Fender Highway 1 Telecaster

Great Guitar!!! i love the 25.5 inch neck! it gives you great action and the pickups are awsome right out of the box. Theres not much to say besides the fact that it kicks a**. Does anyone know why people obsess over srats. I like tele's way better.

It can suit any style you can play. I personal play lots of metallica and this guitar can go from Fade to Black all the way to Master of Puppets. This guitar can do it ALL.

Not one problem at all. There wasnt a finger print on it when i bought it.

This is the only category that gets less than a 9 only because of the finish. It looks amazing, but it looks thin and will probably wear off quick.

I think this category is a waste of space. It can vary from great to not so great depending on where you bought it and all the people that had a bad expierence will give it bad ratings and make the guitar look bad. I hate this category

I have been playing a pretty long time and ive played my share of gibsons, fenders, and every other brand but this really stands out as one of the best ive bought

Manufactured in 2003.
3 tone sunburst.
Fender USA pickups which I tested versus a Fender '72 Tele Custom which squealed at volume/gain levels that the Highway 1 Tele had no problem with.
Tuners are excellent and tuning stablility far exceeds the recent Gibsons I have tried and dismissed.
Tone controls have a lot of variation too. This is basically what the USA Standard Tele would be if it kept to the original design.

Sound is classic Tele. The bridge pickup is very bright but can hold it's own when overdriven and of course you have the tone controls to vary this.
The neck pickup is more akin to a 335 than a start neck pickup and combines very well with the bridge on the middle setting, so you can get an in between crunch sound.

The action was superb straight off the wall in the shop. Nice and low with hardly any fret buzz at all.
The nut was cut perfectly in the factory.

The stability of the tuning and the wide variety of the tones means that this would be an excellent guitar to use live. Its biting sound would also allow the guitar to be heard above the band.
I will fit locking strap buttons.
It looks very solidly built and I have found this to be a consistent trait with Fender guitars. My gripe has been with Gibson's where the finish is blemished with the tiniest knock.

N/A.

Overall if you are in the market for a quality Telecaster and were wondering whether the Highway 1 would be significantly "worse" than the USA Standard then don't.
This is a class USA built guitar with quality USA pickups for Mexican money.
P.S. I know I've taken a swipe at Gibson's twice here and that's just because I have recently owned Gibson guitars which have not met the high standard of Fender.

All the features are listed below. This is a basic player tele. Mine appears to be solid. There are a few things I wish it had come with.
1. Brass saddles-it is a telecaster. Brass saddles are a must on a tele IMHO.
2. I wish that the fender logo was the old style logo.
Everything else is perfect.

I play rockabilly and Clash style punk. It works great for this. It is not a high gain guitar, but it sounds nice when pushed. Through my 63' Vibroverb RI it has great twang and punch. The middle postion is full and punchy. The neck pickup is jazzy and very fat sounding. My only problem is the bridge pickup. It is a bit on the harsh/brittle side. Some like this type of tele tone, but I like a bit more body in the bridge position.It is not horrible sounding, just not to my taste.
A big feature that I think makes this guitar, is the satin lacquer finish. The thin finish alows alot more resenence. You can tell the difference without even plugging it up. The thick modern poly finishes just rob some of the tone. This guitar moves when it is hit hard. I think that the wood will probably age better with the lacquer finish also.

Finish is transparent and satin. Mine is light blue, and the wood grain looks great through the finish. The fretwork is good, a little on the square side, but playable. I would say, all in all, that this guitar plays better off the self then most.

I know the paint will rub off eventually. I think it will look cool with that played look. I am comfident that this tele will hold up for years of abuse. It is solid.

Never needed help

Not to sound over the top, but I am COMPLETELY happy with this guitar. It sounds good,plays nice, and is solid. The lacquer finish to me gives this guitar that extra push. The neck is a good medium thick C-shape. I would reccommend this tele to players. It may not be the prettiest guitar, but I think it would serve a real picker really well.

