IMHO, One should only comment on something like that after personally trying it out. I did, and regardless of where it is made, the price is justified compared to other guitars in Fender lineup (MIM or AM). Even the relic job is much better in person than in pictures. QA (frets etc.) is great overall and plays and sounds great. It really does feel like a vintage instruments when playing (great neck).
How much do you think this Stratocaster would cost everybody if it was made in the USA ? I bet you nowhere near 2 gs it would probably be 35 to $4500 Hands Down
It will only get worse. Mexico, believe it or not, is viewed as a rising force in manufacturing. More and more companies are considering Mexico as an alternative to China. More demand for skilled manufacturing will drive up labor rates, and hence, manufacturing costs.
My Brad Paisley Road worn paisley telecaster $1789.53 when they came out quite a few years back they just now discounted them to $1550 they was $1899 right before Fender released McCready’s Strat
Hey Dave, have you seen the leaks about the Vintera Series 2 MIM strats and teles etc. Rosewood fretboards. They are looking good. There’s nothing wrong with MIM. Also the Rocky Strat was also MIM and it’s very good too.
Is this including the road worn series? I would love the burst with a rosewood board...I've been looking in hopes there would be info soon about a road worn new release
I know a guy who bought the Joe Strummer model aswell, and it became him favorite guitar of his 20 or so. They did a good job with the Rocky Strat too. For me, a relic guitar should cost less. If your a fan of the player but dont want to go all out for a CS model, the MIM are cool. If they make a Rory, and a proper hendrix, id buy those.
@powbobs yes. On a CS it is an entirely different process than what the mexican factory would use. They use templates and stencils, not thermal techniques and nitro laquer.
The EVH Striped guitars are made in the same place and are 100 dollars more. Why the outrage? Its not a fender player strat that got the priced jacked up. Its a special guitar with great specs and a hardshell case. Mike said in the recent issue of guitarworld that he fought to have the price lower but they simply could not because of the cost of materials. If you have paid attention the cost of wood recently you would see that is true. Anyway with the specs, the case and the fact that its mike's guitar it seems to be a good price to me.
The issue with MIM is not the quality, it’s the resale value. You’re gonna pay $1899 for this guitar and if you want to sell it a short time later you’ll be lucky to get $700-$900 out of it. Same with the EVH @ $1999. No one is paying $1400-$1500 for a used one. Who wants to pay $1900-$2000 for a guitar that as soon as it arrives at their house it has already lost $500 in value.
@@jody7214 That is a strange reasoning not to buy a guitar. I also think you are dead wrong. You are completely underestimating the power and passion of the pearl jam fan base. This guitar will always hold its value because of that. People are buying this because it is a replica of mike's guitar. It has essentially the same exact specs as the american vintage ii for 300 less. They are backordered already until september 2024 with a huge waitlist. This guitar will not lose its value I dont believe ever. This is not a players series strat with a relic job.
I don't know, wouldn't a floyd rose and D tuna bump up that price somewhat?! And if you got hats hardware for an extra $100 then it's STILL more of a bargain.
Let's say I want the "F" logo. This one costs pretty much the same with the AM PRO II series. The MIA gets my vote . And if i start looking to other brands then propably no "F" logo for me at all.
The MIM EVHs are almost $2k, MIM Charvels are more than $2k. Country of manufacture should not matter except that as guitarists we want a guitar to be worth more used than new and we feel that only happens if it started life as MIA
Rosewood board, custom pickups, nitro finish and reliced, £1600 in the uk, same as a an American pro, only difference is this is made by Mexicans in Mexico and the other is Mexicans in california
@@pads-zr9lnnot the only difference. Try getting your money back out of it if you want to sell it a week after you get it. That’s the issue with MIM. With the American Pro, you can get most of your money back.
@@jody7214 You are going to lose money trying to sell an american pro ii...if you can get your hands on one of these you will never ever lose a penny and will make money because of the power of the Pearl Jam Fan Base. These are going to be beloved instruments and extremely hard to come by.
You say that the guitar is made in México as if it were something bad. Just because the guitar is made in México doesn't mean that it is poor quality, on the contrary, they are the best quality, all the Fender artist's custom guitars are made in México
I love my road worn....but I think if I was going to shell out this much...I would get an American vintage 2 which is almost the same price...then it's my relic guitar over time
Was it ever confirmed that the AV2 series was fully nitro? If I remember correctly, the original series was Nitro over Poly and mine personally still hasn't worn away as much as I would have liked over 11 years of play...
