Fender Highway 1 Strat

2002 Highway 1 Stratocaster made in USA. It features a beautiful Saphire Transparent finish in satin laquer, I think it's acrylic laquer, not nitro. The body is 3-piece Alder, fairly well matched. 1-piece Maple neck with really nice feeling satin poly finish and 22 medium jumbo frets. The pickups are standard vintage style, I think, and it has the standard Strat controls. Vintage style tremolo and Fender Ping cast/sealed tuners. I think a Hardtail option would be a good idea.

I'd give it a 10 because it's a classic Strat with the classic features and then some, but the Fender Frontline magazine states all the Highway 1 guitars have their neck plates stamped with "Corona, California" and none of them do so it gets a 9.

I use it through a Fender Pro Junior and it sounds great. I really like the "in between" sound in positions 2 and 4, especially 4, very "bell" like, classic Strat sound. Has a nice bite in the neck PU, especially at higher volumes, too much bite in the bridge though, I may switch the PU's out for a set of '57/'62 Stratocaster PU's, the kind in the American Vintage Series '57 and '62 Strats.

I give it a 9 because it's a great sounding guitar, the thin laquer finish probably has a big part in that which is cool, but I think it would sound even better with '57/'62 Strat PU's.

I blocked the trem which in-turn lowered the action to where I wanted it. The PU's were WAY low, I had to adjust them to where I like 'em, which most people do anyway, but they were REALLY low.

The three pieces of Alder for the body are fairly nicely matched, nothing too obvious. The finish is REALLY cool. It's Saphire Transparent. It actually just looks like a dull dark blue from a distance, which kinda sucks, but if I'm playing the guitar, I can see the grain in the wood, Ash would have been a better choice for this type of finish though. At certain angles when I'm holding the guitar, the finish actually shimmers, and almost looks metallic. The finsh is actually one of the points that sold me on the guitar.

Nice satin finish on the neck too, I love it, and GREAT "C" shape neck profile. At first I didn't really like the idea of the large frets, but I enjoy playing it and don't notice anything different, so I guess it's fine.

The neck joint didn't seem too tight, and the neck was able to shift just a little. I gave each neck bolt another 1/4 turn and it seems to be fine.

The nut is cut fine, but just not trimmed down to the top of the strings, same thing with my MIM Tele and Strat, but is nicely rounded.

I don't mind the setup stuff, I always adjust guitars to my liking, but the not so tight neck joint forces me to rate a 7 here, just seems "cheap".

I don't play live or gig, but I wouldn't use a backup because this is my best guitar right now.

Seems very reliable, WAY more so then my MIM Tele. The hardware seems quite good, will definately last longer then the finish. The finish is thin laquer, which is cool for the sound thing, but it won't last. I don't mind at all that it will most like relic in only a few years, it'll look cool.

I'm gonna give it an 8 because of the finish.

Didn't deal with them

Started playing 7 years ago. I started building guitars 6 1/2 years ago, and focused more on that as I got better at building guitars, but I would like to get back into playing more right now. I own a Fender Pro Junior amp, MIM Tele and a MIM Strat, Northwood MJ-60HM.

If it were stolen or lost, I would first have to save the money, then probably replace it, maybe try a different color for something new.

I love the finish and the price for being made in the USA, I don't like how the neck plates aren't stamped, that would've looked cool.

I was comparing this guitar to the MIM Classic Series 50's Strat, which costs more money. I figured if I'm gonna pay this amount for a new guitar, it should be of a good quality. I actually saw one of the MIM Classic Serieas 50's Strats, along with the American Vintage '57 RI Strat. Both actually looked kinda cheesy with the aged plastic parts and stuff, and the MIM's neck finish looked cheap, so I was sold on the Highway 1 Stratocaster.

What I really wish this guitar had was a hardtail option, I hate tremolos.

Overall this is a great guitar for the money, alot of the MIM series guitars cost more, like almost $200 more, and this is probably a WAY better guitar for the money, COOL finishes too. I give this guitar an overall rating of 9, there were a few thing that just seemed "cheap", but overall a GREAT guitar for the money.

