High Quality Strat Copies: Point of Diminishing Returns?

[funkStrat_97]

As we all know,the Fender Stratocaster is perhaps the most popular electric guitar design ever.  It has spawned imitations in every price range from sub $100.00 Junk-O-Casters to ultra expensive botique creations (and don't forget about all those "Super Strats").  Well after a certain point in the price scale, you have to wonder; do  you get what you are paying for or are you paying extra for an inefficient manufacturing process used to produce hand-made guitars for the sake of having a "hand-made" guitar?  IMHO, Fender's American Deluxe Strats are fantastic and they do a great job with the American Vintage and American Standard models too.  Why pay more for a Sadowski, Suhr, or other botique builder?  And if you use basic, yet good quality woods and a good manufacturing/quality control process; what appreciably "better" quality could these other guys offer?

[jlynnb1]

As we all know,the Fender Stratocaster is perhaps the most popular electric guitar design ever.  It has spawned imitations in every price range from sub $100.00 Junk-O-Casters to ultra expensive botique creations (and don't forget about all those "Super Strats").  Well after a certain point in the price scale, you have to wonder; do  you get what you are paying for or are you paying extra for an inefficient manufacturing process used to produce hand-made guitars for the sake of having a "hand-made" guitar?  IMHO, Fender's American Deluxe Strats are fantastic and they do a great job with the American Vintage and American Standard models too.  Why pay more for a Sadowski, Suhr, or other botique builder?  And if you use basic, yet good quality woods and a good manufacturing/quality control process; what appreciably "better" quality could these other guys offer?

for the most part you get options....higher end hardware and electronics....more versatile designs....exotic woods.....it depends on what you are looking for in your guitar. i can't say that i've ever played an American Deluxe strat that begins to approach an Anderson or a Suhr. Totally different world when you are talking about handmade boutique guitars. Whether the difference is enough for you or the next guy to buy it is up to you....and it also depends on how you are using it.

[gtrdave]

I've played a couple Tylers, an Anderson and a USA-made Hamer Daytona in the past. Those and a couple first-run ESP Vintage Plus strat copies have squashed any Fender I've ever played save for the seriously mojo-injected pre-CBS models I've gotten my hands on.
The boutique builders do not buy run-of-the-mill (literally) wood but they buy choice woods and that's why they have the edge over most Fender USA models.
The Hamer and MIJ ESPs are in direct competition with Fender and, so, they'd be at the top of their game in producing a quality replica.

I've owned probably a half-a-dozen Strats, from Squiers to MIJ and MIA Fenders (never an MIM) and I'm thinking my next "Strat" will be one of the above mentioned alternatives OR another MIJ ESP 400 Series to compliment the one I already have.

All that said, if you find a good MIA Fender Strat, play it for all it's worth. They're out there.