HWY 1 Tele vs. HWY 1 Texas Tele?

[AnArmyOfJuan]

what's the difference aside from fewer finishes on the Texas tele? I'm just not seeing it...

[Jellecaster]

Different pickups, different frets, fretboard radius (12" vs 9.5") headstock decal and its made of ash vs. alder. There may be other differences, but those are the ones that come immediately to mind.

[imwjl]

Originally Posted by Jellecaster

Different pickups, different frets, fretboard radius (12" vs 9.5") headstock decal and its made of ash vs. alder. There may be other differences, but those are the ones that come immediately to mind.

I believe you're right. Unfortunately I only got to check out the the TX version at a GC where I sometimes think the chain should be called Guitar Zoo. It was in rough shape and not a bargain for it's rough shape and of course nobody there to give it a setup. There was just too much noise in the place to really know how much different it sounded. If anything stood out in my shopping for $500-2000 guitars it was terrible setup of many and sharp frets. Also that some merchants did much more to protect their wares.

[postjob62]

Originally Posted by Jellecaster

Different pickups, different frets, fretboard radius (12" vs 9.5") headstock decal and its made of ash vs. alder. There may be other differences, but those are the ones that come immediately to mind.

Also correct '52 body contours and radii (so they say) and 5 screw pickguard. The finish is acrylic laquer instead of nitro, which Fender says although functionally the same is more transluscent, allowing the grain of the ash to show through better. From my experience they seem to be lighter than the non-Texas but maybe that's just me. I think they overall look more vintage, if that's important.

[Tele-Ryan]

Been thinking about getting a new Tele... the Highway series intrigues me, but no one around here ever seems to have one. I've only seen one since they've come out, and it was only there for a couple days.

[tele12]

The HWY 1 has Ping tuners, The Texas Telecaster has Vintage Gotoh tuners, tuners on the Texas are much better. The neck on the Texas is 12" radius with the back profile of a '52 reissue, the neck of the HWY is less hand filling. The Hwy 1 has Jumbo frets, the Texas has dunlop narrow Jumbos. The Hwy has 22 frets, the Texas has 21 frets. The Texas has rolled fingerboard edges.
The body on the HWY is Alder on the Texas it is Ash ( normally a $100 or so upcharge on Americam Fenders), as someone mentioned Texas's seem to be lightweight.
The Texas has brass saddles the HWY has steel. Texas pickguard is one ply 5 hole. The HWY has a nitro finish.
I believe the Texas has hotter pickups, although I have not played it side by side with an upgraded HWY.

When the Texas was introduced it had a street price of $799 to the HWY's $599 street price. The 2005 price hike brought the HWY to $629 street and the Texas to $839 street. When the upgraded HWY's were introduced at $749 the Texas remained at $839 street.

IMHO in no other Fender models do you get as big a jump in features for as small a price. Also in my very biased personal opinion the Texas neck is the best neck Fender has ever put on a guitar.

[Twang Tone]

Yes, all of what tele12 said, plus I believe the Texas HWY1 also has that 'Greasebucket' circuit that allows you to roll off the tone, without adding Bass.

Thanks,

[SMPTE]

http://www.tdpri.com/forum/telecaste...y-1-texas.html

http://www.tdpri.com/forum/telecaste...xas+Telecaster

http://www.tdpri.com/forum/telecaste...ghway-one.html

I just got mine back from the shop getting the fret ends worked on, but that's pretty common for post winter around here. If the fret ends are exposed the shop should fix it for you, but I don't know about GC....

[tele12]

Originally Posted by Twang Tone

Yes, all of what tele12 said, plus I believe the Texas HWY1 also has that 'Greasebucket' circuit that allows you to roll off the tone, without adding Bass.

Thanks,

I think it was 2005 that all Highway 1's ,tele's and strats,got the Greasebucket circuit. I'm not sure exactly how well it works as described, mine is a 2004 with no Greasebucket.

