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Post subject: New Highway 1 vs. 2000 American Strat Hardtail
Posted: Wed Aug 22, 2007 11:26 am
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Here is my question to everyone, which would you rather have a NEW Highway 1 strat or a used 2000 American Strat Hardtail, make the assumption that the used strat is in very good condition and all stock, AND that both are the same price 749 dollars. looking forward to reading the input.


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Posted: Wed Aug 22, 2007 1:48 pm
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Well first of all do you think you'll ever use a tremelo? That right there could decide your choice. Also as a rule of thumb i would say that you should ALWAYS be able to play THE EXACT MODEL YOU ARE BUYING BEFORE YOU BUY. It's one thing to play the exact guitar you want to buy and another to play a model in a store and then buy a used model off the internet. If you know the person you're buying from try it out because each individual guitar is different and used guitars may have underlying problems.

Both models are good guitars though so you can't really go wrong.
BTW though highway 1 guitars electronics AREN'T made in the U.S. so they aren't completely american guitars but they are good guitars anyway and you can always upgrade them in the future. Hope this helps.


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Posted: Wed Aug 22, 2007 1:53 pm
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I don't use the trem at all. So that is not the deciding factor, but I do like your advice on buying off the internet. I am just so wary of not being able to play what I want to buy, like you said, especially a used guitar. thanks so much for your input.


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Posted: Wed Aug 22, 2007 4:15 pm
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What parts on the Highway One aren't made in the U.S.? I have a wine transparent Highway One SSS that plays great. The reverse polarity middle pickup really cancels the hum. Fender definitely emphasizes that the Highway One is an American made guitar. Check this out:

http://www.fender.com/highwayone/


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Posted: Thu Aug 23, 2007 2:13 pm
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ya i know they emphasize it i was thinking about buying one or an american standard or the vintage mahogany les paul and the manager @ GC said that the electronics aren't american also i saw on harmony central on one of the reviews where sum1 said the same thing about them being non-american. there still sweet guitars though gotta love vintage style guitars. btw which guitar did you pick?


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Posted: Thu Aug 23, 2007 3:23 pm
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I've got a sss Stratocaster. Legally, I don't believe Fender can say it is U.S. made unless it really is made here with a high percentage of domestic content. They're too smart to get sued. I've heard people at Sam Ash and Best Buy say stuff about the DX Player's is MX made with U.S. parts and the Highway One is US made with MX parts, but if you look at the Highway One pickups, which is possibly what the rumor is about, they aren't sold on any MX guitars. Still might be made there but it's got to be a high percentage domestic U.S. content or Fender would have problems with the gov'ment. Also, Fender has it's reputation to protect. I'll take Fender at their word and conclude when Fender says very boldly in ads that Highway One is made in the U.S., it means Highway Ones are made in the U.S. with a high percentage of domestic content. Keep in mind, retailers want to steer you to the pricier American Standard if possible, and in one Best Buy they basically displayed broken Highway Ones, maybe to push the American Standars I'm not sure.


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Posted: Thu Aug 23, 2007 4:33 pm
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Clapton never used a trem, but he played Strats equipped with trems and blocked them. He claimed they had better sustain than a hardtail.


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Posted: Fri Aug 24, 2007 8:58 am
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ya i agree with strat58cat but technically mia means that it was built and assembled here it doesn't mean that it is made of parts built here. i really wish fender would set us straight in this issue. btw i'm not dissing fender or the highway 1 line i really like fender and i'm personally thinking about buying a highway one i just thought i'd mention what i'd been told. also you can always upgrade the highway one electronics with american parts to make it entirly american (if they aren't already but idk).


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Posted: Fri Aug 24, 2007 1:40 pm
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You know because it's 2007 and California, I'd be shocked if parts aren't sourced from all over the globe especially electronic components because I don't think that they even have factories from some stuff any more like capacitors and what not. I'd say that's true for Americans as well as Highway Ones. It's the global economy now especially for electronics. If the pickups are made in Mexico, I wouldn't be shocked about it and also I wouldn't care about it because I want the playing and the reality not the country of origin and the Highway One pickups are Alnico and they sound really good, especially now that I got the 5 springs in the tremolo so the bridge pickup is among the best bridge pickups I've heard even through my cheapie amp. Also, I got the two extra springs from my Squire which was made in China and so that's a couple of Chinese springs in there too, but maybe they were made someplace else who knows. I do know that there's FTC regulations about what you can say is made in the U.S. and there has to be a very high percentage of domestic content for the overall instrument. I don't remember the number but it's high.


