger. I'd like it to sound good, play in tune, and not go wildly out of tune with judicious use of the whammy bar. I'd like to spend $250-400.

Give me some helpful advice:

1. MIM Standard Strat. I've played 'em, I like 'em.
2. Squier - which Squiers are the good ones and which should be avoided?
3. Other, non-Fender strats?

Thanks.

Will

[Elk]

I picked up a used MIM in a pawn shop for $150.00
2- Fender '57/'62's (nek & mid) 70.00
1-JB jr for the bridge 60.00

$280.00

My favorite hunk of wood!

[Rob DiStefano]

Most any standard Squier would be my choice, and has been my choice. Everything about the guitar is just fine as is, the only thing to watch out for is the nut width - you want 1.650" and not the skinny 1.61" - don't trust the spec sheet, you've gotta see it and measure it in person to be absolutely sure. You should easily be able to get a standard Squier Strat for under $200, and sometimes for under $175/delivered to your door. I mostly use Guitar Trader. Here's a satin walnut Squier that's my number one Strat - yep, it's got a whole lotta mods, for sure ...

[Willie D]

Which new Squires are the better ones, according to the consensus here? Indonesia, China, Bullet, Affinity, Standard? Looks like Rob says "Standard." Do these stack up well against the MIM Fenders?

[Rob DiStefano]

From what I've seen, the MII Indo ones seems best, but a few MIC China ones are close fi not spot on, IMO.

I'd rather have a standard Squier than a MIM because ... the overall quality of build and materials has been as good if not better, the hardware is as good if not better, the pups sport AlNiCo polepieces and the MIM's I've seen are ceramics (though I've heard some MIMs are coming with AlNiCos), the agathis bodies are a tad thinner and therefore lighter, the wider 1.650" necks are superb ... all that for almost half the MIM ticket. Works for me, YMMV.

[Sarge]

Been seeing alot of them around for$3-400. Also Tokai makes a great strat copy. I purchased a 1982 AST-62 for $295 w/ Bill Lawerence pups in it and it's really hard to put down. Also got a 1986 Fender Japan 62 re-issue and after 6 years it still impress the **** out of me. I picked that one up for $300 and added about $600 to it in upgrades including a CAR finish. It was fine the way it was but I wanted one strat to "hot-rod" and it was the lucky candidate.

[Willie D]

Thanks!

[reverbbb]

My preference is the MIM. I had an MII and it was just OK to my ears. It was a little thin sounding and not as much signal strength or quack. The frets wore down very rapidly on the MII. I also think that the body wood is not as robust as the alder bodies found on MIA or MIM.

The Squires can be found fairly easily at pawn shops for under $150. But you can buy a MIM on ebay for less than $250 fairly often. IMO, the extra $100 is worth it.

Having said that, if you did not have another Strat as your reference, then either guitar sounds and plays great in their own right.

Other brands? The California Custom Schecters of the '90's are some of the best made guitars around. However, their prices have dropped from nearly $3K to a mere $700~1200 (I know first hand :( ). Their Diamond Series are great players. You might can find a used one of those for around $200~300. But given the choice, I would spend my money on the Fender name.

[Willie D]

The advice you have given me has been tres helpful. Thank you all very much.

[Willie D]

Looks like I'm going with a G&L Tribute S-500. I've always been fond of G&L's products, and this fiddle is sharp. Thanks for all the helpful replies on this thread as well as the PMs sent my way.