OP, maybe this has been covered already, but what's the perspective? For the part-timer who plays in bars/clubs, dragging out a $1K+ guitar is sort of dicey...I don't do it personally. I'm bringing MIM and Squier. With minimal upgrades, say $200 (or the price of a REALLY nice pickup set) you can get a great player piece. Probably wouldn't win any awards, but it'll be solid and dependable - and that's what's important for regular gigging. I can recognize the MIA's are superior on just about every level out of the box. BUT I don't need to spend that kind of money to get a good guitar. It's that simple for me. So I prefer the MIM.