Fender Highway 1 Telecaster

telecaster body with two alnico pickups. Three way switch and one volume one tone chrome knobs. Maple neck and fingerboard. Alder body (very light for a fender). Came with deluxe gigbag a couple of stickers and allen wrenchs. Neck is like a american standard .finish is very light satin in honey blonde. This is the first year made. 2003 in USA.

It sounds the way it is suppose too. twangy enough for country and mellow with plenty of sustain for blues. I play through a vox amp for country and through a fender super reverb for blues. When I play through my Marshall it sounds a little flat so I have to use a ibanez tubescreamer pedal. It tends to be a little noisy for recording. But I won't change that as it is the character of the guitar. It has the vintage telecaster sound. Many of the telecasters today have a more modern sound.

The guitar was setup very poorly from the factory. the worse setup Ive ever seen on a fender product. The frets sliced my fingers and had to be sanded. the intonation was so bad that I replaced the three saddles with 6 individual saddles from a 52 tele reissue. Had to replace the pickguard as it looked warped already. (Cost covered by Music store)

This is a US fender telecaster. Pound by pound the toughest electric guitar on the planet. If I ever get to do a world tour this is the guitar id take.

Never dealt with company. always deal with music store if I have a problem.

Been playing Fenders for 25 years. Also have a strat,squire 51 and Fender acoustic.I find the quality of Fender has dropped. Years ago a wouldn't have had to do all the work to get this guitar to where it should have been from the factory. I compared this guitar to other telecasters but found this one to have the best vintage sound I was looking for. If your looking 50's style tele without the large price tag of the reissue relics or original this Highway 1 is the guitar for you. Just be careful and play a few of them as Fenders quality control is not that good anymore.

Basic Telecaster layout with "grease bucket" circut on tone pot that cuts high frequencies without rolling in bass. Pickups are AlNiCo 3 and are slightly overwound. Also, thin nitro-cellulose laquer finish in some very nifty colors over alder body. All things considered, it is still a Telecaster. If you want extra features don't buy this.

I have 3 other Telecasters and am not new to this type of guitar. I was intrigued by the articles and buzz surrounding this one, and thought it would be a nice backup to my others. It has actually filled a "hole" in my sonic pallate, sitting somewhere between the Deluxe and the Standard Telecasters I also play. I find the bridge pickup leans more toward the Broadcaster range with more output, definately not thin sounding. The neck pickup is more Strat-like to my ears, but doesn't push the amp into break-up as quickly as the bridge does. It tends to stay cleaner up through the volume knob until wide open, when it gives the tubes a little extra shove. I don't notice any more 60 cycle hum than I would with any other single coil equipped guitar. If you cant live with it, there are options such as extra shielding (which I wish Fender had done a better job on this guitar) or one of the noiseless pickup options widely available. I really enjoy the overall tone quallity of this insturment. It still retains the twang factor, but the top end feels different than a traditional Telecaster. I run this guitar through smaller/med-size Fender amps (Deluxe, Silverface Princeton and Blues Deville). For my ears, it really shines with the smaller amps. On the floor, I use Radial Tonebone Classic and Voodoo Lab Sparkle Drive for extra grit. I also have a Boss compressor and Visual Sound H2O at the beginning and end of the chain respectively. It does not react as well as the Tele-Deluxe to higher gain settings from the pedal board, but for low to medium gain stuff it has a nice brisk quallity that any "roots" or "acid-country" player like myself would enjoy.

Pulled it out of the box, stretched the strings out and gigged the same night. The neck pickup needed raised ever so slightly to balance better with the bridge, but that was the only setup issue. As with any American made Fender guitar (even this one), the quallity was good out of the box as it should be. I really dig the finish (matte black) and the other color options on the Highway One insturments are really cool too. If you are looking for a guitar to stay mint for ever, this is not your best option. As previously stated, the thin laquer finish is going to wear quickly. Mine is wearing at the top (elbow) corner after only 6 shows. Cool!

Always take two guitars to the bar. One to play, the other to crack the drunk that spills a drink down your amplifier over the head with.

Dig it!

2005 model, satin sunburst finish, string through body, fender tuners, rosewood fretboard. Along with the guitar came a fender gigbag(real nice one by the way). Basic tele features really. I dont buy guitars for the features on it, but for the quality of 'em, and in thruth i don't really trust all of that digital, electronic mambo jambo. Oh and this guitar also has some kind of special cirquet called "greasebucket" that doesn't add bass when you turn down the treble. Handy. Not a lot of features but good ones, don't need to fly to the moon when you've a nice earth. Or something like that.

