Fender Highway 1 Strat

It has all of the standard features you get from an American made Strstocaster. 22 frets, volume, 2 tone, 5-way selector, S/S/S, standard tuners. I dont see why you would need any more.

I play the blues, and this guitar is all that anyone needs to play the blues. It sounds great into any amp. I use a little 15 watt solid state amp and it still sounds good. It is a little noisy when the amp is on distortion. Other than that it is a great sounding guitar.

I really cant coment on this because i am one of those people who just finds a good guitar and plays it without worrying about the settings or the amp or the effects.

I would definetley use this guiter in a gig without a backup(i dont have another guitar!) I dont see any problems with durability so i dont see a problem.

CRAP!!! fender wont help you with anything but if you buy it from guitar center they are pretty god with it.

Again all i play is blues going guitar-cable-amp and it works great. if i lost it...how do you lose a guitar??? but if you steal it i would be watching my back at all times because i will hunt you down, severely beat you, take my guitar back, and steal yours(just a thought!) I love this guitar. great.

It's just a Strat so you know what it looks like and if you wanna know more just check the fender site.
Oh yeah, i have the cool red see through color
I'm giving this guitar a 9 in features because it's all there and i like the color.

Well, its a Strat so you can play almost anything with it. I usually play punk and hardcore and stuff like that, but i also play grunge on it and it can also handle blues really good. I don't play jazz so i can't rate that but its probably possible. I use a Randall RG75 amp but i tried a lot of other amps (soon i'll buy an Line 6 Vetta II) and the guitar sounds great on any amp.
When I went to the store to buy a new guitar i actually wanted a Splattercaster (cause they look cool) but when i compared it to this baby there wasn't any doubts. I also compared it to other strats (U.SA.) but they didn't had that warm smooth sound this guitar has. A few days ago i compared it to an deluxe strat (or something like that) and that guitar sounded just weak and shrill compared to my strat (the other guitar was 1400 euro!!)
I think this is the best guitar there is, and maybe there are better strats but they are way more expensive.

I read the other reviews and those people saying that the paintjob is bad are just stupid. ITS SUPPOSED TO LOOK THIS WAY!! and i like it because it looks really vintage.
I won't judge the action because that's just personal.
When i first got the guitar the pick-ups were too close to the strings and that made a weird vibrating sounds (only when amplified) it sounded a bit like it was out of tune (but it wasn't that) so i lowered the pick-ups and now i dont have any problems with it anymore.
And just because it looks great i gave this one a 9 too!

I've played several times live with it and that was just great (except for the strings that broke) from now on i wil always have a backup just because i abuse the strings once in a while.
Hardware and stuff looks fine to me but i only got it about a year so i'm not sure.
The finish is great!! The paint will come of very fast and every dent is clearly visible but i like that! makes me think of the guitar of SRV!
Strap buttons sucked so i put straplocks on it but i always do that with guitars.

i haven't dealed with Fender so i can't say anything about that.
I still have warranty (1 year) but i don't think i'll bu needing it.

I've played about 6 years and next year i'll probably go to an academy of music so i'm pretty serious about guitarplaying. I love this guitar and if anyone steals it i will hunt him down and in the time before i got my guitar back i would buy another one. I recently heard that the highway's are build in mexico and put together in America so that would make it an Mexico Strat but i don't care cause my guitar sounds great! (maybe i just got lucky and other highways suck, i don't know...)
oh yeah, one strange thing about the guitar: the bridge pick-up doesn't have a tone control. (usually there is one tone control for the middle and bridge pickup) Maybe I'll fix that but i don't really use tone control on the bridge because i like the sound already!
to sum it up: great guitar!!

Squiers and Mexicans aren't up to much so when I saw this at #399 (about $800), I went for it. Interestingly, I tried two Cocoa HS exactly the same- consequetive numbers and they both felt and sounded exactly the same - I did a blindfold test in the back room and failed! I went for a slightly better maple pattern! You know the specs so I won't bore you.

The only gripe is the pick-ups. Very Ally McBeal (thin), I raised them to the max too. I use an 83 US Standard Hard tail and the HS pickups just don't compare, I have to turn the bass up. They also hum a bit too- more than my No. 1. I use a GT6 so amps really don't matter! I'm about to replace the pick ups with Texas specials- if they don't work I'll use some 83 standard pick ups I have spare.
Someone told me Texas Specials can be a bit lacking in top end.

Cocoa is ok. The band boys like it, but I've always wanted an all white one so its at the decorators as we speak! My had a good couple dings after one month and its my number 2.

Its an American strat with 'thin' pick ups. At #399 a real bargain. From Sam's in Derby.

N/A

Been playing 25 years. Had to retire ny Gibson Les Paul (Ex Steve Jones Sex Pistols), it sits under the bed! Use three Strats now (see above), and an SRV. Its a good work horse strat, but I'm not sure about that terminology - surely you want play something a bit special? I wonder if I should've gone for a Telecaster now!

2004 USA Highway 1 Strat, 22 frets, S/S/S "vintage" Fender pickups, tobacco sunburst alder body with maple/maple neck/fretboard, vintage-style tremolo, modern sealed tuners, 25.5" scale. Fender includes a gig bag, but I paid extra for a case instead. The rolled-edge fretboard feels wonderful.

All the typical features of a Strat, which add up to a very flexible guitar, thus I'm giving it an "8". It would be nice if they included strap locks and a case - and I also really like the slotted backplate Fender uses on some Squiers (lets you adjust the claw screws without removing the backplate), but I'm happy.

I think this will be great for blues and classic rock. I have a stable of fine Jacksons for metal. I use this with my Tech 21 Trademark 10, which I sometimes run through a Marshall 1960A 4x12 cab. It sounds like a classic Strat. It does offer some piercing feedback sometimes (sounds microphonic). I like the sound, but I'm getting used to it. It doesn't have near the sustain that I'm used to, but it's not really fair to compare this to my neck-through Jackson with EMGs. I'm reminding myself that I didn't buy this for metal. Nevertheless, I think I'll replace at least the bridge pickup with a DiMarzio Virtual Vintage, as the soundclip for the Virtual Vintage Blues on DiMarzio's web site sounds the way I want this to sound. I also may get GraphTech String Saver saddles for it, as they are said to improve sustain, and they appear to have flush adjustment screws that won't poke my picking hand like the Fender screws do (these are nowhere near as sharp as the screws on my Squier Strat's bridge though)

Wonderful setup. Nice low action, floating trem, no rough edges on any frets, tight neck pocket. I'll give Fender all the credit for this, because the store where I bought it doesn't seem to employ anyone to set up guitars.

The finish is flawless for what it is. I like the satin look and the thin finish. I like that the wood can breathe, and the finish will age. I hope to relic this baby out over the years. I'm not crazy about the slight "orange peel" texture. I might take some 0000 steel wool to it to smooth it out, then go over it with a cleaner wax, swirl remover and polish, but that's just because I can never leave well enough alone. I have to personalize my stuff.

When I bought this, I could choose between this ($669 w/hardshell case) or a USA Strat Deluxe ($999 with hardshell case). Both were tobacco sunburst S/S/S configuration, with maple/maple necks. The differences between the two looked like mostly fluff to me (Deluxe had shiny finish, abalone inlays, S1 switching system, which will probably be superceded next year or so - remember Vintage Noiseless Pickups? Lace Sensors? the list goes on)

This thing is heavy, solid and built to last. The finish may well wear off. It already had a ding in it when I bought it brand new from the store (I live in a small town - they had a total of 1 to choose from). I hope the finish does wear off. I love seeing those worn-looking Strats, like the one Kenny Wayne Shepherd has. I think I could depend on this. Though I'm used to Floyds, this vintage-style trem stays in tune very well.

Never dealt with 'em.

I've been playing for over 20 years. I have 7 electric guitars (4 Jacksons, 1 Kramer, 1 Squier Strat, 1 Highway 1 Strat), 3 amps, a few effects, etc. If this were lost or stolen, I'd be interested in getting another just like it. I enjoy it. I had a beautiful Fender Custom Shop Strat with a gorgeous cherry sunburst (my favorite color) flame maple top, flame maple neck, pearloid pickguard, etc., that I never felt comfortable playing. It was like driving a Cadillac. Not as much fun as a VW, IMO. I love the stripped-down aesthetic this guitar has. It's a player, and that's just what I wanted. I think it was so cool of Fender to offer this at a reduced price, instead of calling it vintage and jacking up the price, like they do on their Closet Classics and Relics. This is just what I wanted. A quality USA Strat with the important stuff included and the frills left out. Thanks, Fender!

2002 fender highway strat, 22 medium frets, 3 single coils, red color... well the normal strat ;)

To be honest i was really dissapointed. I really like players like Stevie Ray Vaughan, Eric Clapton, Deep Purple... And the guitar just doesn't fit disorted sound at ALL! I'm using a Marshall 60w Valve combo, so i guess the disortion is ok (as it is with an ibanez rg). ;)
You can play Hendrix, you can play clean stuff, you can play Clapton, you can vary alot... But geez, never use disortion with it! Buzzing, no basses, nu full sound, no middle tones... i guess it's just the pickups.

i didn't have to do anything. just plugged in and played. :)

i can depend on it. definately. it's solid, the strap buttons are also solid. the hardware seems to be a bit... well i don't really depend on it. ;) i wouldn't play it on a gig without backup. i wouldn't even play it on a gig because i play metal and rock... :P

It's ok for playing Clapton and Hendrix and stuff like that, but you won't get any full sound with disortion. no middle tones, no bass tones. just treble. i guess it's just the cheap pickups. except this, the guitar is a real fender stratocaster! if it was stolen i would buy a les paul. :P

I have just recently purchased a 2003 Highway Strat in Honey Blonde.
It's as stock, the shop had a factory soiled model knocked down to 330 pounds, So I thought I would check it out. Having purchased an Ibanez SA220fm a few days earlier and not really getting on with it I exchanged it for the strat which I must say it the best thing I've done.

My main musical style is Blues and Blues/Rock.
Anything from the late great Stevie Ray vaughan to Gary Moore and the one and only Peter Green.
My amp model of choice is a Fender Deluxe 90 Dsp. I am using an Ibanez tubescreamer in the way SRV used one mainly as a boost for the overdrive, I have all the EQ on 5 on both channels I also use a Jim Dunlop Wah-Wah.
I find that this gives me a very good SRV sound. The sound is very raw and edgey and not as smooth as other strats I have tried and I find this suits me well

I have had to raise the action on a couple of the strings and tighten the springs in the back as I prefer the bridge to sit flush on the body I find this helps give a bit more sustain. The pickups are fine and I have not had any trouble with it or any other Fender guitars that I have owned in the past.

I currently use it as my main guitar in church as it's lighter in weight than my Gibson Les Paul, and at the moment suits the sounds and tones that I am listening to on cd and on videos. I have not put any strap locks on it yet but the strap buttons on the guitar are very sturdy.

I have phoned Fender europe on many times over the past few months mainly to enquire about amps and guitars that I have been looking at and I have found them to be helpful everytime.

I have been playing guitar for about 12 years now and I have owned many guitars from Gibson to PRS to Fender and Ibanez.
I sold my Gibson Les Paul Special and my Mexican strat to purchase a PRS late last year thinking that it would give me all I needed sound and tone wise. But I was wrong I took it back to Andertons in Guildford and exchanged it for my current Gibson LP standard in Trans-Amber, which looks very much like Peter Greens Gibson that Gary Moore now owns.
But I am now glad to own a Gibson and a Fender again as I find this covers a very wide spectrum of musical genres.

Being a very fussy musician and striving for my perfect sound I am always looking at changing my gear every now and then, but this time I can honestly say I have got everything I want at the moment

2002. Made in USA. 22 frets, s/s/s, etc.
Candy red, translucent finish, looks great!!

I started playing blues, then rock and now I am playing metal.
With the Fender, I heard that they can sound like a piano. Just put a set of 10's fender nickel coated super bullet strings and try playing the fat E near the 12 - 14th fret (clean) and you will start believing in Fender.

The bridge pickup can be a bit noisy at times, but the neck can be quite the opposite. Just dont get the pickups too close to the strings.

I read many reviews about the strat having cheap pups and not sounding close to the les paul. but those guys did not obviously try the strat with the Boss MT2 Metal Zone pedal. I almost started searching for a LP when I decided to try the MT2. Man, was i glad I did. I got the Metallica sound I was trying so hard to get for almost 4 months. That's because Boss MT2 (and other boss products) are made by Roland and Kirk uses a Roland's $700 Multi-effects pedal.

Its an 8 because the finish can be easily damaged even while placing the guitar back in the hard case. Get an all plastic guitar case not one with aluminum border.

But, its supposed to hold the sustain for a long time. Dont know about that much.

Ok, my previous guitar was a kramer. One day, I read about intonation and decided to play around with the saddles. Big mistake. The kramer never got back to its original sound. There were fret buzzes and rattles.

but on the fender, I have done everything except take out the pickguard. No rattles, no buzzes, no change in intonation. Tuning just holds and holds.

Bought it from ebay, so not expecting much support.

I have been playing for an year now.
Fender Highway 1 --> BOSS MT2 Metal Zone ---> MARSHALL MG10CD.

If it were lost, I would definetely buy another one. Its priced right in the range of affordable excellent guitars. I compared it to epiphone & Gibson SG. But, at that time, I was playing only clean and not distorted.

It's a basic Strat so you know what to expect. The only unusual feature is the satin ( low cost ) finish. The neck also has rolled edges which is a great feature as it improves the feel dramatically.
I have to rate it as 8 as for an off the wall guitar it is hard to beat for vesatility.

I wanted a strat to play hendrix tunes on but since buying this i have sadly neglected my collection of other guitars because this thing, despite it's low cost, is so addictive and versatile.
I play through good quality valve amps and the strat shines through with clarity and superb response. The low output of the single coils makes me play in an entirely different and more controlled way. It has converted me to a believer in clean distortion ( no i'm not talking shit here ) in the syle of Pete Townsend, Jimi hendrix and Tony McPhee. If i want heavy saturation i opt to ( carefully ) kick in my Zvex Fuzz factory.

