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Post subject: warning to those considering buying a Highway 1
Posted: Wed Nov 28, 2007 10:02 am
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when i played it in the shop 5 years ago i was impressed. it was a huge step up from my yamaha. the first few years it sounded and played great and everyone who played it gave it positive compliments. I looked forward to playing it for years to come while the nitro finished aged gracefully.

now its been a little over 5 years, and i've come to know my instrument very well. I've been up and down with my satisfcation over the last year, and now I'd like to give a full review and quality report.

On average i have played about an hour a day. sometimes fridays and saturdays turn into all night and all day drinking and jam sessions, so it has recieved its fair share of use.

I have taken it to my guitar smith, as well as maintained it myself.

1. Intonation - you better buy a really nice digital tuner and i hope you enjoy doing the intonation process. you'l be doing this every three weeks.

2. Neck Bow - if your room temperature drops ten degrees or more, better get out your allen wrenches. i keep my guitar in a case when not being played and it is effected heavily by cimate

3. Tuning - the first 3 years it stayed in tune very well. the low e and g will never stay in tune now

4. whammy bar - it was fun while it lasted. unfortunately after a the 2nd year of owning it, it became too much of a problem. the bridge hieght would change on it's own, it couldnt keep tune for more than an hour of use. you get the idea. i locked it out and have been done with messing with it ever since.

6. frets - the frets wear very quickly. some frets even develope nicks and dents on them from the string being pressed into it by being in a case. if a case can damage your guitar, wtf? the third fret has a nick on the g string that actually causes the string to get stuck in, making bending and open chords impossible.

7. pickups - sound amazing at first. but are rusting. i had to start polishing the rust off every 6 months and dap some 3 in 1 on them. they still rust. i live in virginia, not the rainforest. i don't understand this.

8. Nitro finish - ages beautiful in places where you play, chips and peels of like nail polish in other places.

9. Bridge, Saddles, ect - rusted.

10. Tuners - developed alot of play. no tweaking can eliminate the play.

BOTTOM LINE-
It's an incredible playing and sounding guitar at first, but don't get to attatched to it. Within 3 years you will begin to see its real quality. I think it would be a good value if it was sold new for 300 (i paid 500), because a short lifespan guitar is only suitable as a beginner guitar. If you spend alot of time playing because your an active musician stay away from it.

Playing it is frustrating. Once you plug into your big amp for jamming with your band, you hear all the things wrong with it you missed while playing your practice amp. Trying to play with others with self detuning, self de-intonating, high action (you better get used to very high action!) fret buzzing instrument can really kill your buzz and ruin your evening. unless your tone deaf, the intonation problem will raise your blood pressure.

After considering the amount of repairs i will have to do to get this back to its original quality i am buying a new instrument. replacing the worn frets, loose tuners, rusted pickups, and rusted bridge would be a waste of money.

making an american guitar available for so cheap comes at a price. I'd like anyone who's owned a Highway 1 series and logged as many hours on it to say any different. These things just arn't made to last.


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Post subject: Re: warning to those considering buying a Highway 1
Posted: Wed Nov 28, 2007 10:33 am
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soothme wrote:
I'd like anyone who's owned a Highway 1 series and logged as many hours on it to say any different.


Oh, don't worry, you will.

You should either talk with Fender customer service or take this kind of "review" back to Harmony Central.


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Post subject:
Posted: Wed Nov 28, 2007 11:00 am
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my "review" is fair and valid. this is an appropriate place for it. i like fenders. but the highway 1 isnt great, and i'd like to let people know what they will encounter when they buy into it.

im letting people know my experience with this guitar, you don't have to agree, but somone will find it useful.


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Post subject:
Posted: Wed Nov 28, 2007 11:30 am
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There is no company in the world that can make the perfect product every single time. It sounds like you may have got one of the less than perfect ones. It does not mean every one is going to be like yours.
I would agree that this is a problem that should be discussed with Fender Customer Service.

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Post subject:
Posted: Wed Nov 28, 2007 11:44 am
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fender warrenty states it doesnt cover a long list of things, including everything i have listed thats wrong with it.