It’s a good playing, good sounding guitar. But the relic job is piss poor, and honestly that’s what your paying for. Is a $900 guitar they are asking $1,900.00 for. It’s a bit absurd.
Crazy? Yes but for a Mike McCready fan it's more accessible than the custom shop model. I could understand if it's a fan that's been after that strat for a long time.
More accessible? Still out of reach for a lot of people and well above what any import instrument should cost. You say more accessible, I say unacceptable.
Dave, it’s like Fender issued a MIM guitar at this price just to get a reaction video from you, lol. I love hearing you tell the industry to go shove it if the price is gonna go well above what it should be. And I couldn’t agree more! A MIM should not be this price. Not even close.
I live in Texas, MIM has came a long long ways. Mexicans make very high quality products. Including our homes in this area and others I’m sure. Don’t assume cause it’s MIM it’s not high quality. Mexicans are some of the best craftsmen in the world, including guitars. I’ve got several late model MIM. Almost all are perfect just like my made in usa guitars. But remember everything made in USA is not perfect nor is MIM but both can create very high quality guitars just one is half the price! ❤🤘
I’m sure it plays well , but nearly 2k for a skip find , dragged behind a car in a gravelly car park ... beyond stupid , the gullible and the super fans must be so very happy , what ever floats your leaky boat 🤣
Seems to me this guitar is made for mike fans, so critical analysis wont be entertained. I get it, when youre a fan of someone and you can get their guitar, you will. Ive done it, its understandable. Having said that, im not a pear jam fan nor a mike fan, but i do like some of their songs and i appreciate a good guitar. I tried one out today and really wanted to like it. I do like the novelty of its finish, i appreciate what they were going for, but i feel that overall this guitar is overpriced. Ive got signature edition strats from the 90s, ive got ultra luxes, ive got a bevy of the recent made in mexico strats and squiers, im well versed in all things fender. I feel that after the last slew of standard made in mexico stratocasters, the feel of this guitar isnt as nice as a stock MIM, and thats ironic as these ARE MIM strats. If these had super whiz bang rare pick ups or a more hand finished custom relic i could understand where the extra money is going, but i couldnt justify it here. Perhaps i just got the dud of the batch. But here in australia its retail is $3K, and i feel thats around $800-1000 too much. Ill give it another try, but im sceptical..
Lol, almost every MIM guitar costs 2k in Australia! The Jason Isbel Tele is $2300! A US built guitar is double that! Oh, and I can’t stand Pearl Jam, so they can keep this one 😂
The relic job on these is hot garbage for the money. By contrast, the RW Cobain Jaguar is Custom Shop-level relic work (I own one), but Fender wouldn't do that with this McCready general release (own one too), as they sold 60 Custom Shop versions for so much. I either won't be keeping mine, or I'll be upgrading the wear to more closely match Mike's.
@@jasonl1942 yes and it bothers you that someone besides your self proclaimed business and guitar guru title actually have a valid point. Or do you buy one of these copy guitars and play make believe guitar hero in your room.
IMHO, One should only comment on something like that after personally trying it out. I did, and regardless of where it is made, the price is justified compared to other guitars in Fender lineup (MIM or AM). Even the relic job is much better in person than in pictures. QA (frets etc.) is great overall and plays and sounds great. It really does feel like a vintage instruments when playing (great neck).
I agree with you 100%
I bought one. Waited years for a mccready release.
Me too and I love it!! Well worth the money.
Me too.
Best Strat I own.
Just got mine two days ago. I put it up against anything (Fender) I own!
Same thing here, I just love it.
Though it ain’t a Custom Shop I prefer the way it sounds than my Custom Shop Stratocaster.
How much do you think this Stratocaster would cost everybody if it was made in the USA ? I bet you nowhere near 2 gs it would probably be 35 to $4500 Hands Down
At least $4500.
Love mine.
Absolutely my favorite Strat.
It will only get worse. Mexico, believe it or not, is viewed as a rising force in manufacturing. More and more companies are considering Mexico as an alternative to China. More demand for skilled manufacturing will drive up labor rates, and hence, manufacturing costs.
My Brad Paisley Road worn paisley telecaster $1789.53 when they came out quite a few years back they just now discounted them to $1550 they was $1899 right before Fender released McCready’s Strat
Both fender and Gibson has lost their minds
¡¿Why?! Just because their guitars are not made in the U.S.A?!!
Thats dumb!!
Hey Dave, have you seen the leaks about the Vintera Series 2 MIM strats and teles etc. Rosewood fretboards. They are looking good. There’s nothing wrong with MIM. Also the Rocky Strat was also MIM and it’s very good too.