Lets face it the finish keeps the cost down but it is very nice to the feel and lets the wood resonate well. Acoustically this guitar is very vibrant. In my hands it will wear badly and look something akin to Rory Gallaghers strat in a few years but if you don't mind this ( like me ) great, if it is a problem get a refin in a few years time.
The action was medium to high but this suits my taste. As an experiment i did lower the action and got horrible fret buzz so if you are a fan of low action you may need a set up to get you going.
The rolled fingerboard was an absolute delight, well done fender.
The frets are not perfectly finished and you could feel some scratchiness whilst bending when new but after extensive playing the strings smooth this out through friction wear. Once again if your a sort of sensitive player you may have to have this addressed before your happy.
Pickups, can't fault them, superb.

Same basic constuction as my only other bolt on an ibanez Jem which has been abused in my possesion for the past 15 yrs without incident and probably the most robust make up for guitar. Just watch Pete Townsend or Jimi hendrix try to bust one. It takes serious abuse before extinction. This guitar will only break if you are intent on doing such.

no idea

For half a grand this is the best you can get if you are after a strat type guitar. For the price asked it is perfect.

2002 model Highway 1, teal green, 22 medium jumbo frets,3 single coil pickups, vintage bridge hardware and sealed tuners. This model comes with a gig bag. On the whole, the stock equipment is OK, but anyone looking to make this more than a backup guitar should consider replacing the bridge saddles with a better quality replacement (such as string savers). I did this and was pleasantly surprised at the tuning and sound improvement. The pickups are ok, but noisy.

I've played for 30 years and gigged for the past 25, and I think this would be a nice back-up guitar for an experienced player, and a decent number one guitar for someone new to gigging. The Highway 1 can handle virtually any type of music, but doesn't seem particularly well suited to metal.

This was not one of Fender's better setups from the factory. The intonation was terrible and there were quite a few rough fret ends that had to be filed. The nut was cut rather poorly as well. However, my dealer did correct these problems.

This should be a reliable guitar. There is nothing complicated about the guitar or pickups that should cause a gig meltdown. I don't think the overall quality of the guitar is that of a main guitar, but it's a decent backup. I don't think the finish is going to last very long, but a lot of players like that beaten look.

Fender customer support, contrary to popular belief, is ok. You cannot expect immediate satisfaction, but if you can demonstrate that they have messed up they will correct problems. I did send this guitar back for repair, and while it was not repaired quickly (about 6 weeks altogether)it was repaired. It's better to get your guitars at a shop that you trust, this helps you avoid problem guitars in the first place.

I bought the Highway 1 to take the wear and tear away from more expensive guitars. I have several great Fenders (Strats and Teles), and I have no grudge with the company. This guitar is just OK. If it were stolen I probably wouldn't get another

My hw-1 was made in 2002 i believe. Got it as a local store was closing and stole it. Great wood and neck. S/S/S set up stock fender blah blah blah. Nothing very impressive.

Stock this guitar sounds like crap. Plain and simple. Great body tone, neck woods great, but pups SUCK!!!!! Run mine through a blues deluxe amp, fulltone fulldrive 2 and distortion pro, crybaby classic, and dd-3. No noise cancelling, weak tone. Soooooo, i wired tone controls that the 2nd tone knob controls both mid and bridge pups. Great mod, easy to do. Next, put in van zandts vintage model pups into this, changed the pickguard out and now.... BAM!!!!! This thing sound better than my SRV strat. SRV tone, vintage clapton tone, dire staights, you name it. Absolutly awesome. The finish really helps the axe breath tone. Now my SRV sits under the bed!!!!!! If my SRV was ever stolen, would buy another HW-1 strat and gut it and rebuild it!!!!!

Set up sucked. Spent some time with it, loved and and now truly awesome. Great finish, really breaths tone due to the thinner finish. Neck feels broke in, but thinking about taking 0000 steel wool and removing the finish from the back. Oh, and fender should keep the frets from getting finished when they finish the necks.

Love this guitar!!!!!! Everyone who has heard my SRV and this together love the tone of the HW-1!!!!! I leave the SRV under the bed, collecting dust. Very dependable, no problems structure wise. Had a problem with the pickups not picking up the high e string well. Replaced pickups with Van Zandts vintage pups, totally smokes!!!!!

Here is my beef. Had a falty pup in the bridge, would not pick up the high e. Took it to a authorize fender repair place, they ordered the replacement pup, 6 months later, still no pick up!!!!!! Thank God I put in Van Zandts, other wise would not have a playable strat.

I have been playing for 13 years, and this is the best sounding strat i have. I love it!!! If it were stolen i would buy another and put in van zandts again!!!! The neck is great. Like a womans hand you know really well, just feels right. I would give it higher markes, but the service thing bothers me.

2002 US Series "Hwy 1 HSS" Stratocaster:


22 beautifully dressed and polished med/large frets on maple "rolled edge" board; Ping sealed tuners; two Elite/Deluxe style string retainers on headstock. The neck is maple with rosewood fret board; is the same as all the modern American Series, American Standard, etc., Fenders; satin poly finished; C shape; Walnut finish; S/S/H pickups; Fender standard (Mex i suspect) single coils and atomic Humbucker.

Good sound but the single coils are noisy and lack punch; not good enough for a Guitar in this class and are badly matched to the humbucker.
I have a behringer ac-112 valve driven modeling amp (fantastic); a Fender frontman practice, crybaby wah.
I play Blues, rock, jazz/country/folk so i need something very flexable.
When i have finished my custom mods it will be perfect.

Factory setup was crap, very cheep asian maid copy's are better; fortunatly the guys i got it from set it up (bridge, neck, frets, nut)for me with 10's and now it plays very well.
the standard wiring and pickups (single coils) are terrible; however i will be fitting 2 kinman 69's and completly rewiring it with the correct pot value's and and a trick mixer setup (www.kinman.com); that will totally transform this axe into a very flexable rig with 7 switchable and mixer ajustable sounds.
The standard humbucker is very good.

Once i have finnished modifying it to fix its problems (mostly electronic and pickups) i expect this to be a very good axe.
I always have a backup axe with me anyway (setup for slide) because i do some slide numbers plus an acoustic for acoustic numbers, i also break a few strings so it would never have only one axe with me.
I don't imagine there would be any problems with this axe.

Fender don't deal with end users, only dealers.

Been playing 27 years, have an ibanez rx (great cheep axe) and a maton acoustic/electric (a wonderfull australian made axe).
Would hunt down thief, kill and dismember then sell body parts to buy another if it were stolen.
I have wanted a US Strat for over 30 years but was never rich enough afford one till now, as an entry level US Strat its a great Guitar despite its shortcomings (understandable for the price)

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.

you have already heard from others. honey blonde/ maple neck very vintage looking... have been told its "pretty"..hey looks are half the battle..

great clean sound through my hot rod deluxe. the overdrive channel is a bit middy sounding and depending upon fine tweaking of the tone controls and the position of the moon i do get a great overdrive sound.positions 2&4 to me suck i mainly play in position 3 seems to get the most out of this guitar

plays fast tunes easy and stays in tune.everything is straight and seems ok so far...

i have used this gigging with no problems yet .its been used for indoor and outdoor shows in summer and winter.. the finish has yet to show wear so maybe i got a good one as for aging we will see where that goes

never had to deal with it

i love mine she has been good to me.. if you buy one get a tube amp to really appreciate the tone of this beauty..and try an after market overdrive unit or put it through an EQ, unless your sound man lets you turn it up to get that sound you want...HEY ITS A FENDER THROUGH AND THROUGH . GOOD ENOUGH FOR JIMI GREAT ENOUGH FOR ME

3 NOISY PICKUPS
CRAPPY FINISH
CHEAP SADDLES
JUNK TUNERS
MEXICAN STANDARDS AND DELUXES ARE BETTER.
AMERICAN SERIES BLOW IT AWAY.

ACTUALLY USED IT TO DEMO SOME PEAVEY TUBE AMP COMBOS AND IT WAS SO FUCKING NOISY ON ALL PICKUP POSITIONS THAT I HAD TO GO GET AN AMERICAN SERIES SO I COULD CHECK OUT THE AMPS WITHOUT ALL THE NOISE THIS THING CREATED.
If you like noisy guitars than this one`s for you. They did a shitty job sheilding the pickups in these but hey, it`s supposed to be a stripped down, affordable American Strat so.....

Not Bad actually but still a cheapo finish that will disintegrate quickly. Again cheapo hardware=cheap price.

I`ll give a seven because it is still a strat.

Fender is OK.

I`ll give it a 5 and that`s being generous.
Too noisy. Tried it with a Peavey Classic 30 and a Delta Blues 2x10 The American series blew it away. Spend the extra cash and get a real strat with a real hardshell case.
This one sucks.

I played several of these in GC and most were beat up pretty bad - this was during the Christmas rush and people were out of control. But I liked the overall sound of most of them and took a chance and ordered it over the net from Sam Ash. Fortunately, mine arrived safe and sound, blue saphire finish, maple fingerboard, straight neck!! Factory setup was not quite to my taste, but not bad. Stays in tune pretty well, even when using the whammy bar.

As some have pointed out, these guitars seem to sound better than many of the more expensive strats out there right now. Is it the lighter finish? The pickups? I dunno, but I think it sounds great.

I was nervous about ordering w/out playing first, but I was very happy with the results. Mine is finished nicely all the way around.

The finish is much lighter than most other strat models. This may contribute to the great sound of the guitar, but it also makes it much more prone to dings. If you're 'anal' about your instruments than this may not be the guitar for you. Hardware seems pretty solid, though.

I play mostly blues/rock/jazz, with the emphasis on blues. I've been playing for about 25 years, sometimes professionally. This is a terrific guitar - a lot of fun. I'd definitely want to replace it if stolen.

Coco Highway 1 Stratocaster
Maple Neck
Old style bridge

The standard set up for this product.

I'm an old guy and in the old days you'd have to plunge through the masses of Strats to find the one to fit your taste. Today is no different except that you have to go through a lot more guitars. They are mostly garbage. Even at the higher prices. Sorry, but that's just way it is. All the mass manufacturing cannot replace quality wood and skilled hands.

The one that I found with a maple neck has a great tone. Very Hendrix-ish on the clean side. Just remember that you need to have these set up for you as opposed to the added few hunderend dollars to do it at the factory. They probably shipped these out the door as fast as possible. "It doesn't have to be perfect" was probably the motto.

But, it sounds great like an old Strat!

Gut renching and horrific. Most of the Highway 1 Stratocasters that I've seen are awful. The necks are bowed, the bridges and tremolos are out of wack. BUT the parts are there and are OK in if you can find a guitar tech that can fix the issues. The necks (especially the maples should be burned and broken in a heap) should be inspected before purchase. Make sure that it's not beyond repair. Thanks for the cheap price though. It would still cost about the same to build your own. Again, the pieces are there, just not put together with love.

The cost cutting finish is a disaster. Very fragile if you want to keep it clean and scratch free, forget it. For you SRV fans, they will definitatly "RELIC-UP" with normal use.

It's a Strat. Hardwarewise - stand on the thing...who cares?

The finish will go to to dogs - but that might be cool for some, although the coco color wasn't nice to look anyway. I bought this guitar because it was cheap and sounded great. It is a great sounding Stratocaster!

Who talks to Fender? It's always the dealer.

Been playing for 20 years. This is a good guitar after some work and care. It is a great sounding axe besides the lack of set up at the factory. If you're looking for a new guitar, you could do a lot worse. It's a pretty solid piece of hardware, especially when late 70's Strats are going so high (EVERYTHING WAS MADE LIKE CRAP IN THE LATE 70'S...SAVE YOUR MONEY!)

With quality guitar prices going through the roof, it's nice to have the opportunity to get the good "stuff" for an affordable price.

Just make sure the neck checks out.

Cheers!

I have a 2002 Highway One I purchased from Guitar Center for $550, that was originally honey blonde. I say originally because I refinished it to a three color sunburst using nitrocellulose lacquer paints from Reranch. Nitrocellulose was used by Fender up until about 1969 and allows the wood to show through on the sunburst coloring. I used about 15 coats of clearcoat nitrocellulose lacquer over the sunburst and sanded that to a very nice shine. I did this to help keep the body from the dings that Highway Ones seem to otherwise accumulate. I replaced the pickups with custom shop 1969 spec pickups. For those of you that have not peeked under the pickguard of your Highway One, the body routing is the same as the 1960's strats. By this I mean that each pickup has its own routed slot in the body. This is in comparison to the Standard American Stratocaster that has one large routed space for all three pickups. Combine the body routing with the six screw bridge on the Highway One (which is what Fender used up until the two screw bridge was developed for the current version of the American Standard)and the Highway One probably has more in common with a 1960's Stratocaster than it does with its 2000 American Standard counterpart. I was trying to take the vintage feel of the Highway One and build upon it so that I ended up with my own version of a Fender reissue, at a fraction of the cost. I also replaced the standard fret markers with pearl dot inlays just for fun. These did not impact the sound or feel of the guitar in any way.

My Highway One sounded good before I made the above described changes and it sounds fantastic now. I play through a Fender 65 Deluxe Reverb Reissue and the combination of this guitar and amp produces a rich, full sound that is perfect for my style of playing which is primarily blues and blues based rock. I have a couple of other Fender guitars that I play (American deluxe telecaster and American Standard Stratocaster) and I consistently find myself migrating to my Highway One. Since both of these other guitars cost me more than my Highway One (inlcuding my modifications) this says a lot about the sound of the Highway One.

The set up to this guitar was good. I had to make some minor adjustments to the string height but nothing that couldn't be done in 30 minutes or less. The neck plays well. It is not as fast a neck as my deluxe telecaster, but it is straight and there is no fret buzz. The guitar came with a very small indent on the contoured side of the body. Because of the refinishing I did, I was able to fill and cover this so it is no longer present. The refinish I put on it has kept it ding free since then. I was not a fan of the original finish and I don't believe that the finish adds to the sound of the guitar. I think the Highway One's vintage tone comes more from the routing of the body and the bridge, both of which are consistent with the earlier stratocasters. My rating reflects the poorer finish, but this is an aspect of the guitar that is plain to see at the time you buy it and so if you are OK with its looks, this should not be a factor (or you can refinish it).