Hope I helped, feel free to email me if you have any questions.

I think you have all the details of a Highway 1 Telecaster already so I'll skip this part

Right off the wall this was a very nice sounding guitar. I like to play them without going through an amp for a bit and everything resonates beautifully. Plugged in, the pickups were good but a bit noisy to my ears. They do sound fine but I replaced them with Fender Noiseless pickups which are basically stacked humbuckers. Now the noise is gone and it has all the sounds you'd want from a telecaster but with a bit more richness. I think a telecaster is an extremely versatile guitar - great for rock, blues, country and metal and the Highway 1 doesn't disapoint.

Everything was done really well straight out. The fret work is very nice and i like the medium jumbo frets a lot. All the finish work was perfect on mine and is clearly very well made. Mine has the 3-tone sunburst finish and is really beautiful in the satin finish. Action was fine but no one should judge a guitar based on the factory set-up. Even though it was very playable, I still had my luthier adjust it to my liking and it is now perfect for me.

Everything seems really well constructed. I may change the pots as I think they could be a bit sturdier. I think the cost savings on the guitar is likely in the electronics - which is a perfect place to save $$ because I wanted to customize it with my choice of pickups etc to begin with. But nothing is flimsy at all on the guitar right from the factory.

Haven't needed any.

This is my perfect electric. I couldn't ask for anything more at all. This is the first guitar I've had where I no longer felt like I needed another. I get every sound I want out of it and I play all styles (not well but...). I highly recommend the Highway 1 line and particularly the Telecaster. It's a tremendous step up from the Mexican telecasters which are a great bargain. I think Fender cut production costs in the right areas with the Highway 1 line since I knew I'd want to customize the electronics anyway.

2003 model. 22 frets. Alder body with light finish. 3 saddle Tele bridge. Fender non-locking tuners. Maple neck/fretboard. Vintage neck style.

Let me just start off by saying that before I even plugged this thing in I replaced the bridge pickup with that of a Seymour Duncan STHR Hot Rails for Tele pickup. Now this guitar sings! I play just about everything but mostly rock/blues/fusion jazz. Some influences are Audioslave, U2, Steve Miller, Tool, Pink Floyd, Clutch, Johnny Cash....and the list goes on. With this pickup, I can get that crunchy distortion, with a good pedal, anytime I need it. My setup is as follows: Tele>Crybaby Wah>Digitech Hot Rod Dist.>Line 6 Delay Mod(effects loop)>Fender Hot Rod Deville. With the distortion through the amp with the neck pickup, I can get a really sweet, bluesy tone for some good solos. The middle position has a little more highs, but also good for blues. The bridge position (Seymour Duncan) does really well for sharp, cutting highs on soloing and some nice crunch for rythym. On clean channels, all pickup settings sound wonderful. Full, not thin, good for all ryhtyms. I can just about mimic the bright, chimey sound of The Edge, from U2, with my current setup and this guitar. The only thing I can say that I don't like about the sound is the output of the neck pickup. In contrast to the SD Hot Rails, the neck pickup seems a bit quieter. Maybe I just have to raise it a little. All-in-all, quite a versatile guitar. I love it!

From the factory, the action was a bit low. The E-A-D strings were buzzing a little bit, but a minor adjustment fixed that. Very easy to play. The neck on this thing is just buttery! As for everything else, it all worked like it should; new! No complaints.

I haven't had to deal with the Fender company directly, but dealing with the authorized repair centers has been an ease. I have had nothing wrong with the Tele, but when I got my Fender Deville, a reverb spring was broken. I just took it into an authorized repair shop and they had it done in a day, no charge (under warranty).

