The next change was pure whim. I've loved my Mexican-made Telecaster, but I got it into my head that I'd love to trade it for a Stratocaster. It seems like every guitar player should have a Strat at some point. Again, CL made it happen - I listed the Telecaster, and quickly found a buyer who was happy to put cash in my hand.
The next step was figuring out which Strat I wanted. There are various quality levels, starting with the Squier Strats, then the made-in Mexico (MIM), the made-in-America (MIA), and the money-is-no-object custom shop instruments. My budget dictated MIM. These instruments have a good reputation, and my Telecaster was MIM and was a great guitar.
I started on eBay, which has practically unlimited options. I was particular about the color and style I wanted - either a red or a brown sunburst body, and a maple fretboard (for no technical reason - I just really like the look of the maple fretboard over the dark rosewood fretboard.)
I was looking over some factory refurbished MIM Strats that cost just what I had sold the Telecaster for, and was close to pulling the trigger. But the thought then occurred to me that if I went onto Musician's Friend and used one of the 12% off or 15% off coupons that show up in my e-mail just about every day, I could get a brand new Strat for just a few dollars more than a refurbished one.
So that's what I did. I ordered a red Strat with a maple fretboard, and it arrived a few days later (in perfect condition.) It looks great and sounds great, and I couldn't be happier with the trade. I'm still getting familiar with the three pickups and the 5-way switch that activates combinations of pickups. It's a fun learning process, and I'm getting some nice classic sounds out of it.
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