Fender Highway One Strat review!

papersoul

New member
Hi all, I would like to reveiw my Highway One strat.

I recently bought a used, but mint condition 2003 American Highway One strat. Prior to this I have owned about 5 American Standards and a Japanese strat from the 80s. Till now, none have stuck with me. I have always been a Gibson and PRS guy. I love this strat.

First thing I noticed was how fat the neck was. biggest strat neck I have played, love that! I have big hands and prefer a Gibson 50s neck so this neck fits me like a glove, it adds to the resonance and big tone. 6 point bridge is a nice feature to me, I believe it adds to the vibrance and life of the guitar. From the pics, I don't think you can see the finish, but it is very thin, you can see the under coat, orange finish, unless that is the raw wood, either way, looks cool to me and again I believe this adds to the life and resonance. Perfect medium jumbo frets for my taste, tuners are solid, neck joint very, very tight, straight neck, plays with great action.

Electronics are perfect for me, amazing clean tones, best clean tones I have had from any strat, and I knew it was going to be good because this strat vibrates so much in my hands and is so loud acoustically. Crystal clear, bell like clean tones, and the gainy tones are just as good, bridge pickup is nice and tight and rich, and since I switched the middle pickup tone knob to the bridge, I can now roll off the highs and love, love the gain tones I get from the bridge! Nice and full, vintage, amazing gain tones, very rich and detailed! All the in between tones are extremely full and throaty. I am very happy with the electronics. Goodness, love this strat!

I have tried the newer Highway One strats and don't like them at all, thin neck, electronics are way too hot, and the string spacing is too narrow!

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Re: Fender Highway One Strat review!

Congrats on the guitar. I had that exact same axe, in that exact same finish about 3 years ago.

They are dramatically different from the newer Hwy1 strats, like the one I currently have. I found the biggest difference was the frets and the electronics. The older ones kinda feel more vintage, and the newer ones feel a little more hot rodded.

Dig the color though. Very nice.
 
Re: Fender Highway One Strat review!

Very nice. I have one of the newer ones. The neck is pretty thin - wish they kept the necks fatter... but it's still a cool guitar.
 
Very nice. I really like that era of Highway Ones. I think when I decide to get another Strat I'm going to hunt down one of those.
 
Re: Fender Highway One Strat review!

I am so happy with it, I plan on finding a Highway One Tele from the same period.
 
Re: Fender Highway One Strat review!

I love mine from the same year. The newer ones with 70s headstocks are heavy and have the Mexican hardwareand pickups. The alnico 3s from 2003 were pretty sweet. Great guitars.
 
Re: Fender Highway One Strat review!

I have a 2004 highway one - pretty sure they have Alnico 2's and not 3's as in the later models - had mine 6 months and can't put it down! Love the thin satin finish too & the jumbo frets - mine's already startin to wear off in places and they ding pretty easily but love that worn vintage look anyway - these early Highway ones play and sound like a true strat should, havent tried the later ones but heard the Alnico 3's have a brighter, louder sound
 
Re: Fender Highway One Strat review!

Hey bro, I love this strat. I am thinking of installing Fender Custom shop Fat 50s pickups!
Also considering locking timers although these are solid and also maybe a Callaham bridge.
Fender told me, even the early Highway One strats had Mexican hardware.
 
Re: Fender Highway One Strat review!

Where is this idea that Highway one strats ever had alnico II pickups coming from?

They were always advertised as having Alnico 5 single coils. I owned two of the pre-upgrade models and they were definitely Alnico 5 pickups. As a matter of fact, I don't remember fender EVER producing alnico 2 single coils on regular production model strats...

After the upgrade around 2006-07, they switched to alnico 3 so they would handle more gain being thrown at them.

I also owned one of the pre-upgrade models and one post upgrade at the same time, and I don't remember a difference in the size of the neck. Does anyone still have both so they can confirm this?
 
Re: Fender Highway One Strat review!

Aside from all that you have said about your guitar, it is gorgeous!!

I love the color. What is it?
 
Re: Fender Highway One Strat review!

Mm, creamy. I'd play some Yngwie licks off the bat.

I couldn't play a Malmsteen lick if my life depended on it....plus I hate his music, LOL.

I prefer alnico II in strats for their thickness and warmth so I may have to get some eventually. Alnico 5 to me can be way too scooped and bright.
 
Re: Fender Highway One Strat review!

I've got a 2003 HW1 Strat, currently it has a full set of Antiquity IIs in it, but I'm quite certain that it came with A5 pickups from the factory. Not that it really matters, if it sounds good it IS good regardless of magnet type.

I've got a love/hate thing going with my HW1, it is one of the most alive sounding Strats I've ever owned but it also has the most alive neck I've ever owned as well. It's one of those guitars where the wood in the neck has never settled down, it's constantly needing truss rod tweaks as the temps and humidity change, of the twenty or so guitars in my collection it's the only one that makes set ups a moving target.

I really need to take it out of the case and show it some love but I'm sure the set up is wonky again.
 
Re: Fender Highway One Strat review!

Hey bro, I love this strat. I am thinking of installing Fender Custom shop Fat 50s pickups!
Also considering locking timers although these are solid and also maybe a Callaham bridge.
Fender told me, even the early Highway One strats had Mexican hardware.

Some specs for the early highway ones say they had Alnico 11's some say just Alnico magnets - anyone know for sure?! Whatever they are they sound great, wouldnt change mine - callaham bridge better than the standard strat bridge bro
 
Re: Fender Highway One Strat review!

I've got a 2003 HW1 Strat, currently it has a full set of Antiquity IIs in it, but I'm quite certain that it came with A5 pickups from the factory. Not that it really matters, if it sounds good it IS good regardless of magnet type.

I've got a love/hate thing going with my HW1, it is one of the most alive sounding Strats I've ever owned but it also has the most alive neck I've ever owned as well. It's one of those guitars where the wood in the neck has never settled down, it's constantly needing truss rod tweaks as the temps and humidity change, of the twenty or so guitars in my collection it's the only one that makes set ups a moving target.

I really need to take it out of the case and show it some love but I'm sure the set up is wonky again.

The neck on mine has been solid, no set up issues.
 
Re: Fender Highway One Strat review!

As much as I like this strat, I am just not a strat guy. It sounds awesome but I can cover thes tones with my PRS CE-22. Makes me think I could sell it and stick with my Telecaster. I hate middle pickups and the location of the strat volume knob. I am tempted to sell it and put the money toward another PRS or Gibson.
 
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Re: blankets a

Thought I would provide an update. I recently bought a new 2012 American Standard Telecaster which has become my number one Fender and was close to selling this Strat. Then I tried some new strats and came to my senses. This still has to be one of the most resonant and fun strats I have owned or played. Since I do not use a trem and essentially lock it down as a hard tail, this is the perfect strat for me with the 6 screws for extra stability and contact! Amazing strats these early Highways are! Everything feels so solid.
 
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