I've been playing for over 10 years. I've owned a number of guitars (Les Paul, SG, Ibanez SZ, Ibanez SQF, Squier Telecaster). This guitar is by far my favorite. I really never thought I would own another Tele, but after picking this one up, I knew I had to have it. If it were stolen or lost, I would definetly buy another one. The only thing I can say I wished it had was the Hot Rails pre-installed. I love the look, the playability, and the sound all around. I am one happy camper!

Well dsescribed already. Mine's maple neck/honey blond. Pity you'd have to take off the neck to adjust the neck pup height. You can't get the scratch plate off as the overlap of the fingerboard and the pup itself lock the plate ( duh )

I think it has almost the right recipe of features to get a classic tele sound: Thin finish, pressed steel bridge etc..but, that bridge pup is way too shrill. I've changed it for a SD APTL-1 and have changed the bridge pieces for brass ones. How come it wasn't supplied with brass? With those changes it sounds very, very, good. Ironically the standard neck pup is very good as it is. This sounds better than the two American series Teles I've recently owned and is way cheaper. Great sound, full and clear through a Hot Rod Deluxe with a boost from a Boss OD 3 and a CS 3 compressor. Now, it sounds perfect. Why that bridge pup is such a cheap-o is a mystery to me.

Crimimal: Routing for the bridge pup can be seen by the bridge plate ( another 'duh' ) The set up was good. Action and playabilty are fine. I'm expecting the finish to start falling off soon but the trade off is a looser natural sound.

The tuners will last. The finish won't but no problem. You could gig with this but I wouldn't gig ever without a backup.

This is the best value Tele out there at the moment apart from the bridge pup and thin steel bridge pieces and the visible routing and the difficult to adjust neck pup. I've been playing Teles since 1976...This is as good as the best of them. I'd buy another. Despite the imperfections it's a very, very good guitar.

Standard Tele features. Solid wood, USA made, although I think a lot of the hardware is the same as the Mexican Standard.

The pickups in this are the same ones used in the Mexican 50's and 60's reissues (I think Fender calls them their "Classic" series). Says they are vintage single coils and they sound pretty good. Close to a vintage sound and definitely has that (I hate this overused term) "twang". At first I didnt like them but I changed the bridge saddles to compensated brass ones and it made a world of difference. Now I like the pickups. I play a kind of "Americana Pop" and it suits me really well. Playing it through an Ampeg R-12R Reverberocket, which is an amazing amp in itself so that probably helps out with the tone a lot.

Set up fairly well from the factory but intonation was out a bit. Also, it came with 9s which are pretty thin for my taste and I have lead fingers so I tend to bend whimpy strings out of tune easily. Everything looked good EXCEPT for the neck joint. There is a considerable gap which I think should be better in a American made Fender. I can live with it though. The finish on this is really cool. Thin and non-glossy I stuck a black guard on it and it kind of has a 52ish vintage vibe to it without the cost.

If you know of the Highway 1 series of Fenders, you know that they have a very thin satin-like finish. If you want a durable finsh this is NOT it. You can actually scratch this finish off with your fingernail. I like it though because it resonates well and I expect it to "relic" really quickly, which I think is cool. The guitar as a whole should hold up nicely since it's fairly well made.

Never dealt with them.

I've been playing way too long to be this crappy. I have about 10 guitars and this is quickly becoming my favorite. I always wanted a nice Tele with a vintage vibe and except for the $1200 52 reissue this one is about a close as a new Fender gets. Probably Fender's best value they have going right now. This is actually my 2nd HWY1 Tele. The first one I got by trading an acoustic to a guy but it was sunburst and I really wanted the Honey blonde so I sold it and bought the one I wanted. The burst was really nice but I had my heart set on the blonde.

2003 HWY1 Tele
Serial Number indicates built in 2003.
US made. 22 frets Rosewood board
satin finish skunk-stripe C-shaped maple neck
Truss rod adjust at the headstock, one string tree B/E
Chrome T/V knobs, 3-way switch, stock passive S/S PUs,
'Fender' sealed tuners (exactly like my Am Strat)
Ashtray bridge assembly with 3-piece saddles w/strung thru-body setup
Satin Lacuqer 3color sunburst with 3 piece alder body, fat body but not heavy, very comfortable for a non-sculpted tele body I have to emphasize
>>> The satin sunburst finish on this guitar is REALLY BEAUTIFUL.