I have owned my Highway One for a year and it stands up well to consistent playing. I am not playing in a band and so I have not gigged with it but I would not hesitate to play it in any situation. I did not like the strap buttons that were on it and so I changed them out to Fender's locking strap buttons. This is a very simple and inexpensive switch and I encourage anyone that plays their Highway One a lot to go ahead and do the same thing. Given the Highway One's soft finish, avoiding the dreaded strap drop is important and strap locks will make sure your Highway One stays on its strap.

Never had any reason to seek repairs. I probably voided the warranty with all my upgrades anyway.

I have been playing for a few years now although I still think of myself only as an intermediate player. I think my ugrades cost around $160-$180 including paint, pickups, strap locks and fret markers. The labor was free because it was me. This means a really good vintage sounding 1960's style strat, which is how I think about my Highway One now, cost me about $700-$740.

I really enjoy playing this guitar and I would hate to lose it. If it were stolen I would buy a good used Highway One and then redo the modifications I've described above. Of course I would have to track down the SOB that took it and beat them for the touble they were causing me.

Well I think that this guitar is a great value. I here the complaints and they are very un researched. Like Ed with the neck comment. I have seen many expensive guitars with bad necks that come from either the factory or the shop handles them badly. I just bought a Highway 1 and to tell you the truth I wanted the Jeff Beck model but I like the tone of this guitar way better. The light finish is for tonal response not a production cost. The guitar has all vintage fender hardware excluding the string trees and the machine heads which imo doesent matter. A string tree is a string tree the guitar doesent know the difference it only can respond to the height. The keys on this guitar are fine. People who complain about keys don't knoe how to properly string a guitar so it will stay in tune or set the intonation. The guitar is great for blues and country not metal or grunge rock. So those who are comparing a fender strat to a les paul should not even own a guitar. I am a blues/rock country guitar player and this is what this guitar is for. I have a 67 fender deluxe reverb black face and just a little boss over drive pedal. thats all you need to get great tone so all you assholes buying the i pod and millions of plastic effects processors get back to basics thats wear the tone is. This is a great guitar and is great for certain styles of music.

Very vintage strat-good blues SRV and Jimmy sounds and sustains well.

Needs a set up and action must be raised but the bridge seemed to be set up very well.

It's a strat will out live me and my grandkids.

Never delt with.

Been playing guitar for almoste 15 years and this is a good guitar for the money.

Same as the rest - it's a Fender Stratocaster, 3 single coil pickups etc etc plus a "Deluxe" gig bag. (Does anybody do a non-deluxe one?).
Got a free strap with mine as well. Colour on mine is the less popular Cocoa which earned me a BIG discount (#100 off - that's $150US) purely because this colour doesn't seem to sell - what do i care what colour it is, you don't buy them to look at!

Sound like a vintage strat - just what I was looking for and at a fraction of the cost of a vintage one and considerably less than the American Series.
Sounds great through a valve (tube for our US cousins) amp - great Hendrix like tones. A little noisy for my tastes but then my main guitar has humbuckers so I'm used to low noise levels. A great tip here - I use an Engl Screamer amp which has a volume boost from the footswitch. This can be set to increse the volume when switching from a Les Paul to a single coil guitar so you don't need to worry about volume level dropping.
Main selling point for this guitar is the neck - a great feel. My other guitars are a Les Paul and a Rick 330 which both have heavily lacquered necks, this makes a really nice change.

Came fine out of the box - not changed a thing. Haven't tried the trem yet - not my thing. Finisg looks fine - not as glossy as my Rick, but then what is?

Seems sturdy enough - a real workhorse. Finish will probably rough up a bit, but that's what it was designed to do judging by the sales blurb from Fender

Haven't needed to find out

Been playing 10 years. As already stated own a Rick 330, Two Les Pauls - one Epiphone, one Gibson 2002 Standard. Use an Engl Screamer amp with just a chorus and a wah. The amp has the sweetest overdrive on the planet so don't need anything else. Bought the strat to fill a gap in my sound - have resisted for years as my first ever guitar was a terrible Encore Strat copy which was the worst guitar on the planet and put me off strats - I now know that it was just a bad copy, not a problem between me and strats. Wouldn't say I love this guitar - my loove goes to the Rick and the LP, but am already very fond of it and will keep it safe. Have tried the US Series and the Mex Standards, I prefer the tomes of this one, but tone is VERY subjective - some people like Country Music ;)

Watch out for H1 models with bad necks. All of the models I've tried in different stores had a more or less pronouced bow starting at about the 15th fret down to the nut. There's no trussrod able to correct this. You'll have to remove the frets and level the whole neck or better, have the neck replaced.

I guess Fender is using wood that has not been seasoned long enough.

Even 1 $ is too much for any new guitar with such a bad neck.

My Fender Highway 1 Strat has the features I would ideally hae in a Fender guitar, and I'm not normally a hughe Fender fan myself. It has 22 frets, one volume knowb, two tone knobs and a five-way pickup selector. As most Strats have, it has three single coil pickups. It has and alder body (which I love for weight and tone) and a maple neck and fingerboard. It has a satin crimson transparent finish. The neck is nice and thin. The tuners aren't all that great, but that's to be rectified soon. And plus, I got a gig bag for it. Cool.

This guitar is very suitable to my style of music. I mainly play funk, jazz-fusion (sort of) and just rock. I can't tell you what kind of rock since I'm very lousy with the categories. As far as amps so, I use a Crate GX-212. I used to have an old Vox Series 90, but that's a long and sad story. My effects include a Boss Super Phaser, an Ibanez DE-7 Delay, and a Crybaby wah. This guitar has a great sound. The neck pickup is nice and clear on the cleans, and the bridge pickup handles the distortion without muddling it. It's also very easy to switch pickups for dirty and clean sounds. I use the middle pickup when I'm trying to get a more jazzy feel, but I always use it with either the bridge or neck pickup on as well.

You know, as nice as this guitar is, the factory has some horroble presets for it. The action was a bit low since I could hear the strings buzzing through the amp. The G was the worst of all. It sounded like a sitar, even at the higher frets. The pickups were fine.

Well, I've had this guitar for quite a short time, so I can't yet say.

Nope.

Overall, this guitar has everything I love. Everything I find wrong with it is just a small variable that is easily rectified. I love the feel of the neck (mosly cause it's maple. I think Fender should only put maple on their strats. It looks and feels the best.) I have tried many guitars in my area, and the Fender has beaten them all as far as looks, sound and feel go. I would definitely get another.

Everything what is useble on a Fender strat.
3 single coils, Honey Blonde, and rosewood fingerboard.
I allready have my 3e Highway strat, the first had damage on the body finish because in the shop they put it on a standard with neoprene protection, this is what the Highway laquer not likes. On two spots the laquer had came off. I discovered this the same evening off the day i bought it. I contacted the shop and finally after a lot off dicussion they ordered a new one of the same specs.
The first one had a body off 3 peaces Alder and was sounding very, very good.
When i get the new one, i discovered that the body was made off 4 peaces Alder.( I don't like that, by 3 peaces the neck and bridge are fitted on the same peace off wood and i think this the best way to get a good sustain ).
The sound off this second one was poor compared to the first one. The G string was very dominant, it sounded not well balanced. I played it for a half year but always preferred my Tele. Now recently i saw in a shop a very nice Highway strat, Cocoa with maple neck and a body off 3 peaces Alder. The finish on this Cocoa colored Strat is very nice, it looks much better than the Blonde one.
This 3 peace bodyed strat is sounding very well balanced like the first one so i bought this one and the shop bought my Blonde one.
I am very glad now with this Highway strat.
So take a good look at the body, they are not all the same.
A good peace off wood is the base for a good guitar.
Its only a 7 because not all Highways are made off the same body wood specs.
The neck off all guitars was were perfect.

The sound is perfect, like a good Strat must do.

Only the nut needed some work for a good action.

This is a real Fender, a good guitar made off good material.

Fender lifetime iss oke, the shop also did good work.

I play a few years.
I also have a Fender Highway Tele, an Ibanez as 73 and an old Yamaha steelstring acoustic.
I will buy another Highway but look very good to the wood off the body.

This is a typical Stratocaster. The finish is different from the average Strat due to laquer (translucent satin finish, mine is red). De Luxe gig bag included, tools, etc.

When I bought this guitar I tried at the music store an American De Luxe Stratocaster and compared it to the Highway. I was surprised that the Highway had by far a superior tone at half the price! I was astonished. This Highway 1 has a superb Fender tone (which is what I was looking for), very well balanced, quite dynamic and with a good spectrum of sounds. I tried other Highways and the other three in stock had the same sound. I chose mine 'cause I liked the red color, but the sound on any of the other Highways was equally good.

I'm mainly using a Zoom Palm Top Studio for practicing and a Line 6 POD. The single coils are a little noisy (as any pickup of this type). The guitar can make a lot of differente sounds, from jazzier tones with the neck pickup to poignant solos. I play blues and I wanted a versatile axe for Jazz and Blues, and this guitar is perfect. I really like it, and for the price you can hava a genuine USA Fender with great sound. This is one of the best Stratocasters I've ever played. I also have a Stevie Ray Vaughan Stratocaster that has by far the best Fender tone I've ever heard, but this Highway sounds quite good (and costs less), I'm very satisfied with the sound and tone of this guitar.

Although I'm not a metal guitarist, I cranked up the distortion and had a very good tone also. I'v been trying heavy-metal riffs, power chords and hot soloing and the sound is also really good, so it's not only a Jazz-Blues guitar. I like to use just a slight overdrive, and you retain all the original rich tone.

Very good sound, exceptionally good may I say.

The guitar was not perfect from the factory. I adjusted the action, the intonation and the pickup height. Minor adjustments and mainly to perfectly suit my needs, but I have to say that the factory set up was decent overall.

The general finish is perfect. The USA quality is there, no doubt about it. The only thing I disliked was a scratchplate with some scrap around it.

My guitar had some flaws and dents. When I read the manual and the flyer regarding the laquer finish I found that it reacts when in touch with rubber, latex or plastic. I have to say that I saved about $100USD due to these flaws, but I always like to have my guitar in a guitar-stand to play it any time, and practically any of these devices have rubber, latex or plastic, so in time the finish will not last. I also found that the laquer is not rough at all, you can wear it off very easly. I think the finish will not withstand years of use. Actually I do not have anything against a well worn guitar (just think in SRV's number one Strat, pretty cool to me), but if you really want to have it in mint conditions for many years it will not be easy.

The hardware (bridge and tunning pegs, mainly) are quite good, much better than Mexican Strats or Chinese Squiers, wich is really good.

I think you cand depend on it, and the core of the guitar will withstand many years of use. The finish is another story as I told, so take this in consideration if you're planning to buy this model.

I've being playing for 16 years, and in all my life I've owned more than 40 guitars (I keep about 20, I tend to get rid of the bad ones). I also have a PRS CE22, a SRV Signature Stratocaster, a Santana SE, an Ibanez Joe Satriani among other guitars.

I love the Fender sound, it is just incredibly good. The finish is nice too. I really like the Stratocaster model and I was looking for a long time for a good one.

For many years I've been looking for the perfect guitar. For me the perfect guitar has great sound, is quite versatile and doesn't cost you a leg or an arm. There are superb instruments if you are willing to pay up to $2,000, but I've found that when you have a $2,000+ axe you are actually somewhat afraid of playing or damaging it.

This Highway 1 is -as I mentioned before- a real USA made instrument, a real Fender (not that Squier crap, nor a made in Mexico guitar -I am Mexican, but the quality of the Mexican Fenders is not as good as the Americans, that's for sure-). This Strat that sounds just as it's supposed to, and you pay less than $1,000. I think the bang for the buck is quite good.

If you want genuine Fender tone and quality in a mid-budget and you can live with scratches and dents on the finish, I think this is a terrific option for any range of guitarist.

Brand new American made fender stratocaster (tag says 2002).
It has everything you would expect from an american strat which says it all really.22 frets, dot inlays, modern "c" shaped neck, 3 single-coil pickups and syncronized tremelo. Mine's in transparent teal green with mapel fingerboard and looks the dogs bollocks!

FANTASTIC! I play types of rock and blues and inparticular love solo work from Satriani, Vai, Gary moore etc. I have a 69 les paul deluxe through a Marshall avt 150 head and jcm 900 cab, though I bought a strat for one reason. HENDRIX!!!
As awesome as my les paul is I could never quite get that classic hendrix tone from it, so I was not dissapointed when I bought this as it re creates his sound perfectly.
It sounds fantastic both clean and distorted and totally lived up to my expectations of an all american strat.

Again flawless. The guitar was set up perfectly as soon as I took it out of the box. It plays like a dream and is so smooth which I have found to be unusual in new guitars as the ones I have tried usually feel quite chunky.
I love the finish and was actually the main thing that attracted me to this model in the first place as I had the readys for an american standard though I was completly sold on the laquer finish which resembles the classic cherry sg look with the grain of the wood visible through the gloss.

Feels totally sturdy to me. Would definatly gig without a back up.

Never had to deal with them as I have had no problems.

I have been playing for 4 years and wanted a strat ever since I first saw hendrix tear his up and this model totally lived up to my expectations! It looks, feels and sounds fantastic and is also budget friendly. The only reson I can think of for its price is that it does not include a hard case, though it did come with a very well paded gig bag as a suppose fender have got to cut costs somewhere becouse they sure as hell didnt cut them in making the guitar!

Highway 1 in Honey Blonde with black pickguard. Rosewood fretboard. This baby came already loaded with Fender Noiseless Pickups. Other than that all stock.

