Author Topic: Fender Mexi Standard (upgraded) Strat for £290? (Read 4390 times)

Brow · « **on:** August 15, 2007, 01:17:06 PM »

Hey guys.

Some of you may be aware that I plan to build a Strat with a Maple neck, tortoise shell scratchplate and a set of Apaches.

While pricing up Strat bodies/necks on Ebay and Warmoth I came across an ad for Fender Mexi Standard Strats (with upgraded thicker tremolo block) for £290 at GAK (www.gak.co.uk)

I just wondered if anyone has any experience with these guitars or just general experience with Mexi Fenders?

If these are good guitars for the money, I may scr@p building 1 and just buy 1 of these and change the scratchplate and pickups :)

Thanks.

Craig

badgermark · « **Reply #1 on:** August 15, 2007, 01:29:07 PM »

For what it's worth, I have a mexican Tele and it's awesome. Black with a maple neck, everything is well put together, nice wood on the neck, and I love it more than my USA Gibbo SG.

Just need to justify a Strat purchase now...

Twinfan · « **Reply #2 on:** August 15, 2007, 01:54:47 PM »

A mate of mine has the 60s Custom Shop designed Mexican Strat with the CS '69 pickups. I've played it and it's a cracking guitar for the money, and I liked the pickups so much I bought some for one of my Strats (sorry Tim :oops: )

Very good guitars for the money the Mexican series.

Philly Q · « **Reply #3 on:** August 15, 2007, 02:05:59 PM »

I have a Mexican Robert Cray Strat which is excellent, better than most of the US Strats I've owned. The last Mexican Strat I owned felt a bit "unfinished", but the build quality and detailing seems to have improved a lot in the last few years.

The Standard series are fine for the money, but the hardware's a bit ropey and they just feel rather bland and mass-produced. If you can stretch to the more upmarket Mexican models like the Classic and Deluxe series they're quite a step up in quality, with much better (vintage-style) hardware and good pickups.

For about £400 there are the 50s and 60s Classic Player models which Twinfan mentioned, Custom Shop designed with nifty features like improved modern-vintage trem systems and proper Custom Shop pickups - there's only a choice of 2 colours for each model though. I was going to get the 60s one but got the Robert Cray for the hardtail bridge.

dave_mc · « **Reply #4 on:** August 15, 2007, 05:51:27 PM »

can you find any japanese strats? i found a couple of tokai goldstars around here (no idea what it's like in england) for around £275... of course, one of those was second hand (and I suspect the other was too, or at least ex-demo and had been in the shop a while), but they smoke a mexican strat, in my opinion.

38thBeatle · « **Reply #5 on:** August 15, 2007, 06:19:38 PM »

I'd echo the positive thoughts -I have a " Mexicaster" and it is very well put together and, after upgrading with BKPs ( and a four way switch-i can't remember if I ever mentioned that) it is a superb and much loved plank.

Brow · « **Reply #6 on:** August 15, 2007, 06:49:35 PM »

Thanks for the replies guys :)

I have an Allparts bridge and would replace the pickups with Apaches, so the less than great bridge/pickup issue doesn't really bother me too much.

I rang round a few shops and the cheapest I could find a Mexi Strat for (in white) was £319, which is about what the 1 from GAK will be once I add postage to it.

I may head off into town over the next few weekends to see what I can find :)

**EDIT** Here's a link to the original guitar on GAK btw http://www.guitarampkeyboard.com/en/fender-stratocaster/1006

Ted · « **Reply #7 on:** August 15, 2007, 07:50:12 PM »

My bro has a Mexi standard in olympic white. I rewired it for him with a wiring upgrade kit, new CTS pots, hovland & mallory caps and installed BKP Irish Tour pickups and the guitar ROCKS. It sounds EXACTLY like a strat should. He absolutely loves it and I do too!

Philly Q · « **Reply #8 on:** August 15, 2007, 07:52:42 PM »

Quote from: Brow

I have an Allparts bridge and would replace the pickups with Apaches, so the less than great bridge/pickup issue doesn't really bother me too much.

Might be worth checking the Allparts bridge is compatible - I think the Standard series bridge has narrower string spacing. Although they may have changed that on the "upgrade" version, I don't know.

dave_mc · « **Reply #9 on:** August 15, 2007, 09:35:18 PM »

Quote from: 38thBeatle

I'd echo the positive thoughts -I have a " Mexicaster" and it is very well put together and, after upgrading with BKPs ( and a four way switch-i can't remember if I ever mentioned that) it is a superb and much loved plank.

:lol:

amazing.

anyway, back to seriousness... are you willing to buy from thomann? the prices may have changed now, but i seem to remember them going for £280 there a while back. that'd include postage too, i believe (over 200 euro for free postage, i think?). EDIT: http://www.thomann.de/gb/fender_mex_std_strat_aw.htm darn, it's gone up. that'd still be cheaper for me since GAK postage to northern ireland is by concorde or something like that (!), but if you can get the £6 postage from gak, it's much of a muchness... IMPROVED EDIT: if it doesn't have to be white, though... http://www.thomann.de/gb/fender_mex_std_strat_blk.htm £267 at current exchange rates.

Blade would be worth a look too, some of their £350 guitars are pretty nice. I guess if it has to be a fender, that won't be good enough, but if you just want a strat-style guitar...

Brow · « **Reply #10 on:** August 15, 2007, 11:44:13 PM »

Hey guys.

Thanks for the new posts :)

It doesn't HAVE to be a Fender, as I originally planned to build 1 from random parts of Ebay anwyay, it's just the the low price of the Mexi Fenders caught my eye ;)

I have tabs on about 4 Mexi Fenders at the minute so have lots of options to consider. S'ppose I should sell my Gretsch and Yamaha bass to make room! :lol:

dave_mc · « **Reply #11 on:** August 16, 2007, 11:08:12 AM »

well, if it doesn't have to be fender, those tokais and blades would be worth a look. Of course, if you're willing to go second hand on the tokai, you could doubtless go second hand on the mexi too and save even more cash.

Brow · « **Reply #12 on:** August 16, 2007, 12:23:33 PM »

Quote from: dave_mc

well, if it doesn't have to be fender, those tokais and blades would be worth a look. Of course, if you're willing to go second hand on the tokai, you could doubtless go second hand on the mexi too and save even more cash.

Yeah, I have no problem at all with 2nd hand gear.

Most of the stuff I own now has had ATLEAST 1 previous owner before I bought it :)

4 out of 5 Mexi Strats I'm currently looking at are 2nd hand, so I may be able to snag a bargain somewhere :)

dave_mc · « **Reply #13 on:** August 16, 2007, 05:46:42 PM »

^ yeah, i mean if you could find a second hand MIM strat for around, say, £150 or even £200, might be an idea.

:drink:

Brow · « **Reply #14 on:** August 16, 2007, 05:53:14 PM »

Quote from: dave_mc

^ yeah, i mean if you could find a second hand MIM strat for around, say, £150 or even £200, might be an idea.

:drink:

I currently have my eye on 1 for around that price that has no pickups. I plan on changing the scratchplate and fitting Apaches anyway, so it's not too much of a problem :)