I read this poll this morning on MIM vs MIA Teles

[fsone]

What is your take on it. Myself, I had been looking for a Tele, that would give me the feel and tones that i want. Very good quality for the money, I have tried many MIA and MIM, so in the end i finally found what i wanted. Price was not a factor. I don't buy my guitars for resale value, they are bought for play only.

It took me 10 years to find everything i wanted in a Tele. And i have to say, the one that did it for me was the MIM.

Which Tele Will You Choose?​

• 
  76% The Made-in-Mexico Telecaster
• 
  14% USA Telecaster
• 
  7% American Special Telecaster
• 
  3% On second thought maybe I'll get a Strat instead.

4,847 people have voted in this poll

 

[OldPup]

When I was shopping for my Tele in 2017, I found a new Baja that absolutely cooked. It was a great guitar. I had it at the register and remembered there was an Am Pro I had intended to play but just forgot about in my excitement for the Baja. I played the Am Pro and it was even better in terms of how the neck felt and the sound. So I bought the Am Pro.

In the following weeks I played several other Am Pro Teles. None had the spark that mine does. The Baja stands out more in my memory than the other Am Pros. It's tempting to conclude that Bajas of that era were therefore better or at least comparable than the Am Pros (and at around half the price), but I only played one.

I believe every run of guitars has its dogs and its mojo machines. Compare the best of MIMs against the worst of the MIAs, and you'll think the MIMs are superior. The reverse is also true. It's undeniable that today's MIMs are an amazing value.

I love the idea of owning an MIA. Call it a weakness. It's just a touch closer to Leo and the epicenter of a lot of magic from midcentury on. So I'm biased, but I'm trying to give an even take.

 

[Fiesta Red]

Due to my financial philosophy and situation, I just can’t bring myself to pay more than $1500 for a guitar…which precludes all the new (and many of the used) US-made Fenders as well as some of the higher-end hecho-en-Ensenada offerings.

That’s ok.

I’ve found (outside of a few series or runs) that the basic bones of the MIM guitars are more than adequate (and sometimes downright awesome) for my tastes and needs…many of them have good-to-great pickups in them—and any insufficient pickups are easy (and relatively cheap) to replace.

My #1 is an MIM that doesn’t have a great pedigree—it was made in 1995 (which isn’t considered a “prime era” for Ensenada), it has the weird love-it-or-hate-it 6-saddle bridge that will accept an “ashtray” bridge cover, it’s got weird body woods (poplar with ash veneer), it’s got a weird neck profile…

Yet, after switching out the inadequate neck humbucker and doing a few cosmetics things to it, it ROCKS…

I also have a second MIM (Telecaster Deluxe reissue), and it is a similarly good guitar:

However, it is a distant third in pecking order of my electrics, my MIA Strat that was bought is more financially flush times is my #2—or, more accurately, my “#1b”:

So this is my thought:

-Set your budget and go play every guitar you can lay your hands on within that budget—and don’t hesitate to look at lower-cost models, too, because some of the Squiers kick serious tail as well.

-Play the guitar(s) with your hands and your ears, not your eyes on the model name or country of origin…

-Choose the best instrument on feel, sound, tuning stability, comfort and looks—remembering you can “engineer out” pickups and switching and pots and etc, and “customize out” anything visual you don’t like (pickguards, etc)

A good portion of the time, I’ve found the MIM instruments hit that “sweet spot” of price, quality, sound, feel, etc.

 

[Boreas]

Don't put much trust in popularity polls.

 

[fsone]

Don't put much trust in popularity polls.

So true, i can only speak from my experiences. But i have to admit the reviews are very good for MIM guitars. Even coming from friends i know who make a living from using them.

 

[Holy smokes]

Glad to hear it. What has been Mx. problem from what I have heard has always been quality control. But I still remember fujigen and Ensenada fender were a couple but the Fuji crowd said these guys are sloppy builders were going home.

 

[Alaska Mike]

I currently have 8 Telecasters, soon to be 10. I have a problem.

Up until about 1-2 years ago, absolutely nothing out of Ensenada inspired me at all (I can only speak from my own experience). Very solid guitars, and everything you might need in a Telecaster, but nothing I wanted. Add in pau ferro, and I avoided them unless it was a really good deal. Those that I bought usually were moved on within a month or two. As much as I tried to like them, they were always 'meh'.

I also had issues with body finishes chipping and flaking easily, as if the wood wasn't properly cured or prepped for paint correctly. More like a shell of paint surrounding the wood instead of adhering to it. What would very likely be a small, round ding on a MII, MIJ, or MIA guitar resulted in cracking and chipping of the finish over a much broader area. Happened on several guitars. I am not a guitar finish guy, so my conclusions of the causes may be completely wrong, but it was an issue (and very well still could be).

Then Fender returned rosewood fingerboards to the MIM lines, and I got very interested. I played a Jason Isbell and loved the neck carve, even if the relic finish and price just really didn't do it for me. When they released the Vintera II '60s, I was immediately intriqued, although it took several months before I could demo one. Once I did, I bought one for cheap as a flipper, but liked it so much I kept it. After some work and small alterations, I play it more than some of my MIA guitars.

