Please Help Me Choose

[Wop Geronimo]

My sweetheart Mother (yes I am a mommas boy) has told me to pick out a guitar up to $400.00 for Christmas as she knows I lost about everything in my divorce. So here is my question. Which would you guys pick?

If I go squier I will likely not change the pups. I will however put a set of grovers on and switch the control plate back to normal.

If I go with the MIM I will change the pups, p'guard and tuners. But hey it says Fender not Squier.

I guess I am asking what is the best bang for the buck.

White Vintage Modified Squier
Electron Blue MIM

[morroben]

I voted for MIM. I've had great luck with them over the years and feel like they're a great "bang for the buck". I have nothing against Squier though...in fact I've been considering picking up a Jagmaster for myself.

[Tele Fan]

Try them both out and make sure everything tight and right. I've had really good experiences with MIM teles so that's what I'd look at first.

[buddywayne]

That's a tough call W.G. I have both and am happy with them. I checked MIM
because if you want to sell or trade you will have better luck. I've had three
MIM's and they are great.

[edwardjeffrey]

Why would you change the pickups on the MIM but keep the pickups on the Squier? My vote is for MIM,keep the pickups.
old fool

[Wop Geronimo]

Originally Posted by edwardjeffrey

Why would you change the pickups on the MIM but keep the pickups on the Squier? My vote is for MIM,keep the pickups.
old fool

Just not a fan of the current MIM pups. To my ears the bridge pup is thin and the neck pup is mud. The Squier has Duncans and they sound good enough not to bother changing.

However, I am an authorized WD music dealer, so I get Kent Armstrong pups at a great price. I have not ruled out throwing a KA mini-bucker in the Squier if that is the route I go.

[TG]

The Squier Vintage Modified thinline I tried out in a shop was better than most standard MIMs I thought so if you like the Squier go that way. Might not have quite the same 'resale value' as a Fender...but at this level of guitar that's not a big issue in the long run.

[Gilamnstr]

I voted MIM, but I've had good experiences with both also. I don't consider resale value simply because I tend to hang onto guitars rather than sell them.

[blue metalflake]

Just played MIMs in a shop, but they seemed top value for money.

[superchicken_VI]

MIM, but I like the stock pickups.

[boris bubbanov]

Keep looking for a used 50's Classic Tele or Esquire.

I like Squiers, like 'em a lot, but they have nothing I'd pay $ 400 or even $ 300 for; all the grits in their lineup is down costing less than half that. The CI India VMs are cool but there is something wierd about them ergonomically I can't put my foot on.

If you scrounge you might still find one of these blowout deals way up market. If you don't like the pups in the MIM Std. ( I do ) I would not encourage you to buy one.


Bubbanov

[hapichap]

One consideration here is...

Your mother (god bless her) said she would go "up to" $ 400.00. Least we forget if you went Squier, you could spend some time finding the "right" one and pick it up for much less the the 4 hun and you Mom (again GBH) could save herself a couple of hun and still give you something you are happy with. That sounds like a win win to me.

[Fourth Feline]

Another vote for Mexico here,

I have had reasonably good experience when I bought a Squier in '86, but having recently bought a MIM 'Baja' Tele - it is easily the better guitar for very similar money, and requires no modding to sound good.

Happy hunting !

F.F

[Wop Geronimo]

Well I buddy from GC bought each by for me to try since I'm laid up with a kidney stone. Because of the pups and gloss neck I took the squier. I was going to get white but they are gone like hair bands so black it is. I will install a tortoise guard and grovers and I'm done.

Thanx for the input guys.

[bendecaster]

Glad you got the Squire! I'm agreeing that your Mom is a wonderful woman to even consider buying you a guitar in the first place! I've got both Sq & MIM, and they are of pretty equal quality. Though I did some part upgrades of my preference, but that's our perogative as artists, no? When you're feeling better, take your Mother out for dinner, and buy her flowers to boot!!

[giginthesky]

Originally Posted by boris bubbanov

Keep looking for a used 50's Classic Tele or Esquire.

I like Squiers, like 'em a lot, but they have nothing I'd pay $ 400 or even $ 300 for; all the grits in their lineup is down costing less than half that. The CI India VMs are cool but there is something wierd about them ergonomically I can't put my foot on.

If you scrounge you might still find one of these blowout deals way up market. If you don't like the pups in the MIM Std. ( I do ) I would not encourage you to buy one.
Bubbanov

i can't express this enough myself. boris is right to the point and right in so many ways. this year i bought a MIM 50's classic tele with a chip in the finish for $399, and an esquire for $360 again for a chip in the finish. personally, i couldn'd give a crap about the chips cause they are incredible guitars. if my mother was buying them for me..... well, she knows what i like. she plays too!

[Pete Galati]

MIM, and upgrade when funds are available.

But it's a present from your mother, so you're not allowed to sell it. Right? So chose your guitar well because you're keeping this one!

[Pickalittle]

Though I own a more expensive MIA Tele, I could buy a MIM for $400 and play it the rest of my life! Enjoy your new gift. Color? I know the pain of divorce first hand. I'm sorry.

[eddiewagner]

i would suggest to take a mexican and leave it "unmolsted" for a while.