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Post by runninwiththerevil (Matthew) on Jan 13, 2021 21:39:26 GMT -7
Back and forth lately on if I want to pick up a Strat. Since I've been wishy washy I thought maybe I would start checking posts on CL. What in the world has gone on with the value on MIM's??? Last time I was paying attention (10 years ago) MIM Strats were going for no more than $400 and could be found regularly at $350 or less. Now they are all asking $600-850. I know that's pie in the sky, but haven't seen anything in a couple weeks of looking that come close to what they used to be posted for.
What are you guys seeing where you are? Have 90's MIM somehow ripened to command double the money?
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Post by daddyelmis (Greg) on Jan 14, 2021 4:26:32 GMT -7
The brand new MIM Strats (the “player” series) are $700’ish (Squier’s are going for as much as $400), which is a good bit more than they used to be, and I expect that’s pushed the used market up. I think used ones (from the early 2000’s) can still be found under $500 (saw a black one on reverb for $375) if patient, but are getting harder to find. The black ones seem to go cheaper - I think they start out cheaper because they can use less “nice” wood since it’s being painted black.
I got a black one from Elderly about a year and a half ago for under $300, but it had been neglected - nothing fundamental, but needed a good setup and complete cleaning.
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Post by runninwiththerevil (Matthew) on Jan 14, 2021 8:42:58 GMT -7
The brand new MIM Strats (the “player” series) are $700’ish (Squier’s are going for as much as $400), which is a good bit more than they used to be, and I expect that’s pushed the used market up. I think used ones (from the early 2000’s) can still be found under $500 (saw a black one on reverb for $375) if patient, but are getting harder to find. The black ones seem to go cheaper - I think they start out cheaper because they can use less “nice” wood since it’s being painted black. I got a black one from Elderly about a year and a half ago for under $300, but it had been neglected - nothing fundamental, but needed a good setup and complete cleaning. I wondered if the Squier's getting better were part of what's driving it up some. I have also read that Mexico has really closed the gap in workmanship in recent years. I know some of the ones I've picked up at GC the last couple years have much better fretwork than they did 20 years ago. Folks can ask whatever they want, but some of those with crappy necks aren't worth close to what the newer ones should fetch. I'm trying to avoid the temptation to build one which is going to end up costing me close to a grand. At that point there are just some other nice guitars that will hold their value if I ever decide to sell.
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Post by wraparound (Steve) on Jan 14, 2021 9:51:08 GMT -7
Yeah it's ridiculous, people must be eating strats at the rate they make them multiplied by the years.
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Post by pcns on Jan 14, 2021 12:51:01 GMT -7
We've been working guitar shows the past two years and I was surprised to see MIM Strats with $500 plus price tags on them and nobody willing to negotiate down on them my 2 cents, Todd
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Post by "Z" Steve on Jan 14, 2021 17:07:45 GMT -7
Well, if the Squires are good enough for Jack Pearson..................
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Post by Dan F"i"fe on Jan 14, 2021 18:11:42 GMT -7
Buddy sounds the same on a squire... lol
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Post by rickenbacker1953 on Jan 18, 2021 14:35:11 GMT -7
Back and forth lately on if I want to pick up a Strat. Since I've been wishy washy I thought maybe I would start checking posts on CL. What in the world has gone on with the value on MIM's??? Last time I was paying attention (10 years ago) MIM Strats were going for no more than $400 and could be found regularly at $350 or less. Now they are all asking $600-850. I know that's pie in the sky, but haven't seen anything in a couple weeks of looking that come close to what they used to be posted for. What are you guys seeing where you are? Have 90's MIM somehow ripened to command double the money? Wood has skyrocketed : I built a Home in 2000 . a 2x6 was 1.56 and 2x4 >.82 cents . In 2012 i BUILT A 28 X30 BACK GARAGE It cost me 9200.00 to build it myself. Including Foundation , Drywall etc. Friend of Mine is looking into building a 24 x24 no insulation . MONO POOR . $28,000. i don't know the current 2x6 prices . A 2x4 wall stud is close to $5.00 . That's not premium lumber either . So I would assume Guitar proices as partly due to that . Also Trump made deals that benefited American Workers . So Guitars coming out of Mexico probably went up due to that as well. JUST GUESSING
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Post by premiumplus (Dave) on Jan 19, 2021 8:14:48 GMT -7
Buddy sounds the same on a squire... lol I think I heard that in a song somewhere...
But seriously, I've got a Squire Thinline Tele that is really an amazing guitar for the money. $450 shipped to your front door, I bought one on a lark about a year ago and it's great. Fretwork is really good. It needed a setup but any guitar needs to be tweaked a bit. I bet the Strats are similar quality. The Indonesian guitars are really getting nice.
