Considering selling: Fender Stratocaster

CityofBlindingLights · #1 06-12-2007, 01:28 AM

Okay, posted this in the For Sale section by accident, but I'm really looking for a ballpark estimate. Now, just hear me out before you jump to conclusions here. I want to sell my Fender Strat, I'll list details below. It is a Mexican stratocaster, but an amazing Mexican Stratocaster (I'll explain below). Anyway, here's some specs and included stuff:

Fender Standard 2001 Mexican Stratocaster, Arctic White, Maple neck, tortoise-shell pickguard, standard pickups but if you're willing to pay extra I'll throw in a set of Fender Hot Noiseless pickups. Also included is the whammy bar (Fender 6-screw 2-point synchronized tremolo) and a TKL gig bag. I might be able to throw in quite a few sets of DR strings as well.

This IS a Fender and not a Squier. Now, as I explained in the post in the For Sale section (by accident), this guitar is a Mexican Stratocaster, but it plays beautifully; it plays better than my friend's American Stratocaster (and I've tried out more than one, so he didn't just get a bad Strat). The tone is amazing, especially with the Hot Noiseless pickups in. The neck is pretty thin (soft-C I think, not as thin as Prestige or Wizard necks, but still really thin, especially for a Strat), and the thing can crank out anything below metal (well, it can do metal at the right distortions, but not much above that). The thing is a monster and a workhorse, if I weren't on a budget and I could have more than one guitar, then I'd easily keep this thing, but sadly have to part with it if I want to build a custom guitar.

My guess is a ballpark figure of around $550-600 for the total package, what do you think? Don't give me crap either, don't be biased just because it's a Mexican Strat. If you're seriously interested PM me with an offer.

Think of the pricing this way:
Guitar- $400 new
Pickups- $200 new
Gig Bag- $30 new
Pickguard- $40 new

plus setup and installation if you don't know how to do that, I'm giving you a pretty good deal here.

The headstock, on the side, does have a few dings and nicks from being bumped around, and the body has some minor scratches and one very minor ding, nothing affects the playability though. There is one small finish crack, nothing major, didn't go through to the wood (not to my knowledge at least, just had it checked out by my favorite tech at Guitar Center, I've known him for almost ten years).

If you want I could also throw in some other stuff I got lying around here

**Ayrton** · #2 06-12-2007, 01:35 AM

I have no idea why you have posted this in here, but you have a $350 guitar with the pups, or a $250 without.

All you need to do in order to research this is spend some time on e bay.

**jemaholic** · #3 06-12-2007, 04:10 AM

Nope. $300. for a mexi. is the norm. (50% 0f list) and that's for mint.
Your headstock is all dinged up. Now we're at 200-250. with the pickups.

No offence bro- but you gotta price it in line if you want to sell it.

gpenguins · #4 06-12-2007, 12:56 PM

I'll take Japanese Squiers all day long over that, and you can get those for $250 to $300 over on the 'bay, so I agree with what Jemaholic said. Hell, I turned down a pretty minty Mexicaster last week at $250 from a local guy.

**jim777** · #5 06-12-2007, 01:05 PM

Unfortunately, Mexican Strats just don't pull the money. My Mexican strat has a US bridge pro installed ($50 for the bridge, and other $50 for the install because the holes don't match up), new Carvin AP-11 pickups (way better than the fenders @ 110 bucks with guard) and a Charvel neck( $140 with bolts and plate), and I STILL know it wouldn't pull 300 bucks in its tweed hard case (another $60 bucks)

It totally slays, but that doesn't mean it isn't also nearly worthless on the open market. Sad but true.

If there's anti-Mexican bias on these Strats, it is global, not local to here. Check the 'bay and see.

**elcid** · #6 06-12-2007, 02:01 PM

Good luck getting anywhere near $550-$600 for it. That's why I usually speak against (and get yelled at for) spending too much to upgrade a lower end guitar. You'r pickups cost half as much as the guitar and didnt add anywhere near that to the value.

I never noticed an anti-Mexican strat bias anywhere, most people I've ever talked to love them. When I sold guitars I always thought the Mexi-Strats were the best electric out there for under $600-$700.

Jemwielder · #7 06-12-2007, 02:19 PM

Mexi strats are great guitars for the money. Unfortunetly for the seller they're really easy to come by, thus making them dirt cheap on the marketplace. Also bear in mind that a decent strat is a hell of a workhorse for any musician and you may want to hold onto it. I've got a great old jap-strat that i'd never trade. Well.... Maybe for an even better strat... Just my opinion.

**jim777** · #8 06-12-2007, 02:38 PM

Just to clarify, when I mention a bias I mean in the marketplace in regards to how much they fetch, not an opinion of the instruments.

CityofBlindingLights · #9 06-12-2007, 04:27 PM

Interesting... I think a middle ground between what most people are saying and my offer would be reasonable, maybe $400-$500?

**elcid** · #10 06-12-2007, 04:39 PM

If you were offered $400 you'd be pretty lucky. MF sells new ones for $400, and they could probably be picked up cheaper at retailers. They also include the gig bag new. Also a set of hot noiseless pickups can be had for $150 from MF, I got my new single HN neck for $35 off the bay, so I'm guessing a whole set could be picked up for even less than $150

**elcid** · #11 06-12-2007, 04:42 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jim777

Just to clarify, when I mention a bias I mean in the marketplace in regards to how much they fetch, not an opinion of the instruments.

Word, but there isnt much value in a guitar thats $400 new. They could be the best playing, sounding guitar ever but if a new one is $400 and easily available, I think $300 for a used one would be a little on the high side. I'd pay it, but I wouldnt be saving much buying used over new.

**jim777** · #12 06-12-2007, 05:10 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by elcid

Word, but there isnt much value in a guitar thats $400 new. They could be the best playing, sounding guitar ever but if a new one is $400 and easily available, I think $300 for a used one would be a little on the high side. I'd pay it, but I wouldnt be saving much buying used over new.

Completely agree. And on the earlier point of upgrading these, when you start to upgrade a cheap guitar you need to know you'll never get that money back before you go in. Upgrading a new $400 guitar with $100 worth of bits doesn't make a $500 guitar. Maybe it makes it a $325 guitar instead of a $275 guitar, but that depends entirely on the buyer's thoughts on your upgrades. With a Mexi Strat, I'd be much more interested in the fretboard wood and finish than the pickups myself, because they are a cinch to swap. You can't just throw Daphne on Black or maple on rosewood, but whenever I get a chance I can flip each pickup one by one. Pickups are the least beneficial upgrade to a Mexi strat from a resale point of view.

Demiurge · #13 06-12-2007, 05:12 PM

Upgrading a guitar is somewhat of a zero sum proposition. If you upgrade pickups and hardware, the lessening of the "market value" of the guitar can take a hit relatively proportional to (or with an expensive, vintage, etc. guitar greater than) what you spent replacing parts.

EDIT: I type too slow, people already making good points.

**elcid** · #14 06-12-2007, 05:13 PM

agreed, although when selling guitars with changed pickups, I usually think of the pickups as something that would help the guitar sell over one that had stock pickups, not necessarily something that would add to the price. Unless we are talking about WCRs, Fralins, and so on.

newbieguitarmaker · #15 06-12-2007, 05:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Demiurge

Upgrading a guitar is somewhat of a zero sum proposition. If you upgrade pickups and hardware, the lessening of the "market value" of the guitar can take a hit relatively proportional to (or with an expensive, vintage, etc. guitar greater than) what you spent replacing parts.

EDIT: I type too slow, people already making good points.

+1 upgrading anything is usually a zero sum proposition. Like cars and motorcycles.