Fender Highway 1 Jazz Bass

What year was it made? = 2009 Where was is made? = USA(Japan, Mexico, USA, etc...) =2009
How many frets, or is it fretless? = 20
How many strings? = 4
Solid-Top? Laminated top? = Solid
Which controls are given (volume, tone, selectors, etc...)? = Vol,Vol,Greasebucket Typical J
Make and model of pickups? = Fender Standard Alnico J
Active or Passive electronics? = Passive
Body and neck materials? = Alder body, Rosewood fretboard w/Graphite reinforeced neck
Finish = Nitro Laquer
Body style = Jazz
Bridge style = Badass II
Tuners = Stock HB7 style
Neck/Scale = Med Jumbo
Any included accessories? = Gig Bag, truss rod and bridge tools

How does it suit your music style (and what is that style)? I play all styles, but mostly Rock and Jazz
What amps and effects are you using it with? Chain: EBS MultiComp, Barber Linden EQ, Ampeg SVP PRO preamp, Mackie Power amp, into either 8ohm SWR Goliath III (for jazz) or 4ohm Ampeg PR410 PRO (for Rock)
Is it noisy? No On what settings? All
Rich/Full sound? Thin sound
What kind of sounds can the bass make? You can get a weak Geddy or a weak Jaco, but neither really floors me.
How much variety? Extremely limited
Is it noticeably better for the stage or the studio? Neither
Likes and dislikes? Completely HATE these pickups. They really fall short of expectation. Solo'ed: The neck sounds much better than the bridge, but when combined they really do not perform well. The volume pots are only usable through the first 10% of rotation. Not sure that I like the Greasebucket Tone. I understand the concept, but I don't know if I care for the results

How well was the bass set-up at the factory? The factory setup was decent, but the action was a little too high for my taste.
How well were the pickups adjusted? I needed to raise the low side to even the output.
Did the bass contain any flaws? No really big problems with the overall construction, but I can see where Fender cut the corners...tuners, strap buttons, pots, nut, pick-guard are all sub-par.

Will this bass withstand live playing? Have not been able to take it out.
Does the hardware seem like it will last? No. I am replacing the stock HB7 style tuners with Hipshots
Is the finish good enough to last, or does it seem thin and easy to wear off with lots of playing? I've got no complaints the finish...this bass looks really nice. I have the Honey Blonde.
Are the strap buttons solid? They are junk El Cheapos.
Can you depend on it? In its current condition..No.
How often does the neck/truss rod need to be adjusted? Not sure yet
Would you use it on a gig without a backup? Not sure yet

Warranty is 'ok'.

I've been playing for over 20yrs and own nothing but Fenders...stock '74 P, 80's P-Plus w/EMGs, '90 AmStd P w/Basslines Qtr Pound pup, '99 Amer Dlx J w/Bartolini's, '03 Amer Dlx P. Rig wise: Ampeg SVP pre through various 4x10 cabs.
This is a 'good' bass, but I purchased it knowing that I would be pimpin' it anyway.
- Volume Pots...only usable through 1st 10% of rotation
- Pickups...you can't get to nirvana with this sound
- Tuners...these are they same as you would find on the MIM's.
- Strap buttons...come one
- Gig Bag...another joke?

This bass has serious potential, but you can see where Fender cut the corners. If you are serious about your sound, you will probably have to drop another $150 on pickups and pots to get to the true potential of this bass. The tuners are crap. Replace them when you can, but I haven't noticed any slipping yet. I use a Hipshot detuner on my 4-strings anyway, so I suggest going the couple extra $$ to get a really nice set....it will pay off. Strap buttons and "Deluxe" gig bag?...come on Fender. The level of "value" has gone out the window unless you are ready to go into the the higher$$. After 20yrs of supporting the product line, I am disappointed with the lack of attention to details. It's a shame. Again, don't get me wrong...this bass plays well and sounds great unplugged, but view it as a good starting point for constructing a better instrument.

Mine is made in 2006 and it is not the upgraded version yet, so there is no Badass-bridge. It has the beautiful honey-blonde nitro finish and the standard jazzbass-features. I love the philosophy behind the Highway One series: everything you need, nothing you don??t need. That??s what it is.

I play mainly rock and alternative and this is THE bass guitar sound, if you ask me. Not enough sustain without the Badass bridge? How much sustain do you need? For me this bass guitar just sounds perfect.

I love the thin nitro lacquer although it will probably not last forever. But there are people who pay a lot of money to get an instrument that has been artificially aged. You can have that a lot cheaper if you buy a Highway One and really play it for a few years ;-) ...

The jazzbass is very comfortable to play. The contoured body rest beautifully in your hands. The neck profile is thin, the fretboard is rather narrow and the neck feels great with its satin finish.