As i said it came with the Noiseless pick-ups, so i've had absolutly no feedback. I play it through a Marshall MG30DFX amp. On distortion this baby is warm and full. I usually only use the bridge pickup with distortion, becuase of it's brighter sound. On the clean channel the guitar is very bright. My favorite part of this guitar is it's vast tone variety. Using the pickup selector i have been able to create a sound that sounds almost exactly like an acoustic, so there is no need for buying an acoustic. I play lead guitar for a Hard Rock band (AC/DC type of music) and boy does it pump out those fat distorted tones. The only sound it will not do very well is Metal. If you want metal don't buy this guitar! Even with the gain and contour at 10 on my amp, i can't achieve metal on this guitar. but otherwise, a perfect 10.

I bought it used, so i don't know if the guy i bought it from adjusted the actoin or aynthing. But the action on mine is perfect; low for clean playing. The input jack is also a little loose, but nothing to worry about.

Finally, the finish. Why the Highway 1 guitars are so low in price are especially because of the lighter finish applied. The finish is very light, therefore more vunerable to scratches and dents. On my guitar, a kid wearing bug spray was playing. His arm was rubbing against the front and bug spray stuck onto the guitar. The only way to get it off was to scratch it off. unfortunatly the finish couldnt handle our nails and the paint fell off in some places. Also, around the edges where the guitar hits your body, the paint has worn down. not worn off, just worn down. I like the look of a used guitar, but any good guitarist knows of the scratches that just appear out of nowhere. on the Highway 1's the scratches are much more abundent. But the finish feels really nice.

If i had to play a show, i would not doubt for a second, the ability of my guitar. I would trust it and have no need for a backup. (of course no matter how much you love your guitar, always take a backup. what if a string breaks? what are you gonna say: "hey everyone hold on for 10 minutes so i can put in a new string." no.)

As i said before, the finish is thin. Over time the finish will wear off where the guitar rubs against your body. But everywhere else, there is no sign of the finish wearing off.

My guitar has only fell once, and thats becuase my strap got tangled in a way that it fell. It wasn't the strap buttons fault. (luckily i caught it!) It's a Fender so i know it's going to last. I know plenty of guys who still use their Stratocasters from the sixties and they play like heaven.

never dealt with them. hopefully i'll neverhave to, knock on wood.

I have been playing for over a year, and this was my second guitar. My first guitar was a Squier Bullet, And i have an Epiphone Les Paul Custom in the mail as we speak. If it we're stolen or lost and i didn't have another guitar, no doubt would i buy it again. This baby is amazing and it looks sweet.

The pluses of the Highway 1:
Stays in tune well
Easy to replace strings
Fully adjustable bridge just in case
FAST neck. very smooth
Such a wide variety of tone

Bad things about the guitar:
The light finish
Doesn't bend too well (might just be me)
When using a whammy bar, it goes way out of tune

For pictures of my guitar go to:http://f1.pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/markboy252/lst?.dir=/Guitar&.view=t

I would highly suggest getting a Highway 1. its a great value and a wonder to play. Rock on.

Feel free to email me any questions at Markboy252@yahoo.com

I'm reviewing the H/S/S 2003 Hwy 1 Strat I bought. It comes with a large headstock (lates 60s, CBS era), a transparent color (cocoa in my case), and a thin layer of laquer (acrylic, not nitro). It has medium jumbo frets (taller and just a little thinner than my LP custom fretless wonder) and a vintage tremolo. Five position switching gives you the sweet 2 and 4 position sounds even with the bridge humbucker. Only one comment on features. What's up with two white covered single coils and a black humbucker? Looks kinda funny. My singles are getting Black covers. :)

Overall, this guitars is very versatile.

I play blues and hard rock/classic rock. I did enough of the "weedlie weedlie weedlie" stuff back in the 80's. I play through a variety of amps. My main two are a 65 Ampeg Gemini II and an early 90's Ampeg VL1002. I go straight into the VL1002 and sometimes I'll put a tube screamer in front of my Gemini II. My setup is pretty simple. It tends to accentuate differences between guitars :) . This strat is one of the best sounding strats I've played (I've gone through 6 strats, Japanese and American). Typically, when I've had a strat for more than 3-4 months I get really fed up with the bridge pickup sound (thin) and trade or sell it. I'll play my tele (52 reissue),then my strat and the strat hits the road. This strat is different! It has a bottom end response that other strats just don't have. Not to mention that the bridge pickup makes it sound like I'm playin' a friggin' SG! Because of this, I get the 2 and 4 position sounds that keep me commin' back to a strat and I get a great lead and rock rhythym tone from the bridge pickup. Very nice. Now, whoever is saying these guitars sound thin must've gotten a bad one of the bunch or I got the top o'the heap. This guitar has ton's of balls on any of the pickup settings. I suspect that the amp or effects could be producing thier thin sounds (weedlie weedlie wee) :). I don't mean to be cruel, but some of these guys talkin' about guitar tones are playin through J-Stations and head phones! A J-station is a great tool for practice and quite playin', but hellfire, they're like toys and they process the sound so much that just about any guitar would sound the same through'm. Never played a POD, but I suspect the same from them.

Fit and finish was fine. Only issue is how light color the rosewood fretboards are getting these days, but that's a fact of life now (scarcity of nice Brazilian rosewood). The thin laquer coat suits me fine. I never was a fan of the 1/8" finish covering the body of a strat (ok maybe its more like 1/32", but you know what I mean). One of the reasons vintage Fenders are so nice is that the finish has thinned from use or the nitro laquer has had a long enough time to breath and oxidize. At least that's what I think.

As far as setup out of the box goes...who cares! I always put Ernie Ball 10's on each guitar I get and set the action, truss rod and intonation. You think these guitars don't flex and change from the time they leave the factory until you grab it?

Gig without a back up...right? I knew you were kidding :). The strat seems as solid and durable as any Fender. If the neck breaks, put another on it. My compatriot in our band dropped his strat plus from chest high. It got a ding on it....oohh. I was hoping it would've broken the neck and the body, but no luck. I hated the thin sound of that guitar (lace sensors..oohh). Could've been his Carvin Nomad 4X10 half stack, but I don't think so. (Hey, Dave...if your reading this).

Don't have a clue!

I've been playin on and off for about 17 years now. I quit playing between the ages 17 and 25 (started when I was 13). Picked it back up and have enjoyed it ever since. I own a few LPs (75 deluxe, 72 custom and a 96 Gem), an Amer. 52 RI tele, Hwy 1 Strat, 72 SG Pro, couple of DeArmonds (Helluva guitar...Starfire Special and X155), 2002 LP DC junior (faded), Squire Deluxe tele (another Helluva guitar), and I play through a few Ampegs. I've got an Ampeg GV22 (late 60's Gemini), Gemini II, VL1002, SB12, Jet-12T reissue, and a 68 Fender Bandmaster with 2X12 cad and a 4X12 Fender cab. I used to play an ART ECC through the Bandmaster.

This strat is the most flexible and best sounding strat I've had. It sounds great through my main rig as well as my other amps. Its a welcome tool to add to my tool box.

Made in USA, I guess 2003.
21 frets, 1x volume, 2x tone, 5way-selector, vintage bridge /w trem
3 single-coils
maple neck and maple fretboard
finish is crimson transparent red(looks gr8!!)
gigbag

i use a marshall 60w valve amp. the sound the guitar makes is exactly the sound i was looking for, jimi hendrix-style :D. there are a lot of options because of the 5way-selector and the tone controls.
i'm afraid the bridge pickup isn't really able to get along with disortion for some rock, so i rate the pickups with a 9.

the guitar is set-up and adjusted perfectly. there aren't any mistakes or whatever. the wood is awesome, i just love it. :P

i can depend on the guitar. i would also use it for a gig without backup. solid guitar, solid bridge, solid strap-buttons.

didn't deal with the company

i love jimi's music, so this guitar was made for it. great guitar, perfect for its style.

First thing, I had to submit a review because it's obvious that one of the latest submissions had to be of a different guitar (mexican?)not a Highway 1. The guitar was said to have tiny frets and small strap buttons. Just the opposite. I have a green H1 with a maple neck and board. Medium jumbo frets ( an old Ibanez Artist I have from the 70's is the only thing I've seen with larger ones). The strap buttons are so large I had to increase the size of the holes in a strap I bought for it!That said it has a nice alder body (pretty grain)and the standard strat features. I was able to get guitar center to switch the gig bag for a molded plastic case. Some stores will sell this guitar for as low as 499. Ask them to take the price of a gig bag off of a molded plastic.

I play mostly classic rock on gigs. At home everything except thrash.The pickups are not very powerful but they sound great. They need to be adjusted as close to the strings as possible without causing intonation problems. Most people including myself angle the pickups a little lower on the bass side. A little harsh sounding on the bridge, nice in the middle, cool blues on the neck. The position between the middle and bridge pickup is GOLD! I use this guitar with a hot rod deluxe and it sounds great. The amp has plenty of power so the lack of powerful pickups can be compensated for.

The guitar was set up well and had good action. I never had a strat before so when I changed the strings to 10's (from 9's) I wasn't ready for the tuning problems due to the tremelo springs. I tightned the springs a little and everything settle down. I use the vibrato sparingly and this guitar stays in tune very well (surprisingly so). The neck plays like butter. The finish has a few minor flaws. Anyone who purchases one of these knows about the finish anyway. Lemon pledge really seems to work well with this finish it seems to drink it up, turns darker and deeper looking. Could help protect it a little as I haven't noticed and new dings.

I've played several gigs with this guitar and it seems to be holding up nicely. Certain clubs have bad wiring and only a humbucker will do.On most gigs the single coil hum is only bad at extreme settings. I usually gig without backup, I have three other electrics so I guess I'm lazy in my old age. I've been playing for over thirty years and this is a great guitar for the money. Just be a little careful with the finish.

I also have a telly and the hot rod deluxe. I haven't had to contact them for anything. The deluxe needed a minor repair at the local shop I purchased it from and it was covered - no charge.

As stated, been playing a long time, have the Highway, a 2001 american telly, an old les paul junior and a 78 Ibanez artist. I play these through the hot rod deluxe (another lot of bang for buck product). I this were lost or stolen I would by another. I've never been a strat guy but this guitar has changed my mind. The overall rating could have been better with a better finish and slightly stronger pickups. Then again, it would probably cost a couple hundred more and that would defeat the the whole idea of this thing.

it looks like a strat,thats where it ends.

sounds like crap! i went out to buy a used guitar to get me by because it let me down.got a peavey strat copy it blew the highway one away in sound and playability

this was the main problem. it never takes me more than 15/20 minutes to set up a guitar, i tweeked on this bitch for dayz
never finding that sweet spot. mainly because it did'nt have one

if your a 3 chord strummer in the first three frets you,ll do fine
i think?

lets not go there

been playing for about26/27 years
i use a hotrod deluxe in the clean channel / boss pedal/fulltone
fulldrive2/wah/univibe clone
i wish i could have set this guitar up before i bought it, it would have stayed at the store!
please someone steal this guitar
the last 3 fenders i,ve bought all sucked!i will never buy another fender guitar again! buy a godin!sd.
thought i,d give fender another chance, mistake! 550.00 MISTAKE!
PEOPLE DONT BE FOOLED BY THE NAME! THEY HAVENT MADE A GOOD GUITAR IN YEARS. THEY JUST MAKE ALOT ,THAT MIGHT BE THE PROBLEM.

Made in USA in 2002. 22 frets, a laminated green top. Normal fender specs. Volume knob is too close to strings, a pain in the ass.

This guitar has absolutely NO SUSTAIN. I play alot of Yngwie, but wanted to try a regular strat before putting out the big bucks for the Malmsteen signature. I have a Line 6 spider, and the DOD 250 overdrive pedal. This guitar makes a ton of noise on whatever setting and sounds like trash. Frets are tiny, and not comfortable for soloing. Sounds thin and very harsh.

The actions was not good, within a week of owning it, I had to get it fixed because of fretting out and buzzing. Guitar center charges a helluv'a lot for that.

I think this guitar would stand live playing barely. I much rather prefer my Les Paul. Strap buttons are tiny, and has almost hit the ground countless times.

Fender is so unaproachable, and I wish they hadn't bought Jackson. Their website offers no help or way to contact them, only hot to buy their products and why they are so good. Its much too corporate of a company, and it looks like unless you want to pay thousands of dollars for a guitar, their massed produced ones are terrible.

I have been playing for about 5 years, own a Les Paul, RR1 Rhoads, and an ESP. If it were stolen, I would laugh at the idiot who stole it and never buy a fender again.

This guitar is best conceived as the bottom of the US-made range made by Fender. It has a nice rosewood fretboard with 22 medium-jumbo frets, white dot markers, excellent tuners, walnut skunk strip, faux bone nut, one piece maple neck. The neck is thin, but has a curved fretboard so if you're used to modern flat fretboards, like me, this will take some getting used to - especially if you like large string bends. For complex barre chords, however, the curvature is a dream. The string trees have rollers to guide the strings, thus alleviating some of the hassles trees can cause when the vibrato bar is used.

The body is constructed of 2 pieces - of Alder, I believe - and is finished in a very thin nitrocellulose satin transparent off-white. The finish is quite vulnerable to the slightest knock and must be kept away from vinyls as they will eat through the vintage-style lacquer. The pickguard is a 3 ply white-black-white affair and looks quite handsome against the off-white body.

The bridge is the traditional Fender vintage bridge - adjustable saddles for each string, finished in a very high quality chrome-plating. The bridge is good for what it was designed for - light virbato, not dive-bombing etc. It is set up so you can raise the pitch a quarter of a tone, as you would in some Stevie Ray Vaughan songs, like 'Pride and Joy'.

Rob, the owner of the guitar store I most often frequent, described the Highway One as a replica of a 50s Strat. The neck, bridge and finishing materials are examples of this, as are the electronics. The three passive single coils are from Fender's vintage series, and the middle pickup is not reversewound so you do not get hum-cancelling in selector positions 2 and 4. This is tolerable, but I have already decided to get a reverse wound for the middle slot as I love using a bit more drive with positions 2 and 4 to get that Texas sound.

It came with a Fender gig-bag, but as this baby cost me 2 weeks' pay I'm not entrusting it to anything less than a proper hard case.

I give this guitar a ten for workmanship and features. It hasn't got tons of features - it is a Strat and a damned good one at that.

