MusicRadar
The No.1 website for musicians
Fender Highway One Stratocaster £599
Fender's ultra-affordable Highway One series is revamped and upgraded, and it is already among the best value guitars around…
Guitarist, Tue 23 Oct 2007, 12:10 pm UTC
Originally conceived as an affordable players' Fender Stratocaster, the Highway One upgrade concentrates on sound: "It's function over looks: performance," says Justin Norvell, Fender Electrics marketing manager.
Arguably at the top of the upgrades is the finish. It remains satin to the touch but, instead of the thin acrylic of the original models, it's now nitro-cellulose, offering a much more palpable vintage vibe.
It's still a thin coating and there's no getting away from the fact that it's very likely to mark much more readily than a thick layer of high-gloss poly.
But that's the point, Fender wants it to show the battle scars. A huge advantage is that the finish, tonally, will allow maximum resonance too.
If you default to disliking the overly shiny new look of some guitars, this is the perfect remedy and in the flesh, the Strat's Daphne blue shade benefits from the satin finish possibly more than the sunburst of the Tele.
Neither Closet Classic nor brand new in the literal sense, a restrained vibrancy seems to be the order of the day as far as the look of both is concerned.
Another notable change is with the overall livery, which has changed from a fifties-style to an unashamedly seventies feel. So, this equates to a big headstock for the Strat (also providing more mass) with black outlined gold Fender logos, parchment pickguards and 22 enormo-frets for both.
Pickups
Electronically Fender has gone back to the drawing board too with the power of the guitar's pickups being increased.
Replacing the vintage-style single-coils are what Fender describes as Hot Strat single-coils that are all based around an Alnico III magnet foundation, a mid-strength magnet that should provide a slightly enhanced, hotter performance when compared to an Alnico II.
Additionally, the guitar offers Fender's increasingly popular Greasebucket tone circuit that was developed in the Custom Shop as a way of rolling off the high-end without the usual low-end woomph of a standard passive tone control circuit.
Didn't this have something to do with a certain Billy Gibbons? "We designed with him in mind," states Fender's Mike Eldred, "and he was the testing guy. I actually named it myself after the can of used bacon grease that used to sit on our stove at home when I was a kid." So now you know!
The Strat's neck and bridge pickups (there's no tone control on the middle pickup) benefit from their own greased-up tone pots.
You Might Like:
-
reviews »
Fender Highway One Telecaster
-
reviews »
Fender Highway One Texas Telecaster
-
news »
Fender Stratocaster
User comments (6)
-
I bought this guitar , as I was looking for a strat. , I thought that they looked good..
I have been playing, collecting and setting up guitars for around 20 years..
When I got this guitar from the shop I realised that it was not even close to being set up , that in mind I tried to make good a bad situation ..
I left with this guitar , I took a few hours setting the relief, alternation , new strings, bridged was locked off and action set-up.. so a full set up .. I then changed my mind about the colour and took it back to the shop to change it for the sun burst..
this was set up even worse , so another long set up was needed . as I removed the plastic on the pick guard I had a large scratch which I was un happy about , so back to the shop , this time a upgraded to a standard.. but had the guitar for one week.
The first thing to notice is the finish , guess you ever like it or hate it , I love the finish , think some will age better than others.
This guitar has huge frets they are super big , I was in two minds about this is really personal choice , the neck felt narrow , and thin. again personal choice. .
The guitar was put together well better than Mexicans prob good as jap.. not as good as a full usa tho. But was SO not set up , i guess the store just took it out the box and hung it on the wall , in fact I would of been ashamed to of sold it like it ..
I tested the guitar in the shop , if you could call it a test , through a piss poor amp , When I got home I put it through my ac15 , and then this is when the problems started . . I didn't like the pick ups , it seemed far from a strat , more lower and darker sounding not bright at all , I really played with this and I found the best tone was from the mid pick up .. the grease bucket circuit works great and I did like that..
For me when I put it all together thin, narrow feeling neck , super huge frets and pick ups that was a fair bit from a strat sound , for me I had decided that this guitar was not really a strat at all .. ok It might have strat like looks , and name but for me that is where it stopped , if didn't feel like or sound like a strat , hence NOT A STRAT . .
Apart from the need of setting up this is a fine guitar but a poor strat.. It really was not for me as I was looking for a strat feeling and sounding guitar. so I took it back and spent the extra and got a standard..