Is this including the road worn series? I would love the burst with a rosewood board...I've been looking in hopes there would be info soon about a road worn new release
nice shoutout to colin from the guitaristas. I learned about your channel thanks to Colin!
Crazy for MIM, I think!
What do you think that exact same Stratocaster would cost made in the USA
@@YeetCheif I am sure it would be sky high, but I just can’t see spending that much for a Mexican!
@@anthonythornhill8715
Your loss.
I know a guy who bought the Joe Strummer model aswell, and it became him favorite guitar of his 20 or so. They did a good job with the Rocky Strat too. For me, a relic guitar should cost less. If your a fan of the player but dont want to go all out for a CS model, the MIM are cool. If they make a Rory, and a proper hendrix, id buy those.
What's MIM?
Do you not understand that the nitro finish and labor involved in the relicing add lots of cost to the build?
@powbobs yes. On a CS it is an entirely different process than what the mexican factory would use. They use templates and stencils, not thermal techniques and nitro laquer.
The EVH Striped guitars are made in the same place and are 100 dollars more. Why the outrage? Its not a fender player strat that got the priced jacked up. Its a special guitar with great specs and a hardshell case. Mike said in the recent issue of guitarworld that he fought to have the price lower but they simply could not because of the cost of materials. If you have paid attention the cost of wood recently you would see that is true. Anyway with the specs, the case and the fact that its mike's guitar it seems to be a good price to me.
The issue with MIM is not the quality, it’s the resale value. You’re gonna pay $1899 for this guitar and if you want to sell it a short time later you’ll be lucky to get $700-$900 out of it. Same with the EVH @ $1999. No one is paying $1400-$1500 for a used one. Who wants to pay $1900-$2000 for a guitar that as soon as it arrives at their house it has already lost $500 in value.
@@jody7214 That is a strange reasoning not to buy a guitar. I also think you are dead wrong. You are completely underestimating the power and passion of the pearl jam fan base. This guitar will always hold its value because of that. People are buying this because it is a replica of mike's guitar. It has essentially the same exact specs as the american vintage ii for 300 less. They are backordered already until september 2024 with a huge waitlist. This guitar will not lose its value I dont believe ever. This is not a players series strat with a relic job.
I don't know, wouldn't a floyd rose and D tuna bump up that price somewhat?! And if you got hats hardware for an extra $100 then it's STILL more of a bargain.
Let's say I want the "F" logo. This one costs pretty much the same with the AM PRO II series. The MIA gets my vote . And if i start looking to other brands then propably no "F" logo for me at all.
I'd take the this myself, I own an am pro 2 and it's a truelly lovely instrument but given the choice I'd take the reliced mexican
The AM PRO II is a completely different thing.
The MIM EVHs are almost $2k, MIM Charvels are more than $2k. Country of manufacture should not matter except that as guitarists we want a guitar to be worth more used than new and we feel that only happens if it started life as MIA
I bought this mike mcready fender made in mexico. It plays great and its my general practice guitar.
Damn. 2000 for MIM.
Rosewood board, custom pickups, nitro finish and reliced, £1600 in the uk, same as a an American pro, only difference is this is made by Mexicans in Mexico and the other is Mexicans in california
@@pads-zr9lnnot the only difference. Try getting your money back out of it if you want to sell it a week after you get it. That’s the issue with MIM. With the American Pro, you can get most of your money back.
@@jody7214 You are going to lose money trying to sell an american pro ii...if you can get your hands on one of these you will never ever lose a penny and will make money because of the power of the Pearl Jam Fan Base. These are going to be beloved instruments and extremely hard to come by.
And worth every penny.
You say that the guitar is made in México as if it were something bad. Just because the guitar is made in México doesn't mean that it is poor quality, on the contrary, they are the best quality, all the Fender artist's custom guitars are made in México
Too pricey for me!
My MIM Charvel Danhenge is pretty sweet. I paid $1700 at the time I think.
I love my road worn....but I think if I was going to shell out this much...I would get an American vintage 2 which is almost the same price...then it's my relic guitar over time
But that’s still bullshit, you could wear out a burst mim guitar for free
Was it ever confirmed that the AV2 series was fully nitro? If I remember correctly, the original series was Nitro over Poly and mine personally still hasn't worn away as much as I would have liked over 11 years of play...
@@RenrcorZ
Only nitro guitars wear.
Plastic dipped guitars just chip.
Especially in rainy weather? It’s always fecking raining in Ireland! 😂
I would like to see them do a Robin Trower strat
He’s a great player...must check out the later stuff I kinda lost track
It’s a good playing, good sounding guitar. But the relic job is piss poor, and honestly that’s what your paying for. Is a $900 guitar they are asking $1,900.00 for. It’s a bit absurd.
