MM Sub 1 or Mexican Fender Strat

[royals123]

Hi all,

I think I'll know the answer bearing in mind this is an EBMM site, but......

I was about to buy a Mexican Standard Strat when I noticed a second hand Sub 1 for sale for the same price. The only guitar I've tried that's near a MM was a OLP Petrucci which I really liked. Have any of you played a Strat and how would you compare it to a Sub 1. Are the neck profiles similar? I'm guessing that a USA made guitar would be better regards fitment / quality of materials than a Mexican.

Thanks for reading!

Jim

 

[Smellybum]

sub 1 in a heartbeat, and I have both - mex is a good guitar for the money but a SUB 1 is made in USA - you can feel the quality - it's lightyears ahead of anything else in that price range,

Welcome !

 

[fbecir]

Hello

Welcome on this forum.
I just bought a SUB 10 days ago. I can say for sure that it is a great guitar. The hardware is really perfect : tremolo, locking tuners ...
The neck is a real joy (in fact like on all the EBMM guitars).
The craftsmanship is perfect.
You cannot compare an OLP with a real Music Man : the Music Man is really better. The SUB is a professional instrument.
I bought my SUB 10 days ago. I already made 2 band rehearsals with it, and I think I will play it during my next concert (next Thursday ...). So, it is an axe you can trust.

Do not hesitate. The Mexican Fender is certainly well made, but it is a generic guitar (how many strats are they producing every year ?).

If you want to see some pictures of my SUB, just click on the links in my signature.

Good luck with your new guitar

 

[marduke]

well id go the Sub1.. i own a mex strat and really dont like it... for the price its a great guitar, but needed alot of setting up before it was right...

 

[the24thfret]

ive never found a mexican strat that could even qualify as "playable" in my book. just 2 cents!

 

[royals123]

Thanks for the replies!!

One other thing, if the neck on the Sub 1 quite a slim neck in thickness and width? That's one thing I love about Strat's the small neck.

Thanks!

 

[DavidOfOz]

I believe the Sub has been discontinued, so that puts it in the "hard to find"/"great catch" category. Go for it!!! Get it while you can!

 

[royals123]

Anyone know why they stopped building it?

 

[fbecir]

Thanks for the replies!!

One other thing, if the neck on the Sub 1 quite a slim neck in thickness and width? That's one thing I love about Strat's the small neck.

Thanks!

The EBMM guitars are famous for their necks. You can find the exact dimension on EBMM site. Easy to play are the first words that come to one's mind when you try an EBMM.
If you can try the SUB, do not hesitate !

 

[fbecir]

Anyone know why they stopped building it?

There is a post from Big Poppa (Sterling Ball, the boss of Music Man) on this forum.
If I understand well, the SUB were to expansive to produce for the price they wanted to sell them.

 

[fbecir]

Here is the link :
http://www.ernieball.com/forums/music-man-basses/18205-music-man-sub-r-i-p.html

 

[colinboy]

go with MM and never look back!

 

[royals123]

I've just bought the Sub 1 off ebay! Paid £290, which roughly works out to $570 - hope that's a good price?!

Thanks for all the info and I'll feedback when I get it!!

 

[fbecir]

Good luck with your auction.

It's a good price and you made the good choice !

 

[58super]

Great choice! Sub 1 no question, if you like a humbucker sound.

Drop a Dimarzio Tone Zone in the back pickup, leave the front pickup because it sounds great, and you have a great versatile guitar that can go from screaming to jazz. Extremely well made, no hum and great bang for the buck.

From a $ perspective a used Sub will retain its value while a new MIM will lose a large part of its value.

OLP's are not even close.

 

[Slingy]

Although the Sub looks smaller than a Strat, its actually the same scale length as a Strat. The area behind the bridge is smaller and the headstock is shorter resulting in a more balanced and lighter instrument. I think you'll love the neck, it was the deal killer for me. I actually chose this guitar over a PRS bolt on model.

 

[brasco68]

Sub all the way.

 

[Spudmurphy]

Ok - I'm gonna give you an answer based on experience not hearsay.

A very good friend of mine bought a Mex Strat about 3 years ago. He had only just started learning guitar and I had stopped playing for a long long time. He asked me to try it out and I was hooked on playing guitar again - I was torn between a Strat, a Tele with B bender then I discovered EB guitars.

That Mex strat of his got me playing again.

The shop had 4 Mexican Strats in,and the one he bought stood out a mile from the others.

It's acoustic resonance was incredible, it was set up perfectly apart from some easily remedied fret sprout.
He has since bought an American Strat which is nowhere as good as his Mex.

Now if you find a sub 1 guitar that equally stands out - get it. Go by your decision not by anybody else's opinion - which will lean heavily towards the Sub !

The sub is a great guitar but then you will probably regret not buying a Silo! - where does it end ???

 

[fatoni]

what do subs sound like? compared to the strat?

 

[Spudmurphy]

Well a Strat will have 3 pickups which will give you the advantage of pickup configs. that the sub won't have. The sub will benefit from a humbucker sound that the Strat won't give you.
Depends on whether the sub has one or two pickups.

I just think a Strat and Sub are different types of guitar imo.