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Post subject:
Posted: Wed Nov 28, 2007 12:13 pm
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After re-reading your original post I see that most if not all the things you are complaining about could be considered normal wear and tear on such a highly used guitar.
It also seems to me that some maintainence that should have been done was not or was not done completely.

In my personal opinion if you are no longer happy with that guitar and don't want to make any repairs, sell it and try your luck with another guitar.

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Post subject:
Posted: Wed Nov 28, 2007 12:53 pm
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im going to keep it, but i am buying another one. im thinking an american deluxe.

to the best of my knowledge, i took excellent care of it. did everything the owners manual said to do, and some extra stuff my old guitar teacher told me to do. what maintenence do you think im missing? i'd hate to make the same mistake on my future guitar purchase.


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Post subject:
Posted: Wed Nov 28, 2007 1:05 pm
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With a heavily used guitar I would:

Check saddles and nut for burrs several times a year.

Do a fret level and polish/re-crown once a year.

Check and adjust neck twice a year (spring and fall), more if your area has drastic weather changes.

Keep the guitar in more climate controlled atmosphere (in a case with a de-humidifier if needed).

Check or have checked the setup frequently.

Some parts will wear out and need replacing, replace them, parts not working properly can cause more problems.

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Post subject:
Posted: Wed Nov 28, 2007 1:08 pm
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As I read your reveiw you stated that the metal rusted and that you had problems with climate changes. Where do you live? I live in a part of tyhe country that is fairly consistant in terms of temp. Also how much humidity is in your air. I ask because these could be major contibutors to some of the issues you stated. I'm sure you experience is valid and appreciate the depth that you took in writting it. Personally I love my WHY 1 and have had no troubles. Granted i have not owned mine as long. Sorry to hear you feel slighted.


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Post subject:
Posted: Wed Nov 28, 2007 1:09 pm
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Sounds like you are being a little over critical. I totally agree that the frets wear fast and the tuners and pickups aren't the best but you didn't buy the best to start with so that should be expected.


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Post subject:
Posted: Wed Nov 28, 2007 1:12 pm
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CAFeathers wrote:
With a heavily used guitar I would:

Check saddles and nut for burrs several times a year.

Do a fret level and polish/re-crown once a year.

Check and adjust neck twice a year (spring and fall), more if your area has drastic weather changes.

Keep the guitar in more climate controlled atmosphere (in a case with a de-humidifier if needed).

Check or have checked the setup frequently.

Some parts will wear out and need replacing, replace them, parts not working properly can cause more problems.


Great post. If the nut starts to wear and the frets wear intonation will go out until you correct the nut and level the frets. Normal wear on a well played guitar. I agree.


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Post subject:
Posted: Wed Nov 28, 2007 2:42 pm
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Highway 1 is not a real American Stratocaster. Only the neck is made in America, and the body is made in Mexico. But It's not supposed to rust? A real American Strat is better than Highway 1 but it's still not supposed to rust after 2 years.

- Haaxxxyywaax


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Post subject:
Posted: Wed Nov 28, 2007 2:45 pm
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StratTone wrote:
Sounds like you are being a little over critical. I totally agree that the frets wear fast and the tuners and pickups aren't the best but you didn't buy the best to start with so that should be expected.


the pickups sounded fantastic, they rusted. thats the problem.


and thanks cafeathers for the helpful reply! i just recently had the nut replaced by my local shop. how much should releveling/crowning cost?

if i could get the frets back to normal without refretting it, it would be worth it for me to keep this guitar.


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Post subject:
Posted: Wed Nov 28, 2007 2:55 pm
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WoxHax wrote:
Highway 1 is not a real American Stratocaster. Only the neck is made in America, and the body is made in Mexico. But It's not supposed to rust? A real American Strat is better than Highway 1 but it's still not supposed to rust after 2 years.

- Haaxxxyywaax


Where did you hear it was made in MExico and not USA?

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Post subject:
Posted: Wed Nov 28, 2007 4:41 pm
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Everything I heard sounds like environmental problems. Taking the guitar from it's nice warm room to play outside on a chilly day without giving it time to acclimate? Keeping the guitar in a room that isn't heated all the time? Humidity control sounds like a problem too. Sounds like a guitar exposed to temp variations and humidity extremes IMHO.

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