MIA vs MIM

[lucasrhcp95]

Can anyone offer any in depth comparisons between MIA and MIM tele's im thinking about picking up a Baja but am wondering if its really worth the extra money to get a MIA tele, are there any major issues or such with MIM teles??

[Stuco]

No issues with MIM teles, they are just made a little farther south than the usa ones. The baja is a high quality model that is worthy of a professional guitarist. The MIA guitars tend to have a slightly higher quality of fretwork and parts but that gap is closing and on high end models like the baja, there is really no gap in quality.

[Telemarkman]

There are numerous threads on the subject - a lot of them get rather heated.

If you weren't a newbie I would suspect you're trolling ...

Here's some in-depth reading for you though.

http://www.tdpri.com/forum/telecaste...can-teles.html

[Suicideking]

Here we go again....

I swear I will not post in this one I am done really I am...

[twangjeff]

I have owned both. My current main tele is MIM. The fact of the matter is that the Telecaster is a production line instrument, just like a car. Toyota has factories in Japan and they have a factory in San Antonio. I bet if you get behind the wheel of a new Toyota you won't be able to tell the difference.

The only real difference out of the box is hardware and pickups. Most people change that right off the bat anyways, so why pay more for and MIA when you are only going to change it anyways?

Admittedly, my Tele is kind of a franken-tele, here are the changes that have been made from its stock incarnation in order.

1. Replaced pickups with Seymour Duncan APII Pickups
2. Replaced vintage tuners with Sperzel locking tuners
3. Refret with taller fret wire
4. Replaced the Duncan Pickups with Lindy Fralin Stock Tele Pickups
5. Replaced bridge saddles with Graphtech 3 Barrel saddles
6. Installed GHOST hexaphonic pickup system used for triggering guitar synth
7. Removed Tone control and replaced it with a volume control for the synth
8. Installed momentary switch to bank up and down on synth settings
9. Installed switch to select between the Fralins, GHOST pickup, or both.

So yeah by the time you've done all that, it doesn't really matter where it was initially assembled!

[tele-bastard]

For the money a stock mim. You will be happy. Be careful with the Baja, a lot of people have been disapointed with the Baja. You should be very happy with a new mim. Save the rest of the money for something else.

[ThinlineSwamp]

There is not much difference in tone between the two IMO.
Here is a good comparison/test video between a MiM strat and a MiA strat. IMMEDIATELY after clicking the link, go to full-screen mode.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wm7ir...eature=related
Your guess of the which is the MiM might surprise you after you read the comments.

[Amishius]

I was in a literary society at the University of Georgia and every year we had one night where we just debated all the big things together so we'd get them out of the way: death penalty was for sure one of them. We should just have a post every month about MIA v MIM.

[Gham]

Originally Posted by Amishius

I was in a literary society at the University of Georgia and every year we had one night where we just debated all the big things together so we'd get them out of the way: death penalty was for sure one of them. We should just have a post every month about MIA v MIM.

I would argue with that but it makes total sense,so skip it

[mg426]

I have a Friend that has MIA Rosewood tele. The thing plays sweet. I have an Affinty Maple that plays just as good. His cost $1100 bucks, Mine $169. I also have a maple board MIM that is as good as either one mentioned. Many people may (and rightly so its up to personal choice)disagree but the gap is most definatly narrowing.

[92Standard]

I'm a member of MLP (My Les Paul) forum and this subject reminds of the crazy heated debates between Epiphone and Gibson. Gets people defending their product in a viscious way!!! lol

FWIW....From what I've gathered here thus far, Baja Teles are held in pretty high regard and most owners seem to love them.

[psyched]

Ultimately, depends on the amp. Spend the money there. The rest of it you can alter, regardless of point of origin... that's the whole point of Fenders.

[DOGMA Dunn]

Both are good guitars IMO. Each guitar may have different characteristics in feel and sound. Just a very little. Also, there is nothing a great amp can't cure.

[Boblets]

If the MIMs came in a case with all the candy I would feel emotionally fulfilled in buying one.

[TeleKato]

I'm gonna stay out of the MIM v MIA argument. I have a stable featuring several of both and love them all.

Now ... on the Baja ... I don't know that I'd agree with the statement that people have been disappointed with them. When I was TDPRI comparative shopping Baja vs RW50 (both MIM for debate-kill), there was a lot of love expressed for the Baja and there is such across posts on this site.

It is a different guitar though. Some folks have complained about getting heavy ones -- mine (bought used online from GC) was on the light end; 7lb3oz. Mine's set-up on arrival was totally hosed and I tried to do it myself but ended up having my local pro do it for me - now it's fine. The S1 switch ... I'm not sure I'm getting a lot out of that one (I hate the 'button-depressed' setting -- serial, parallel, I don't know) but it's not a harmful thing; just more options for sound.

I always find one way to tell if a guitar is well thought of is to look for a used one -- when I was looking, they were scarce as hens teeth. GC had two in a nationwide search of used inventory ... TWO. That's not a lot. Most of what you see on LeBay are new ones. Never found one in a local shop. So that tells me folks aren't buying them in droves and unloading them in droves. Good sign in my book.

But I like the guitar A LOT and it's set up as a Keefcaster (5-string, open-G), heavy strings, and it can wail. So if you're just asking about the Baja -- I'm gonna give you a thumbs-up on it. If you can actually find one to play -- to make sure you get the weight you like -- then even better.

[bray83]

I was a MIA man through and through, then my wife bought me a roadworn, which is MIM. It has since become my número uno guitar!

[lckyjcky]

I was a MIM guy through and through, then I bought myself a Highway One, which is MIA. It has since become my #1 guitar!

[lckyjcky]

I think MIA guitars receive more attention and they use better parts (better woods, electronics, etc...) vs MIM guitars don't get the same amount of time from the Crafters and they use lesser quality parts. Just my 2 cents.

[Progrmr]

Originally Posted by ThinlineSwamp

There is not much difference in tone between the two IMO.
Here is a good comparison/test video between a MiM strat and a MiA strat. IMMEDIATELY after clicking the link, go to full-screen mode.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wm7ir...eature=related
Your guess of the which is the MiM might surprise you after you read the comments.

This is very enlightening about this subject.

[bray83]

Ickyjcky,

I'm with you! I would not go buy a MIM since I have my Americans, but that's me!

And I did say I love my roadworn, but come to think about it, the only thing original on the guitar is the body, neck, and bridge plate. Soooooo, take that for what it's worth. I have seriously upgraded the guitar. It's really the neck, though. I like the roadworn neck better than the necks on my Americans.