Don't think this needs repeating.

For the money you will not get a better Strat sound. In fact, if you do want a better sounding Strat, you'll have to go buy a pre-CBS. I've been playing them since the late 70's. Strats must be played through a good tube amp though. The Strat is only half the recipe. It's the combination that brings out the magic. I use a Hot Rod Deluxe. A marriage made in heaven. Thde bridge pup as on all Strats is a bit weak so I've put in a Dimarzio HS-2: It's only slightly louder than the others so it doesn't overwhelm them yet is a humbucker.

The neck is perfect. The body finish is thin and chips easily but I'm sure it allows the wood to resonate properly. The steel bridge pieces contribute quite a bit to the classic Strat sound too even though they can feel loose and cheap. That's the irony here. These cheaper features make for a better sound.

Strats last. The finish on mine is getting scratched and chipped already after 9 months but that's a cosmetic issue. A Strat is the only guitar I'd use to cover all bases on a gig.

Never tried

Playing 30 or so years. I'd buy another. This is the Strat to buy and it's the cheapest US model. It nails the original sound and plays great. Once you've got into Strats you realise why so many great players use them: They allow your character to come through better than any other guitar and can sound clean and thin to the heaviest metal sound.

I assume it's a 2003 model.
22 frets.
Cocoa Transparent finish.
Normal strat controls.
H/S/S pickup configuration.
Alder body.
Maple Neck.
Rosewood Fretboard.
Came with a Deluxe Fender Gig-Bag.

Overall, pretty standard, which is good... Everything I need, nothing I don't.

I play metal, I try jazzy stuff from time to time. Despite what has been said by others, this strat handles metal just fine. This has got to be one of the most versatile guitars ever made (in the price range, anyway). I can go from a SRV sound to a Dimebag Darrell sound with just a flick of the pickup selector switch. The cleans are amazing, and the distortion is good, even through my crappy Peavey practice amp. Things can only improve once I get a better amp.

The action is a bit off, and the stock strings are a bit too light for me. Considering the huge climate change between Corona California and Calgary Alberta, I expected this to happen. I've yet to take the guitar to the local shop to have it adjusted, and it still plays great. There is some fret buzz, but I'm not that picky.

I LOVE the finish on this guitar! I have no idea if it does anything for the sound like Fender claims it does, but I don't care. It's beautiful!

Overall, the guitar is damn solid! Sure, the finish is thinner than most, but that'll make it look "vintagy" in no time, which is a plus in my book. This thing will last quite a while.

I don't know if this falls under customer support or not, but I really appreciated all the documentation that came with the guitar. I got absoloutly nothing with my Ibanez (low-end GAX series), and I was completely blown away when I got this puppy! It actually tells you how to care for the thing! It tells you how to adjust the truss rod! etc.... Plus it came with a nifty Fender bumper sticker and a "Highway 1" sticker *nerd laugh*!

I won't give this category a rating... I just wanted to bring this up somewhere.

I've only been playing for a year, so, don't put too much weight on this review. BUT, I still can tell that this is a good guitar! Would I buy it again if it were stolen? I didn't buy it in the first place, it was my birthday present.... so, I dunno. I might actually want to step up a bit on the Fender ladder for the hell of it, but, again, I dunno.

I compared this guitar to the S/S/S Highway 1 strat, an Ibanez RG of some kind, a Gibson SG Special, and some ESP. I choose this over the S/S/S strat because it has a humbucker in the bridge. It was better than the RG in almost every way possible, except for the amount of frets. It beat out the SG mainly because of price, and the ESP I tried just plain sucked.

Anyway, great guitar. Buy it.

