What brand was the Mexican Strat? I have a Fernandes and have been pretty happy with it, though I don't play much anymore. Of course, looking at their web site, it looks like Fernandes has decided to go away from the knockoff route.

I forgot about the rosewood vs. maple thing. Honestly, I don't think that they sound that much different. I think that the electronics and strings make up a lot more of the sound than anything, followed by the hardware, followed by the body, followed dead last by the fretboard wood. On the other hand, the different finishes that they put on maple vs. rosewood makes a lot of difference in how its played. Personally, I think that the thick lacquer that they tend to put on maple makes it sticky, and I tend to like the finish that's on rosewood better, but at the same time, I don't think that I'd make a decision based on that. I'd be more concerned with things like how thick and wide the neck is first.