Alright Tone Gurus!

I've been looking over the new American Special Stratocasters and thinking GAS

It hasn't even been one year since I bought my Highway One HSS. Two years prior I bought a beautiful American Deluxe but that one stays in the case except for gigs. Though I bought the HWY1 for the purpose of being my workhorse--the more I play her the more I prefer the gritty sound of the Fender Hot Single-Coil pups and the Atomic Humbucking pup over the pristine sounding Samarium Cobalt Noiseless pups in the AmDlx.

This is a question for the Fender pundits, how do the Fender Hot Single-Coils in the HW1 compare with the Texas Specials in the AmSpecs? Any special characteristics that distinguish one from the other?

As always, thanks for your replys!

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"If I don't see you no more in this world I'll meet you on the next one and don't be late... don't be late." -Jimi Hendrix

manabu108,

I am not a tone Guru, but I am a lot like you. I am GASing for an American Special. I also own a Highway 1 Stratocaster, which I am keeping. I converted mine from a SSS to HSS and have a Dimarzio Super Distortion in the bridge. This guitar is my all-purpose guitar, I can play anything on it. Here is my opinion of the American Special:

I absolutely love the SSS version. I love the Candy Apple Red, but wish there was more color options right now. I sell a kidney for a dark blue stained American Special. That's all right, might be next year before I have enough money saved up for one (Uncle Sam got my GAS money this year), I just saved enough money and BAM!!! Hopefully more color options by then, however really love the CAR. I love the Texas Special pickups in this beast. I do not need another HSS guitar because my HWY 1 is wonderful. With this being said, I cannot stand the Atomic Humbucker in either the Highway 1's or the American Special's. I think it does not have the bite that I have in my current HWY 1.

The American Special has warmth with moderate distortion, crystal clear clean tones, and they takes heavy distortion well. But not as well as a fat-sounding, super hot humbucker will.

I am also going for a more traditional look for my next Stratocaster which means SSS with a maple neck. And for some strange reason (probably the neck) the SSS just sounds better in my opinion.

Hopefully this helps you out a bit. But as always I must put out this disclaimer....

Play before you pay. Play all the guitars they have in your price range. The one will make itself known. I strongly recomment playing both the HSS and SSS versions of the American Special to see which one you like best. Like I said, I just do not like the Atomic Humbucker, but you may.

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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

Give me the HWy 1. I have played both and I am not convinced the Am Spcl is really worth $100 more. IMO the pups and the poly finish are not enough for me to shell out an extra $100 when the HWy 1 is already a smoking guitar.

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Blues with a feeling.

GUILD GUITARS: MADE TO BE PLAYED!

Sorry about your GAS money but thanks for the info. The reason why I wanted a comparison between the Fender Hot Single-Coil and the Texas Special is that it was hard for me to tell the difference between the two in the store. The real test in pickups for me is how well they feedback for all those Hendrix/Santana sustained notes.

I'll be replacing the Atomic Humbucker with a Seymour Duncan TB-4 or TB-5. I'm also getting it in zebra. I've already replaced the parchment pickguard to bwb, and the knobs and pickup covers to white. The zebra color on the bridge will restore some of the original aesthetics of the SSS look.

_________________
"If I don't see you no more in this world I'll meet you on the next one and don't be late... don't be late." -Jimi Hendrix

Now thanks for that! I didn't know it was a poly. Good call dude!

_________________
"If I don't see you no more in this world I'll meet you on the next one and don't be late... don't be late." -Jimi Hendrix