- 2002 Model
- 22 frets
- Solid Alder body with Cocoa Transparent satin laquer finish
- maple neck with rosewood fingerboard
- usual Strat controls and pickup configuration though the middle pickup is not reverse-wound so position 2 & 4 on the 5-way switch do not offer hum-cancelling
-vintage style bridge and tremelo

I had a Mexican Strat which I traded in on this and I can really notice a difference in the sound. I don't know if this makes sense, but it sound more like a Stratocaster should, IMHO. It is higher quality and I'm sure the difference is in the pickups. The Mexican was a fine guitar but this one is a step or two up the Fender ladder. I like a clean sound with a touch of chorus or flange and reverb. At that it does quite well. Nice and bright. It sounds okay through my 50 watt amp and does all I can ask of it. It's no shredder by any means (but that's why I bought my acoustic) (just kidding!)It is at home in any type of music except really heavy stuff.

The action was too low and had some buzzing from the factory, and it came with 09-42 strings. I think I'll move up to 10-46 D'Addario's come string change time. There was some sloppy problems at the neck joint to the body. It was marked in one area (though cleanable) and under the end of the neck was some left over adhesive or something. This is supposed to be a superior Made in the USA guitar. My Mexican Strat was finished better than this one. It is a Highway 1 model and maybe it's just a cast-off that didn't quite live up to the more expensive American Strat. It's okay but they could have inspected it a little closer. After all, I may be a custom shop customer some day and my previous experiences count when I decide who to buy from.
The satin lacquer finish was well done and I love the grain of the wood underneath. Something about how it looks screams "classic"
I did stupidly put it in the stand I used for the polyester finished Mexican Strat and it took 3 bites out of the finish. But that was my own dumb move and it doesn't affect the guitar in any way except make it more mine! I did go out right away and got a stand that wouldn't react with the finish. I would suggest that any buyers do the same.

I play live with it. My back-up is currently an acoustic. I probably should go out when I get some coin to get myself a back-up. And I will. I think I would use my old Strat which I traded for this one as a back-up. The finish over time will show it's age and get marked up a bit I'm sure, but I'll just have to be careful, that's all.

No dealings at this time with Fender but I have owned 3 of their products and have been satisfied.

If this were lost or stolen I'd probably get something with a more durable finish. I'd probably step up to an American Strat.

I do wish I'd known more about the finish before I set it down, but "live and learn". I have been playing off and on for 30 years, some of them on bass.

I love the look, the feel and the pride of ownership.

Enjoy your music. I do and nothing puts a big smile on my face like getting on the Strat and plugging it in! Well, almost nothing. There are those other things ;)

Last years model, in Cocoa transparent and rosewood fretboard. Its nothing too special. A very basic strat, but the 3 single coil pickups have a good amount of versitility, esspecially when it comes to a clean sound.

Again its a strat, it has its limitations, but it does everything a strat does. Great for that bluesy sound, or for that matter funk, jazz, some rock styles. A good strat adds a lot of versitility to a collection. Personally I prefer the humbucker sound for most applications, but the strat finds its place

This is where the guitar comes up a little short. The bridge seems a little cheap. A couple of the saddles are on the loose side, and I had a tough time getting the old strings out when I put on new strings. There is some fretbuzz in some places, but the action is kind of low, so it might just need an adjustment.

This wouldn't be my primary gigging guitar, but I wouldn't be a afraid of playing with this one live. Its a strat, it can take a beating.

I got a good deal on this guitar, so I'm happy about that. I paid about the price of a new mexican strat for a new american made strat, so I'm satisfied. The guitar isn't really special in any way, its just a utilitarion beater that can produce some nice tones.

2002 Highway 1 Strat
Made in USA
22 frets
Volume, tone, tone (wired like mexican made strats- front tone control effects neck pickup, rear tone effects middle pickup, bridge pickup has no tone control.
Pickup routing is s-s-h not h-s-h as some advertisement states.
Passive electronics
Alder body, maple neck with rosewood fretboard.
Thin laquer finish
vintage style bridge
Tuners are identical to pre-staggered American Standard tuners.

