Japanese used to produce shoddy stuff too. Chinese are in no way inferior, they only got into the game later.
...Japanese used to produce shoddy stuff too. Chinese are in no way inferior, they only got into the game later....
Good point. Fender guitars lower line (Squier) are made in China now (as well as in Indonesia). They are a very good instrument for what you pay for them. With Fender's designs and the quality control they have managed to implement, the Chinese now produce a guitar at a third of the price of the American Fenders, and imo there is not much more quality for the price difference in the American versions.
A Squier is a good option as a backup guitar or for tunes where you need an alternate tuning. I don't think the old Squier's (American made) were as good as the imports are now.
The first thing to go on a guitar is the frets, and replacing them costs around $300.00. I've seen badly worn frets on a U.S. made Fender within three years of regular use. So by the time you do your first fret replacement you'll have $1000.00 dollars in that U.S. Strat or Tele.
That kind of money will buy you 5 of the imports. If you're cost conscious, that's something to think about.