As I said before the lacquer will not last forever. Aside from that the bass is rock-solid.

I am playing guitar for 26 years now and bass guitar for about 20 years. I never had a better bass guitar and could not be happier with it. There are more expensive versions of this model, but the Highway One is exactly what I want and what I need. It is a real player??s instrument. If it was lost or stolen I would buy another one immediately.

This is Fender's upgraded version of the Highway 1 Jazz bass. Mine was made in the USA in 2007.

It has a satin nitro finish (mine is the Honey Blonde), a rosewood neck, a Badass bridge, and carbon rods in the neck to add strength and eliminate dead spots

It came with a very nice Fender gig bag.

For my taste, I've always thought the Jazz Bass has the most elegant, flexible circuitry anyone's ever come up with. Two single-coil pickups, two volume controls, and one tone control. So simple, yet it gives you a very wide sonic palette. It's not a "one-sound" instrument.

The single coil pickups give it more mids, which makes it stake out a different territory in a mix.

I use Thomastik-Infeld Jazz flatwound strings. On low-volume gigs, I play through a Hartke Kickback 12. At large venues, I run through an SWR Workingman's 210C with the 2X10T extension cabinet. Depending on the music we're playing, I use fingers or a flatpick. I sometimes run it through a Rat distortion to add a little grit.

The setup and adjustment was flawless on mine. It came with a tortoise shell pickguard and black pickup covers. I replaced those with a white pickguard and white pickup covers, just because I liked the look.

This is a player's instrument. Everything I want from a Jazz bass and nothing I don't. The nitro finish will definitely show wear sooner than a polyurethane finish, but I like nitro better. Heck, people pay extra to have someone "relic" their guitar on a buffing wheel in a custom shop - wouldn't it be cooler to play one with actual wear that YOU put on it?

I've never needed Fender warranty work.

I've been playing bass since 1967. I've owned three Jazz basses before this one - a '65, a '72, and a '76. I'd put this Highway One up against ANY of them. The build quality is definitely higher than the '70s models - more like the '65 in weight and feel.

But you know what? On all three of them, the first thing I had to do was take off those big chrome hood scoops (leaving visible screw holes) to have access to the strings. I added Badass bridges to both the '70s Jazzes to get better sustain. And I ended up putting Seymour Duncan pickups on the '76, because the stock ones seemed to lack something.

This Highway One was ready to gig right out of the box - I didn't have to take parts off or put parts on. I think this is one of the best ideas Fender has had.

I have an early version of Highway 1 series J-Bass (substandard pickups and a standard bridge, the truss rod nut at the headstock), plugged or unplugged this bass is no comparison to a '60s J-Bass. The pickups are terrible, slap the E string and the note is flat and dies in the back side (Note: This is not the case when unplugged, the pickups are the problem). The sound when finger playing is not too bad, but bad enough to warrant a far better set of pickups. I have no doubt that replacing the pickups with a much better set and upgrading the bridge will improve the sound significantly.

The action on the Highway 1 J-Bass is extremely high, way too much relief, which makes it terrible to play off the rack - this is common practice to suck in amateur players. After adjusting the truss rod and lowering the action to a comfortable height, the playability is much better but there is string buzzing. It's obvious that in order to cut costs, Fender cut a lot of corners on this model. However, spending time on to get it setup just right with some minor fret work will greatly improve the playability and action even further.

The construction of this bass is definately not up to the standard of the vintage (pre '70s, that my Fender vintage) The shaping leading to the neck pocket from the bottom cutaway looks like a bad mistake. The glue line on the neck and fingerboard has also slipped, which is clearly visible. In addition, the glue lines on this 3 piece Alder body, are clearly visible also mostly on the front due to slippage. Not much time was spent smoothing out the curve on the upper back part of the body, as undulations are visible.The finish, especially on the body is also below standard, it has an orange peel affect which is really dodgy.

I also must question the ridiculous idea of inlaying the side dot markers half in the rock maple neck and half in the rosewood fingerboard - must of had a brain explosion that day.

If the glue continues to slip, the bass may fall apart, LOL. Well, it's not that bad, but the problem has to be stated. I'm not sure about tuners either, but I would replace them with a much better and lighter set after they start to slip. The bass needs to be retuned often, which is a shame. However, in saying all this, it has the potential to be a pretty good backup and even a main live bass. Would I use it on a gig without a backup? I wouldn't use any bass without a backup, that question is ludicrous.

I've been playing bass now for almost 30 years, I have also been setting them up for around 25 years and now I've started building them. I had a '69 P-Bass for around 10 years, which I unfortunately had to sell and have played a few '60s and early '70s J-Basses. Since the vintage basses are ridiculously priced right out of the range of most young players, many will settle for less by comparing substandard construction of one brand with that of another in this day of cost cutting madness. Hopefully, players will try before they buy: borrow a friends bass and play the thing is all settings - live and in the recording studio; play it through a good bass amp at the shop at a soft and medium volume level, then crank it right up.