Great for blues, jazz, pop rock, 80's stuff
Amp used: Recent Fender Vibrolux Reverb.
Pedals used: Teese RMC 1 Wah, Boss CS-2, Ibanez TS-9 (with Analogman mod), Pro Co Rat, Boss CE-2, Boss DM-3.
The middle pickup is not reverse wound so there is no hum cancelling feature in positions 2 and 4. The pickups have a decent vintage tone, relatively low output but with a snappy typical strat tone. The are somewhat darker/ less bright than my two American Standard Strats but still sound pretty good. Like most strats, the bridge pickup is a little too brittle and weak sounding to my ears.
Even though I like the pickups a litte less than those on American Standard, this guitar has a more resonate quality than any American Standard I have played. This is perhaps due to the lighter finish (which I don't really care for) and the vintage style bridge (which I now like more than the newer American Standard 2 point bridge.

Once I got this guitar home I immediately replaced the .009 gauge strings with a .010 set and set it up appropriately. It now plays better than either of my other strats. The neck pocket seemed to be as good as any other strat I have seen and overall, it plays nicely and seems to have been put together well.

This guitar can handle anything any other strat can with the exeption of the finish. It is a thin satin laquer finish that chips and peels easily, so if you are rough with your guitars and like them to look like new this may be a factor to consider. Fender claims this finish will age gracefully but as they have only used it a year or so, who knows.
The hardware is of good quality (with the exception of the bridge, it is the same as an 90's Am Std strat). The strap buttons on mine were a little loose so I took them off, put toothpicks in the holes, and replaced them with schaller strap lock buttons.
Overall, this is a dependable, gig worthy guitar at a great price especially if you find one used. Otherwise you might look for a used Am Std for about the same price as a new Hwy 1.).
I probably wouldn't gig without a backup just because I panic way too easily, but if were to gig with just this guitar, you could depend on it as much as any other.

Never dealt with Fender.

I have been playing for 17 years and have owned 8 Fender Strats. Strats are quirky. Each one has its own strengths and weakness. Overall, the Hwy 1 Strat is a great value. It is American made and very similar to other US made Fenders. The only areas where it seems to fall a little short for me is the wood quaility and the electronics. Both are certainly acceptable but they could have been a little better, but for the money, I can live with it. The grain on the neck is a little less than pretty, but it plays great. The pickups seem a little weaker than what I am used to and I don't really care for the wiring (no tone pot for the bridge pickup). One cool thing I do like is that when you roll back the volume, the sound doesn't seem to get muddy.
But its a really good solid guitar that plays really well and sounds pretty good at a reasonable price for a slab of wood with a neck and pickups screwed to it.

You already know the basic features of a Strat even if you don't own one: three single coil pickups, two tone pots (neck and middle), and a master voulume control, as well as a vintage tremelo system. Mine is the new fangled 'transparent cocoa' finish, which is very nice, with a rosewood fretboard. Comes with a gig bag, but i got myself a Hiscox case at the same time so i've never used it.

Fantastic range of sounds from these pickups, from 60s raspy snarl with the tone pots on 10, to smooth melodious tones on the neck pickup with little treble. These pickups are noisy, especially the middle pickup, and especially when you get within a few feet of the amp (i play it through a dust ridden Fender M80 from the dark ages but you still get this problem through other amps). I play a variety of styles - rock, indie, heavy metal, blues - and this guitar matches my versatility with great sounding clean tones as well as fantastic clarity and thick sound when i'm rockin' out. Stays nicely in tune, i've played half hour sets without the tuning shifting at all. I shopped around for a while before falling for this beauty, and these are the finest sounding single coils with the greatest range of tones for the money.

Had to bring the action down a lot, but that's just the way i like my guitars set up. The finish looks great, but has sustained a few scratches and a chip on the back very easily, but i don't mind, it's for playing, not for looking at. The neck's exceptionally comfortable to play, just the perfect curvature with a darn smooth finish that makes running up the neck a doddle.

It's been gigged a few times, it's rock solid, as reliable as Canadian bands are crap, i never bother with a backup for smaller gigs and it's great. No complaints in this department.

Never had to deal with them, don't expect to.

My only complaints are the noisy pickups, and the fact that i've still got polyethene in the tone pots from when i bought it, but that's my fault, really. Oh, and could do with a proper hard case with it, so you don't have to buy one. If you want a Strat and don't like the price tag on the American Series, then don't even think about a Mexican one, buy this beast, you won't regret it.

