Highway 1 Strat Opinions

[threadbare]

They've been out for some time now. I still want one. I'm mostly a tele player but have been wanting a strat for a while. I don't have a lot to spend either. I wanted to here some opinon's on this one.

How do they sound, feel, play? And how about the pickups? Is this the way to go?

[rebelern]

Played one today, in our local music store, it felt comfortable, good balance, reasonable weight, pickups not to bad, IMO a change to .010x.046 strings, with a set up and pickup adjustment, would be worthwhile, to sum up I think the HIGHWAY-1 is really good value for the money, and I rather liked the satin lacquer body finish.

Ernie.

[Loco]

I've got one in Sapphire Blue Transparent with maple board. It's a superb instrument, plays great, sounds good too IMHO. Many people on this board seem to have a thing about stock Fender pickups and feel the need to change 'em immediately, I shan't 'cos the supplied MIM AlNiCo single coils are good enough for my needs.

I love the vintage vibe of this guitar, but be aware that the slightest knock will mar that satin finish. I'd only had mine two weeks, then managed to clonk the back against my guitar stand and immediately scratched the front with an over enthusiastic plec upstroke. My Standard Fat Strat is over a year old, but still looks mint due to that thickly applied Arctic White poly finish.

My advice is to get down to your nearest music store and try one out; I did and HAD to have one.

[stantheman]

a cent. The Mexican Classic Series (50's and 60's),
the Robert Cray Model, the Muddy Waters Model....
It's your money, spend it wisely.

[Russinator]

But ...

the Muddy Waters Model....

...would be one of them Teles, eh?

[purpletele]

set one up with a set of 11's with a wound third and balance the pickups....you may just end up in strat heaven. 8)

[Fender Fan]

I got my 2002 H.W.1 Cocao Strat a little over a year now and couldn`t be more delighted.Other than the satin finish, every bit a Strat.(which i really like) IMO, this is money well spent.It`s the real deal. Jeff

[buglecorps]

and I have seen them as low as $499..Still with a little looking you might turn up a nice 2nd hand MIM or MIJ Fender or Squire; about the same guitar signifigantly less $$$

[Blues Hurler]

I've had my honey blonde/maple for a few months now, and set up with 11's, it's a great guitar. I like the finish, as I think the thinner finish allows the body to resonate more (I can feel it like I can't on other strats). I also think it's fine stock in terms of the pickups. If that's your price range, I think it's a great guitar.

[TheGoodTexan]

Originally Posted by stantheman

a cent. The Mexican Classic Series (50's and 60's),
the Robert Cray Model, the Muddy Waters Model....
It's your money, spend it wisely.

The thing about the Fender Classic 50s and 60s guitars that nobody seems to get, is that they all have small vintage frets. They may be a great value for the money, and they may be built great - but if you have larger, strong hands (like myself), it feels like you're playing a fretless guitar, and those frets wear out really quickly with larger strings.

In general, I do like the MIM Strat Standards, but there's a cool "vintage meets modern" thing going on with the Hwy 1 series.

For a Hwy 1 Strat - I think the neck and middle pickups are fine...and the bridge pickup is probably ok for most people. After playing it for a while, you may want to experiment with a slightly hotter bridge pickup.

[threadbare]

Thanks for the comments. I'll probably have to go test drive one later this week. I want one that is honey blonde with a Rose Wood Neck.

[T Prior]

I purchased it brand new at a Guitar Show for $450..The guy had like 10 of them and needed to move them..

They all had full tags and gig bags..what a deal..

I could not pass it up..

I set mine up with Super Bullets "9's" , just like my Tele'..

It's an awesome Guitar, sounds great, plays great and well balanced. I am primarily a Tele' player but have owned and played Strats my whole life, ( playing for over 40 years now )I have owned some real killer Vintage Strats as well. This one stands up in playablility and tone with all I have ever owned. The stock Pickups are fine..for me..I don't see or hear any reason to change .

One thing I can tell you though is that this guitar has a much brighter ( sharper)tone than my 1989/52RI Tele'..This is not a bad thing.

And yes, as mentioned above, the fret size is all important. These are medium jumbo I believe. This is one of the main reasons I was attracted to this guitar along with the weight and tone..The body finish to me is secondary..maybe lower on the list.

Nice Guitars, just don't bang em' around..

T

[threadbare]

All of you seem to have had them for a while.... How is the finish holding up. I know it's very thin.

[T Prior]

Well think of it this way..I am looking at my 1989/52RI Tele' and it has many dings and dents on the back edges..not from me though..

Regardless of what the finish is on a guitar body..if you bang it or drop it or hit a Cymbal..like we all do now and then it's gonna show a scar..the soft finish on the HWY 1 is no different.

If we take care of our axes..like we should, handle them with care..put them on stands or in cases..they seem to maintain a more "BANG FREE" appearance.

The finish on the HWY 1 is thin, but if you care for it , it will survive..no differently than any other guitar that may have a HI QUALITY finish.

Good Luck
T

[TheGoodTexan]

Originally Posted by threadbare

All of you seem to have had them for a while.... How is the finish holding up. I know it's very thin.

I play my Hwy1 every day, for at least a couple of hours. It does ding up pretty easily, and the forearm area is really shiney, from my forearm rubbing across it all the time. I expect it to rub through the finish any time now.

All that said - it doesn't bother me a bit - in fact, I sort of like it. My guitars are tools, not pieces of art.

[Loco]

I haven't played mine very much, but it's impossible to effectively disguise the scratches and blemishes that it has already picked up. You have too examine it close up to see 'em however.

[Blues Hurler]

I'm always really careful with my guitars. They're always in a hardshell case unless they're being played, so I'm probably not a good person to comment, but there's not a mark on mine after several months, and it's been lightly bumped against things a few times by accident. I still think it's a great guitar for the money, and if your fingers can stand it, i highly recommend going to a heavier string -- at least 10's or even 11's. Made a big difference for me. I'm using the 11's now and won't go back to lighter ones. Still able to do lot's o' bendin' and with much improved tone. Might take a bit of getting used to, but well worth it. I haven't felt the need to make any other changes.