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Post by LT on Jan 21, 2021 13:57:44 GMT -7
Buddy sounds the same on a squire... lol I think I heard that in a song somewhere...
But seriously, I've got a Squire Thinline Tele that is really an amazing guitar for the money. $450 shipped to your front door, I bought one on a lark about a year ago and it's great. Fretwork is really good. It needed a setup but any guitar needs to be tweaked a bit. I bet the Strats are similar quality. The Indonesian guitars are really getting nice.
I had the same Squire and you're right Dave, it was very nice. I did run into an issue with trying to upgrade the pickup switch though. A standard Tele switch was too deep.
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Post by premiumplus (Dave) on Jan 21, 2021 14:53:43 GMT -7
I think I heard that in a song somewhere...
But seriously, I've got a Squire Thinline Tele that is really an amazing guitar for the money. $450 shipped to your front door, I bought one on a lark about a year ago and it's great. Fretwork is really good. It needed a setup but any guitar needs to be tweaked a bit. I bet the Strats are similar quality. The Indonesian guitars are really getting nice.
I had the same Squire and you're right Dave, it was very nice. I did run into an issue with trying to upgrade the pickup switch though. A standard Tele switch was too deep. Hmmm, that's odd. Was the stock switch bad, just funky, or what? Is there enough wood underneath to be able to rout it or chisel it out, or is that getting into destructive behavior? I'm lucky, mine's been okay so far with stock parts. Crossin' my fingers.
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Post by LT on Jan 22, 2021 7:51:06 GMT -7
I had the same Squire and you're right Dave, it was very nice. I did run into an issue with trying to upgrade the pickup switch though. A standard Tele switch was too deep. Hmmm, that's odd. Was the stock switch bad, just funky, or what? Is there enough wood underneath to be able to rout it or chisel it out, or is that getting into destructive behavior? I'm lucky, mine's been okay so far with stock parts. Crossin' my fingers.
There were no issues with the stock electronics.....I was going to upgrade the PU's, switch, pots and bridge saddles. Ultimately I only did the saddles. Since it was a thinline, I didn't want to take a chisel to it! I say stick to the stock parts and enjoy it as is.
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Post by runninwiththerevil (Matthew) on Jan 22, 2021 8:36:20 GMT -7
Hmmm, that's odd. Was the stock switch bad, just funky, or what? Is there enough wood underneath to be able to rout it or chisel it out, or is that getting into destructive behavior? I'm lucky, mine's been okay so far with stock parts. Crossin' my fingers.
There were no issues with the stock electronics.....I was going to upgrade the PU's, switch, pots and bridge saddles. Ultimately I only did the saddles. Since it was a thinline, I didn't want to take a chisel to it! I say stick to the stock parts and enjoy it as is. Hard not to tinker sometimes. I have a newer MIM Duo Sonic. I need to get in and see what’s going on. The signal fades in and out, and then stayed out when I ran it through my Maz Jr last week.
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Post by daddyelmis (Greg) on Jan 22, 2021 10:04:48 GMT -7
Hardware and electronics are where the cost cutting shows the most on lower priced guitars. I’m much less sensitive to tone woods on electrics than I am to pickups, bridges/saddles, and pots. Fortunately those things are pretty easy to change out, and even with lower priced aftermarket parts you still end up with a better guitar. I just put a new Wilkinson bridge/trem on my MIM Strat and it’s been a great improvement in tone and intonation. I have a Callaham on my ‘81 Strat, and it’s awesome, but I didn’t want to drop a $165 bridge on the $200 MIM Strat - the Wilkinson was less than $25 on Amazon.
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Post by runninwiththerevil (Matthew) on Feb 2, 2021 14:48:07 GMT -7
Interesting development. Closer into Buffalo/Niagara Falls posts keep popping up for MIM strat and teles $550-700. I've been keeping my eye and ready to jump because I missed out on a $600 MIA Strat that someone lowered after a few weeks.
I'm going to have to travel out into the neatherlands south of me, but as long as these two buyers keep their appointments with me I actually scored a used MIM Tele and Strat for less than what the city slickers are asking for one. The Strat deal comes with a G-Dec amp. I really hope both of these work out. I've had each of these guitars at different times, but I was less of a player back then and I wasn't set with my amp and pedal board. I really look forward to going deep with the Maz 18 between the two and see what I think. If I like both I can afford to keep them with these deals.
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Post by zpilot on Feb 14, 2021 11:33:31 GMT -7
There is a Squire Tele for sale locally that I have my eye on that has a Bigsby set-up, an Earvana nut and upgraded tuners that were installed by a previous owner. That is close to $200 in after-market parts. It started out at $300 but the price has slowly been lowered to $230. That is not much more than the cost of those parts alone. It has a ding on the back but it is no big deal. There are still deals out there.
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