Note: The reason for multiple wood body pieces in NOT for sound or construction, it is because it is cheaper than a one-piece body of solid alder. (That may help explain the price differential between the '52 solid Ash body or a one piece alder Strat and this guitar.) However, on this guitar, the pieces were very well matched and you can hardly tell it is not a one piece body. I believe on colored-over bodies the paint will cover pieces that may have very different grain patterns - almost butcher-block appearance. But that is okay because you will never see it anyway and it will probably be sonically correct.

I play a little bit of everything from old standards to country to rock'n'roll, (no metal or fusion tho), so this guitar fits my style. My main guitar is a strat (see the '95 American Strat review by BobbyC). I go direct into a Fender Deluxe or Marshall valvestate. This Tele has a harder-edged sound than my strat and does not have the versatility that the strat offers, but it does nail down the funky, 'honky' country sound and is pretty effective for Rock and Roll tunes. For live gigs it sounds very good and is easy to play.

I have noticed early on that this guitar has tremendous sustain. I am not sure but it may be combination of the alder, the neck, the light body weight, and probably the thin lacquer finish for sure. Maybe just plain good luck too. It has more sustain than my strat. It really sings.

However... I have noticed a very subtle problem that seems to come and go when I am playing either PU, sometimes there is a hint of noise or distortion 'riding on the note' even with a 'clean' amp setting (Fender Deluxe using bright channel). It is not a hiss or crackle, it seems to coincide when a note is played. You have to be in a quiet room to hear it. Can anyone tell me if this is a problem with the PUs? Have you experienced the same noise? When played through the same amp setup, my strat does not have this problem. Again, I do not believe it is overdriving or distorting the amp, it is noise generated by the PUs themselves as a note is played. If this persists I will have to swap out to after-market PUs. Thus 7 rating.

Guitar had 9s so I switched to 10s. The action is very good.
Action and fit is basically perfect and no adjustments were necessary. I like the C-shaped neck it is fat enough to keep your hands from tiring but thin enough to enjoy. The fret board seems just slightly wider than my Am strat, but since I like to fingerpick too, this is a plus. I belive it has a 9.5 radius and bending high up seems to work okay.

Again, the 3 peice alder body was well matched and the satin finish on this guitar is SPECTACULAR - really!

When changing strings I noticed one flaw - behind the first fret under the high E string, there was a section of rosewood that was not filed or sanded very well and has a 'ridged' rough spot. However, it is not a problem as you never feel it when playing the guitar. It was just a small flaw that might have missed the inspection. Thus have to give it an 9.

This guitar appears to have the same tuners and neck as my '95 American strat. If it holds up like my strat I will be pleased. It may be too eary to tell since it is brand new. I do expect the body to get dinged due to the thin satin lacquer. Too early so have to give it an 8

I have never contacted them. Their website seems to be okay.

My initials are 'BC' which could also mean 'before Christ' so I am about as old as dirt. I have been playing on and off for a long time. I have several other guitars mainly Epi Sheraton II (ES335) and a Fender American Strat that I play out regulary.

Buying this guitar was the happy ending to a 'love affair'. I had seen it in this shop over the summer and had played it several times. The action, fit and finish were superb. I finally had the money and it was still available so I brought it home and played it out that night. I have since discovered a possible subtle noise problem with the PUs, but the finish and neck alone are enough to warrant the purchase. With new PUS this would be a 10+.