To reiterate, the early version of the Highway 1 J-Bass needs a great set of pickups and better bridge, which will greatly improve the sound and playability. I made sure that I played this bass plugged and unplugged at the store prior to purchase, so I knew what I was buying. This bass was compared with the Mexican J-Bass and the American Standard J-Bass. I chose the Highway 1 for the price and that it had a reasonable sound unplugged and plugged, and the fact that I knew I could make it sound and play much better. The thing players should be aware of prior to purchase, is that whatever price you pay for it, you will pay more for new pickups and a bridge if you don't like it stock. If this bass was lost or stolen, I wouldn't buy another.

american 2006 upgraded highway 1 jazz bass with 3 tone sunburst!
4 strings, 20 frets
it is passive with 2 volume and 1 tone
2 Standard Vintage Alnico Magnet Jazz Bass Single Coil Pickups
came with gig bag
baddass 2 bridge

I LOVE THE SOUND OF THIS BASS, it is very rich and creamy!
it suits my musical style because i play all kinds to hard rock to jazz
i use a hartke A100 with it and it sound beutifull

great action, freat finish and fit!

it will easily withstand live playing
the hardware will last
i would use it at a gig without a back up

i have been playing st over a year and this kicks arse from my original bass which was a harkte thing (starter pack)
i would buy this guitar again if it was stolen

2004 serial, purchased new in July 2005 on eBay. It says Made In USA but I really don't want to believe that. These come with a gig bag. Passive pickups, rosewood neck. Standard Hardware. "Greasebucket" tone circuit that rolls off highs without boosting lows. What is the point of that? Body is Alder, neck is maple. Bridge through stringing. Overall it LOOKS really good, but read on.

I was looking for a USA Fender Jazz. I liked the looks of this bass so I bought it thinking it would sound better on my rig than the store's Peavey amp. Wrong. This thing has no boom to the bottom end. It is a sham! It looked great but sounded wimpy. Where's the beef? After seriously giving it a chance I took my elcheapo Jay Turser 401-B, which had been a backup for about a year, and started using it as my main bass. This situation made the Fender Highway 1 Jazz the backup. The Chinese made Jay Turser cost me $212 tax included and sounded way better than this USA made bass and the elcheapo has never given me any trouble. A sad day for America for sure.

It doesn't matter how gorgeous the three-color sunburst looked, and it was gorgeous. The neck on mine bowed within 3 months. After the tech tightened the nut at the next set-up it was much better. I kept it a while as a back up. I wasn't playing it at all due the wimpy sound but used it as a backup and eventually Sold it on eBay because I wanted to get a Precision. The buyer returned it due the neck issue. Apparently the tech didn't tell me he had tightened the nut as far as it would freaking go. Bummer. I resold it on eBay as needing a new neck. Long story short, I lose 300 dollars in 15 months on something that shoudl appreciate in value eventually.

I wouldn't buy another Highway 1 bass as long as I live and I have SERIOUS reservations about buying ANY new Fender USA product. Am I afraid it is going to fall apart? I AM CERTAIN MINE DID. This has really spooked me.

This bass needed to go back to Fender under warranty. Unfortunately being an American Idiot I neglected to send in the warranty card in 10 days. Fender wouldn't cover it. I had the receipt which is good enough for Ampeg, but not for Fender.

I wish this thing had been stolen because I have insurance and could have gotten more of my money back out of it. I would STRONGLY advise against buying this instrument unless you can fix truss rods or know a tech who does. I checked around my state and found ONE store that fixes truss rods but they were a 2.5 hour drive away, so I said the heck with it and gave up. Also, even when the neck was straight, the sound just didn't move me so why invest more money in it? I've ALWAYS had Fender basses and this is the worst one ever. I just bought a new Ibanez SRX700 to replace it. I am now Fenderless and intend to stay that way. That should tell you something. I have such a bad taste over this one that I'd have a serious problem buying another new Fender. WHAT A HUNK OF JUNK THIS BASS WAS INDEED. If you just HAVE to have a Fender, spend a little less and get the Deluxe Mexican Version. It MAY also be a turkey, but you'll be out 300 dollars less in the process. I discussed this issue with one very well know bass player who told me that she stopped buying Fenders long ago for the same reason. If you have one that is ok right now, consider yourself lucky!

American made.
20 fret.
One piece of alder as far as I can tell, and a maple neck with a rosewood fingerboard.
Passive (yes)!
standard bridge.
modern C neck design.
Special "greasebucket" circuit design.