I like blues, blues-rock, jazz and a little shred so this guitar meets most of my requirements. Once I get that reverse-wound pickup in the middle position, it'll be perfect.

I play this guitar through my Fender Deluxe 85. It is a solid-state amp, but should not be dismissed on this basis. It has a tone that always attracts compliments and perfectly suits single-coiled Fender instruments.

If you bump up the gain too much, of course this guitar will hum; but, if you're a gainiac, then you really ought to look elsewhere. The sound ranges from ice-pick through the middle ear on the bridge position (think early Led Zeppelin Tele sounds - it can be a really useful sound) through to super warm, round and fat on the neck position. In between, it can sound country through funky.

Nothing beats the variety of a Strat, except maybe a Strat with a bridge humbucker with coil-splitting, but humbuckers are left for dead by the pickups on this guitar.

In terms of sound, there is NOTHING I don't like about this guitar. I merely want to extend it with a new middle pickup.

Rob set-up my guitar when I bought it so it was perfect from day one.

The pickups are adjusted really well, and the strings articulate clearly and at the same volume if you pick consistently.

The build quality of this instrument is exceptional. Having owned cheaper Strats and Strat copies, I have come to know the weak spots of Strat design and the makers of this guitar have certainly paid careful attention to ensure this is a toneful, strong, beautiful instrument.

My only concern is that the finish is very thin and easily damaged. This is in part intentional as it is supposed to end up looking like a vintage instrument, but I think the whole vintage fetish is just ridiculous at the moment. Some old guitars are very nice, but why would anyone want to buy a new one that will look like damaged goods in a few years. Fender, you need to offer proper finishes on these Highway Ones.

The documentation, tool kit, advice and one year warranty was reassuring. Fender seems quite interested in customer satisfaction with their US-made instruments. Hopefully I'll never have to test them out about warranty matters, etc.

I've been playing for 7 years and have dreamt of owning for an American Stratocaster for at least a decade.

This guitar is my baby and if anyone were to take it I don't know how I would react - so don't test me.

Made In US, HSS configuration, the colour is a beautiful Amber transparent. The body is three piece Alder. The neck is the modern
"C" shape with a rosewood fingerboard and 9.5" radius. The tuners are Fender/Ping Standard Cast/Sealed Tuning machines. This strat
is the Highway 1 fat strat so it has two Standard Vintage Style Singe-Coil strat pickups with stagered Pole Pieces, Alnico Magnets in the neck and middle and an Atomic Humbucker in the bridge. The guitar has master volume and tone controls for the single coils, no tone control for the humbucker. The pickup switch is the usual 5 position blade. These guitars of course come with Satin Lacquer Finishes, which makes for a nice sound, but we'll see about the durability. These guitars also have Large 70's style headstock and decal's. The guitar also features 22 medium jumbo frets, nice neck
to play. For an affordable American made Star how can I not give these features a "10". This guitar is Strat through and through.
The guitar also features Vintage Synchronized Tremolo (which I will
never use) see "action fit and finish".

Classic Strat sound on the single coils with the extra flexability of the humbucker in the bridge, makes for a very diversified array
of sounds. All positions on the blade are unique in sound. Other reviewers have suggested that positions 2 and 4 are not hum cancelling, but they seem quiet to me. This guitar can go anywhere from Jazz to Country to Rock (not shred metal of course) but 60's and 70's rock, which is the only music worth playing anyway. For Christian Contempory music this guitar is a nice addition to the music arsenal. I recently bought a used Fender Prinction 112 plus amp
(about 5 or 6 years old I guess)and the two make a good combination.

The finish is fine so far, I suppose it will look like a relic sooner than the high closs finish guitars, but this is where most of the $ savings comes in. The guitar was set up for "9"s and I prefer "10"s, obviously the Trem didn't handle the 10's very well so I had Rick at the Arts block the trem (I don't use it anyway) and adjust the intonation, neck and action to suit the 10"s. Now it plays great. This is pretty subjective as all new guitars require
some tweaking.

Strats are time tested for 50 years, I'm sure that all but the finish will endure. Everything else on the guitar is solid. I'll give this a 9 because I know the finish will go.

I have never dealt with Fender, any decent music store should be able to solve most problems.

I've been playing since 1975. I also own an El Degus Telecastor(great copy from 1976), a Segull M12 Gloss, a Martin D15, Fender
Mexican P-bass. In terms of Amps I have a Fender Princton 112 Plus
and a Yorkville Am 100 acoustic amp. None of my gear is expensive
but it does the job. These Highway 1 series guitars are a great value just like the "15" series Martin guitars, which is why I have invested in both. I gave up on looks and finish and settled for the
classic sounds.

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!

See this link for full details of spec http://www.fender.com/gear/gear.php?op=3&partno=0111100

Mine is a Honey Blonde as pictured

I spent an afternoon trying out about a dozen Strats from Mexican to top end USA, and the Highways stood up exceedingly well. Noticably better on all settings than any Mex ones, and better than a couple of the considerably more expensive strats I tried.

I can't fault the sound - it's variety incarnate, and none of the tones sound less than very good.

Ive done a bit of recording with it - sounds top class!

Action was fine - no buzzes. The fretboard seems particulary well made, certainly when compared to mex srats and as good as any other of the more expensive strats around.

As for the asthetics, is all very basic, nothing on it is flashy at all, white fret marker dots ect. As is well documented on the other reviews the paint work is shockingly thin! And VERY VERY fragile!!! I am a carefull owner, my Cherry Sunburst Les Paul looks vertually as new after 7 years heavy use. But after 3 months my Highway has two major gashes (down to the wood!) and one little nick. None of which I even recall doing, I think the paint literally FELL OFF!!!

If this bothers you, and it might, stay clear. But in my humble opinon it can look kinda cool. and it's the sound that counts!!!

The body had a big dent as well. I'm quite sure fender use 'seconds' for the bodies on highways so its well worth a thorough going over before you buy. They nocked a little off the price for me!

OK the fininsh is dodgy but everything else seems top notch I cant see myself having any problems.

NA

For the price it can't be beat, if you can over look the cosmetics you'll get a quality guitar with a top class sound!

I plan on getting 10 years plus use out of my little beauty!

I recommend it to friends!

bought it new in 2002. vintage style pickups & 6 point trem. modern c-shape neck. mine has the blonde finish w/ maple fretboard. 3 single-coils(staggered alnico 2 mags)

i am mainly a blues player & this guitar nails the vintage blues sound exactly. it gets ran through various amps but usually a behringer 210 when jammin' with friends or (my favorite) an original '55 fender princeton when practicing. either way, it has the unmistakable strat sound. a bit noisy especially when the gain on the amps is cranked up but like i said, they are vintage style pickups.

right out of the box the guitar seemed to be set up pretty good (at least for me). it came strung with .009's but i like it a little looser so a drop down to .008's really did the trick for me. the finish is thin but thats one of the reasons the price is low so it's understandable. the finish, hardware & plastic were all in fine shape. no apparent flaws.

it seems pretty well made but i wouldn't expect the finish to last very long. if you bump it you are almost certain to end up with some kind of blemish. but hey, things like that just add charactor, right?

no clue here, sorry

i've played off & on for about 20 yrs. i usually switch back & forth between this guitar and a gibson lp (depending on what sound i'm after that day) if it were stolen i would definately replace it immediately. if you like the vintage strat sound & dont have big $$$ to shell out like me, this is your guitar.

Wow!! I went into the Guitar store to buy/order a Washburn NX3 and ended up walking out with a Honey Blonde Highway 1 Strat! While waiting for the clerk to finish up with the guy before me, I grabbed a Highway 1 to kill time. I wasn't plugged in at first and was overwhelmingly impressed with the action. Once I plugged it in, I knew that I wasn't going to order the Washburn NX3, because I would be a fool to buy one, unseen or played, over the Highway 1. Now I know why everyone loves US Strats, they have more tone than any guitar I have played.

Once again, WOW! This guitar has more tone than any guitar I have played ever. With the 5 way switch and two tone pots, there isn't much this guitar can't do.

This guitar stays in tune nicely. I do not miss Floyd Roses much anymore, I can tell you that. Stays in tune, and is easy to tune when it does go out. I don't miss allen wrenches and fine tuners, I can tell you that much. The simple Fender bridge is a thing of beauty. I never knew how much I missed simplicity of design. The less moving items the better with bridges.

Honestly, the craftsmanship is grat from an assembly viewpoint. The bodies may be factory seconds, which is why they are selected for Highway 1's, but that is just my theory. The action is great, low as can be with no fret reverb. It may take me a while to learn how to flail without hitting the 5 way switch, but it's great to be able to switch sounds quickly when needed.

I know that this finish will wear off eventually, but with the wood grain already showing, who cares?? The satin body has a great feel and the lacquer finish is unflawed. The hardware is plastic knobs, and from past experience I know they hold up well, but if they don't they cost $2.00, so once again who cares?

I would defintely take it on the road without a back up if I had to.

N/A

Considering that I got it for $499.00 brand new, when the usual price of $599.00 is still a great value, I am very pleased. My favorite feature on this guitar is a toss up between tonal range and the killer action. The killer action is what struck me first, the tonal range is what sealed the deal. I just couldn't order a korean Washburn that I had never played for $650.00, when I was amazed at the $499.00 Highway 1 which was in stock. So like many others I am now a Strat owner for life.

Blonde with maple neck and cheap-ass gig bag.

Sounds like a strat. Bridge pickup a little on the bright side, but not a problem for me. Don't forget to face magnetic north while playing. Nice overall tonality. Love the neck pickup for solos.

It was set up a little high, but when I tried to go lower buzzing began to become a problem. New set of 10's helped dramatically. Oh yeah, that finish, which I think is O.K. looking chipped the second day I had it - down to bare wood! Other than the action, this guitar required minimal setup.

Have used it live, she did all-right. Stayed in tune pretty well I guess. Finish will be gone someday soon. Oh well.

Have not called for customer support.

I pipe this sucka through a JCM 900 half stack, also have an Ibanez RG550. This mutha rocks, the tone is there. If you're into high gain don't buy this guitar, great for overdriven or clean tones. May purchase new bridge saddles and sperzel tuners?

I have a brand new cocoa transparent highway one strat. I believe it to be '03 or '02. I always told myself, "Self, you would never want one of these. It doesn't even have an american bridge or anything. It looks kinda cheap with its laquered finish. It's just a cheap knock off so people could just say that they owned an american strat." I was wrong. I never played a highway 1 until I walked in the the music store once and started playing every strat I saw. I already had an american series strat(which I reviewed also on this website) But I just Had to play this one b/c it was next in line. This one is a little different in that it has a black humbucker and 2 white single coils. I thought it was used because I never seen stock pick ups in a fender that did not match, but it's new. It also has a wide 70's headstock. A reg. strat is versitle but a fat strat is better.

Sounds great! Not as good as my american series b/c I put vintage noisless pick ups that one. This guitar has a sweet humbucker, I think it's either an atomic or an enforcer. I heard 2 different opinions on this. All I know is that it sounds good when using a high gain setting and you play chords. It doesn't have the chunk I'd like it to have when I palm mute though, but My other guitars do that fine so this one is good for a different purpose. The single coils are good too. Not as good as noisless, but good enough for a 9.

This was the big seller for me. The feel of the neck and they way it played was so incredible that I bought the day I played it. I wasn't even going to buy a guitar, I just wanted to try a bunch of different strats just to check em out. Plus it was a new shipment of Fenders they just got. The neck felt wider than my American series strat. And the action was LOW! Not to the point of buzzing but it felt good. Very easy to play. The only thing wrong with it was that the jack was loose. Not a big problem. That could have happened anywhere or even during shipping so I won't count that. The finish still seams kinda...thin. That's the only way I can describe it. Altough I like it because my arm doesn't stick to it when I play. unlike most other guitars. I haven't changed the action or set up at all. I don't plan to either. Except when I change the saddles from those crappy one to the ones that are on the american strats.

I only played it out twice so far in the few weeks I've had it. But it seems to be nice and solid. One good hit may damage the finish though, but I don't plan on that happening.

No idea.

I've been playing 4 or 5 years. I'm only 19 years old, but I know guitars. I'm always reading about them and researching them. I've owned 8 guitars so far, 3 strats an epiphone g-400 sg, 3 basses and an Ibanez SA160QM. I'm looking at an epiphone Les Paul Custom right now and a firebird VII. This guitar is my 2nd favorite. @nd only to my american series strat. The American series strat feels just slightly better. Of course it has a maple fret board and this one is rosewood. Not a fancy guitar but well worth the money in sound and feel. email me for more answers to questions and what not.

Everything you'd want in a strat is there.

I play texas/chicago blues. The pickups sound very much like a classic strat. It has a bell sound and a quack sound (a mix of both). I am buying this guitar however because of its resonance. I will put a SD Antiquity Custom Bridge and two SD Anqtiquity Texas Hots into Neck and Middle. I will also get the middle p.u. with reverse polarity, so 2 and 4 can be humcancelled.

As for stock pickups I was 100 percent happy with the sound - its classic. (Remember its in whats in your hands and in your heart that makes the difference).

Strings : 9s.
Action : medium.
But can't u ppl change ur action/strings/pickupheight/tremolo???

The guitar is very solid and is fine for playing live. See any other fender review :)

You have to take care of the finish though.

never dealt with them.

Have a Yamaha Pacifica Tele with an SD vintage '54 lead and Texas Special rhythm.
The highway 1 is an investment. Those of you who have issues with the looks or something like that should take a hike.

this is a 2002 model, the blonde. 21 frets satin finish
frets are large, jumbo
same as the american standard
i've had both, its the same
vintage bridge, which i like
alder body

well, i have always loved fender guitars. i love strat sounds.
i currently have a parker classic, warmoth SRV strat, Ernie ball axis sport, p-90's, seagul acoustic, alvarez jumbo 12 string,
i would say this is my favorite guitar. i wanted a fender that would provide a strat tone. the warmoth has the texas specials and they sound good, but less vintage straty, i think. anyway, i like this guitar. i like the satin finish, i hate lacquer.

satin finish, action is perfect for me. craftmanship looks good
nice tight neck fit

fenders run forever.....
can't hurt a fender strat

don't know

i like the guitar because:
1. Vintage Vibe, looks like a relic
2. sounds great and many tones
3. neck feels broke in
4. i get a great straty sound
5. mine came with a hard case, not a cheapo softcase ! heheheh

2002 US made Highway 1 Strat Honey Blonde finish
I won't list the basic feature here, i'll just say that it has a 22 fret neck like the American Standard but without the new truss rod system.
The pickups are anilco vintage not ceramic as on the mexican strat.
The bridge is vintage style.
Finish looks gorgeous to me!

