I need advice. I just purchased a 2006 Highway 1 that has been reliced. Kinnman Woodstock with K9 controls. The body is well done as well as the neck. I wasn't looking for a reliced guitar but the deal was too much to pass. (70's Fender case "road worn" complete the look). The thing sounds great. Position 8 (Kinnman) really quacks, My problem is the neck. The back has been overdone and feels too rough and raw to my liking. The fretboard has been compound radiused to flat. I'm more of a rhythm player and don't need the flat board down low. The question is, should I sand the back and refinish and then re-radius the fretboard or sell the neck and find something more to my touch. I'm conflicted. It has already been "operated" on so I wouldn't feel so bad adding my mark. Opinions are appreciated. BTW, $500 was the price.

I hate to say this, but you paid $500 for a beat up, (sorry "road worn") Highway 1? And you didn't like the neck? I paid $560 for my Highway 1 new.

You can try sanding and refinishing it. If you are not inclined to do it yourself, you can take it to a luthier and see what they can do. If the job was too botched-up, you may want to cruise flea-bay for a replacement neck. Stratoshpere may be in your future if the neck is too far gone.

Sorry I did not mean to come down hard, I just do not understand relicing. Part of the reason I bought my Highway 1 was to let it naturally age. Best of luck to you and please let us know how this turns out.

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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

I know, I know.... Buyers remorse I guess. It was the Kinnmans. I paid $250 for a set of Telecaster pickups and thought it was a good deal. I'm with you with the age naturally. It has a thin nitro finish to begin with. Truth is that someone just trashed the beautiful guitar. Just don't know what to do now. I want a player and don't care what it looks like. Just don't like the neck. All I see when I look at it is what I can get for the parts. Maybe Thats what I should do. Part it out. I want something with a soul. This is some kind of a freek. My girlfriend took one look and said it looks dead, in a coffin. I'm so sad.

Again I did not mean to come down hard on you, but you may want to consider a new neck if your luthier cannot correct the neck. I love my HWY 1 and would replace the neck if anything happened to it.

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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

Hard opinion is what I need. Luthier? A set of pliers and a sander. Just kidding. The thing is, it sounds amazing through my Kalamazoo Reverb 12. If I can't Un-f&*% the neck then a different one is the likely option.

Ok...just my opinion as always...

Unless you've done a fair degree of neck work before...and I mean altering the wood itself here, I'd go with the new neck. Even if you have a good deal of "wood working" experience, altering/modifying a neck is tricky work...particularly with one that's already been screwed up. I've repaired a few headstocks here and there and I don't mind doing truss rod adjustments and even the occasional fret job, but taking more wood off a neck that's already been altered and changing the radius of a fretboard that's already been altered? Seems like that's quite a bit of wood shed there. Here's the way I see it...as it stands now you could probably re-sell the neck as a relic job for a decent price and that money can go towards a new neck that you'll be happy with. However if you screw it up even worse than it is now, you may end up stuck with a worthless piece of scrap.

Obviously if you do have the experience then disregard that however if you haven't done specific work like this before, ya might want to think about that.

BTW...I gotta go with rk there...I don't get the whole relic thing either. No offense but that never made sense to me at all.

Anyways...as I said, just my opinion.
Jim

Thanks Jim, I think that selling the neck is the best way to go. I really appreciate the input. I've refinished a body. built a shed and a fence. That hardly qualify as enough skill for this kind of repair. I'm with both of you on the relic thing. I probably should have walked away. Oh well. Cheers.

Sell the neck. Re-radiusing the fingerboard will be a waste of time. you will have to take more wood off the higher register, then take some off the lower. it would ruin the neck...

try Warmoth showcase- you have a body, you just need the neck

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a luthier is bassically a guitar technician that has a lot of experience with guitars to he point they could build one with just wood, wire, and electronics.
If the neck is messed up to the point of no return, they'll tell you.

If the neck is that far gone, don't fret, there are after markets like Warmoth that could build one to your specs. There is also Stratosphere on E bay that may have a replacement neck for your highway 1.

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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

I saw your other thread...The pics of the neck looks rough, maybe just a little 000 Steel wool and lemmon oil like some already suggested may do the trick. I imagined something far worse from the description. If you feel comfortable doing it yourself, go for it...otherwise take it to a pro.

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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

I just bought a Warmoth neck for my Highway 1...i dont like it its to thin for my taste...you can find good deals in the showcase...if you get it unfinished it would be cheap and you can just put some Tru-Oil on it yourself...its not hard to do

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Fender Highway 1 Strat, Fender Lonestar Stratocaster 25th Anniversary, Orange Rockerverb 50 w/ PPC212, Crate Vintage Club 30 Tube Amp, Digitech GNX3, Line6 pedals, Ibanez Tube Screamer (my fav), Crybaby Wah