[SMPTE]

Mine's an '04 with a Greasebucket circuit... It works as advertised :)

[tele12]

Originally Posted by SMPTE

Mine's an '04 with a Greasebucket circuit... It works as advertised :)

Any idea when the Greasebucket circuit was introduced? Was it a Mid year introduction? I have a 2004 Frontline catalog and it makes no introduction of the Greasebucket circuit. On Fender's schematic download list they list the upgrade as 2005.

Highway One™ Texas Telecaster® 011-3502 05/05/04 Yes Yes Yes Yes
Highway One™ Texas Telecaster® Upgrade 2005 011-3502 05/24/05 Yes Yes Yes Yes

[OaklandA]

The upgrades of the Texas version (ash body, brass saddles, one piece neck with rolled edges) make it worth the extra dollars unless you can't live with the neck radius. I love the neck myself...nice chunky C shape.

The stock pups gotta go in both versions IMO. The worst kind of overwound tone.

[vanguard]

just got a texas tele today, and it's fantastic. so light i can hardly believe it. sounds and looks fantastic.

[jussishow]

Originally Posted by vanguard

just got a texas tele today, and it's fantastic. so light i can hardly believe it. sounds and looks fantastic.

? Mine's actually a bit heavy(ish) ... But I agree 100% with the rest of Your "review" Fantastic guitar, and unbeliveable value for money ratio !!!

/J

[SMPTE]

Mine's very light, and I love the back of the neck, the radius, the rolled edges, and the texas sized frets. The pickups I'm saguine about I think I'm gonna put something beefier in the neck.

I don't know when they started them, I didn't think mine had it until I started looking around the wiring and I noticed the two caps in it (for the circuit). My SN starts Z4 so that should be an '04 HW1 SN.

[tele12]

Originally Posted by SMPTE

Mine's very light, and I love the back of the neck, the radius, the rolled edges, and the texas sized frets. The pickups I'm saguine about I think I'm gonna put something beefier in the neck.

I don't know when they started them, I didn't think mine had it until I started looking around the wiring and I noticed the two caps in it (for the circuit). My SN starts Z4 so that should be an '04 HW1 SN.

Mine's light also and I love everything about the neck. I'm also kind of up in the air on the pickups.

My SN also starts with Z4 but only one cap in the circuit. Here is the serial number dating from Fender's website. It looks like with the "Z" prefix they can be that year or one year earlier. So a Z4_____ can be 2004 or 2005.

Z0 + 5 or 6 DIGITS
Z1 + 5 or 6 DIGITS
DZ1 + 5 or 6 DIGITS (Am. Deluxe)
V + 5 or 6 DIGITS (American Vintage Series except '52 Telecaster) 2001

Z1 + 5 or 6 DIGITS
Z2 + 5 or 6 DIGITS
DZ2 + 5 or 6 DIGITS (Am. Deluxe)
V + 5 or 6 DIGITS (American Vintage Series except '52 Telecaster) 2002

Z2 + 5 or 6 DIGITS
Z3 + 5 or 6 DIGITS
DZ3 + 5 or 6 DIGITS (American Deluxe Series)
V + 5 or 6 DIGITS (American Vintage Series except '52 Telecaster) 2003

Z3 + 5 or 6 DIGITS
Z4 + 5 or 6 DIGITS
DZ4 + 5 or 6 DIGITS (Am. Deluxe)
V + 5 or 6 DIGITS (American Vintage Series except '52 Telecaster)
XN4 + 4 Digits
2004

Z4 + 5 or 6 DIGITS
Z5 + 5 or 6 DIGITS
DZ5 + 5 or 6 DIGITS (Am. Deluxe)
V + 5 or 6 DIGITS (American Vintage Series except '52 Telecaster)
XN5 + 4 Digits
2005

[SMPTE]

Didn't know that, so mine could be an '05 ;) Or a really late 04 with the circuit.

[tele12]

Originally Posted by SMPTE

Didn't know that, so mine could be an '05 ;) Or a really late 04 with the circuit.

I didn't know either until I checked around on Fender's website. What they probably do is run off a bunch of necks with serial numbers then assemble as needed. It looks like the Greasebucket was a mid-2005 addition. Here is the earliest reference I could find to it:

http://www.tdpri.com/forum/telecaste...t=greasebucket