2003 Highway 1 Tele Specs

[Capt Vic]

Hello Everyone,

New to the forum. Pardon me if I ask something that has been previously posted. I have a '03 Highway 1 Tele and I'm looking for the specifications for that year's model. I've seen the threads about the upgrades but I haven't seen anything about the previous models. Was there that much difference in the build? Was 2003 the first year this model was produced?

Any help will be greatly appreciated.

Thanks,
Vic

 

[Colt W. Knight]

I have 2003 hwy one, it has med/jumbo frets, 9.5" fretboard, bone nut, sealed tuners, thin neck, satin non nitro finish, 60.s tele wiring, 3 steel saddles, and the pickups wete kinda bright and a little harsh, in 2005(i think) they introduced the upgrade hwy ones, which had bigger frets, hotter pickups, a grease bucket tone control and thin topcoat of lacquer.

They are good guitars, but I dont care for the pickups and thin neck. Some guys dont lokke the hugefrets on the upgrade models, and some guys don't like the satin finish.

I replaced the pickups on my highway one and polished the satin finish to a gloss.

 

[Colt W. Knight]

The preupgrade models were generally 3-4 alder bodies, the upgrades are alder aswell

 

[Capt Vic]

Thanks Colt. Could you expand on a few of these for me? What do you mean by "thin neck"? Is this the same as the C shaped neck? What is significant about 60's style wiring? What is a Grease Bucket tone control? And finally, what type pickups are on the '03? I notice that the adjustment screws are beneth the pick guard verses other Fenders (Strats and Teles) which have adjustment screws through the pick guard.

I've gotten really interested in how these things are put together and I can't get enough information about them. Thanks for taking the time.

Vic

 

[Capt Vic]

Forgot, one more thing. You wrote, "The preupgrade models were generally 3-4 alder bodies, the upgrades are alder aswell." What does the 3-4 alder mean?

Vic

 

[surfco]

Forgot, one more thing. You wrote, "The preupgrade models were generally 3-4 alder bodies, the upgrades are alder aswell." What does the 3-4 alder mean?

Vic

I believe that means the body is made out of either 3 or 4 pieces of Alder.

 

[Bryan]

I believe that means the body is made out of either 3 or 4 pieces of Alder.

My 2003 Highway One is a 4 piece alder body.

 

[goldtopper]

I have my 05 blonde apart right now and I'm pretty dang sure it's a 1 piece. I can't see a seam, a join or any spot where the grains aren't consistent. No layering in the cavities at all.

 

[boris bubbanov]

I have my 05 blonde apart right now and I'm pretty dang sure it's a 1 piece. I can't see a seam, a join or any spot where the grains aren't consistent. No layering in the cavities at all.

That's why FMIC likes that heavy undercoat. It seals the alder in, so there's less differential movement and the seam lines are well disguised.

Please trust me when I tell you Fender never has made a 1 piece body Highway One. The production would stop dead if they had to try and assimilate a board wide enough to make a 1 piece blank into the manufacturing process - from an industrial engineering standpoint and a cost standpoint. You'd get me to believe in the tooth fairy first.

You'd get me to believe the Saints would someday play in the Superbowl first.

Oops, that did happen!

 

[Capt Vic]

You'd get me to believe the Saints would someday play in the Superbowl first.

Oops, that did happen!

It sure did! WHO DAT BABY! Don't look now but lightning may strike twice in the same place! This is hoping the Saints and Panthers win this weekend!