So for every one looking for a fender strat then this might not be the guitar your looking for , for every one who is looking for a guitar then it is something a bit diff..
What I liked
Looks , finish , grease bucket circuit , 60% is usa ,
What I didn't like
Set up , pick ups , feeling un strat like , 70s head stock (70s strats were poo any way ) chalky stuff on fret board , no hard case , 40% made in ???
Still unsure
super jumbo frets . .
I have tried to be fair and un biased if you are really looking to buy one of these then go to a shop and have a long play through a good amp, I know that it is popular to put new pick ups in these guitars . so that might be an option ..
Good luck .. -
I bought this guitar , as I was looking for a strat. , I thought that they looked good..
I have been playing, collecting and setting up guitars for around 20 years..
When I got this guitar from the shop I realised that it was not even close to being set up , that in mind I tried to make good a bad situation ..
I left with this guitar , I took a few hours setting the relief, alternation , new strings, bridged was locked off and action set-up.. so a full set up .. I then changed my mind about the colour and took it back to the shop to change it for the sun burst..
this was set up even worse , so another long set up was needed . as I removed the plastic on the pick guard I had a large scratch which I was un happy about , so back to the shop , this time a upgraded to a standard.. but had the guitar for one week.
The first thing to notice is the finish , guess you ever like it or hate it , I love the finish , think some will age better than others.
This guitar has huge frets they are super big , I was in two minds about this is really personal choice , the neck felt narrow , and thin. again personal choice. .
The guitar was put together well better than Mexicans prob good as jap.. not as good as a full usa tho. But was SO not set up , i guess the store just took it out the box and hung it on the wall , in fact I would of been ashamed to of sold it like it ..
I tested the guitar in the shop , if you could call it a test , through a piss poor amp , When I got home I put it through my ac15 , and then this is when the problems started . . I didn't like the pick ups , it seemed far from a strat , more lower and darker sounding not bright at all , I really played with this and I found the best tone was from the mid pick up .. the grease bucket circuit works great and I did like that..
For me when I put it all together thin, narrow feeling neck , super huge frets and pick ups that was a fair bit from a strat sound , for me I had decided that this guitar was not really a strat at all .. ok It might have strat like looks , and name but for me that is where it stopped , if didn't feel like or sound like a strat , hence NOT A STRAT . .
Apart from the need of setting up this is a fine guitar but a poor strat.. It really was not for me as I was looking for a strat feeling and sounding guitar. so I took it back and spent the extra and got a standard..
So for every one looking for a fender strat then this might not be the guitar your looking for , for every one who is looking for a guitar then it is something a bit diff..
What I liked
Looks , finish , grease bucket circuit , 60% is usa ,
What I didn't like
Set up , pick ups , feeling un strat like , 70s head stock (70s strats were poo any way ) chalky stuff on fret board , no hard case , 40% made in ???
Still unsure
super jumbo frets . .
I have tried to be fair and un biased if you are really looking to buy one of these then go to a shop and have a long play through a good amp, I know that it is popular to put new pick ups in these guitars . so that might be an option ..
Good luck .. -
I bought this guitar , as I was looking for a strat. , I thought that they looked good..
I have been playing, collecting and setting up guitars for around 20 years..
When I got this guitar from the shop I realised that it was not even close to being set up , that in mind I tried to make good a bad situation ..
I left with this guitar , I took a few hours setting the relief, alternation , new strings, bridged was locked off and action set-up.. so a full set up .. I then changed my mind about the colour and took it back to the shop to change it for the sun burst..
this was set up even worse , so another long set up was needed . as I removed the plastic on the pick guard I had a large scratch which I was un happy about , so back to the shop , this time a upgraded to a standard.. but had the guitar for one week.
The first thing to notice is the finish , guess you ever like it or hate it , I love the finish , think some will age better than others.
This guitar has huge frets they are super big , I was in two minds about this is really personal choice , the neck felt narrow , and thin. again personal choice. .
The guitar was put together well better than Mexicans prob good as jap.. not as good as a full usa tho. But was SO not set up , i guess the store just took it out the box and hung it on the wall , in fact I would of been ashamed to of sold it like it ..
I tested the guitar in the shop , if you could call it a test , through a piss poor amp , When I got home I put it through my ac15 , and then this is when the problems started . . I didn't like the pick ups , it seemed far from a strat , more lower and darker sounding not bright at all , I really played with this and I found the best tone was from the mid pick up .. the grease bucket circuit works great and I did like that..
