Mexican Stratocaster Gave Me Heartburn
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- Опубліковано 18 жов 2024
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Mexican Stratocaster Gave Me Heartburn
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Dave is my spirit animal. Fixes shit guitars through the power of scarcasm.
You know, I sit down with my two sandwiches for lunch and say, I'll just watch a few minutes of this while I eat. I always end up watching the whole thing. I don't even work on guitars.
"I'm here to set it up, not rebuild it." LOL classic.
I have 2 early 2000's MIM guitars and I LOVE them both. Fantastic workhorse guitars
I recently bought a MIM HSS Player Strat and its a great guitar. Setup was fine out of the box and it sounds good, better than my Squier Classic Vibe 60s that i had before.
Love my Mex Strat!
I bought the very same guitar 2019 and it is awesome!
You can always pretend to adjust the truss rod by putting an Allen wrench in there and then rocking it back and forth. Damn ratcheting steel!!
He said it's a "Fender type guitar with a sticker" not a genuine Fender from Mex! I have a mex strat and it's outstanding! MiM Strats do not have cheese grater frets, stickers and the rest of the issues that thing had! 😂
Fender Mex Strats are the best. Seriously. For a beginner, a hobbyist, a bedroom producer or even a touring musician, they're just the workhorse guitar you always wanted.
This is a Squier though, so yeah, corners were cut. But with a setup, it's just as good. Swap out the stock pickups and you're golden.
I have my doubts that that instrument left the factory in that state. I also have a Mexican SSH Strat and it doesn't have any of the mentioned issues. My guess is some previous owner has been "Having a go" at it.....
He said it's a "Fender type guitar with a sticker" not a genuine Fender from Mex! I have a mex strat and it's outstanding! MiM Strats do not have cheese grater frets, stickers and the rest of the issues that thing had! 😂
@@fordhammie same, I have a Fender MIM Strat (SSS) and honestly it's the best guitar I've ever owned. Ultimate bang for buck.
@@Claidheambmor Interestingly enough, I now have a Tokai Goldstar Sound Strat in cherry 🍒 and cream pickguard and it's a dream come true! 😍
I have a Mexican Jag. It sounds and plays better than a Custom shop Strat I had. People need to know the Mexican fenders can be really nice for the money, BUT YOU NEED TO PLAY IT AWHILE BEFORE YOU BUY. If it doesn't sound or play good at the store, it won't at your house either.
I agree. My mexican 50's classic player strat is the best strat I ever had. That's why I still have it.
I agree, too. My MexiStrat is a lean, mean music machine.
Mad Minute love mine, but this is a dud.
Mad Minute got my MIM Strat last august.. took to my luthier and he said I got very luck and got exactly what you want from any Strat. I don't have much luck in life, but damn am I glad I used some of it on getting a great guitar.
Heath Barnhart Yeah, however you have to blame whoever initially bought it. I would have returned it to the store immediately. Whoever bought it first didn't even really try to play it. Can't blame Fender, they do have a return policy/warranty and someone didn't use it. So now the repair got pushed off to the 2nd owner.
Dave, just a quick tip for you if your interested. I use the trem cavity cover to hold the bridge at the correct height instead of a piece of fret rocker. I found the thickness of the cover(for strats anyway) gives the correct float. try it and see what ya think
Dave, there is a few things to be learned from you. I could hang out with you every day! Keep the videos coming. Thank you kindly Sir.
I have a Mexican strat from 2000 that is as good or better than my other (American) strats. Bought it for $350 with Seymour Duncans in it and an LSR nut installed. I added German Schaller locking tuners. I also upgraded the tremolo block for one with more mass. Now I'd put it up against anyone's Elite. It's very solid and has mondo chime and sustain. Absolutely stays in tune with whammy abuse. I realize that the upgrades make it something more than a typical Mexican strat but my point is the build quality and fretwork was solid from the gitgo.
