I'm not an expert on the Highway 1 model. Doesn't it have jumbo frets, a large headstock '70s style and different pickups than other Strats? Congratulations on your new axe.

_________________
-Kirk

GUITARS
'12 Sonoran Acoustic - black (dated 10/31/12)
'13 Standard Strat
AMP
Vox ac4c1-bl
PEDALS
Compressor
Big Muff
Vox Stomplab 1G
Carbon Copy Delay

The Hwy 1 line is the "budget" American line. It uses a lot of the MIM components as I understand it. The pickups can be very polarizing ... alot of people really dislike them, while many like them. I have not played them extensively myself, as I was never a big fan of the dull nitro finish. But considering the nitro will wear (unlike poly), that is another factor that many Hwy 1 owners really gravitate to. In later years (05+) they went to the larger '70s headstock which is also very polarizing (personally, I like both the small and large headstocks equally).

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Laughing out loud with fear and hope, I have a desperate plan ...

Thanks for the info.
No it,s Not a dull finish at at all, it is very shiny, like furniture?
It also has med-large frets, the same size as my 09 U.S standard(candy cola).
come to think of it the body's appear to have the same type of shiny top coat.
One more thing it has two string trees.
Thanks all for the info,
love the site.
Hit

PIC

If you rub the nitro finish with an old t shirt it turns into a piece of glass very quickly.

Thank you all for the very useful info:
When I picked the guitar up about a week ago, I was on the FDP forums reading about the finish (what little info they had) and it was suggested the 2002 - 2004 HWY 1 finish should be treated as fine furniture, after that it went to a nitro finish (2005 I think! god I hope it said that?)..So I did I stripped the guitar 3 in 1 oil, fret dress, and half a can of liquid gold for the body over two days set up , and it now looks spectacular, almost new, plays as good as my 09 USS.
If you had of seen the guitars condition (heart breaking), after sitting in it,s gig bag unused for the last 5 years, man I had to do something to get the dead bugs off it

Thanks all
pic of my 09 candy baby

If it plays and sounds good that is all that matters.

This video may help to clarify the differences between the 200 - 2006 models (smaller headstock, medium frets, standard pickups), and the models produced from late 2006 until the present day (jumbo frets, larger headstock, alnico 3 pickups).

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JqSYDHNpAx8

The guitar does sound fantastic, it was as if Fender doesn't want to talk about it, you can find all sorts of info on Fender guitars but the first HWY 1 has very little on it.
It was suggested on another site in an old post that the Hwy 1 looked to much like the US standard, and actually started to out sell it so they"updated" it, I have no idea that this is true, but it looks just like the head stock and neck on my 09 U.S standard.

Thanks for the advise
I was just looking for more info on my new baby.
Hit

Congrats man.

_________________
Fender 50th Anniversary Strat
Fender Road Worn '50s Strat
Fender Highway One (HSS) Strat (D standard tuning)
Fender '72 Tele Deluxe
Fender Hot Rod DeVille 212

Thanks for the info.
That vid was helpful, but they seem to get right to the updated HWY 1 asap.
I am starting to think what I read on the FDP site may be true, it was Fender, will never again make a budget Strat that looks like the flag ship US standard hence the large head stock and jumbo frets on the updated version.

Thanks for all the info:
Hit

Thank you.

The last time I played a Strat was 1985 (it was stolen at a gig).
In the last month I have bought two, why I waited so long

Maybe I am getting older, and wiser
Hit