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!