I do 3 levels of setup. Even the basic setup includes checking and setting intonation. After moving the neck and adjusting the trem springs I'm sure you did that but forgot to mention or film it. Btw, I live in Mexico. The level of quality here can be excellent. You can also buy a guitar for 25 bucks on the beach. The Fender factory here uses cheap labor to run sub standard old equipment to shape often sub standard wood. The fault lies with a company using the established name FENDER on guitars made on the cheap, and on anyone who thinks just because it has the FENDER logo it means quality. I have worked on a few thousand guitars during over 50 yrs. I also build electric and synthesizer guitars. GIGO (garbage in garbage out) applies to guitars, amps, hot dogs.... you name it. When someone expects excellence in an electric guitar that RETAILS for under $200 they are being unrealistic. A $200 retail guitar comes out of the factory at under $100 in parts and labor. Chinese strat copies are available for $37 in quantities of 100 wholesale. How many USA made guitars do you have to pick up to find a quarter or flat sawn neck these days? Electronics aside, most guitar problems are neck related. Most neck problems are because out of a few hundred necks that can come from a given log, less than 10% would even get a second look from me. The rest are better used to BBQ ribs IMHO. I have attended the NAMM show for decades and guitar quality, adjusted for 50's dollars, is a pretty big bang for the buck these days if you know how to shop. My personal guitar collection is 65 ish total instruments. My in shop made custom guitars aside, most of my favorites are not made in the USA. But I looked carefully at them before i bought them and realize many have budget electronics i would upgrade. If pretty paint and a logo have someone reaching for their wallet, they are a likely a future customer for my repair shop. One thing for sure, almost every guitar needs and benefits from a proper setup by an experienced professional.
Well nowadays you got competition because you can send a way to Japan or some different countries that make guitars and for like 300 bucks or sometimes less than 200 you get a beautiful guitar there are some seriously sweet deals for low bucks course they don't say Fender or Gibson on them but It don't matter as long as it's a good axe who gives a f***
MIM strats are $700 now. I would expect them to be decent at that price.
Fender and Gibson def play off their name - for a good Strat or Tele option I would look at Yamaha,Sire,G&Land I’ve also seen some nice Indio from Monoprice.
Dave's house of miracles...from gooched to great with a wave of the feeler gage! Lol! Love your videos man!
Been binge watching this channel, love the content!
Tonight on a very special "Dave's World of fun stuff" watch as Dave lubes his nut, works the tang and threatens to build a wall between the Fender plant in Mexico and Canada and make them pay for it.
Thank you cheezervvvvv. I was sitting here getting sick from discovering how low Fender's QA & build quality can go and you made me laugh. I really needed that. Seriously, thank you.
I just hope Dave knows I'm joking around.
He should change his name to zog nazi.
That vintage mummy is always nagging about everything anyway.. so, who cares..
Don't listen to them zog noty, the alt right is growing.
I purchased a sunburst Mexican Strat in 1994 and still have it and play the hell out of it almost everyday... I purchased a white one in 2006 and also still play it. For the buck you can't beat them... My first guitar was an American Strat in 1966, then another about 1972. These Mexican Strats play and sound just as good as the Americans and hold up on the road as well also!!!
There are some really helpful and educational videos on here... "BUT"
IF Mexican Strats give you heartburn, you also give me the shits!!!
Doesn't there come a point when you give up and tell the owner to get a canoe? Because he already has the paddle!
Hah! Good one!
That's a classic! Haha!
LOL
Or go join a cricket club 'cos he already has the bat.
Erik 22532 I would say that when I'm not able to play one properly. Maybe you go canoeing. I'm more than happy with my mexican guitar. Wouldn't buy any American product as long as you have the orange lunatic president
AMERICA LAST
I have a MIM Strat. My saddles are fine and after a few modifications, it's a hot guitar!