In the months since I bought that Vintera II, I bought a Vintera II '60s replacement neck for one of my Partscasters. After that came two Jason Isbell necks that went on MIA guitars. I have a thing for '60s Cs, and these were reliable, affordable examples. They weren't perfect, and required a bit of nut and fret work, but they did the thing I was looking for.

My upcoming projects are based around MIM bodies- a chambered mahogany Player II in Transparent Cherry and a Classic Series '60s in Olympic White.

The Player II series has been a much-needed upgrade over the Player Is, and I have been very close over the past couple months to just buying a chambered ash version. I believe the Player IIs/Vintera IIs have reset the benchmark for MIM guitars, and likely MIA guitars as well. With Indonesia turning out solid instruments (especially in the Classic Vibe line), Ensenada had to make this move to solidify its place as the mid tier. I think they have succeeded.

The only real issue going forward is there are a crap-ton (I think that was the last official count) of Player 1 Telecasters out there, not to mention previous generations of MIM Fenders. If you're buying, that's great news, because it keeps down used and new prices. If you're selling (like Fender is), it means your biggest competitor is your own product that's already on the market. Hopefully they will respond to this challenge by slowing production and focusing on quality control instead of pure numbers, so the end product is sold on quality rather than solely on feature set. Based on previous performance, I am not holding my breath. Fender is in the business of guitar mass-production. However, since INNOVATION NEVER RESTS!, they could surprise me. The reason the Player I Tele was number 1 on the Reverb lists (and the Strat not far behind) was Fender flooded the market to clear inventory.

I mod just about all of my guitars, no matter where they come from. Hardware, electronic, pickups... I make them what I want them to be. When I get a MII Squier, I fully expect I will be doing a lot work (nut, frets...) and replacing a lot of parts. In most cases they're serviceable guitars, but they're built to spec for a specific price point. In this case, a sub-$500 MAP range, which means allowances are made. For most of the MIM guitars, they're slotted in at that $500-$1000 MAP range, which gives slightly more room for better components but are limited by cost of labor. Similar with MIJ guitars, though their weaknesses have always been on the electronics side. I do less work on MIM guitars, but they still need a bit of hand finishing and fine-tuning. On my MIA production guitars ($1400-$2200 map), generally they need the least amount of work, and modifications are more about taste than pure function.

To be honest, the difference in reliability/playability between a $450 Squier and a $1450 MIA Fender comes down to maybe $200 in parts and a couple hours of handwork time. I've done it on multiple occasions, and in the end I still grabbed a MIJ or MIA Fender and the MIC/MII guitar was eventually moved on. Until the Isbell/Vintera II/Player II, the same could be said of my MIM guitars. No matter how much I polished or modded the basic guitar, they didn't inspire me. They didn't resonate with me in ways I have trouble articulating. Maybe I'm a shallow sticker sniffer or something, but that's been pretty much the universal trend.

In all fairness, I did not bond with my American Ultra. I have yet to play a Custom Shop that did it for me, partly because at those prices I wouldn't be modding it and it would have to be "perfect" from the factory. The AVIIs $1000 upcharge over a Vintera II doesn't add up for me. I prefer the Performer over the Pro II. I have explored what's available and defined my tastes.

Everyone has their sweet spot in terms of price/features. For some it may be a $99 Amazon guitar, while others may be a Masterbuilt Custom Shop. If it inspires you and makes you want to play more, that's the standard you should be shooting for. Don't look for validation in random internet polls. The market is oversaturated with some of the best guitars ever produced across the price spectrum, so we are indeed living in the golden age- unless you dabble in vintage gear. That era was 40 years ago.

 

[Jullecaster]

-Set your budget and go play every guitar you can lay your hands on within that budget—and don’t hesitate to look at lower-cost models, too, because some of the Squiers kick serious tail as well.

Your comment is great advice but I sometimes wonder why people stop at FMIC, which means sleeping on a whole lot of other great options.

I get the fandom and own both MIM and MIA Fenders. But I think if people were chosing their guitars blindfolded we'd see a lot more G&Ls, Godins, Eastmans... in people's hands

 

[OldTelePlayer]

I have a MIA and a MIM Tele, also a MIM Strat and a MIM Duo-Sonic. Where it was made makes no difference to me.

A good quality guitar can be built anywhere. When considering purchasing a guitar I only care about how it plays, the quality of construction and the sound it makes. And whether or not I can afford to buy it, but that's a different issue.

 

[Killing Floor]

First, it’s entirely disingenuous to say price isn’t an issue.

Second, NC mills don’t have awareness of which country they’re bolted to the floor in. And workers getting stoned on break don’t come back to work less stoned in one country or another.

There are good and poor examples of guitars from Corona and Ensenada.

 

[Memphis Soul]

Due to my financial philosophy and situation, I just can’t bring myself to pay more than $1500 for a guitar…which precludes all the new (and many of the used) US-made Fenders as well as some of the higher-end hecho-en-Ensenada offerings.