I use it on my GT6 through a Marshall valvesate amp and it sounds awesome!!!
It's definitively better than the mexican strat, i tried both in the shop on the same amp and there is no way i can compare thoses 2 sounds.
On the mexican all the selected pickup positions sound too extreme (too narrow with the bridge pu, to bassy with the neck pu etc...)
This one is very much more subtile in its sound configurations and sounds way better to me.

The action was OK though a little high for me, so I adjusted it so that it's now perfect!!!
Finish looks great and allows for more body vibrations but seems a bit "fragile" so I give it only a 7

Strats can last decades even without any finish

N/A

My first strat, I also own a Godin LG with SP90s and an ESP with 2 EMG 81.
All my guitar realy sounds different, and the strat has a particular place in my collection!!!

I's a great deal for that price!

The guitar is a very basic strat, with all the things a basic strat should be. It is little bright in the treble pickup but all it takes is to roll off the volume slightly ( this is real common in vintage strats). From the perspective of someone who owns several Strats, this guitar is like a dream. Its Cheap, feels like its been played for years, and sounds excellent.

I had $1500 to spend on a guitar so spent quite a while looking around in guitar shops and on ebay, then I stumbled on this thing. I really needed another strat like I needed another nostril and had no idea about the hype behind this guitar. Being the tone snob that I am, how could I possible consider buying a cheapo entry level Strat? From the second I picked this thing up, I knew it was different, yet familiar. I plugged into an evil twin and could not believe the pure tone. The guitar is really light and you can feel it resonate. Even unplugged it was incerdible. I tried really hard not to buy this guitar but ended up taking it home.

The action was a little high out of the box but easily adjusted down to where I like it. The neck had a little too much relief, again easily fixed. Intonation was perfect, pickup heights were at fender spec and the tremelo was a perfect Strat floater.

I know that the other reviews say this thing has a poly finish, but it is lacquer, thin but true. Fender even includes a card to tell you how to care for it. The thin lacquer finish is why this thing is so resonant. I think this guitar will age very gracefully.

Its Fender, what are you gonna do?

I have been playing for 38 years and am an old fart. I have a lot of guitars 7 of which are Strats (55,58,61,65,67,73, and this one) so I know my Strats. I don't play out anymore in a regular band but to keep from losing my chops I play at least once a month at full volume at a warehouse with about 20 different people (all ages). Its a good party and keeps me from getting stale. I have not played this one out yet but plan on doing so next weekend. I will follow up to let you know how this thing plays for real as opposed to in the bedroom.

usa 2002 21frets standard stat 1v 2t knobs all specs in reviews below

play blues and some c rock type stuff play vox amps this guitar doesnt sound bad it just doesnt sound good either i was thinking it would sound better than my mim tele and it doesnt even touch it im going to trade this for a 69 tele thinline maybe or some sort of tele type guitar they cant be beat

it was set up fine for me i like low action and the neck is very nice even though im not used to it everything was fine

it would withstand all of the road abuse you threw at it i wouldnt go to any gig wo a back up

been playing for 15years give or take own tele and too much stuff to list

Here's a brief summary; more info can be found at www.fender.com

Made in 2002 USA, it's a 2000 American strat without staggard tuners, the Delt Tone Pickup System, 2-point sych bridge, and hard case. The Highway 1 body's finish is subtle enough to allow wood grain to be visible, and the neck finish is Polyurethane, not oil treated. Available in 5 different colors with maple or rosewood fret boards. Essentially, it's a modern Strat that hasn't forgotten its roots. My model is maple and Cocoa (looks sophisticated)

Rating of 9 only because it comes with a gig bag and not a hard case.

Sound is not all that hot (or in other words, it is not high output). This can be seen as a good thing or a bad thing. If your looking for a vintage sound, you will be extremely happy. It's strat sound is well balanced and well defined. If you play in a overdriven environment, expect a little noise or hum. If you like push your amp or like screaming distortion, the pick ups may seem warm yet thin.

Without requarding the hardware, it sounds good even before plugging in. The guitar is very resonant while maintaining brightness and the neck is heavier than non-USA made. In Fender literature, I remeber reading a discription with the word 'twang' in it. But I hear more brightness than twang.

The guitar feels really good. I'm used to Fender Strats and felt right at home with this guitar. The rolled edges and polyurethane give it a soft and durable quality. A top quality neck. Good neck hardware, too (tuners, strig guides, frets).

I had to set the neck and intonation for my playing style. Something I expect to do for any guitar I would buy. My touch is not soft, which is what it seemed to be set for when I first played it.

Rating of 10 beacause of the quality of the neck. I choose this guitar mainly because of the neck quality, feel, and sense of durability.

Vary reliable and durable...kinda seems to be the theme of this review.

I have not much opinion on the customer support. Never used it. But the website is good and presents plenty of information on the different models and products.

I give this guitar a high recomendation, especially if you prefer to use pickups from a third-party vendor. Since it is cheaper in cost than the American Strat, you can use the money you save to buy high-rate pickups while still retaining the American Strat feel.

I will mention the features that this offers over the current strats available. "Vintage-Staggerd" pickups (look and sound identical to the pickups found in the Mexican Standards), 22 fret neck, American Made, Fender/Ping sealed tuners, vintage tremolo, satin matte poly finish, alder wood, three-ply pickguard, medium jumbo frets, the neck plate does NOT say made in Corona, CA; it is blank.

Sounded middy like a strat should, but the pickups are a less-than-par version of the Delta-Tones found in the American Series line. The tone is definately between a Mexican Standard and an American Series. I play through a Marshall TSL602 and Peavey Bandit II.

The neck pocket had a significant gap, and when I returned the guitar three days later to find a better built (QC-ed) model, I found two other HW1 Strats with horrible gaps in the neck pocket. The fret ends were not filed properly and became painful when running your hand up and down the fretboard. I can't believe the faulty QC on these guitars out at Fender America.

Had it for three days and returned it due to inferior parts and Quality COntrol issues. This is essentially a Mexican Strat with US electronic components and a US neck at a US price. Fender is making a large profit on this cheaply made guitar at $599.00.

N/A

Not worth the money. You should wither save some dough and go for a carefully selected Mexican Strat, or spend a few more bucks for an Amercan Series. i am really upset at Fender for conning consumers into thinking this is a worthy US model. It is a cheap Strat assembled quickly with low-cost parts.

A pre-CBS vintage reissue Strat made in the USA. Alcino pickups, vintage body style, flat finish. This wouldn't be the kind of Strat I would get if I was trying to get THE pure vintage strat feel, but for the money, and the fact that this is a USA strat, this is a good quality Strat. When I first played mine the strings were a little high from the neck, I brought it home and tweaked around with it until I got it down low good. I had to straighten the neck up a bit and I was ready to play. Good overall, as with every guitar, tweak it to fit your needs.

Very good sustain, obviously not as good as a 10000 dollar Strat, but it is exceptional.

Through a Super Reverb, she sounds awesome. Through a Frontman, it sounds like crap. It all depends on your taste of sound, skill level, and your amp. Don't blame the guitar for bad sound. Rarely are the pickups to blame.

The action needed a little work, but it was easy to mod and its great now. The finish is cool looking. Although I could just refinish any Strat with a flat finish to give it this look. I'm giving it a 9 because I had to work on the action after I bought it. Once you do that though, it's great.

Stevie Ray Vaughan's strat lasted for his whole career. (Although it was getting fragile through the last summer of his life) A strat is a strat. Hard as a rock.

Fender and the store I bought it from are great.

Great Value, great sound, great feel, great Strat. For 500 dollars a USA Strat is a good deal

2002 Fender Highway 1 Strat, made in USA, 22 frets, satin (flat) transparent turqoise (or is it aqua? well, it's green, at any rate), rosewood fretboard, three alnico strat pickups, vintage style bridge/vibrato arm, typical strat.

I never liked strats, until now. I had two mexican-made strats before this, but I didn't care for them. They sounded pretty close to the american-made ones, and they were far better than the Squiers, but they were just missing something. I guess it's the ceramic magnets that they put in the mexican-made ones. Whatever the case, this Highway 1 sounds like a strat should. This is the classic strat sound that I've always heard, but could never get. For those who say they don't sound as good as the standard American-mades with the regular finish, I say "bullocks". I played a standard American strat right before this one, through the same Deluxe Reverb, and I couldn't tell the difference. In fact, this one sounded a little bit clearer to me. I've never been crazy about rosewood fretboards, in general. The rosewood supposedly sounds a little darker than a maple fretboard. Well yeah, maybe a little bit, but I think that's a good thing. This guitar can still scream, but when played gently on the combined pickups settings through a Fender tube amp, it could make a grown man cry. What a beautiful sound.

The main selling point of this guitar is the cheaper finish and price. I have to say that I don't miss having the regular paint finish. This finish is much smoother, and very comfortable for playing. You have to be a little more careful with this one, though, because if you bump it, there's not as much finish to protect it and you could have an ugly mark in the wood. The action and playability are great, just what you'd expect from a strat. I have to say that I wasn't really crazy about rosewood fretboards on strats before, but this one is really nice.

You have to be a little more careful with this one, given the thin finish, but that aside, I think this is one extremely well-built guitar. I have total confidence in the hardware and electronics. Look how many strats from the 50's and 60's are still around. That should say something about the quality.

Haven't had to deal with them, and from what's been said in the other reviews, I hope I don't have to. I'd say if you have a problem, take it to an authorized Fender dealer and let them do the work on it. They're usually pretty good about doing warranty work.

Great guitar for the money. If you want and American-made strat, but don't want to pay $900-1000 for one, this is your ticket. You can get the same American-made quality and sound for almost half the price. I think Fender really has a winner here.

2002 Fender Strat U.S. Highway 1 (US made), Satin Laquer finish, Mod C neck shape 22 medium jumbo frets, solid alder body with maple neck. 3 pick-up - 5 pos selector switch (Fender standards).

This guitar sings.....I don't know what guitars the critics of this unit use but if they think this guitar sounds bad I would suggest an ear exam and perhaps some guitar lessons....(perhaps finding a life too....who takes the time to review a product you played for 10 minutes and didn't buy....) This guitar follows the long tradition of strats and is no exception. If anything it will quickly become a collectable item due to its unique nature. The guitar has an incredible range of sound due to the traditional Strat set up and adding effects as well as a capable amp makes the experience for a experienced guitarist a pleasure.

Action varies as each guitar made is a unique item. The construction process lends itself to this; even though they are really "mass produced". Several tried at the store had different set-ups....Go to the store and try them all....pick the one you like to play.
Great finish!!....Unique. Flawless workmanship.

How many bad Strats have you heard about?....If it's good enough for Clapton and Cray then it's good enough for me even though this one is thousands less....

Never had to deal with them. Here's a secret....buy from a reputable guitar store, they'll take care you.

This guitar is rock-solid!! It sounds great. I have read with great interest the various reviews both here and on other sites. Most, if not all, have been very positive!! and it is my opinion well deserved. The most distinct thing is that those that have played it, liked it and bought it wrote great reviews, while those that played it, and didn't like it, wrote a poor review.....Again....I don't know what guitars the critics of this unit use but if they think this guitar sounds bad I would suggest an ear exam and perhaps some guitar lessons....(perhaps finding a life too....who takes the time to review a product you played for 10 - 20 minutes and didn't buy....) Guitar buying is something that you need to spend sometime doing; it's enjoyable too. The auditioning process is a very important one, especially when your buying a guitar that costs a fair bit of money. In the end, if you buy this guitar because it had a great balance of style and sound, sound being the most important aspect, then you made a good choice....because this is the guitar you liked and thought sounded the best....The price is just a pleasant surprise!!!!....Enjoy the timeless and incredible Fender tradition.....and in this case value.....;)!!

This is a 2002 American made strat. 22 frets. One volume, 2 tone (one controls the neck pickup, the other controls the middle), 3 vintage single coils, maple neck, vintage fender trem bridge, ping tuners, jumbo frets, gig bag included.

I mostly play hard rock, sometimes I'll go with heavy metal or classic rock. I play this with a Fender solid state stage 112 SE. This amp really does a good job on the "mid shift," with this mid shift you can really control how "twangy" or how "quack" you want the sound be. I also connect it with a Boss ME-33, Digitech GNX-2 and a Metal Zone(sometimes). But it a waste if you use this guitar with the metal zone, cos it just boost up everything and you can hardly hear the unique tone of this guitar. Maybe its because of the low output vintage pickups, it goes really nice with medium overdrive/distortion. ME-33 really does a nice job on this. The noice supressor It sounds wicked on all positions. The clean tone of it is kicking ass. I usually play it with chorus/phaser.

The factory set-up was okay. The action of each string is un-even. Inontation is perfect. All the hardware and finishing are excellent. They also set the bridge floating. The isn't much tuning problem unless I go too violent with the trem. The paint job..., well, somebody doesn't like the lacquer finish but paint job has never been an issue to me so...

This baby will withstand live playing for sure, and I don't thing there's any American strat can't. But still I would never play a gig without a backup. The lacquer finish looks like it easier to wear off than others with gloss finish. For the hardware, well, all I can say is that you can't compare this with the deluxe series.

Not sure abou this, cos I never really need it. It has a lifetime warranty.

I've been playing for 5 years. I also own an Ibanez RG 570 and a Fender Big Apple Strat. My concerns of this guitar before I bought it is the tuning machines quality and the pickups. The tuners so far are great, but I will replace the pickups with lace sensors soon. If any of you get bored with the muddy and bassy humbuckers guitar, and limited, this one is a good one to start with. You can always change the pickups and other hardware later.