Good to see you're still making vids, Dave! Thx for all -
Thanks Dave I like the way you say in the Movies I used to work in the the Theatre bizz and did love it.I also play music for over 50 years and have done many maintenance type jobs,and you seem to have my type of talk,really enjoy these videos
The main thing that bugs me about the MIA fanatics is they just can't seem to understand that not everyone can't spend $1500-$2500 on a guitar, or the fact that price doesn't always equal quality. I got a sweet '96 MIM Strat that the first owner had already gotten set up and broken in. The neck is so tight in the pocket that it's almost a single piece of wood, and couldn't be better mated if it WAS a Fender Custom Shop product. That it only cost me $270 just makes it that much sweeter.
This and, I hate to say this but $1500 is not actually a lot of money these days. Its about what a Fender cost when Leo was making them properly in the USA back in the day if you adjust for inflation. Anything cheaper is made by accountants ..
I own a USA Pro telecaster and MIM Telecaster and they are both fantastic I wouldn't part with either. The stock pups in the MIM are great and it plays a dream - people are just snobs
@@kenichi407 no way can you find a MIA on eBay for under $600
@@benasslick67 That's what they say to justify their "MIA is the best"-crap.
I still haven't found one for that kind of money and if I did, it would probably be one that needs at least $ 500,- of work to get it in any decent playable shape.
I'd rather buy a new MIM....
@@kenichi407 I just walked into my local music store to buy a new Fender and was given the opportunity to buy an American Professional for not much more than the MIM. I cant even put my finger on what it was but Ioathed the american and if I was blindfolded I would have picked the MIM all day over the american. Needless to say I walked out with the MIM Player. Your american elitism does little to nothing for me
Love it. You explain your process well.
I have always loved your commentary.... You Rock !
12:12 Nine times out of ten, it's the pickguard which was put on too close to the neck heel, instead of being aligned with the pocket, and the neck settles on the top of the pickguard, and it just needs to be shaved down. Also over time the pickguards don't shrink but the neck pocket made of wood will. This is because the pickguard is the last thing to be aligned before it's drilled. The neck settles from string tension too, and will start resting on the pickguard.
I wondered about that. He picked up on it too..........
watched this video like 5 times now yes i just sit here watching you over and over haha now i'm going watching you're new video dude you fucking rock man mr.info from toronto.
I'm glad when I see a cheap instrument turned into something decent. Thanks for sharing.
Dave, this is probably one of the best videos you've ever done. Top 5.
Thanks for all the videos!
Over the years I replaced everything on my Mex strat. Only the body is original. Sounds amazing now. Its a great guitar to tinker with for beginners learning how to work on guitars.
Camera and commentary are top notch! Thank you!
LOL!!!!!!!
"lose some sleep over..."
This is one of the magical things about you that we all love so much.
Swami Dave...love your vids!
That neck-loosening trick works on any Fender style 4-bolt neck. Works great for seating the neck anytime,not just when you need the "wiggle". 1)Clean any unnecessary crap from neck pocket 2)Reinstall neck & tune to pitch 3)Loosen bolts like Dave did 'til you hear that creaking noise 4)Tighten neck & re-tune
You are the Bob Ross of fixing guitar's... True mastery..
Bob Ross was an painter not a luthier
I always reverse Fender style output jacks. Then you can use right angle cables without issue, too. So much better.
Whats your problem with using right angle jacks with the jack installed as it is stock, I've always done it and never had a problem. Not being snooty just genuinely curious.
Great video sir, reminds me of your early videos. I like the fact it shows someone what to look for before buying an inexpensive guitar ...
when i clicked on this video, all of a sudden i realized that i want to see what the guitar dose to dave, not what dave does to the guitar. :-)
Dave's the man
Dose? When did the guitar inject him with drugs?
Or gave him the Clap.
Bit him like a snake and he's delirious.. Close your eyes, try to figure out what you're doing. "Live and let stew in your venom juices" is what I always say
@@chilispoon Weirdest wank I ever had.
You did some magic on that guitar! It was an honor to watch you work your magic!