It seems capable of many styles. I had the chance to use it with a tube pre-amp and I found it very capable of a wide variety of tones. Greasebucket control is alright, no problems. I believe it needs a better shielding job, florescents drive it nuts. I Strung her up with Ernie Ball Supers 100-45. These strings are brighter than the fender 7250's 100-45 which came with it, but the 7250's are a little more durable than the EB's. Pick-ups are great. It goes all the way from low to high any way you want it too, I found myself using my thumb, fingers, and slapping! Only thing I can't tell ya about is picking tho because I don't. Only sound missing is that P-bass sound, but I already have one of those!

Action was a about a negative 1 when I got ahold of this poor neglected bass. After adjusting the truss, bridge and intonation I would say it is about a 9. I play with the strings a little higher than, or right at Fender specs. A lot of people in reviews say they will buy a new bridge to replace the original, maybe I might try this, the original is a lightweight. But even with the original bridge I got a really accurate intonation, the harmonics all the way down to the 19th fret ring true! Also the truss works really well and smooth, it has held true after lots of playing. I have the strings as wide as the pickups will allow, which is pretty far.
The pickups were in the right places, like I wrote before, the setup was atrocious to begin with.
Everything was solid when bought, all screws tight, no stripping.
The finish is as good as any, it is the wood underneath I'm talking about!

The neck on this bass is very playable, a joy to play, BUT (there is always a but) if I had my way I would throw a quarter-sawn maple neck on it. This bass will withstand live playing as long as you are not gigging a lot in a punk band full of 19 year olds. I think the neck is a little fragile. I once dropped my p-bass american deluxe on it's head and it survived. I don't think this one would handle something like that. If anyone has a good reissue jazz bass neck in the original thick C shape you could throw it on here.
I have only had this bass for a week, it has worked well.
The finish of this bass could very quickly look like a Jaco relic's if not taken care of, I am not counting on it looking good for long tho.

I once had to have a different Fender fixed, it took a week longer than expected, but it was free.
I guess that doesn't count here, or does it?
I say an unofficial 8.

I have been playing 6 years and I think this bass is pretty good. The neck is fun to play and smooth. I have an Amer. P Deluxe and it's quality is stouter, but the tones I get out the Highway are much broader at half the price. Would be better with a nice solid quarter-sawn chunk of burds-eye maple for a neck, but you have to pay for stuff like that. The pick-ups work! Can't imagine anyone needing to change them.

Made in USA, 20fret, 2v1t, Satin, Alder body, Rosewood f/b

Sound is just awesome.
You don't have to purchase American Jazz Bass for 1000 bucks because you can get same sound quality out of this one. And it is almost half of price.
Pickup is little bit noisy but it's fender jazz. fine.
Rich and Warm sound but not so bright.
If you want brighter sound, choose maple models.
But this one's got kinda all covering sound.
Really good for Price

Action is fine. but finish is really weak so that u need to just relax with it.
tuning pegs are fine but there's no body through holes.

buy it~!! best bass for this price range

I have a 2006 fender highway 1 jazz bass,in sunburst,all the standard feautures,I swooped out the bridge for a leo quan badass II bridge and put new strings knucklehead doublewides 105-45 on it.

This was my first jazz bass and my 2nd fender in my life I have been playing G&L basses since 1986,I wanted to try a jazz for once and when the man said $500.00 I said "hell yah".

I didn't care for it at first after 20 yrs. of p.bass and p.bass copys I wanted a pbass sound,I bought it blind but it played so quick and the price was cheap so I thought I would suck it up,I am using a behringer ultra bass bx300 at this time which is a great amp,I was so frustrated I didn't know what to do I must have looked at every after market pick manufacture thier is folks.Then I had a idea So I rolled out my old 70's ampeg 810 cab and ran a cord from the power amp in and as a after thought put on some flat wounds I had siting around since 2002:Holy S**T BATMAN I ran both pickups wide open and BHAM did I have a sound to die for,I was nailing John paul jones sound on led zep 2-4.

I had a bow in the neck and the set up sucked but the bad ass and a tweak or two and I was good to go.finish is awsome.

I have every confidence this will last for 30 yrs. or more if treated right.

no reason to call.

I am really this maybe the first bass I don't change pickups on but boy do strings and speaker rigs change its tone.

made in US, bought in Germany (thomann)
Beautifull sunburst color?
2 pickups,.....

The sound is beautifull and precise (Rock/Blues).
I did not change anything on this bass guitar.

No problemo.
I like to play on it => It's a really good time.

I have to take care with it, because i've heard that it is less strong that American Standard.

I do not need them.

A very good bass for a guitarist (like me) who want to record his demos. 100 times better than the GSR200 Ibanez that I had before.