Fender Highway 1 Strat

I bought it three weeks ago and as anticipated, It was your basic body and semi-thin neck with allot of cheap hardware!!! But that the way Fender has been building strat's for years now, it's all about profit magins (not happy customers). But I knew that going into the game, so I can't bitch all that much.
It's an Alder body, rosewood neck, three single coiled (cheap as hell) pick ups, a white pickguard with jumbo frets.
Please read on..............

The sound was just okay, nothing exciting and I never played it on stage the way it came originally (this is where it gets good)
I purchased a total bridge system from Callaham guitars 100% stainless (cold rolled) steel. Just that alone made the guitar sound like a true vintage 1960's strat, but I didn't stop there, I purchased a set of John Suhr V-60 (L.P.) pickups from Wild West Guitars and The sound went through the roof........Man Oh Man!!!!
My guitar guru Mark Butler from Lake Elsinore, CA told me to buy the stainless steel plate (from Callaham) for each pick-up to get them sounding full deep & dark and a bit quiter, I can't tell you how awesome it sounds, you'll just have to duplicate what I did, you won't be sorry!!!!

I shaved off an 1/8" off the neck to make it as thin as I like, don't try this yourself, hire a pro!!!!
I put a tortoise shell pickguard and aged white pickup covers and knobs, "MAN" it looks vintage and sounds it too!!!
Oh! it's Mary Kay Blonde!!

Don't have to worry, only the body and necy is Original.

Don't need it, I have a guitar guru that takes care of it all!

Stock............a "Five"
Modified.........a "Twenty"

You have no Idea how great this start sounds. Where ever I play I get offer's and comments from people who know what sound they are chasing.

Thin Satin Sunburst Finish, Maple neck, 3 pickups, trem, etc, etc... It has a sensational neck, and wonderful pickups. It is very responsive... It is the nicest strat I have ever owned.

This is an amazing guitar. It plays like a dream. It is easy to play, stays in tune remarkably well... It can do anything that a strat has done from Miserlou to Red House to Comfortably numb to... you name it. This guitar flat out rocks!

OK... It is a Highway 1, which means that they saved on the finish. The guitar sounds and plays amazingly... but the match of the wood is horrible. I can't imagine that they could have matched it any more poorly. I was very disappointed with the finish. VERY VERY disappointed.

Still, the neck is sweet, fast, and a real joy to play... so this is a mixed bag.

Come on... its a strat... run it over and play it... it will live longer than I will.

As far as I know, Fender support is just fine. I don't expect to ever need them.

Except for the finish, this guitar is perfect... and I knew that the finish was a corner cut before I bought it. Still... hey Fender, match the wood a LITTLE bit, eh? Charge me an extra $50 for the sunburst finish, but match the wood. *sigh*

I give it a 10 because it has all the features you need and none you don't
This is a lefty -Made in 2003 by the serial number on the back of the headstock, 22 frets, older vintage style bridge, nice rosewood neck medium jumbo frets - the thing that really sets this appart from the American standard is the thin finish - I have both and was able to compare them side by side played through a very good Fender Hodrod Deluxe amp.

The thin finish really helps the tone qualities ring through the wood - I don't think it's Nitro-cellulose - maybe a similar type (I'm thinking Nitro is just to hard to comply with all the EPA and OSHA rules that they would use in the USA a on a large scale anyway)

I'm guessing they just imported most of the hardware from their Baja Mexico factory, and assembled it in the US. No matter... this a rare case where they actualy came up with a better sounding and playing strat than their higher priced American standard.

The sound is better than any other Strat I've played. I think the thin finish, the more or less vintage bridge and the rosewood neck all contribute - I don't know the origin of the pickups - I bet they are from the Mex factory - I'll take away 1 point because they do have a bit of noise (not really more than others though)

It was almost still in tune when I took it out of the shipping box - ste-up was fine - set conseratively. I might adjust it a tiny tiny bit lower - but that is always going to be a personal thing.

Fit and finsh are just perfect. You can see some of the grain in the wood through the finish - I'm guessing it's Alder.