I have a MIM Strat I found stacked on top of a trash can on trash day. It also had a Fender acoustic stacked on top of it, in the sun. I took them both home. The acoustic had never been set up, action looked like a lap guitar, maybe 7/16 from the deck. I cleaned it up, polished the frets and fret ends, and worked on the bridge (lowered) and now it's a beautiful guitar. Still working on the Strat, I've replaced the bridge inserts with rollers and I have some Fender staggered tuners on the way. I checked the truss rod to make sure it's working, and it is, so when the tuners get here, I'll string it and see what I can do with the action. When I get it right, I'll paint it and do what ever the electronics needs and call it mine. The finished guitars are the pay off BUT, I'm learning sooooo much about fixing guitars, I'll have no problem with any others, in the herd, and I'll know what to do to fix them if something comes up. Everybody should have a test dummy to practice on. Who knows, you may end up with a guitar you can love. The solution to this guitar would have been to contact the owner and tell him to look at the guitar as it is and give him the option to replace the neck it he wanted.
I have one made in 93 or 94 and it's a main stay. I love it.
I had the same back bow problem on my $56 kit build -- and the neck pocket fit was far better than yours!
I know this isn't exactly recommended procedure, but my desperation treatment for the back bow was to place a iron (at full heat) directly on the frets over the problem area, wait until I could feel the heat reaching the back, put a small block on the point in question (both for heat insulation and to prevent damage), and proceeded to STAND ON THE BLOCK. 200 pounds of force for two minutes is probably not the best way to do this, but I was desperate.
It took six iterations (each smaller than the last) but I did finally get the neck straight. What I still don't know is if it will stay that way. Also, some of the frets unsurprisingly lifted during the heat treatment, which I still need to correct.
It felt cringeworthy doing this on a neck that would cost $25 to replace. I wouldn't advise anyone to do it on a neck they care about in the least. However, it DID apparently work.
Just sayin'.
Good tips Dave. Thanks. Are the truss rods broken or maxed out? (Or is that essentially the same condition?) If broken, do you think they’re building those from the get go with broken rods or is it broken during or after the build?
Yeah Ive Seen 100's Of These Back Bowed Pieces Of Firewood.
Oh And I Love Your Snarky Attitude And Superiority Complex. F**K that Deuce.
Ive Learned It All From You And All Of My Axes Work As They Should If Not Better.
Rock On Dave.
I just now realized why I like this channel so much..if you close your eyes it like Tommy Chong now has a guitar shop..lol great work Dave!!
I enjoy your videos! I learn a little here and there. My 1996 MIM Strat is a work horse that's never let me down. It's nice and light, I think they made the body out of Bass wood or something back then. The action is so low and playable with no buzz it's ridiculous! I just can't justify buying a USA made for $1500.00. or more.
The fret filing part was ASMR as fuck
palonazo what does ASMR mean ?
Thank you dave for this tutorial--very informative----do you like tube stereo equip ??
Hey Dave, question: was that a real Mex Strat or some guitar that someone threw together? I always heard that the Mex Strat's were just as good as the USA ones but that doesn't seem to be the case here. What's the deal here?
Gil Marriner You heard wrong, MIM strats are ok, but no way better than American Strats, my opinion I have both.
Hello Dave. I have the same output jack problem with my MIM Stratocaster. I'm curious if you "created some clearance" in the cavity? Enjoy the channel and keep up the good work! Cheers!
Thanks my friend!
Dave's World of Fun Stuff
Hello !!
With your Howdee i wonder if you are near Oklahoma, Texas or Kansas.
I need my guitars to be setup, so how can I reach you ?
Bought a Mexican Fender standard Strat ,swapped the pickups with SD SSL1 50's California set,put Grapghtec string savers and now I have a great sounding Strat.
Within the first 30 seconds, "That just looks F***ed up."
hahaha! This guy kills me.