Thie Strat was made in 2003 and is American made. It has 22 frets and has the Blond Satin finish. The pick-up are reissue single coil vintage with stagged posts. Has the maple neck and vintage bridge.
It came with a very nice gig bag. I was not disappointed with this purchase.

I play Blues, Jazz, R & B, Funk, and Rock and it feels all my needs.
I play it through and Fender Deluxe Reverb and a Fender Deville and my peddle board has a Cry-Baby Wah Wah, Roto-vibe, Tube screamer, Boss compression pedal, and a Boss chourus pedal. It sounds great but is noisy when you raise the gain or sustain on the peddles. Typical for a single coil p/u set-up but wouldn't trade it in for anything.
Its on the bright side but that's what a maple neck does. When switching the pick-ups you find out that each one has its own tone. it sounds great!!! Very happy with the sound of this guitar.

Both the action and the set-up were suprisenly great. I always have my guitars set-up after buying them but didn't have to do that with this guitar. I use 11 guage strings and it helps with the tone!!!
Their were no flaws what so ever on this guitar.

I already have 2 others strats and I'm sure that this one will last just like the others.
I love the satin finish. I would not need a back-up with this guitar.
it will do the job.

Have never had to deal with them.

I have been playing for 8 years and own a total of 10 guitars and 5 amps. If it were stolen i would waste no time to buy another. I love everything about the guitar and have no dislikes about it. What I like most about the guitar is the sounds you get when you switch pick-ups.

Brand new 2003.
Made in U.S.A.
Solid alder body.
22 Med jumbo frets.
Maple neck, 9.5 radius, 25.5 scale.
Volume, tone 1 (neck) & tone 2 (bridge/middle). (white)
3 vintage style single coil Strat pick ups with staggered poles, alnico magnets.
Vintage style syncronized tremolo.
5 position pick up switch.
Chrome hardware.
3-ply pick guard. W/B/W.
Honey blonde color, satin lacquer finish.
Original headstock and body shape.
Deluxe gig bag.

Suits my needs to a "T".
Use it for blues, jazz and some lighter rock/pop material. U2, Stones, etc.)
I play through a Peavey Bandit II with 112SX extension cabinet.
Also in there are BOSS delay, flanger, chorus and EQ pedals.
It hums a bit, but don't they all? Unless you have noiseless p/u's.
It sounds great. From rich/full to thin twang.
Several different sound variations. Use your pick up switch and tone knobs to see what I mean.
I don't have any dislikes as it's a Strat and does what a Strat should and sounds like a Strat should.

Guitar came in pristine condition.
For me, the action was perfect.
Pick ups adjusted 100% to my satisfaction.
Finish is unreal. It is perfect. Really nice Honey blonde color and satin lacquor finish.
Can not see any flaws. No joke!

I think this guitar will LAST....
No doubt the finish is thinner than most, but big deal. It will make it look that much more like a classic.
Dependable? Yes.

Dealt with Fender before.
No problems.

I've been playing for 15 years now.
I've also got a Peavy Wolfgang.
Play through Peavey Bandit II with 112SX extension.
I checked out several guitar, even more pricey Strats. Didn't miss anything.
If lost or stolen, I'd re-invest in another one.
I love the sound and feel.
Feels like an extension of myself.

22 medium-jumbo frets, alder body, maple neck/rosewood fretboard, S/S/S w/5-way switching, vintage-style 6-screw vibrato (yay!). Just the way a Strat ought to be. That's enough tone possiblilties for me, but there ought to be a tone control for the bridge pickup (I fixed that on mine, though, read on). Guitars are like tools - if you need a different one, get one - don't use a screwdriver for a prybar. Strats do what Strats do, but that's a LOT. It's the crescent wrench of guitars - it fits most music. Laquer (!) transparent green finish, WBW pickguard (ho-hum). The tuning keys are good, but I switched to Schaller locking to help keep it in tune (good for ANY vibrato system). I own other guitars for the jobs a Strat can't do, but this is my 'workhorse' guitar. If I could only own one guitar, it would be a Stratocaster. I bought this one with the intent of getting into an American Strat cheap, and changing it as I went along. It's perfect for a tinkerer like me !