It's brand - new so it has not been road tested (probably never will)
but Fender these days seems to have learned good quality control practices - This model may turn out to be a "classic" on it's own. They got it right (well "Left") this time!

I'll let them off the hook with no opinion...
Who really every deals with Fender? It's not in their business model.
My experience is to find and keep a good repore with the best guitar tech in your town (or learn to do some things your self)

Now if they would just make a run of left US 1 Telecasters...!!!

Purchased new in March of '04 from MMI Music in Mobile, AL and came with the Fender deluxe gig bag. Dwight at MMI set the guitar up for me before I picked it up and the set up job was perfect...the guitar plays like butter.

Mine is a sunburst with maple fretboard...sealed tuners, 6 point bridge. I belive the body is alder. Pickups are Alnico and are NOT noise canceling. It's configured in 3 single coils. The paint isn't gloss but is matte or semi-gloss at best.

The neck has 22 frets and has a 9.5" radius. I owned a '91 AmStd Strat (that looked identicle to this one) before getting the Hwy 1. The '91 strat caused me a lot of hand fatigue, but this Hwy 1 Strat is a joy to play. It's the most comfortable to play guitar I've ever had. I rate it a 10 because of the amount of guitar value you get for the money....I don't miss my '91 AmStd Strat!

I was pleasantly surprised at the sound of this guitar. To me it sounds much better and more Strat like than the '91 AmStd I owned. It's so clean and has such good definition. I owe that to the Alnico's. To me it sounds like a Strat should sound!

One bad thing to report though is that it's very noisy...and will not cancel out the hum. Apparently the middle pickup isn't reverse wound. I might not be able to use it on a gig where there's lots of flourescent lights. I always carry a back up guitar (reissue '72 Tele Thinline) and will go with that if I need.

I use my Hwy 1 through a Cry Baby ---> Aria Pro Chorus ---> Boss Tremlo ---> Tube Screamer. My main amp is a Peavey Delta Blues 2x10 although I own a hot rodded Tweed Deluxe that I built from scratch. The guitar sounds very good through all those amps. I give it an 8 because of the noisy pickups.

Dwight at MMI set up the guitar perfectly. There are no other flaws on the guitar. The neck looks perfectly straight. No problems here.

I don't care if it withstands live playing....I'll play it with the paint chipped. It seems to be as well made (with the exception of the thinner paint) as my '91 AmStd Strat.

Never tried Fender directly, but MMI is a guitar players dream. Very friendly and knowledgable.

I've been playing on and off since I was 13...I'm 47 now. The Hwy 1 Strat is the nicest guitar for the money I've ever owned. I would buy another (different color of course). It feels so good and looks so good.

I own a Fender reissue '69 Tele Thinline, and a reissue '72 Tele Thinline in addition to the Hwy 1 Strat.

The only thing I'd change on this guitar is the addition of a reverse wound pickup to cancell out the noise when needed.

Mine was purchased before they were actually available for sale at the Winter 2003 NAMM show. USA Made with vintage style large headstock, thin neck 22 Fret and the dark Walnut finish. It came with non-locking tem and sealed tuners all chrome hardware. Mine is an H-S-S configuration that I can no longer find in any shop anywhere. I have been told that these guitars are no longer made like mine and a trip the Wally World ( Guitar Center ) has verified that they no longer come with the large headstock but, can be ordered in an H-S-S configuration. The salesman also states that these are Mexican parts assembled here in the US. Lets just say I am so glad I got a flagship model as I have played the others, they feel and sound like crap.

My musical style is very diverse, hence the need for a Strat. I have looked for years and never found anything ( reasonably priced ) that satisfied me. This axe was the very rare exception and it plays and sounds like everything you would expect from a good, well made Stratocaster. I will not complain about stupid setup issues as I am a professional player and always setup my own instruments and as for noise, my rig eliminates these issues by design. My rig is a Sansamp PSA-1 Pre-Amp driving a Crown Power Base II into 4 Mashall 1960B cabinets. For processing I am using an original blackface Intellifex, an Intellifex On-line and the original Rocktron Hush. This guitar breathes with the music. Beautiful tone and sustain.