I just bought one this week. But no rosewood fretboard. i'm very happy with mine. 1000 euros less paid the only matter I've found is the plug that is in the way of the tremelo arm
I laughed at getting heartburn from a Mexican Strat through the entire video. Great content! Keep it coming!
Great job Dave . Thank you for the very educational video. I chosen PRS and Ovation are my favorites by far.
I have a Mexican Stratocaster, a reissue of the seventies. I bought it 14 years ago. Anyway, about 3 or 4 years ago, I asked for advice on this channel, the bridge springs of that guitar weren't tightened enough, so when I bended a string, it affected the sound of the others. I asked if I installed 5 springs instead of three, that could make it work better, and although, I was told that the bridge would be too tiff... (it was a good tip... however...) I finally installed 5 new springs, and it worked, I didn't even have to adjust the two screws of the bridge (those at the backside of the instrument) in order to have the springs with the right tautness... Not long after, it happened that the frets of the high notes were so worn out that, inevitably, the high notes buzzed terribly (in my opinion the frets weren't levelled properly). I've been about a year learning how to pull the frets out of a maple fretboard, and I finally had the guitar correctly refretted and it sounds now, by far, much better than when I bought it. In the case of my guitar, my conclusion is that, it has good raw material but, unfortunately, it had a dreadful labor. Mexican Stratocasters are good instruments as long as you are able to refinish them at home... Nowadays, I am rocking my brain with an American Gibson SG which is always out of tune (a f...ng nightmare) I hate to say that, at this very moment, my Mexican Stratocaster is a much more reliable instrument than my American Gibson SG.
I lost it when you said " I love making that noise, cause everyone hates it" hahahaha
I love your videos. Thank you!
Omg Dave, thanks for this video! My mim strat has the same issue with the neck pocket. Did you end up taking anything off of the pick guard?
THE GUYS forgot to send the OTHER plant the router for the neck pocket (or they did it intentionally to justify the price). So the people from the OTHER plant did it manually with the drill bit. This is a very rare hand made guitar with a longer intake jack (also rare). The color is gorgeous.
Dave I have done two renecks ,on Mex Strats,have you noticed some Mex Strats have deeper neck pockets ? Or have I just been lucky to get stuck with these.
What about a second string tree? Would you bother on that guitar? And only 1/64 too high to clear is that so bad? Or are you thinking that the bow will continue with time and play?
Just became a patron.....when I've come across necks like this, I opt to buy a Mighty Mite replacement neck...they are inexpensive and if you go on amazon, you can really get them for dirt cheap, some retailers just sell them for whatever, just to unload them....those necks are never a disappointment....but of course if it's your own guitar then it's worth the investment, otherwise you'd have to convince the owner of the guitar that it's another option...Mighty Mites maple necks are top of the line.....cheers!
YOU BET THAT'S WHY I'M HEAR ,,, I HAVE STRUNG MY WHOLE GUITAR TONIGHT ALL 6 STRINGS STRAIGHTEN OUT THE SADDLE AND THE ALLEN WRENGH ADJUSTMENT TUNE IT,, I MEAN THE WHOLE 9 YARDS,, SO NOW I'M READY FOR MY AUDITION WITH "AMERICA'S GOT TALENT" TOMMORROW ..2-11-2017 AND THX TO YOU I HAVE LEARNED A LOT!
NANCY LEE KELLY how did you do I didn't watch
I walked into GC in Boston to purchase a Marshall DSL 40. I grabbed this used Strat off the wall, to test the amp. Long story short.. I walked out of there buying the guitar I was using to test the amp. It played like none other. It's the same color (looks like "Wine") as the one here in this video, but mine is a 2004 MIM. It is thee best playing Strat I own. Better than the 2 other Americana's I have. Sometimes its all about the set up, the strings and getting extremely F'n lucky :-) getting a good one. I pulled the Singles out and Put a custom 1982 Seymour Duncan Humbucker. It grinds.