One thing I love about the Tele is simplicity. You plug the thing straight into an amp and it is totally up to you and your ingenuity to play music. One volume and one Tone, three settings. You and your guitar. (You have to admire Danny Gatton and Roy Buchannon and what they did with the Tele mostly direct into the amp.) In the current age of computerized midi files and effects, to me there is something refreshing about that. When I am playing out, I find that most the time I need a good tone for chording and a good lead tone for leads. While going back and forth, I do not want too many knobs and buttons to get in the way, I want to concentrate on the choice of notes I am going to play. To me the Tele takes the art of guitar playing back to its roots.

What do I miss? I suppose I would like a tremolo bar because I use it some on my strat, but I will sacrifice it to get the string-thru-body tone and sustain of the Tele.

In spite of the fact that I may have to replace the PUs. I will still give this guitar a 9

If anyone has any comments or suggestions about the PU noise, please contact me at weblazer@cs.com. Thanks in advance.

2003 Highway 1 Tele. Mine's beautiful sunburst w/maple board. It's really just basic Tele features. The "vintage" features include 2 vintage single-coils and three saddles (steel, I assume?). Most all the other features are "modern:" flatter radius (9" or so I think?), med jumbo frets, modern tuners, alder body. Came with Fender gig bag.

It sounds like a Telecaster should: twang, sweetness, and raunchiness. The bridge pickup is a "10" clean; I'd rate it more of a "7" or "8" w/gain. Don't get me wrong, sounds great; but can't do "crunch" like a humbucker equipped guitar. May eventually put a SD Lil 59 in just to experiment. Single-coils are of course a little noisy, but not overly so. Tone and vol seem to work well.

Very impressive. The fret ends were just slightly rough on the edges (could be due to fact I'm in humidity-less Colorado), but all else PERFECT. It has an airtight neck/pocket fit, which is VERY important to me. Have no idea if it impacts tone, I just think it looks like crap when a bolt-on has a sloppy neck/pocket fit. Mine body doesn't have as much grain showing as some of the others I've seen, but that's okay. I love it! Mine is also light-to-med weight, which I also prefer on a Tele.

I believe it'll hold up well. If not, backed by Fender's warranty (limited lifetime?).

Dunno.

Awesome. I love this Tele! I really like the "matte" style finish. It's obviously not for everyone, but I dig the looks. I would like to see the Daphne blue in person, that one looks cool in the pictures. This is a great value in an excellent quality American-made axe. Go out and get yourself one!

My Highway Strat is good so a real US Tele will make my gear complete.
I bought it in a shop in Rotterdam and compared it with an "Amarican Telecaster". I could not discouver any differance in the sound that will make me pay more for the "American Telecaster". The Amarican was also not build very nice, the nut was not good and the body finisch also not nice, i think it was too long in the shop. But this pointed me just more in the direction off the Highway.
So i bought the Highway Honey Blonde with maple fretboard.
I also ordered a black pickguard and an original bridgecover to look it original vintage.
The neck is very good, real US. The body is made off 3 peaces Alder, i think 3 peaces is very importend. The mid section holds the neck and bridge on one peace, i think this is importend for a good sustain. This is where the US shows the difference compared to the Mexican witch often is made off 5 to 7 peaces wood with a veneer cover (i dont like that).

This guitar rings like a bell! As play songs off Lou Reeds "Magic and Loss" my Tele sounds the same as Lou on the record and i think Lou's guitar is more expencive than a Highway.
The good sound comes from the good body and thin and soft laquer i think. (See Stevie Ray Vaugh and John Frusciantie, there strats have or had no finish at all, the bare wood resonates best).
The Highway serie profits from this issue.

Nice build, good wood and hardware, nice finish.
Only the nut needed some work to adjust the action.

US Fender, need to say more?

Life time Fender warrantie and good support from the shop.

Play a few years on a Fender Strat an Ibanez AS73 and an acoustic Yamaha.
I would buy the same Highway.
But beware off poor wood, look at the rear end off the body too see the parts.
Better than an Mexican, better base material, cheep finish but i see that as a purpose.