Hmm this is where the highway really shines. I mostly play harder rock, like Led Zeppelin, Guns 'N Roses, Foo Fighters and Arctic Monkeys but also a little "popier" music like Beatles and Oasis for instance. This thing does it all. When i first bought it was on the lookout for something that had a nice clean tone but didn't fall trough when you add gain(cough"strat"cough). And this thing does it. Of course i don't rock as hard as 60's SG and it don't have the magnificent cleans of a vintage strat, but it has something neither of the can, BOTH! This guitar aint as twangy as most telecaster, but it doesn't bother me. I'm not that much of a twang fan anyway.
I use with a Boss DS2(soon to be replaced by a ZVEX Fuzz Factory)-> Marshall Bluesbreaker Pedal set for boost-> crybaby->Fender Blues Junior. Admitted the distortions in this rig aint a bragger, but the cleans is another matter. I've got almost AC15 like cleans(I.e. holy grail IMO).
The guitar gets quite a bit noisy with distortion and booster engaged. This is strangley avoided by touching any metallic part of the guitar with a finger.
Rythm on this baby rocks, on bridge pickup a little distortion and turn of the highs and you've got a classic tone like noone of your friends.
It's a perfect match for me, there are no dislikes on my behalf. I can't complain on the distorted sounds, as the distortion units i have SUCK! A solid 9

Everything as I like it. Medium action, poor strings but hey easily replaced. No flaws no errors. This guitar is definitely the easiest playing guitar ever! So it's nescecary to have i a higher action than other guitars or there would be no challenge playing:)

The finish on this guitar is very(!) thin and i chip easily. some would say shite i say PERFECT!. Makes the thing look used. Seems steady. I've always had the thing about telecaster, they seem to be able to take a beating. I would definitely be able to could on it. Who knows it may even outlive me.

Haven't dealt with 'em.

I've played about three or four years(stopped counting). What can i say this baby is perfect! The only thing i wish it had was as sister. Then i'd have two. I chose it because of the fantastic value and tone nothing else really

Standard fare for a Tele. No surprises.

Very bright sound. In fact a little too bright at times. It doesn't have nearly the warmth & twang of my '73 Tele but it is useful as a backup. Clean sounds are this guitars forte. It does not react well my Maxon OD-808. The 60 cycle hum is slightly louder than my other single coil guitars. I'm thinking of changing the pickup to Barden's or Kinmann's.

Where do I start? The fit & finish out of the factory was nothing short of a disaster. The fret edges needed to be filed and recrowned. (It did it myself). I had to cut a new nut (tusq) as the slots were too low. The neck pocket is not as tight as it could have been, reducing sustain. Fender doesn't make them like they used to.

The jury is still out on this one as I've had it for a couple of months. I never gig without at least 3 guitars.

I've dealt with Fender in the past with vary results. They usually pass the buck back to the dealer.

Had the guitar been described accurately I would have never bought the guitar, as I had to put in considerable effort to get the guitar in playing shape. Fender's fit and finish is nowhere near what it used to be IMHO. If it were lost or stolen I would probably buy a G&L ASAT.

This guitar is fine. Do you know how to play?

I play what I play.

Some of you complain about the finish. What is that? I banged it around playing every night and even got a girl to chew on it and I can't get it to chip well. And she's Romanian from Transylvania. I'll have to use a hammer to get the paint lookin good. By the way...a ten for all Eastern European women!

No problems. I play out every night. It works.

What? Who cares? If it breaks I'll fix it.

This guitar is better than the American standards I used to play. I hate thick plastic paint. My guitar is a workhorse. I play it. I love it. It gets beaten up. I like it. Why even change the pickups? Just get a good amp!