What can I say, this is a beautiful instrument! I love the old style finish. The action and intonation needed adjustment, but what guitar doesn't? The work is clean and feels very solid. I guess the most important aspect is that the frets are finnished properly and feel comfortable.

Well, only time will tell. I will say that my $3,500.00 Custom Shop Jackson Soloist has been sitting in the stand since I bought this axe. The Highway 1 has become my weapon of chioce for reheasals. I guess it because I was alive and playing guitar in the late 60's and early 70's that I enjoy this throw-back to the past so much. This feels like the type of guitar that is going to be around and sought after manny years from now.

I have been playing over 30 years. I have owned so many stock and custom guitars it's silly to list them. I bought this guitar because I needed " The Strat" sound for some recording work and for original pieces I wrote. This guitar delivers in a big way. I would seek out another one of these ( original release model- I can get them ) if this where lost. I did like this model over several others offered at the show and the natural wood finish was a deciding factor. I am going to make the following modification to this guitar: ( Only as it is my own personal preference ). I am purchasing a new 1-Humbucking, 1- Vol knob pickgaurd as all my guitars utilize this no-nonsense set-up. I am keeping the stock Humbucker as the pickup. I get everything I need from it.

2003 Fender Highway 1 Statocaster, Standard 22 medium jumbo frets, Solid Alder Body, SSS Pickup Config, Sealed Schaller tuners, 6 point tremolo bridge, rosewood C shape neck, satin semi transparent lacquer finish (mine is honey blonde, although "vanilla pudding" would be a more accurate description of the color), 5 way selector switch, 1 volume, 2 tone pots. Overall no frills but everything you need.

This is were this guitar performs IMHO. The pickups have a slightly darker tone than most fender pickups, somewhere between texas specials and standards. As a result the guitar has a nice growl tone perfect for blues, you can also tweak the tone knobs and get a nice clean tone also although if you are into that clean bell like tone you'll probably want different pickups. That being said these pickups are a bit on the noisy side, but I'll probably upgrade mine to Kinman blues anyway so I'm not really that concerned. The body of the guitar and to a lesser extent the tailpiece also add to the tone of this guitar. The body is a 7.5 pound chunk of alder(I compared mine to my friends japanese strat, mine feels twice as heavy) which adds to the deep tone of the guitar. In my opinion the finish also contributes to this tone, as a test sit down and play one of these things unplugged, the amount they resonate is amazing. Finally, I think six point trem is a better option than the 2 point used on the american standard, more bridge-body contact more sound transfer. Overall this guitar has an awesome strat tone, slightly darker, with great sustain, don't think it would do well for metal but for blues and rock and certain types of jazz, which is what I play, it is awesome.

action was not great from the factory, had my local guitar tech set it up for 11's adjust the pickup height and trem, changed out the pickguard to a tortoise shell one, etc, etc. Sounds great now. Fast neck (I love that C shape), and stays in tune well. Now to the finish. YES it is extremely thin. I tried hard to keep mine from getting that first scratch (that one is always the worst after that it does'nt seem to matter as much) but it did get a nick and I literally have no idea how I did it. It is small but it did go right through the finish to the wood. So in short this guitar is going to relic quite easily, if that is not your thing THIS IS NOT the guitar for you. However, looks don't affect the way it sounds and anyway I like a guitar with some "character".

hey it's a fender it will probably outlast me, my kids, and my grandkids.

Never dealt with em.

I have been playing about 5 years now, love playing blues, rock, and jazz. This guitar suits that style perfectly. If it was stolen I would definitely buy another one or chase down the thief, beat him,and take back mine. Compared to other strats I would say better than the mexican strat's. Compared to the Americans better in some ways, and lacking in some. I do wish it came with a hard case as opposed to the "deluxe" gig bag, and that the pickups were a little less noisy. Other than that a great guitar for a great price.

Highway 1 Strat: rosewood fretboard, honey blonde finish.

I bought this guitar because I wanted a cheap, well made American axe.