For me when I put it all together thin, narrow feeling neck , super huge frets and pick ups that was a fair bit from a strat sound , for me I had decided that this guitar was not really a strat at all .. ok It might have strat like looks , and name but for me that is where it stopped , if didn't feel like or sound like a strat , hence NOT A STRAT . .
Apart from the need of setting up this is a fine guitar but a poor strat.. It really was not for me as I was looking for a strat feeling and sounding guitar. so I took it back and spent the extra and got a standard..
So for every one looking for a fender strat then this might not be the guitar your looking for , for every one who is looking for a guitar then it is something a bit diff..
What I liked
Looks , finish , grease bucket circuit , 60% is usa ,
What I didn't like
Set up , pick ups , feeling un strat like , 70s head stock (70s strats were poo any way ) chalky stuff on fret board , no hard case , 40% made in ???
Still unsure
super jumbo frets . .
I have tried to be fair and un biased if you are really looking to buy one of these then go to a shop and have a long play through a good amp, I know that it is popular to put new pick ups in these guitars . so that might be an option ..
Good luck .. -
Very disapointed with this guitar, i've had this guitar 4 months and only now have i got it to a point of acceptability, the pick ups,have a limited tonal range, i've changed the pick ups now. There was alot of buzzing on top E and A which i've now addressed getting a low action on this guitar has been a nightmare, i spent hours with it, had to shim the neck also, as the angle again wasn't acceptable for me, it's a great looking guitar, the machine heads and tremo bridge unit are good, but frankly my Mexican strat is far superior, in fact the Highway one is not in the same league as my mexican. In my opinion this is a £250 guitar. Like snakebite i bought it because i wanted a US strat. Doesn't make sense really does it, why would a guitar be any better, using the same parts, made in a different country. By a good mexican strat and save your money.
-
Yes i agree with snakebite, same reasons for buying it, mine is a great looking deep blue colour with the grain showing, extremly playable, ive never played a u.s. standard strat but i honestly feel as though this cheaper u.s. version is just as good to play. excellent way to own a us strat for a little less money.
Again could have come with hardcase!! -
I bought this basicaly because I had always wanted a US Strat and this was the cheapest way to achieve my dream.
Almost a year on I can only say that this was one of the best decisions I could have made. The sound is amazing but the loks are just as sweet. The thin nitro finish wears in nicely and the white plastic has already taken on a very slight yellow tinge. In all it is a guitar that will age and become a relic without paying the extra money for the factory doing it for you.
The only improvement I could think of is them coming with a hardcase.
You need to be logged in to post a comment. Login or Register to post a comment.
MusicRadar rating
Pros
The palpable vibe of the output. Great fretwork.
Cons
There's no excuse for the off-centre bridge.
Verdict
At a mere £599 for what is a genuine American Fender, this has to be on your 'must-try' list!
Review Policy
All MusicRadar's reviews are by independent product specialists, who are not aligned to any gear manufacturer or retailer. Our experts also write for renowned magazines such as Guitarist, Total Guitar, Computer Music, Future Music and Rhythm. All are part of Future PLC, the biggest publisher of music making magazines in the world.
User rating
Where to buy
Buy product from Soundslive Ltd
Buy product from Andertons Music Company
Buy product from Thomann
Buy product from Wood Brass
Specification
Highway One Stratocaster
- Price:
- £599
- Country of Origin:
- USA
- Available Controls:
- 2 x Tone, Master Volume
- Available Finish:
- Honey Blonde/3-Colour Sunburst/Daphne Blue/Flat Black/Wine Transparent
- Body Style:
- Double-cut
- Fingerboard Material:
- Rosewood
- Guitar Body Material:
- Alder
- Hardware:
- Vintage Style Vibrato
- Neck Material:
- Maple
- No. of Frets:
- 22
- No of Strings:
- 6
- Options:
- Maple Fingerboard
- Top Finish:
- Satin nitro-cellulose
- Unique Features:
- Greasebucket circuitry/HSH Pickup Routing/Reverse Wound.Reverse Polarity Middle Pickup
- Year of Origin:
- 2006
- Pickup Configuration:
- 3 x Single-Coil
- Pickup Type:
- 3 Hot Single-Coil Strat Pickups with Alnico 3 Magnets and Reverse Wound / Reverse Polarity Middle Pickup
aevans692
Tue 16 Dec 2008, 11:19 pm UTC
User rating 1 of 5