That’s ok.

I’ve found (outside of a few series or runs) that the basic bones of the MIM guitars are more than adequate (and sometimes downright awesome) for my tastes and needs…many of them have good-to-great pickups in them—and any insufficient pickups are easy (and relatively cheap) to replace.

My #1 is an MIM that doesn’t have a great pedigree—it was made in 1995 (which isn’t considered a “prime era” for Ensenada), it has the weird love-it-or-hate-it 6-saddle bridge that will accept an “ashtray” bridge cover, it’s got weird body woods (poplar with ash veneer), it’s got a weird neck profile…

Yet, after switching out the inadequate neck humbucker and doing a few cosmetics things to it, it ROCKS…

View attachment 1301737

I also have a second MIM (Telecaster Deluxe reissue), and it is a similarly good guitar:

View attachment 1301738

However, it is a distant third in pecking order of my electrics, my MIA Strat that was bought is more financially flush times is my #2—or, more accurately, my “#1b”:

View attachment 1301775

So this is my thought:

-Set your budget and go play every guitar you can lay your hands on within that budget—and don’t hesitate to look at lower-cost models, too, because some of the Squiers kick serious tail as well.

-Play the guitar(s) with your hands and your ears, not your eyes on the model name or country of origin…

-Choose the best instrument on feel, sound, tuning stability, comfort and looks—remembering you can “engineer out” pickups and switching and pots and etc, and “customize out” anything visual you don’t like (pickguards, etc)

A good portion of the time, I’ve found the MIM instruments hit that “sweet spot” of price, quality, sound, feel, etc.

Love the pin stripping on your number 1. That’s some really Billy F. Gibbons stuff going on there. It looks amazing.

 

[Beachbum]

I own both and as I've said many times before the only real difference between the two is pick ups and hardware which ain't all that much and often just a matter of taste. The real difference between the two is price and bragging rights which doesn't get you diddle up on the stage.

 

[Alaska Mike]

Due to my financial philosophy and situation, I just can’t bring myself to pay more than $1500 for a guitar…which precludes all the new (and many of the used) US-made Fenders as well as some of the higher-end hecho-en-Ensenada offerings.

The American Performer Telecaster (Corona, CA) lists for $1399-$1499, and has been on sale for as low as $1249 on the Fender website for a while.

 

[Vibroluxer]

I'm very happy with my Baja. I have nothing against MIAs though I just wouldn't seek it out specifically. A Custom Shop though I would.

 

[Dukex]

I recommend buying what you both like and can afford. And never worry about others' opinions...or trivial polls.

 

[Sparky2]

I have owned and loved many Fenders.

Made in the USA ones, Ensenda Mexico ones, Made in Japan, and a very nice Made In China Modern Player Tele Plus.
Heck I even played, and lost out on a used purchase, a Made In Korea Fender Showmaster. Brilliant guitar!!

Over the years it's been about how it feels, plays, and sounds, and the pedigree and price come in 2nd and 3rd in my considerations.

At this moment I have exactly 3 Fenders.

1991 American made Strat Plus
2022 American Performer Telecaster Hum
and,
a 2005/2006 Fender Standard Precision Bass, made in Mexico.

I love them all dearly, and feel that these are lifelong keepers.

 

[Alaska Mike]

Fender specifies a large degree of the separation. This includes wood used, hardware quality, design specifications (what the CNC machines are set to), and how much hand time is allotted for each unit.

It's not really a question of skillsets, equipment, raw materials, or whatever... it boils down to what Fender will allow and (more importantly) will pay for. They have done the math. They understand the value in their brand and heritage and how they can leverage that. They understand the perception that US-built guitars are superior and they feed that through pricing and advertising. They do not want to allow another time where Japanese (or wherever) Fenders are seen as superior to those from the mothership. That happened in the '80s. Maintaining the tier system allows them to upsell and create exclusivity and aspirations. FMIC is in the money-making business.

 

[Highway 49]

MIM Classic Series are great in my experience - I have three - excellent build quality, great specs. (incl. slab rosewood boards and nitro finish on some models), and they play really nicely. And this is a good time to pick one up secondhand for £5-600 (a year or two back they would have been £6-700).
I’ve changed pickups but that’s really a personal preference thing.
The last couple of years before the Vintera replaced the Classic Series, they switched to Pau Ferro boards which, personally, I was never that convinced by.

 

[Pcs264]

Don't put much trust in popularity polls.

With good reason. Internet polls like this are nothing like actual studies and they don’t produce reliable data. The holes in this poll’s methodology, as an example, are big enough to drive a semi through. For example, who can participate? Likely buyers or anyone who clicks? With price limits or not? I could keep listing more, you get the point - there’s nothing to be learned from this.

 

[tele12]

....... It's undeniable that today's MIMs are an amazing value.
......

It's very deniable.
I have the MIM Fenders I bought when they were amazing values. Today the prices of MIM Fenders has risen quite a bit faster than inflation.