I bought a Mexican Strat a few years ago--the 1950's model, which I think is no longer made. It came in right around $500, if I remember right, and it's too cool: sea-foam green, pretty close to accurate vintage details. Sounds good, too--I play it through a little 30-watt Fender tube amp with a Real Tube overdrive stomper--great blues and rock-n-roll tones, excellent for home or small clubs. That's a myth about body density/weight contributing to better tone, by the way, especially in a bolt-neck guitar with a trem and pickups floating in a plastic pickgaurd. In a Strat-tele type setup, tone has almost everything to do with the electronics--try switching out the pickups and/or changing amps/effects and you'll see what I mean. Body density does influence sustain, a little, but overall rigidity has a lot more effect in that department--that and nut density/bridge mass. The best advice I could give you is not to let yourself get pressured into buying a guitar you don't love; don't buy anything you haven't played first (through your equipment), and when you do decide to buy, insist that the store's guitar tech set it up to fit your playing style at no additional charge. They'll agree, if it's the difference between a sale and no sale (I worked in both the supply and retail ends of the guitar biz for almost 8 years, so I know).