Zeroing in an new american standard, advice?

Ordering on-line is not something that I do very often. I like to sit down with a particular guitar and make my judgements from there.
That said, Sweetwater and MF, and even GC have been pretty good about delivering the goods. And the fact that they offer extended return policies (30-45 days) helps to alleviate the risks. Go with who you trust. I have both the sunburst (maple neck) and vintage white (rosewood neck) and they are both great players once you get the "fat 50's" under control.

 

First, with GC you will be taxed. On a $1100 guitar it could be significant. Up here sales tax is 10.25% which is $112- not insignificant. So the difference in price with the MF guitar will be minimized even if your tax rate is lower. HOWEVER...

The MF is a transparent finish guitar. IF it can be hand picked you'll probably do very well. But just being a MIA doesn't guarantee meticulous quality. A case in point: This past Monday I was jamming with some guys and the guy to my left had a MIA brownburst Strat almost identical to my MIM brownburst. As he turned toward me I could EASILY see that the body on his MIA Strat was two pieces of wood and not very well matched. The match-up and grain on the predominant piece was very poor. My MIM OTOH is a 3 piece body but you really have to hunt for the seams. It was some time before I even realized my MIM wasn't a one piece body. The MIA I saw the other night was glaringly poor. Not something you'd expect on a $600 guitar, let alone a $1200 model. Every guitar is a unique entity unto itself which is the inherent risk of buying guitars unseen and untested.

In any case, if you can't play the INDIVIDUAL guitar you're purchasing perhaps you can get someone to hand pick one for you?

Good luck.

 

A few months back in a moment of madness I took a gamble on the last 59 AVRI that Fender had sitting on their shelf in the EU. It arrived as it left the factory sealed and unmolested. This has a nitro finish and the package had sat with the courier for maybe a couple of days and was like having an ice cube brought into the house so I didn't open it up for two days in fear of shocking the finish. I know the cracking in nitro adds character but I figured it can do that over time. It is a worry buying an unseen guitar and it's hard to give advice on what might need adjusting. Mine was spot on for my playing style straight out of the box, yours might not be and you won't be able to see what needs adjusting until it has settled to your environment. My AVRI is Aztec gold, people always comment as they they don't appear in that colour very often, I've seen very few in the flesh. Good luck and enjoy.

 

I own one of the '14 FSR Am. Std. Aztec Gold Strats. I Love it.

Either on-line purchase is a calculated risk.

 

Don't forget that the gold FSR is 2014 NOS so you get a bit of a discount because it's been sitting around for 2 years. You'll also have to pay tax at GC so it's sort of a wash. There really aren't any design changes between that and a new 2016 model from MF (other than the HSS Shawbucker but you're looking at an SSS, right?) They're pretty much the same guitar.

I'd just pick your favorite color.

I think he was talking about the sunburst.

 

+1 on seams and burst Strats. Me, If I was going for a burst, I would order from a place like Sweetwater that has photo's of the guitars. That way I could snag one with a nice grain and seam lines. They even list the weights at their site. For a solid color MF, (imo) would be fine. Try to get that 15% off memorial sale code if possible. Good luck!

 

If you like modern specs and modern playability your two choices are very good.......

If you like vintage specs then an AVRI or a MIM classic series might float your boat....