@Dave’s World of Fun Stuff, there’s actually a reason the corners of the neck pocket look poorly routed, and I know it’s the actual reason because I heard it from the man who made it so! I’m really lucky to call John Page, co-founder of the Fender Custom Shop, a friend of mine, and he explained to me a while ago that back in the day when Fender was first integrating CNC technology in their Corona factory, the only machines available used router bit sizes that had too large a cutting diameter to get the right radius in the corners of neck pockets, so they had them cut deep in the corners to allow the necks to remain as they were and the bodies to accommodate other Fender necks. I think the Corona plant has new CNC’s now that allow for a smaller diameter bit to be used, so it’s likely that the Mexican plant took possession of the old machines, thus still producing (as of 2010 at least) gooched neck pockets! Hope you read this and it explains that mystery! By the way.. Love your vids! Helped to inspire me to get into lutherie 👍🏻😁
I am impressed with the work you have done considering the truss rod issue and "You guys do what you want and I will do what I want" is quite the truth. I would have made some suggestions of my own but you love what you do so you are always right. Sadly Fender from anywhere has had really mixed quality issues for ever! My MIJ 62 RI has a pretty big gap in the pocket but it plays great regardless. I have also found that the MIM measurements are much closer to AM than the Asian product.
Great video....thanks Dave!
Would it help if you used a wax on the screws for the tremolo adjustment? Seems to me that some good wood wax on the screws would help them move easier and not bind up.
Well, my American Standard has given me more than heartburn ... my MIM strat lkays like butter and sounds awesome... I did chane the pups... the American Made is just a nightmare... I've taken it to two of the best techs in San Diego, neither could get rid of a weird G steing wobble, it's not string buzz... it's something else a few people are aware of... it doesn't happen on a clean channel only with distortion... but anyways... I have to set up this guitar for every change in temerature or humidity... it has to be re tuned every aong , and if it was possibly while the song. Yes , strats are prone to this and it doesnt surprise me... but in my case my 600 dlls MIM plays and sounds better than my 1,300 dlls custom shop American. Mexicans know how to make guitars man... and the new factory in Ensenada I can assure you most guitars come out exactly like the factory in Corona Ca. But to keep costs even lower they use cheaper hard ware... and pickups... but if Fender was happy with the profits they are making just from the extremly cheaper labor in Mexico, everybody would be buying MIMs instead... they are almost perfect in everyway... sonetimes you get a guitar that needs a little bit more aging and maybe it has a few flaws of course... but not any more than the Mexicans... right now, as of 2017 the MIM strats that are coming out are a delight! Amazing craftsmanship, But then again the new amaerican Professional line looks sick as hell! So 600 plus 200 bucks for descent pickups and not having the two point tremolo it might still be worth it to get an american of you can get it for 1,000 or less... but a MIM is a great, great buy for half the price of the Americans... and yes, the two point tremolo system is better than the 6 point vintage... every boutique strat maker and the newer higher end fender strats use the two point tremolo... so don't kid yourselves when you say it "sounds better" or it "plays better" not true. If you are thibking of getting a Fender MIM do so with confidance! Right now they are coming out flawless!
Luis Sutil behind the nut resonance on the g string. Put a piece of tape on it and it'll be gone.
Because...fuck paragraphs...thats why.
I had the G-String issue and finally pushed in the pickup pole under the G-String and problem solved. The 'traditional' pups have staggered pole heights that don't work as well with modern strings.
"Without this, you're doing this."
It's more than likely on a 2010 Mexican Strat that is a two way truss rod. You could have checked by trying to unscrew the truss rod nut altogether. If it started to tighten up as you turned it anticlockwise it would have bent the neck forwards until it was flat or with a little relief as you wanted it.
I don't think you can really criticise guitars with fret sprout. Fretboards dry out and shrink, particularly from factory fresh, that's just the way it is.
Bought my MiM Standard Strat in 2012, had to wrangle with it for some days (intonation, action, frets) and swapped the odd sounding pups for Fat 50's, totally happy with it since, my main guitar.