In my opinion, this guitar delivers--but do yourself a favor and ditch the stock pickups. They're very noisy, and there are no hum-canceling positions. I replaced the stock pickups with Rio Grande Vintage Tallboys (with a reverse wound/reverse polarity middle pickup) and I can't put it down.

Don't expect Fender, or anyone else to release a guitar that's perfectly set up (intonation, neck relief, p/u height, etc). I've never played a guitar off the wall, or from the factory that was set up to my specific playing style. So if the strings are too high, or the neck is bowed--adjust it to your needs.

Once you do this, you'll be happy with the Highway 1.

The Highway 1 is a great sounding guitar with the right pickups and a good setup. I also own an American Series Strat (white blonde, ash body, Rio Grande Tallboys) and the Highway 1 sounds just as good or better. I like the fact that the Highway 1 has a vintage bridge and the easy to use tone knobs (the Delta Tone/TBX thing is kinda useless to me). I do wish the Highway 1 had the broke-in neck (or rolled edges) and the staggered machine heads that the American Series employs. They're both great guitars, but I feel more comfortable with the Highway 1 because of its "low end paintjob." I don't care too much if I abuse it a little.

Sorry, I don't use words like chimey, bell-like or ice pick to describe the sound of my guitar. Words can mean several different things to different people.

Also, I don't care how many pieces of wood it took to make the body of this guitar. I've used both strats for recording purposes, and while they do sound different, they both sound good. I've never really played two strats that sound alike anyway.

All I can say is that this guitar sounds great to me, and it fits my needs.

They're were no mechanical flaws with this guitar. I don't know if the string trees are meant to be offset, or maybe they're just crooked. Whatever it is, this is the only strat I've ever had that stays perfectly in tune when I use the tremolo.
As far as the action, adjust it to your needs.

The paintjob might not last forever, but who cares?

a 2003 s/s/h with the large 70's head stock with rosewood fretboard and 22 med/jumbo frets. with the amber finish. pretty basic guitar

i like the sound of the humbuck pup. has more bottom end then my standard strat, but it is not too muddy either. a good distortion pick up for playing heavier stuff.the guitar has alot of sustain. wheather it is because of the larger frets or the lighter finish.it does seem to resonate more too.the guitar is pretty quite but i use a noise gate anyway because of the noisey pups on my standard strat with the triple coils.it sounds alot better throught my line 6 with 2x12 then my 30 watt crate with one 12.

just like most (not all) fenders the setup needed alittle tweeking. the action was alittle high so i added 2 more springs in the back of the bride block and just drop the action alittle and now it is great. everything seemed tight and the finish was perfect. i really like the amber finish and the way you can see the wood grain. the bridge pup was too low for my taste so i raised it alittle

the guitar is very gig worthy and stays in tune very well. it really helped adding the 2 extra springs in the back. everything stays tight and fits well. the finish is very thin and i'm sure it won't hold up very well over time. the guitar comes with standard strap buttons, but i use strap locks on all my electric guitars anyway. i would gig with out a backup if it was my only guitar, but if you own other guitars you are going to take a back up anyway.

fender is not the greatest to deal with. but i didn't buy a fender because of customer support. that is what the dealer is for. my local dealer is pretty good. so my support rating is based on my local fender dealer

i have been playing for more then 15 years and this is the 3rd fender i have owned. i still own the other 2 i have and i have not had any problems with any of them. i acually bought this guitar when i went to try out my line 6 amp.and i really liked it. so i ended up buying it shortly after, but i bought the hardshell case for it. i would buy another one if it was lost or stolen. the only thing i wish the guitar had was a coil tap. so you can split the humbucker when i'm playing with a clean tone. this guitar is better suited for a heavier distortion sound then a clean or blues sound. but it does sound pretty good clean just alittle too thick for me. overall if you want an american made fender strat for under $550 it is worth the price.

Mine was made last year. Left handed rosewood neck. Body is blonde and transparent and everything is just strat like. Came with a gig bag I don't use The tuners are good better than my old strat I think ,stays in tune.