LOL, no.
Just got mine TCD! Lol
I mean.... it's cool and all. But the price is just a bit steep imo.
I’m surprised you didn’t say, “well at least it isn’t a $2000 guitar made in China!” 😂😉
@@MashaT22 I did actually think that though, for real. 😆
@@toddmoore2324
Guess what? There are Chinese made guitars that are well over $2,000. Thankfully, none of those are Fenders.
I'm happy to spend $2000 on an Eastman. Quality is what really matters, not where it made
Crazy? Yes but for a Mike McCready fan it's more accessible than the custom shop model. I could understand if it's a fan that's been after that strat for a long time.
More accessible? Still out of reach for a lot of people and well above what any import instrument should cost. You say more accessible, I say unacceptable.
@@toddmoore2324
You probably shouldn’t buy one.
I did and even though I don’t really care about Mike, this is absolutely my favorite Strat.
@@toddmoore2324
The word more has a meaning.
Dave, it’s like Fender issued a MIM guitar at this price just to get a reaction video from you, lol. I love hearing you tell the industry to go shove it if the price is gonna go well above what it should be. And I couldn’t agree more! A MIM should not be this price. Not even close.
Lol, the US dollar has crashed. It’s not worth what it used to be. Blame your government for the price increases, not Fender!
You didn’t watch the video.
He likes them and would buy a Rory model.
I live in Texas, MIM has came a long long ways. Mexicans make very high quality products. Including our homes in this area and others I’m sure. Don’t assume cause it’s MIM it’s not high quality. Mexicans are some of the best craftsmen in the world, including guitars. I’ve got several late model MIM. Almost all are perfect just like my made in usa guitars. But remember everything made in USA is not perfect nor is MIM but both can create very high quality guitars just one is half the price! ❤🤘
$2759.99 canadian
That's insane.
Monopoly money
$3100 Australian. I must admit, I think it's $1K overpriced.
I’m sure it plays well , but nearly 2k for a skip find , dragged behind a car in a gravelly car park ... beyond stupid , the gullible and the super fans must be so very happy , what ever floats your leaky boat 🤣
Seems to me this guitar is made for mike fans, so critical analysis wont be entertained.
I get it, when youre a fan of someone and you can get their guitar, you will. Ive done it, its understandable.
Having said that, im not a pear jam fan nor a mike fan, but i do like some of their songs and i appreciate a good guitar.
I tried one out today and really wanted to like it.
I do like the novelty of its finish, i appreciate what they were going for, but i feel that overall this guitar is overpriced.
Ive got signature edition strats from the 90s, ive got ultra luxes, ive got a bevy of the recent made in mexico strats and squiers, im well versed in all things fender.
I feel that after the last slew of standard made in mexico stratocasters, the feel of this guitar isnt as nice as a stock MIM, and thats ironic as these ARE MIM strats.
If these had super whiz bang rare pick ups or a more hand finished custom relic i could understand where the extra money is going, but i couldnt justify it here.
Perhaps i just got the dud of the batch.
But here in australia its retail is $3K, and i feel thats around $800-1000 too much.
Ill give it another try, but im sceptical..
Lol, almost every MIM guitar costs 2k in Australia! The Jason Isbel Tele is $2300! A US built guitar is double that!
Oh, and I can’t stand Pearl Jam, so they can keep this one 😂
Rory for me too
The relic job on these is hot garbage for the money. By contrast, the RW Cobain Jaguar is Custom Shop-level relic work (I own one), but Fender wouldn't do that with this McCready general release (own one too), as they sold 60 Custom Shop versions for so much. I either won't be keeping mine, or I'll be upgrading the wear to more closely match Mike's.
Oh stop it Fender !
Epi's ain't looking too bad now huh Dave??
I'd take the strat over the dave mustane ones any day
epi is making a strat now?
Third world country Fender. Fender selling guitars to people just to have a copy of someone else's guitar.
You must be new to the world of guitar companies, fandom and business.
@@jasonl1942 you must buy anything Fender makes . As most businesses say there's a sucker born every minute.
@@CKS64 I buy whatever I like. Others just sook and cry. And here you are!
@@jasonl1942 yes and it bothers you that someone besides your self proclaimed business and guitar guru title actually have a valid point. Or do you buy one of these copy guitars and play make believe guitar hero in your room.
@CKS64 you really get hurt feelings don't you? Is it because you can't afford stuff?
100th like! What do I win?