Great video - I have owned several guitars and basses. I cannot believe how many had dead truss rods / muddy sounding necks / sloppy action. How do they sell them like that?
The ones that I kept, I ended up buying expensive replacement necks. The others I either sold cheap or tossed in trash. Thanks for the vid - very helpful for future set-ups.
I have a mexican Tele thats very well made and very nice. I changed the pickups and machines to US versions though.
I have an 08 Mexican Strat that is great. I guess Jose felt good that day. Good video.
Where did you get that guitar ??? Is it yours ?
If you're building a partscaster and the neck is too large for the pocket should you shave down the neck or open up the pocket?
I never had these issue with my mex strat. Or even heard of these many issues on one. Only thing I replaced on mine is I upgraded to locking tuners. The only recommendation I have for people buying the mex strat is upgrade tuners and bridge. So for 60.00 my 400.00 guitar plays and sounds the same as a 1000.00 plus American. I'm also adding the 920d vintage noiseless and mid boost/tbx kit. And I blocked off the bridge tremolo with 1.00 piece of wood. So in the end I'll be equal to a 1500.00-2000 EC strat and only spent 400 on guitar and 300 in mods. And I'm customizing to my liking. I appreciate the anerican strats but for those of us that can't afford these guitars are awesome. Don't let this hateful video tell you other wise. Mex strat is an awesome guitar. Now the squire on the other hand is a POS. 😂
dave love your vids !!
1:00 into the video: SUBSCRIBED. Great video. Look forward to more...
i've owned quite a few mim fenders both strats and teles, and some p and j basses all have been quite good with very little work other than standard set ups and a pick up change, things i do to any guitar i own
Great job on the Stratocaster 🎸 great video.
I did a lot of work on my Mexican Strat. Now it the best Strat I have ever played. Beats the shit out of my 1968.
The jack has 2 nuts. One inside, 1 outside. You adjusted the inside nut, moving the jack rearward or away from the wall.
For that I get a free Tele setup? Right?
I reckon you cut or drilled a small recess in the jack plug cavity to allow the tip of the plug extra clearance. This of course did not alter the original cavity size and drill holes.
+Dave's World of Fun Stuff Hey Dave, do the Mexican Strats have a dual-acting truss rod like an American model does?
Thanks for neck rotation angle! Was useful in my case
I've owned 3 MIM's. Only 1 was truly great out of the box. The other had a couple of high frets, but otherwise fine. The last one has tuning stability issues despite replacing the nut, the tuners, the bridge and the string trees.
THE STORY OF MY USED MIM -- I got a used MIM with a twisted/bent neck, no truss action . . . low E gap to neck edge narrower than the high E . . . buzzing . . . impossible to setup . . . beautiful Sunburst with Texas Specials and 22 frets. Deluxe model (paid $450 on Reverb). One of the last made like it in 2016 (based on ser#). It took months but got the guitar stabilized, the truss rod working (jerkwad first owner prolly unscrewed the thing too far), and finally fixed persistent G-String buzz by pushing in the pickup poles a bit. I figure the original owner left the guitar in his car in the Arizona summer with the windows closed a bit too long . . . fresh guitar . . . a little 'checking' in the grain with humidity changes . . . so, the Alder body wasn't 'seasoned' enough (now that is a Mexican production issue!). I could fix the E string margins by filling in the neck screw holes with hardwood and re-drilling, but I actually prefer the wider gap at the high E as I have fleshy fingers. As it is now, the low E is parallel all the way from nut to 22nd fret. Action at E strings is 1mm and 1.75mm. Fully intonated and stays in tune in case for months . . . the maple neck isn't 'broomstick' grain, pretty solid. And the rosewood fret board is pretty dark and tight pores (not iron wood or ebony). The Alder glows like amber with cross lighting . . . nice finish.
After much research, made the mistake buying this used guitar on Reverb. BUT, boy, did I learn a lot about setup! Probably, then, a good thing I bought it and stuck it out. Plays great now.