I love this sound, I am left handed and there are not many good left guitars out there so I was fortunate to find it. I play Johnny Winter and Hendrix. It is great but a bit noisy. I am going to get my guitar guy to have a look and maybe sheild it better. I am going to get a new humbucker on the bridge as I don't like this single coil in any gutar.

The neck was bowed but the truss rod fixed it no problem ,has great action.

Only had it a shot time. There are complaints about finish but I don't give a shit how beat up it looks in a few years. I like nicks.

I have been playing since I was 15 and I am 48, I would certainly get another one. I think some of the comments are unfair people expect perfection. It is wood and metal and there are bound to be errors. I chose because of the sound and feel and price. It think I got a great deal. It was clearance and I was in the right place at the right time.
I have a 71 Guild sg with humbuckers and I put mini humbuckers in a yamaha pacifica I have but this is my main guitar now and that took about 10 seconds to decide. Comfortable as hell and I expect that the sound will just get better.

2003, usa, 22 med. jumbo frets.

strat non-locking tuners (upgraded to sperzel locking, highly recommended for anyone who breaks strings regularly or plays gigs without back up, or several differently tuned guitars.)

came with "deluxe" gig back, spend some $ or talk your dealer into cutting a deal on a hard case, especially with the thin finish, it'll pay off in the years to come.

not bad as a strummer or a chord/bar chord type player. i prefer rock/alternative and heavier stuff. pickups are quite noisy on several settings. my american strat plus has lace sensors and i have nothing but love for them. i'm really thinking about replacing the originals with some gold laces, but i'm gonna play around with pickup positioning some more. guitar doesn't seem to pick up very good harmonics through out the frets, you really have to play with your settings/tone to get those sometimes desired harmonics from the frets/pickups. guitar has great potential and can easily be modified to suit almost anyones needs. i defenitely suggest playing around with the setup after taking her home. we all know that no matter how well she was in the store, it can always use a little personal touch once inside the walls of your home. set it up to your needs, not some factory worker who is probably getting paid by the quantity of his work. if you don't know how to set up a guitar to your personal needs talk to your shop or someone online, they'll help you out.

as a general rule i suggest the addition of sperzel locking tuners, schaller locking strap connectors, and playing around with your pickups after you get her home.

great action, feels more like the high end strats.

pickups were adjusted to suit some factory workers screw driver, time schedule, and eyeballing. take it home and tweak it a bit, things can only get better. (if you don't like it in the shop you probably shouldn't buy it anyway, if you know what you're getting into, put a little time into it and get the sound you want after purchase.)

had the pearl blue pickguard on it (transparet blue color.) i made the shop throw in a regular white w/ black trim strat pick guard, looks more to my liking.

was set up pretty stiff. once home things needed a little once overing.

i think it'll hold up for live playing thru the yrs, as long as you allow it to. don't drink so much that you mistake it for cigarette butt or a baseball bat and it should be okay.

hardware seems as if it will stand the test of time.

finish is well known for being thin. will wear off with contact with vinyl, rubber, plastics, and body rubbing points. heck, if it gets too bad, just refinish the thing. or take care of it in the first place. know what you bought is thin finished and deal with it.

strap buttons were solid, but why take a chance at dropping it with a strap slip (on stage or at home.) invest in a set of $12 schaller locking strap buttons and let the confidence roll on in.

dependable guitar, just care for it as needed.

after some mods i wouldn't feel bad about giggin with it without a back up, however the highway 1 is my back up. quality back up!

unsure

playing for 14 yrs, only been around 24.

also own/play fender american standard, fender american strat plus, fender acoustic 12-string with elect. pickup, fender precision bazz, fender jazz bass.

play thru peavey 5150 head and box, peavey P.A. (acoustic), and Peavey Fire Bass 700

if stolen or lost... i would replace it, might buy another, might upgrade to high end american strat. depending on current financial situtation.

loves.... price, easily customized, upgradeable (make it your own), did i mention price?

hates.... nothing really, the finish could be better/thicker. just be carefull with it (as you should any beloved instrument.)

i wish it had.... breasts, a nice firm butt and no opinion to be shared.

FENDER guitars + PEAVEY amps = best sounds on earth.