2002, USA Hwy 1 Strat (paid $830 cad at L&M, Toronto)
Everything is perfect, except for the paint finish that comes off when you're playing/wearing the guitar! This explains the lower cost, along with inexpensive gig bag. In one year the guitar will look well worn (circa 1950 vintage, at least). Other than the paint finish (which by the way, gives a nice warm vintage tone when using the neck pick-ups) and gig bag, the guitar sounds and plays excellent. So don't panic if the paint comes off, it starts sounding better as more of the paint bio-degrades. I wonder if Fender is willing to recall for paint defects?? Rated 8 today may be a 10 in 12 months!

Suits the sound well as my second guitar for Blues/Rock.
Use a Peavey Classic 50 4/10, with delay, reverb and tremelo.
With any amp it's noisey when turned up high.

Good action (high) facilitate easy bending.
Had to have the guitar re-set at store (minor adjusments).

Yes, except the finish of course.

Always the best

Playing for a very long time, let's see, about 35 years.

Ah, 2002. Good year for guitars I suppose. Especially early August. This American Beauty was made then, and outfitted with a pickguard around the 15 of August. Twenty two frets, not that I use that extra one, but it's nifty. Sturdy, solid Alder body with a great grain to it that really shows up nice in light through the transparent finish. Humbucker, single, single routing, and avery clean, precise rout at that, with conductive paint within. The usual two tones and a volume, five way switch, and three very bridge, crystal clear single coils. Fender markets them as American Specials, though I think they're the US Standards, sans the Delta Tone. The neck is maple, rosewood fretboard. The good ole' vintage tremolo is in place, and not going anywhere. At the other side of the strings lie six cast sealed tuners with Fender on each. A gig bag was included, but this beauty needs a case. It may not be terribly innovative, but its got everything where it needs it.

In a word. Jazz. Through a Hot Rod Deville, or even a Solid State Peavey, this guitar cries just like the two thousand dollar custom shop jobs. Very bright and clear (my bandmates are always telling me to cut some treble!) it has everything it needs to cut through the mix. But with any good single coil, it brings feedback on command, as well as harmonics. If there's one thing I dislike, it's the bridge pickup being a bit thin. It may be replaced with something with a bit more balls later on.

Wow. Double wow. Transparent Teal satin lacquer finish on here. And oh is it ever pretty. Low maintenence as well, it doesn't get smudgy, no sir. However, it's prone to scratches, and small chips as well. Definitely not a finish for the neat freak of the bunch. I've yet to touch the pickup settings, they're just where I want them, a little higher on the treble side, but the bass end is still very present. The single thing about this guitar that actually bothers me, and only a little, is the bridge. Not the bridge itself, no, but Fender managed to mount just a tiny, tiny bit to the left, resulting in the low E string a little closer to the edge of the board than is sometimes preferred. It doesn't affect the sound however, and when I get that far down on the neck, I tend to use alternate voicings anyway. I actually raised the action on it, becase I like a little height, but it was excellent to start.

I put up the rest of my guitars for sale today. Reliable at a gig? You know it. Guarenteed to stay perty? Probably not. The finish is scratched pretty easily, and I assume it's rather thin. However, I like that. It'll gain that old worn out look faster, ooooooh, niftiness.

I'm my own support.

I haven't even played the guitar for two years, so I'm in the novice zone. But in that time I've made myself intimately familiar with the ins and outs of guitars, and when it comes to a Stratocaster...I can tell you most anything you want to know. If this guitar were to come to a bad ending, I would most certainly replace it with another of the same type. I suppose, if there's something I love most about it, is its unique finish. I've received many, many compliments about it from bandmates, friends, family, and instructors.

If you want a bright, clear sound with a great feel to the guitar over all, and don't want to get into the thousands, this IS the guitar. The first time I saw this guitar in an article online, I was resolved. When I saw it at the store, I bought it. Every Strat player should at least try one of these, compare it to the higher end models. It's worth more than how much you pay for it.

2003 Cocoa (creamed on white) rosewood neck, white Pick Guard - Nice Look. I played a red one for an hour then the salesman took the white one out of the box. It was set up with the strings a little higher - plus I have a lot of RED things. So I played the white one and then bought it. Every thing was set up right - go figure?
Nice neck - the frets are mediums not jumbos. The sealed tuners were a nice touch for the price. Fender is always coming up with strage tuners - these a simple and they work.

A little hot. As other reviews have said - Tex/mex Calif. side of hot. Could be the finish. I liked it - I bought the sucker, so I better like it!! 5 position switch - nice "between sound" to get the "Robert Cray" twang with some edge. Not to give it a "Superficial, glowing reviews..." it's got a great sound - I've been a profesional bass player for 30 years and heard A LOT of strats right by my side - a '59 and a '62 as well as SRV editons and some other "custom shop" stuff(the cooler looking the guitar the shitier the player - most of the time) . This rates as a profesional guitar. Hey - they did put FENDER on it and made a big deal about it being "made in USA". IT lives up to the rep!!

Nice action. Like I said - it was set up a tad higher so you can get under the strings to bend 'em. What do I know - I'm a bass player anyway - so the action is not an issue for me.
Little girl Guitar players worry about "action" - Don't Like it?? Fix it!!!
Every thing was adjusted properly after I tuned it up a half step to std pitch (for the price - that was a shock!!). I know - I know, all strat guys love it down a half(Like Hendrix & Stevi Ray). I think they send them out of the factory like that so they play EASY so you'll buy 'em -

Fender - American made - we shall see???
I have a 65 J bass and a odd Presision Elite II from 86 - both are intestructable and stay in tune like a mutha.

What the fuck is that for???

Fender - American made - I heard that the Mex Strats were ok - but I went with USA. In 20 years will it be worth $200 more due to that??? or do I just like to see USA on the headstock - who knows.
It sounds great - I should have bought two. One to keep with all the tags on as an investment - beter that my a 401k which is been reduce to a 101k.!!!!HA
Play - Play - and then play - oh yea - get paid no and then!!!

2002 American Made Blonde Beauty with Maple neck. Now thats a true blonde! Was not too impressed with the slightly crooked string tree, but at least the other one was straight. I got ripped off by the salesman who never told me it came with a quality gig bag and ended up paying extra for a hardshell case. Body is three piece and I admit I always thought they were cut from a single piece of stock. Shows what I know!

My only other electric is a Les Paul that I have had for three years. The most notable difference is the weight. After playing my new "Buttercup" for a couple of days, I picked up the Les and almost dropped it. This Strat sounds good to me thru my Blues Junior amp and cannot even be compared to other types of guitars. It is afterall, a Strat. It rings like a bell on lead.

Action is smooth and no worry of getting fret cuts off the sides of the neck. I have seen guitars with rough fret ends selling for much higher many times. I personally like the finish and realize that is what gives it so much sustain and tone. After all, I want to play it, not put it on display. Pickups are perfectly aligned for proper amplitude. Neck is set very well. I am impressed by the overall finish and fit for a 600 dollar guitar.

Well, if you are thinking of lighting it off with a flammable substance or slamming it into the drums, forget about it! If you are like me and wipe it down and put her back into the case or on the stand next to your favorite chair, it should last a lifetime. Dont forget to give her a little kiss after you just hit that favorite lick and put that big smile on your face.

I doubt I would need any customer support since if the need arises, I would take her down to my favorite guitar man and let him do his thing.

I wish I could say that I am a retired rock and roll star but the truth is, I am just like all the rest of you zombies out there who just love to turn up the amp and piss off the neighbors. I have a Johnson Marquis JM60 and a Fender Blues Junior. My axes besides this beauty are a Les Paul knockoff by Crate and a Martin accoustic. I am pleased with this guitar and for all the naysayers on this board, "get a life". What did you expect for 600 dollars?

It's a great guitar for little $, looks like the mexi standard body with it's hum-single-hum body routing, finish is a nice thin satin lacquer finish that almost looks like a pro refin, just don't look like a traditional fender finish. American stardard style 22 fret neck with good frets and cheap tuners. vintage style tremolo, alnico tex mex style pickups. with fender gig bag

a cross between an old tex mex model & califorina special, both discontiued models but overall good strat tone

looks & feels more like my old mexi standard than a US American Standard or US Vintage reissue, but still worth the $

typical good fender quality

fender warranty as expected.

for a 100% new fender made in USA , while I believe it's probaly mexican bodies with american standard necks and tex-mex pu's, it's worth the $460 + tax I paid.

Summarily, its an American Standard Strat with vintage tremolo and satin finish on body and neck.
Chose the teal green transparent model with a rosewood fretboard ?the most handsome combination in consideration of the matte finish.
The details:
http://www.fender.com/gear/gear.php?partno=0111100

Well, ? it?s a Strat.
The staggered poles piece balance the string volumes nicely.
Am pleased with the sustain and tonal color of the rosewood fingerboard.

Love the neck and fretwork, hated the wimpy strings.
The dealer set it up to my specs: (the stainless bullets were out of stock so I settled for) Super Bullets 3250 M (Gauges: .011, .014, .018, .028, .038, .049 ), add 4th spring, tremolo flat to body, but operable.
The magic of the satin finish is that its non-stick; no more ?gee I?m sweat-welded in place!?

Well, ? it?s a Strat.

The dealer has Fender-trained personnel and handles all warranty and repair. No problems expected; not worried about surprises.

Love it.

2002 Stratocaster, usual features, blue matte finish, vintage bridge, modern tuners. Great gig-bag.

very good for blues, country, & rock. It has a really clean sound with great sustain. Distorted is pretty raunchy, but if you like a grinding "in your face" assault, it will deliver in spades. It really kicks ass in the funk and country departments. The "in between" settings with your amp clean are pure Average White Band, and the single settings are totally Vince Gill all the way. This baby sounds so good set clean I want to piss in my pants every time I strum it. It has just the right amount of sustain and delicious tone to keep me diggin' all night.

I checked out about 10 of these Srtats, and none of them disapointed in the fit; all were pretty good. The finish is kind of drab, though. Fender calls it satin, but it looks more like doggy-doo if you ask me. The salesman said it is a "sparesly applied finish meant to optimize tone, not looks". I have to agree with sparsely applied part, I found a small nick after buying, and the finish was chipped to the bare wood! It looked really thin, like there was only 3 or 4 coats! At this rate I'll have a a "vintage" look in about 5 years! But that's cool, maybe the lack of finish is part of why it sounds so good.

I could break it if I really tried, but I'm in love. Would you hurt the one you love? Yeah, maybe your g-friend, but not your guitar(s).

Who?

If you are prissy about the looks of your machine, stay away from this model. It's not exactly what you'd call pretty. The finish is not what you might expect on a Fender (in fact I don't think Fender has ever done it before). But it looks decent, and you'll get used to it. Tonally though, the sound is premium. It absolutely kills for a clean sound, and has a distorted bite that a humbucking axe can't come close to. I like to think of it's vibe as a tool in my arsenal (God, that sounds typical). It's got a couple of outstanding sounds that my LP can't duplicate.

2002, American made Strat, features (I think) a good mix of vintage and modern standards: vintage bridge, modern 22 fret "C" neck, vintage lacquer used but in a modern satin finish, modern die-cast tuners, and modern electronics with an ultra clean, but available vintage vibe.

Included is an excellent quality gig-bag (not one of those crappy cheapo jobs) and hex wrenches to adjust the action.

The sound can be described in one word: Stratocaster. Everyone knows a good sounding Strat is a guitar gold, and this one is all of that. What really surprises me is that my local guitar shop just got in 6 of these (in various colors), and only 2 were dogs. Most of the Strats I have tried out over the past few years are life and colorless. My guitar tech tells me that one of the best reasons these satin Strats sound good is because of the laquer finish. It is applied pretty thin, and so does not muffle the tone like the ones with polyester finishes. It's not as pretty as a glossy polyester finish, but there is no comparison in the tone and sustain. I had a really hard time choosing between the 4 good Strats. I finally settled on one that sounded (to me) only slightly better than the others.

Anyway, on to the specifics of the sound of this axe...It is truly one of the best sounding Strats I have ever owned, and I have had 5 of these over the years. I'm generally poor, so I got rid of the others in trades for other gear, you know the story. The two best things about the way it sounds are the clarity and the sustain. I have been a Les Paul guy for about 3 years now, and after doing everything but installing single coils in my Paul could not not get a really clear sound from it. Don't get me wrong, the Paul is a wonderful sounding instrument, but you can't really use it for a country or a Stevie Ray type blues sound. My Paul sounds great for distortion rock and jazzy stuff, but the real twang of a Fender can't be achieved. So I searched for a Strat. Man, let me tell you, a great sounding Strat is hard to come by nowadays! Part of it is because compared to a Les Paul, most Strats don't have much sustain. But his one has plenty. I won't say it sustains as well as the Les Paul, but it is very close, and the character of the sound more that makes up for any difference.

I'll tell you (if you're a novice) how you know you have found a really good guitar: you can't put it down. You can play it for hours and still anticipate with joy, the next note or chord. When you can go to bed after playing endlessly on your axe and look forward to playing it again tomorrow you are there.

The action is really good after adjustment. The fit is also good; I have tight neck pocket. The finish is rough. It is not what you'd call "factory". But this is where the money was saved so that you could get an American made Strat at an import price. The condition of the finish is actually a good thing sound-wise. Instead a getting a thick tone robbing poly finsh you get a thin laquer coat and a minimal wood filler which doesn't kill the sound, and which will get better with time, as the laquer shrinks and gets closer and more ingrained into the wood. It's not a bad look, just different. Instead of being shiny and flashy it is warm and glowing. It grows on you. And when you play it, you're not thinking about the finish, you're just thinking about how damn good it sounds.

It's a Strat...nuff said.

Who needs it?