I play blues mostly, some rockabilly, and some rock. Using this guitar with a '65 reissue Deluxe Reverb, a BF Vibro Champ, a Marshall JCM-900 50w dual reverb combo, and an Ampeg J12T. The stock tones are, well, stock Strat. The bridge pickup was too sharp for me, and the others were a bit weak (again, for me) - I like a good tube growl when the guitar is turned up, and want it to clean up some when turned down. I also wanted versatility, so I sold the stock pickups and bridge, and put in Lindy Fralin SP42's AND a Fishman Powerbridge. I used stacked pots, so now I have one master volume, a tone control for each pickup, and the onboard Fishman Powerchip preamp, and didn't have to do any cosmetic changes to the front of the guitar! It sounds warm now, and gritty when turned up, but cleans up as much as I like it if I turn it down. The Powerbridge is waycool for pseudo-acoustic tones. If you listen from another room, you'd swear the single-coil pickups were P-90's. Twang ? No...that'd be my Nashville Power Tele, but the stock pickups are perfect if you like a "regular old Strat tone". Heck, I played it in the music store, so I knew what I was getting into before I bought it...don't you do that, too ?

No complaints at all here. When I stripped it to do the pickup work, though, I found some factory production control paper stickers under the neck at the body joint...paper sustain damping, in my opinion. I removed 'em to advantage regarding sustain. With a screw-on neck, sustain is the weak point of Fenders anyway...why would the factory not consider this ? I like the nitrocellulose laquer finish idea, but I'm not sold on the tonal characteristics thing on a solid-body, and the finish is delicate - a strange choice for a guitar that's not cosmetically stunning to begin with. That said, it IS a vintage vibe. I think as long as the finish is solid (read: not enamel or urethane), you can't hear the difference. Anyway, I really don't care as I want a custom finish anyway, so my intent was always to get it redone. Except for the neck joint paper, the factory did an outstanding job on fit and finish!

Aside from the delicate nitrocellulose finish, Strats are tanks. As long as you don't smash it or immolate it, it should offer years of trouble-free service in conditions that would give a semi-hollow or hollowbody player nightmares (ya really wanna play that L-5 outdoors on a foggy evening?). And if something should break, parts are cheap and plentiful. And talk about variety...it's the small-block Chevy of guitars - EVERYONE makes Strat parts from plastic to pickups. There's no glue joint/dovetail/resetting for the neck - if you step on it and break it, as long as you can operate a screwdriver, just bolt on a new one and do a setup. Try that with your ES-XXX or Ric !

Never had to deal with Fender directly. Maybe their service guys are like the Matag repairman...

Been playing on and off since 1970...was sidelined for a while with carpal tunnel. I also own a Mexican Nashville Tele, a '60 ES-125 TD, a Les Paul Classic DC w/p-90's, and a Gold Tone ES Banjitar. Amps are listed above; I also use a Pandora PX-4. Various stomp box effects...TS-9, MXR Blue Box, MXR Super Comp, EH Octaver, Boss DD-5, Boss PW-10, Mutron III, and Toneworks Realtube rackmount. I'd definitely buy another Hwy One if mine were lost/stolen, and may do so anyway for another project guitar. What do I love/hate about it? It's a great vintage vibe with the combination of features. I liked it before I modded it; I love it now. Again, I played it before I bought it...don't you do that? Actually, though, the fingerboard is a little flat-radiused for me. I bought it because I used to have a Strat years ago, and wanted another, but knew what I wanted to do with it. You can always mod it some to suit you...witness: Clapton, Knopfler, Malmsteen, Holly, Valens, Vaughan, Johnson, Hendrix, Guy, Lofgren, et al. If you want to get into a great US-made Strat cheap, buy a Highway One, you won't go wrong!