satin finish, die cast tuners, maple neck, sunburst, 2 single coil alnico pickups..3 way selector, vol/tone knobs..GORGEOUS

mine is a 2003...sunbust body, maple neck..you know the rest..marked on headstock made in usa..i am a blues player, but currently playing in a classic rock/oldies band..i use this guitar with a rivera r55-112..the single coil alnico pickups do the trick for me..the tonal variations between the 2 pickups is quite varied for the stuff i do, which is pretty much everything..i can do a rendition of horace silver's song for my father, or i can do girl from ipanema on the bass or middle pickup and fingerpick and the guitar sounds great..it is clear and articulate and to my ear can duplicate an acoustic type sound..when i drive the british channel of the riv, using the treble pickup, boy, does this guitar sing..to my ear, it covers just about every sound you can think of that a guitar and an amp can create..i do not use any stomp boxes, so to my ear, the guitar is not noisy, although it does exhibit a bit of a warm ac hum..i like everything about the way this guitar sounds..i would rate it a 10

i bought this guitar sight unseen through the mail from a big chain store..it took me 3 attempts though, for me to find the right highway 1 for me..first one had some bad damage at the butt of the guitar..to my eye, it looked like a factory cover-up..2nd try..the guitar just did not feel right, and the neck joint was sloppy..3rd try..the guitar looked and played fantastic right out of the box..i like the matte finish..mine is starting to get shiny, i guess from playing it a lot and sweating all over it..it gets hot down here in florida..the screws that adjust the saddles are a bit high..i thought about cutting them down, but i've gotten used to them and they are really no bother..otherwise, i have not turned one screw on the guitar..the intonation is nearly dead on, the action is as good as it gets..the neck feels like it was made for me..no problems..so discounting the 2 bad ones i returned, i would have to rate this category 10

it is a fender..i used to throw my strat into the air on stage, sometimes i missed catching it..i would drag it around and beat it with my guitar strap, other than re-tuning i never had any problems..i do not do that stuff anymore, so this guitar kind of gets babied a bit..this guitar would survive just about anything you could do to it..built like a tank..the hardware seems heavy and well plated, and should last a lifetime..pots are smooth and quiet, switch is smooth, acurate and quiet..i would definately gig without a backup, and i can count on this guitar being there for me, everytime i reach for it..rating 10

my few contacts with fender actually yielded results..they are a big company, but if you are patient, i think you will be able to find your way around them and find that their support is A-1..from my own personal experiences, i have to rate this category 10

i have been playing profesionally since 1972..that is a long time..i have played and owned gibsons, prs, musicman, mesa boogie, fender, danelectro, supro, silvertone,martin, dobro, etc..etc..i have earned a living playing music, and i figure at this point, i know what i am doing..i love this guitar..it was not as costly as an american std tele, but that is a good thing..the sound of this guitar is clearly pro..there are certainly better sounding, fancier guitars out there, but for the money, this is a nice guitar..it covers every aspect of the music i play, which covers folk, blues, jazz, rock, pop..the guitar retains the original design that leo fender developed in the 1950's..it is a standard of the industry, and i could not imagine a better guitar for the money..i rate it a 10

The features of the Highway 1 tele are well known to the readers. This was my 1st purchase of an electric guitar in many years. I have owned mostly high end acoustic guitars including Martin's, Taylors and one custom, luthier made 12 fret Dread. My guitar has a maple neck and a satin, 3 color sunburst finish. The Fender gig bag was included and I plan to get a hard case to replace it. It looks and, more importantly, feels great. It is a basic, straightforward Telecaster.

It sounds just like I would expect a maple neck Tele to sound. Very bright using the bridge pup, nicely mellow in the neck and full in the middle position. I have to say that mine also sounds great acoustically, with no amplification. I can noodle around watching television and hear and feel it without driving my family crazy. I play the guitar through a '74 Princeton Amp. I think they were made for each other. The "Greasebucket" tone control seems to do what it claims. Frankly, as a mostly acoustic player, I don't have enough experience with other electrics to compare it to others.

This is where I do have some experience. As I mentioned I have owned some pretty nice acoustic guitars. Frankly, I always looked down on electrics as just an assembly of plastic parts and wires. My Highway 1 Telecaster is beautifully made. The neck is perfect, the body nicely finished and all parts seemed to be of high quality. It came equipped with 9's and I replaced them with 12's. The shop adjusted the action and intonation and it has played perfectly in tune since. I can only say that, in my opinion, it is as nicely made an instrument for it's type as my '94 HD-28. I was not able to find any flaws in it's construction and I am pretty picky. Considering it's price I think it is a bargain.

The guitar is built like a tank. I did have one problem with it a few weeks after purchase. One day I plugged it in and it's output ( volume ) dropped by about 75%. I thought the problem was my amp, but it turned out to be a wiring issue that was corrected when I took it back to the dealer. I haven't had any problems since. I have heard some complaints about the finish being thin and subject to wear. I can't say that I agree with that. I think it looks great and with reasonable care should last well. I prefer the soft satin finish to a slick, shiney and "sticky" finish, especially on the neck. After you play it for a while it wears in and gets a bit brighter. For those who are rougher on their guitars it will "relic" well. I have no reason to think it is not reliable except that any electronic part can someday fail.