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Posted: Wed Aug 29, 2007 9:06 am
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Hello,

Thanks for writing in. The Highway One guitars are made between the USA and Mexico . The hardware and electronics come from Mexico , but the body and neck come from the USA . Most of the work is actually done in the USA , which is why it gets the made in USA decal. We hope this information will help you out.



Best Regards,



Jeff Krause

Fender Musical Instruments Corporation

Consumer Relations Department

(480) 596-7195



I emailed fender and that is what they told me. hope it helps clear this issue up!


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Posted: Wed Aug 29, 2007 1:37 pm
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My guess is that all Fender guitars that are made in California contain some foreign-made components. The Highway One guitars must have a high percentage of domestic content to permit the made in the U.S.A. designation. The response you got from Fender confirms the domestic content, since the neck, body and assembly is in the U.S.A. Domestic content reaches the high percentage needed to be designated made in the U.S.A. At the same time, Fender also confirms the music store statements that Highway One's contain Mexican components, which I believed when I bought my guitar. In fact, I was shopping pure Mexican Strats like the Vaughn and the DX Players, because I was looking for about a $500 guitar, when I saw my 60th Anniversary year Highway One on clearance in my price range. Also, one of the guys at Guitar Center told me that a lot of the Mexican Strats are not one piece of wood but are many pieces joined together, but the Deluxe Players Strat I was checking out must be one piece because it's got the same transparent paint job as the Highway One. You can see through the paint to the underlying single piece of wood. Must be from an American tree I guess, for the Highway One, or maybe it's just cut into a Strat here. The reason the music store guys say the Highway One is part Mexican like the Deluxe Players is part American is because Fender uses Mexican made parts for key components such as the pickups. Even though the Deluxe Players has American pickups, since everything else is Mexican it does not have enough domestic content to be made in the U.S.A. Incidentally, the Mexican pickups on my Highway One sound great. I'm going to get some Santana music to celebrate my greater knowledge about my guitar. Should play it good.


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Posted: Wed Aug 29, 2007 2:24 pm
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i'm planning on buying a highway one (or maybe a mustang idk) then eventually upgrading the pups and tuners etc. so that it is completely american. I like that with the highway one that it is much less than the american standard at first (that way i don't have to bite the bullet right away price wise anyway) and then you can upgrade it to even better pickups and tuners and everything than the american standard! i also love the nitro finish. great guitar.


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Posted: Wed Aug 29, 2007 4:12 pm
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You might want to give those Highway One pickups a good setup and listen before you ditch them. They are the bomb, G! Not because they are so hot, but because the tone is outstanding.

Watch the video on Fender's Highway One web page. Justin Norvell explains it, and gives a H3LL of a good demo!

Phil 8)


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Posted: Thu Aug 30, 2007 8:50 am
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Yep the Highway One was a great solution for me. It's a great guitar and the tuners can be upgraded to Ping or Shaler or whatever, the nut can go roller, the pickups can be swapped for SC noiseless, and it's your own custom guitar. Out of the box, It's so good I'm doing nothing but adding 2 springs to stabilize the floating trem (works great now) and adjusting the bridge with the claw screws. The pickups really sound good in every position. I'm finding that particularly in the hum cancelling bridge/mid and neck/mid they are very sweet.


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Posted: Mon Sep 03, 2007 8:57 am
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man i tried a highway one and an american standard over the weekend and i was amazed... by the highway 1! i liked it a lot better than the american standard. it's the first time i've ever liked the cheaper option over the more expenisve. the nitro finish made the guitar feel so light and the tone was unbelievable (even the acoustic was nice. also no fingerprints) i've heard people talking about tryin a guitar to make sure it's your guitar and the highway 1 is mine. when i played it i had this awesome feeling. they're right about the guitar picking the player and the highwya one picked me. i'm not sure if i'm gonna be able to wait until february to get it. i want it now! if you're thinking about getting a strat, try it out.


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