What about all those Strat´s?

Well what about all those Stratocaster. I guess that Leo Fender´s intentions´s was to produce a cheap fairly good electric guitar for the common people. First the Telecaster then later the Stratocaster. To guitarplayers in Europe they could have been real bargains but the cost of freight from USA and tolls made them expensive.

In the late 60´s early 70´s Japan beguin producing copies of Fenders. Natuarly Fender did loose a lot of money, but found a sollution after a coupke if years. They started to make copies of their own guitars in Asia.

Among all Fender US, Fender Mexico, Squire theres still loads of copies made looking as the original Fenders, Gibson and many other brands.

Is those lowprice Fenders and all the other good guitars!? Value for the money. What makes the price difference between a US made guitar and one made somewhere else in the world. 

And can I as a potential buyer trust the company  that the guitar named and badged as a US Fender really is made 100% in US. they all look similar, they all share the exact same shape and form. Fender would really earn loads of money if the main part of their guitars was made in Asia, then transported as part and finally assambled in the US.

Here is a load of pictures of different Strats by Fender. Also a few copies made by other companies.

got me hands on a Squire Strat 2006 today, and after a couple of hours of intonation, adjusting, grinding and finishing the guitar was not bad at all. In fact it felt, it sounded and look as good as a US Strat sold at 10 times the money.

 Here pics of two non original Strats. The one on top was imported from Japan in the early 80´s. An extremly good Strat, far better then most Strat+s I ever hade the chanse to play. Everyting on this guitar is Top Class, and in a discussion with the importer He told that they was really expensive back then.

The Ibanez Roadstar, an other Strat copy of high quality.

Stratocasters can be found in the pricerange of 50,oo£ to 15000,oo£ (a 1961 secondhand Strat)

the Stratocaster is possibly the best known electric guitar design in the world. If its the best is up to you. But then again, whats the value in the Stratocaster Jaguar / Harley Davidson editions at app 3000,oo£ compared to the much cheaper Squire´s and copies. 

With the same drawings, construction machines producing similar guitars in different countries. Is there really such a big difference? On my behalf I dont think so. Different blind test among guitarplayers, shop personal that can be seen on YouTube. I might be right... It seams even for Fender dealer staff to tell witch guitar is the expensive and lowprice.