Wow, that was one of those Friday Afternoon Strats. Buyers really need to inspect as soon as they get a new used guitar. He should have sent that back. Hey Dave, if the neck is back bowed and the truss rod doesn't work why are you even messing with the frets? Isn't it pretty much gooched? Looks like I need to tone down with my fret end file.
Yes it is but with a higher action it's still playable. Who knows, the owner might like it like that and if not, it's good enough to dump at the pawn shop to help fund a replacement.
Yes, but I'd never do that. Why dump your shit guitar onto someone else.. Pull the hardware and body and toss the neck. The neck is no good... not right to do the same thing to someone else.
Set the action high, open tune it and learn to play slide?
+Shoman Blues, Well said. Nice to see some people still have morals. That's getting rare these days.
If the truss rod isn't doing anything, it probably got unscrewed from the nut or stripped the nut at the bottom of the neck. Those are hard to remove but easy to replace. It's just a pain to get the truss rod out of the neck if you're going to replace the rod, too. But it should only be necessary to pull it out far enough to twiddle with it to get it into the new nut.
Hey Dave, enjoy your musings and adventures.I just bought a prime example of what could be a future project. A G&L Legacy Tribute with some set up issues. I think the nut was replaced and not set up right, and the two point bridge was like 5 degrees up above level, action was high, and strings don't follow fretboard radius. AND the neck has a bow on the bass side. I adjusted the bridge tremolo screws and got the bridge level and adjusted the saddles and it is much better. I would like to get you, to go thru the problems and see if the guitar can be made to play nice and acceptable, or if it may need a neck replaced. So how do get your guitars, from local people only?
No I do not, I'm in Iowa. I didn't know if you took projects that weren't local. That's cool, I understand. Then there is customs, been thru that a couple of times. For some strange reason I was thinking you were in the US in CA. Then it occurred to me, the accent, aeh. I was just wanting to get this guitar in the zone and keep it there. I just had a feeling about this one that it's a diamond in the rough.
thanks Dave.
i own a mexi strat that playa and sounds as good as my gibson LP and explorer, cost me 1/3 of the price too
I bought a beat up epiphone at a yard sale that had the same problem, so I just let it sit for about a week and kept it tuned up a step the whole time and that actually put some relief back in to the neck. That might work for this strat too.
Good advise to check out the guitar thoroughly and make sure the truss rod works when buying a used guitar.
This is golden,
I'm pretty sure I know exactly what you did to fix the jack plate's hole. As opposed to routing out a bigger hole and risking big chips in the finish, you drilled a hole in the body just inside the jack plate route just big enough to accept the jack fully.
I have three Fender instruments, 2007 MIM Road House deluxe, 2013 MIA FSR and a 2015 MIM standard Telecaster. All of them have tight neck pockets with no finish cracking around the neck pockets. Just lucky I guess. Fit and finish on the MIMs is as good as my USA.
Oh come on I have Strat's from The USA China and Mexico. You bullshit your selves on the USA Strat. The MIMs are ok and at the right price. Also had a Gibson Les Paul that I threw back at the supplier because that was appalling quality control.
He's got that stupid arrogant know it all white fuckhead accent.
Well that's a completely irrelevant, hateful and racist comment for someone who is different to yourself. If you don't like it - don't watch it.
You should tell this to Jeff Beck, because he is being ignorant and doesn't mind playing basswood strats.
Stu Art. Shut up! fuck this guy and his heartburn rant if he didnt like it he shouldnt have bought the guitar, simple. You see how that works?
but that's all he posts. "This guitar is shit and i hate my life and job". Im betting money he's a "vintage 60's!!!" idiot. He made a video screeching for 30 minutes about someone deigning to ask him to set up a floyd rose. Im NOT a pro and i can set up an FR in no time. it's not complex. He's just a bitch
could you put heavier strings on to force more relief as you've already raised the action?