So far the dealer has covered anything I have wanted, including set up and repair, under warranty. I have not yet attempted to contact Fender other than to register the guitar on line.

I have been playing since 1965. I try to keep my music life simple so I currently own a '94 HD-28, Fender Jazz Bass a Yamaha Classical and the Highway 1 Tele. I have sold off more nice guitars over the years than I want to think about. As I approach my mid 50's I have concluded that guitarists should spend more time and money on learning music and less on the hardware. Just my opinion. There is nothing about this guitar that gets in the way of playing music. It is a comfortable, well made and fine sounding guitar.If it were lost or stolen I'd buy another one without hesitation.

standard strat, not versatile really

Horrible way to much treble on the bridge pick up, just a nasty cheap tacky sound

action was horrible my first guitar which was #20 and second hand was nicer to play. When your playing it feels like you have to work so hard to get very little out of it

ok nothing special

crap

do not buy this insturment ite at first but do not be fooled its a pile of shit and fender should be embaressed for making such a poor quality instument

Ash body, maple neck, greasebucket circuit, 21 frets, you know the rest..

I'm a blues/rockabilly player and feel I have an excellent ear for tone when it comes to Tele's. Greasebucket circuit lets you roll down the volume without losing treble which is cool. Pickups are no noisier than other single coils. The bridge pickup is dark with a lot of mid range, the neck pickup is slightly gritty, and the best sound seems to be in-between with both pickups. This doesn't really suit me and I will be changing over to Roy Wrap pickups immediately. On the good side, this guitar plays excellent, I have 3 other Tele's to compare it against, with one being a Custom Shop Gatton. Bends are fabulous with no dying notes, due to the Dunlop 6105 frets. Fretboard almost feels like playing a Les Paul with the 12" radius. If it weren't for the pickups, I'd give this a 10 for everything else it has.

Setup from Fender had slightly high action, neck pickup was adjusted too far from strings, finish was perfect, could not find any construction flaws. Neck has rolled fingerboard edges which feel great. Neck is very nice feeling, not too small but also not a baseball bat like the Gatton.

Solid ash body with sharp '52 contours should hold up very well, don't care if the finish wears, to me that's cool. I bought the Fender Tweed case from Musicians Friend the day I got the guitar, I never consider keeping a guitar in a gig bag. Would use on a gig without a backup, although my Tele's are all configured differently, some with Bardens, Texas Specials, Roy Wraps and I like to have the whole arsenal with me at all times.

Never dealt with Fender.

Been playing 25 years, other guitars are '92 Gatton Tele, 86'Made in Japan 52'Reissue Tele w/Bardens and Vintique control plate, an American Series Tele w/ rosewood fretboard, Gibson ES 335, Ibanez ES175 copy, Fender Custom Shop Bass Breaker amp, Fender Pro Junior, Ampeg SS150 combo. I use a Fulltone OCD, Barber LTD, and Radial Tonebone for overdrive, a Keeley compressor, Boss DM2 analog delay, a POD 2.0 for recording and EH Holy Grail reverb pedal. Once I change the strings to DAddario 10's, swap out the pickups and change over to a black guard, I'll feel like I have an excellent vintage Tele. It really is that good of a guitar.

not many features,then again all you'll need!
Alder body,rosewood neck,basic and perfect really.

I play country/pop/rock and this axe is IDEAL!
Stick it straight through a Marshall and it's show time.
plenty of twang without loseing the rock crunch.
Bright without being harsh.

Not much finish but to my taste I prefer it!
Good action,off the peg playability!
Maybe I got lucky but I've never needed to adjust anything!

I Gig in confidence,every time,I keep an old Les Paul to hand just incase but never needed it...The LP is great but time for the new recruit.

Don't know,never needed it.Being from the UK not likely to get it anyway.I bought the tele on a trip to Florida for $600 got a hardshell instead of a gig bag for the flight home.

Been playing over 20 years,I own :Peavey Falcon,Gibson Les Paul Custom,Fender Tele Highway 1,Takamine accustic,various bits and pieces,must mention my Marshall JCM2000/4x12 rig,everyone should own one! (when you just have to upset everyone in the whole street,accept no subtitute!).If it were stolen I would sell my Television to get another one! I really do rate this guitar,and in the $600 {#360} range it has nothing to fear!