Not that it matters about how long I have been playing, and I normaly wouldn't say, but I know that this review wouldn't be taken seriously if I wasn't experienced, and I do want Fender to get due credit on this guitar, so...25 years. Believe me I know what a good guitar sounds like. No, I'm not a Van Halen or a Danny Gatton, but my ears know sound. And this is a great sounding guitar. Don't you be fooled by the looks of this beast. Don't let the rough finish make you pass this guitar by. Let your ears, and not your eyes, be the judge.

All the features have been detailed by others so I wont go into all that again. It is a basic "no frills" Stratocaster with an unusual finish. Features (for this price range) I'll give a 6. Has a trem so that is an extra feature.

Sounds like a Strat. That's the bottom line. Has the normal Strat hum but nothing unbearable. Staggered pole pieces even out the sound. So far I've used it with no effects into a Laney VC30-210 and a Vox Cambridge 30 Reverb. Sounds good. Versatile. No complaints. For a Strat sound I'll give it top marks.

It was set-up ok at the place I got it from. The action is a little high and it has 9's on it. I want 10's and a little lower. The intonation is very good though (Buzz Feiten aside). The few I got to try didn't have any finish problems at all. The wood grain can be seen through the finish and mine is nothing spectacular (but that isn't a complaint - just an observation). I think the nut needs a little work but it will anyway with the string guage change. No big deal for me...every guitar I have purchased needs a pro set-up to begin with.

One criticism (this isn't just for the US Special) - on the majority of Fenders I checked out, USA and Mexican, the neck pocket isn't as good as it should be on the lower edge. Appreciable gaps were present on nearly all the Fenders with the exception of the American Deluxe. My cheap Samick bass has a better neck pocket than the majority of the Fenders I tested! The top edge is nice and snug however and I don't foresee it being a problem. It is a QC point Fender should look at though. Otherwise everything was ship shape.

I've only had it a couple of days so I can't really comment on longevity.

Everything seems pretty standard and being a solidbody it wont require too much babying. The strap buttons are not the locking type but reasonably decent. Tuners are decent - no slippage. Trem/Vibrato stays in tune unless I go berserk on it. It will need attention for the change in string guage I want but that's normal. No idea about how the finish will hold up.

I wouldn't use anything at a gig without a backup.

I'd be surprised if, with a little care, this guitar doesn't last me until I can't play anymore.

N/A.

Been playing on and off for 11 years but only fairly recently started to get serious. I am very happy with the guitar overall. Price was right for the sound I was after.

I may have picked a Mexican made Classic 50's model instead but the neck and frets wasn't quite right for me. Price was very similar.

Only real gripe is I wish it came with a proper case instead of a gig bag.

I also own a Rickenbacker 370 and a Gibson LP Studio Gothic. The Strat definitely isn't as well made as the Rick. Nor were any I got to test out. No worse than the Gibson for care of construction though. The Gibson is a set-neck and requires more work but the fretwork on the Strat wont need to be touched. My Gibson needed one straight out of the box.

Overall it's a great guitar and I'd buy it again.

The teal green transparent model with a rosewood fretboard. 2002 model, of course. The frets are the same as on an American Strat, with the medium - jumbo feel to them. Usual Stratocaster pickup config. except the middle pickup is nit reverse wound / reverse polarity or whatever, but it doesn't seem to matter in that it is well - shielded or grounded with little to no noticeable hum. Pole pieces on pickups are staggered height and seem to have good balance. Finish is satin, almost flat, very thin, but it shines up quite a bit with an initial polishing. Bridge is like the vintage, six screw model with screw - in arm. Tuners are the American - style nice sealed and tight string through the post - type. It has two string trees (retainers) on the e,b, and g,d strings, respectively. The neck is 25.5" scale and is relatively thin in profile and plays great. Comes with gig bag and the usual stickers and inspection tags.
A nice, straightforward, no - frills Strat.

It sounds great, although compared to my other Strats, it's a little on the bright side. It really does a good job of bringing out the lower notes with snap and that's something that often lacks on my other, more expensive Strats. I use a Mark IV Mesa head with a Marshall 1936 2x12 sealed cabinet. I play through a Clde reissue VOX wha, a Digitech distortion pedal, a Boss DS-1 (the best cheap distortion pedal out there, period! It works!), a Boss Chorus Ensemble pedal and have a Boss digital delay in the effects loop of the amp. The guitar is surprisingly free of noticeable hum in all pickup positions. It has a good bright sound and sounds especially good with distortion. A lot of tones can be had between the five pickup positions. I am one of those guys that sets the tone controls wide open to full treble and alters the bass and mid content on the amp itself, so the tone controls don't really affect me one way or another. I don't dislike anything about the guitar.

The gfuita came with action a little on the high side from the factory, but it is an easy adjustment anyone can do in a matter of a half an hour (intonation, action, trus rod relief). After a change of strings from the .009s to .010s, and the tweaks I mentioned above, the guitar plays as good if not better than a few of my other higher -end models.

The pickups came adjusted too close to the strings, so I lowered them to the usual standard for vintage pickups, which is around 7/64s to 8/64s, allowing the bass side to sit further away from the strings. The neck pocket is soild, there is no tilt - neck adjuster or bi - flex truss rod. Good feature is that the truss rod still adjusts at the headstock through a hole in the end of the walnut skunk stripe, making it easy to fine tune the relief in the neck. I like mine almost flat, with little relief, but also with no fretting out when bending strings in the upper registers. The neck was generally better and more consistent than some American Standards I have ownwed or presently own. I did the usual tightening of key screws at the neck joint, tightened the nuts on the tuners at the headstock face, readjusted the trem to properly float when tuned to pitch, which for our band is a half step lower than concert pitch. The only problem I initially had was that the high "e" string was breaking at the hole under the bridge saddle where it comes through the trem block. There must have been a burr or sharp edge there, so I used a small round needle file to carefully remove the sharp or burred edge and since have had no problems occur.

It is a Fender Stratocaster. Like all other Fenders I have owned and that would be too many to remember them all, it is a solid piece of gear. The finish shines up almost to a gloss if you polish it regularly. The finish looks nice and the wood is nicely grained beneath. The neck is satin in finish as a typical American Strat is. The only funny thing is that I get a sticky residue buildup under my hands on the neck after a while, which normally does not occur with my other guitars. I had the same thing happen with the Voodoo Strats I have owned, but it's not the kind of thing to make me want to declare the guitar as a poor instrument. In fact, I really like it for it isn't equipped with any bells and whistles, yet doesn't seem as inherently "cheap" in feel when compared to the average Mexican - made Standard Strat or Telecaster. There is a notoceable difference in appearance and feel and tone between the Standard Mex model and the American - made guitars. The Mex ones are good guitars, but I just prefer one that comes from the actual home factory. Call me nationalistic, patriotic or maybe even neurotic!

Fender has always been good to me and helpful...I have to wonder about the horror stories told by many others, because they have always corrected what little problems I've had with their products in the last 31 years I've been playing guitar.

I really like the guitar. I'm not some bozo who plays in his bedroom and has little experience. I have played guitar nonstop for 31 years and I think that this, like all the other Fenders in my stable, is a great guitar. What is great to one is not always the same to another, but this is a nice guitar. It is different in that the finish is not buffed to a high gloss, but it has it's advantages in that fingerprints and sweat don't readily show up as they do on gloss.

Standard Strat features. You know the drill.

Doesn't sound any better than the Mexican models. The first thing I usually do is replace the pickups anyway, so this probably isn't a problem for those of you who like to mess around with the electronics as I do (leave vintage originals to collectors, I just want to play!).

Terrible. Fender really screwed up here. Trust me, get a Mexican model for $200 less or pay $200 more and get the real thing. You could even find one of the 70s "lawsuit" copies and you would still have twice the guitar at less than half the price. I, however, like the finish: it has an aged look to it. To me, the looks of the guitars I use come AFTER its playability anyway. That is, after all, what really matters. This guitar is for the person that HAS to have a US strat, but I warn you, THIS IS NOT THE QUALITY OF A REAL AMERICAN STRAT, IT IS NOT EVEN THE QUALITY OF THE HIGHER END MEXICAN REISSUES (the 70's strat is awesome, by the way).

I'm not keeping it to find out!

I love Fender, I do, but this was just a mistake (as was the Smith Strats of 83. CBS almost ruined Fender forever, but thats another story). Oh what the Highway 1 Strat could have been...

As I said, I love Fender. I have 3 Strats: a custom 70's reissue with a brass nut, 2 Dimarzio YJM's and an HS-3 at the bridge (Yes, Yngwie is god), a Mexican standard fat strat with a Air Norton humbucker, and another Strat mutt that is so customized you can hardly call it a Fender anymore. (scalloped neck, newer warmoth bridge, replacement pickups, the works). I also have a Les Paul, a 70s model Epiphone EA-250 hollowbody, a 1937 Gibson J-35, and many other guitars, some vintage, in my collection of over 20. At the moment I'm looking for one of the Japanese HM Strats of the early 80's.

See Website

Sounds like a strat. I replace all my pups with Kinman anyway so I don't get that much into the stock sound. I am pretty picky with my set-up, if I owned this guitar I know I would have it sounding exactly how I want it to.

I tried one out at GC yesterday (that's probably part of the problem)and I was not impressed. The guitar needed a set-up badly as the action was way high...but it did play and sound like a strat. It was solidly built but I just can't get over the finish! I saw a trans blue one and the one I played was trans blonde. The finish looks very toy-like. It may look vintage or worn to some but to me it looks cheap. Someone on the Fenderforum used "orange peel" to describe the texture and the one I played was just like that. Overall, its proabably a good guitar but I will stick to strats from 84-00. Those years, although not vintage, are really great guitars--I have 8 of them so far. Easy to work on, sound great, and very versatile. Plus you can buy'em for 400-500 on eBay. I only wish Fender made the American Standard Strat in Butterscotch or Vintage Blonde!!!

Fender Strats will survive almost anything. I am sure this one would as well.

Never needed them yet.

It's a good guitar but I would pass and get a used American Standard. I really wanted the blonde color one but after trying it I changed my mind. IMO the new finishes look very toyish and not vintage-like at all. They play fine but you can pretty much set-up a strat the way you want. $599 is alot for a guitar without a case with marginal, at best, pick-ups.

2002 Fender Highway 1 Stratocaster. (see Fender's website for specs.) This guitar is a "no-frills" American strat with basic functionality.

The guitar sounds OK. Not as clean as an "American Stratocaster" model, but not bad.

I've played three of these to date and have been disappointed with the overall fit and finish on them. The action was poor, and the trem setup was off -- both of these could be fixed by a good guitar tech. My main complaint is the finish on these guitars -- two of them had poorly matched 3-piece bodies (another reviewer stated his had a 4-piece body), and the stain/finish looked like something I would produce at home with a can of spray paint.....no kidding here. Some areas appeared heavier coated than others with varying degrees of "orangepeel" and smoothness throughout. I can't say that I've ever seen this kind of finish on any american factory finished guitar.

Fenders, in general, are very dependable and durable guitars.

Never had to deal with them

I love Fender guitars, especially the American, vintage, and custom series. I really wanted to like these new ones that just came out. All the specs looked good on them -- vintage vibe with modern neck, etc. What a disappointment! For $599, it's just too much for what you get. For $550, the Mexican reissues and the Vaughn series are just a better guitar. If you really want to go with American made, the $200 you need to add to get an American Strat is money well spent. And, that $200 gets you better pickups, hardware, finish (major improvement), hard case, strap locks, strap, cable, etc.... The Highway 1 guitar idea would have been great had Fender just did a decent finish job,

2002 US Series "Hwy 1" Stratocaster:

22 beautifully dressed and polished med/large frets on maple "rolled edge" board; Ping sealed tuners; two Elite/Deluxe style string retainers on headstock. This neck is the same as all the modern American Series, American Standard, etc., Fenders; satin poly finished; C shape; but standard truss rod (not "Bi-flex").
Four screw plain chrome steel neck plate (not Micro-Tilt).

Solid alder (four pieces on mine) with blue LACQUER matt see-through finish body.

Original style Strat control set up (no "TBX," "Delta," etc).

Vintage series trem w polished, stamped, saddles; six anchor screws in front bevel; three springs in back; solid thick steel inertia block.

Came with Fender gig bag; two Allen wrenches (for neck and bridge saddles); and assorted papers and pamphlets (warranty reply, dealer network), etc.

Classic Strat sound: AlNiCo pickups; staggered pole pieces; #42 wire; no RMRW middle pu for "humbucking" in pu switch pos #2 & #4.
Like a Vintage set up and sound.
Good body vibration.

Perfectly set up with factory Fender 250's (0.009" - 0.042").
Neck perfect, and trem also perfectly set-up, as well as the pickups.

Beautiful job!

Matt lacquer body finish is a bit different. At first I thought it looked sorta cheap, but once I realized it was lacquer, just not rubbed out and polished, it grew on me a LOT!
Acoustic guitars do it, why not electric?

It's classy (and Classic) in its own workingman way!

Gig worthy and Pro level, all the way.

Strap buttons are solid, but not locking. The locking buttons sell at the dealer for $3.95.

I mistakenly said on the Fender Forum, that I thought the trem was die cast inertia block. Fender "GTRD" offered to replace it, as it is spec'd "Vintage syncromatic" style.
When I removed the plastic back panel, I discovered it already WAS a vintage style full thick steel inertia block trem. My mistake. Sorry Fender. Thanks though!

Standard Fender Lifetime warranty

42+ years experience. All styles.
I use this with a Budda Twinmaster 1 X 12" combo for Classic early R&B, Rock, Gospel, and Blues sounds (some Jazz and Country too). For all my electric work, actually.

I was actually looking to replace a Fender Jimmie Vaughan Strat I had sold to a friend who wanted it badly, but they were out.
It reminded me very much of a '97 California Strat I had, except that one was gloss Candy Apple Red and two-point trem.

I love the modern Fender necks, especially "rolled edge" maple!

It would be nice to have a RMRW middle pickup for hum-cancelling in combined positions, but I'll live as-is.

Nice blend of vintage and modern features. I'm looking forward to the lacquer body finish "maturing," appearence-wise and sonically, though I love it right now, too.

Its grown on me, and I would replace it with exactly the same thing. I'd hoard them!