Does anyone have any thoughts on this subject?
Desperately want one or the other but not sure which one as yet.
The US Special has a two way tremolo unit which I'm not sure I favour
because of the whole tuning thing. Tried them both out BUT not in the same shop or through the same amp so not sure.

Just wanna know why Fender are discontinuing the Highway 1 (apparently).
If it's good, why would they consider doing that out of curiosity?

Just wanna know which sounds best...?

Oh yeah, the other thing is: which are the better pickups, 'Alnico 3' (H-1) OR the 'Texas Specials'??

Horses for courses, but I didn't like the Alnico 3s in my Highway. I took them out pretty much straight away. So I guess I'd have to say Texas Specials as in the new American Special

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Fender Highway & Classic 60s Strats, Fender Toronado, Telecaster, Gretsch Projet, Charvel 3, PRS SE Soapbar II & Custom 24, Burns Batwing and many others!

Oh really?! In what way do they differ from one another??

The Alnico 3s in my Highway were all about a spiky attack, but without a warm sustaining tonality after that. Thats why I changed them out. The Texas Special is a Fender Mod Shop replacement pickup in it's own right so you'd expect it to be better all round..

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Fender Highway & Classic 60s Strats, Fender Toronado, Telecaster, Gretsch Projet, Charvel 3, PRS SE Soapbar II & Custom 24, Burns Batwing and many others!

What amp you using by the way?

Also, were you intending on replacing the pickups when you bought the guitar?

To tell you the truth, I was recommended the Highway 1 by a guitarist who I saw during a gig who I thought had one of the nicest smooth warm tones ever. Turned out he was using an original 1968 Strat, but he did own an Eric Johnson model and the H-1 which he said were both great sounding guitars! He uses some sort of Twin Reverb Fender amp (I think? Lots of them look quite similar on pictures so I'm not entirely sure).

Definitely had my heart set on getting one after tried it in a local store.
But then I tried an American Special in another store which I thought
felt and played very nice. It was a different amp however. Gotta say the guy was doing a pretty good job at trying to flog it off to me tho.

Couldn't figure out if the gloss on the Special made the guitar look like it was more expensive and better quality, or not. May have to go back to the shop. Quite like the maple necks.

Hey Bman, I think I should probably chime in here.

I traded a HSS Highway One for a SSS American Special Strat the first week the Specials were released. There wasn't really anything I didn't like about my Highway One but I never could quite get used to the bridge humbucker. I play mostly clean to slightly overdriven blues and classic rock through tube amps and the American Specials' pickups fit that style of music better.

The Highway One's Alnico 3 pickups respond well to high gain but they sounded a bit thin when I played clean. That's not a problem with Texas Specials. I prefer the looks of the glossy finish on the American Special, too.

But that's just me. Do go back to the store and play both guitars through the same amp and see which one you prefer.

John

I own three hw-1's 1 ssh & 2 sss love them all, two have small head's 1 has a large , I like this better. I got my first in 03 ,o4, abrand new one 09. I got a really good deal on this one. Love these guitars Just change out the pup's too your likeing and for really cheap you have a nice nitro strat.

Great info guys, thanks!

Apparently the American Special is to replace the Highway-1

I wonder why they'd do that?!?

Something tells me that as a result the H-1 may become sought after one day - because you can no longer get it.. could be wrong tho..?!

Am curious as to why they'd discontinue it if its a perfectly ok guitar.

Yeah, I want the sss with maple neck, somehow maples feel a bit more percussive sounding.

I wonder which one resonates the most out of the two. It should be the Nitro, right? Because I tried both instruments in different stores, it did seem
at the time the Special did, but I could be wrong, was a long day after all.
Will need to go back and check..

I always feel when that happens, it may be a lucky one out of the batch.
Guess they should all be the same but they're probably not and differ.

It's difficult to tell when the stores only have one of each in the stores, if that! Perhaps if they lined up 10 of each.. now that would be interesting!

I own a Highway 1 and played a played an American Special. I absolutely love both guitars. The American Special has way better pick-ups (stock). They both resonate about the same. I would definately recommend the American Special SSS and leave it stock.

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RK

2007 Fender Highway 1
2012 American Deluxe
2015 MIM Dave Murray HHH
2010 Fender Blacktop
1987 Fender Avalon Acoustic
2012 Marshall DSL 15 watt head

Some great advice here, it really helps, thanks!

By the way, the tremolo on the Special goes two ways. Not sure
I like this incase of string snaps during performances, plus it doesn't give the option to use alternate tunings if needed.

What's your experience on this RK? Do you find you'd prefer a two way tremolo on the H-1?

Both the Highway One and the American Special have vintage style synchronized tremolos. Are you referring to floating when you're mentioning it going two ways? If so, that's just a matter of set up.

I really like the gloss urethane finish on the American Special. It's thin, remarkably shiny and it looks great in the desert sun.
2010 American Special Strat by John Bohn, on Flickr
John

I've played the 'new' American Special HSS.
I was thoroughly unimpressed with the pickup choices
The Texas Specials were "OKAY" and essentially...the humbucker SUCKED!!
(Regarding the single coils....I'd , without a doubt, have to go for some sort of NOISELESS choice.)
The guitar resonated nicely acoustically....so it's got possibilities..
Cosmetically.....this guitar is esentially a 'glossy' Highway One.
Again they've included the dreaded, piece of dung Ping tuners...aaarrrrgh!!

Well....from a business standpoint...they're trying to keep the cost under $1000.00 for an Anerican made Fender....I can understand that.


Heck....who am I kidding....I'll probably buy the HSS Strat and totally 'gut it' as I did to all my 7 Highway One Strat HSS's....and then have MY perfect axe!

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I refuse to have a battle of the wits with an unarmed man!

Hey Jeffo, that's interesting, why do you prefer the H-1?
What necks were they, maple or rosewood??


John, that's a great picture you posted there BTW!