It is currently Tue Mar 17, 2020 8:54 am

All times are UTC - 7 hours



Post new topic Reply to topic  [ 14 posts ] 
Author Message
Post subject: Highway One Stratocaster maintenance?
Posted: Mon Feb 27, 2012 4:15 am
Offline
Hobbyist
Hobbyist

Joined: Thu Jan 12, 2012 5:59 am
Posts: 5
Hi! I just bought a used Highway One Stratocaster 2006 model, with maple fretboard and Crimson Red Transparent finish (Satin Nitrocellulose Lacquer). I don't know how the satin/nitrocellulose surfaces should be treated, so I would like to have instructions for proper way to clean and maintain body, neck (Satin Urethane) and fretboard? Any good tips?

Thanks :)


Top
Profile
Fender Play Winter Sale 2020
Post subject: Re: Highway One Stratocaster maintenance?
Posted: Mon Feb 27, 2012 4:57 am
Offline
Professional Musician
Professional Musician
User avatar

Joined: Mon Apr 27, 2009 1:31 am
Posts: 1281
I use a dry untreated cloth to polish and clean the neck and body after a re-string or if it gets dusty, and I use a treated cloth to polish everything on the guitar when I take all of the strings off.

I use nut sauce to keep the saddles, bridge, nut, the ball ends of the strings, and string trees lubed so those parts don't wear out.

I tape off the fretboard and use gorgomyte to polish the frets!

I use a dab of cold water on a clean untreated cloth for stubborn blobs of humanity.

The finish on the body is getting shiny and worn where my forearm makes contact with the body. There's pick marks and other assorted contact marks. The paint is still curing on mine and was susceptible to pick marks but is now more durable as it cures and gets harder.

Mine was hot off the press, dated 2 months before delivery, so it took a year for the paint to cure and wood to settle.

There's not much you can do to stop the process of wearing the nitro outside of never touching it and lightly dusting it. I've seen people buff the paint to a shine, but still it gets shinier in the area where there's contact with the guitar, and the paint will wear off faster if you keep buffing it, it's soft paint.

I read a post about somebody leaving a Hwy 1 in a car on a hot day and the paint shriveled and bubbled badly due to heat. Apparently, the nitro paint don't like heat.

The improved tone of the delicate nitro paint is worth the trade-off to me. It'll be interesting to see how long the finish lasts!


Top
Profile
Post subject: Re: Highway One Stratocaster maintenance?
Posted: Mon Feb 27, 2012 5:45 am
Offline
Aspiring Musician
Aspiring Musician
User avatar

Joined: Mon Sep 14, 2009 7:26 am
Posts: 616
RCB-CA-USA wrote

Quote:
The improved tone of the delicate nitro paint is worth the trade-off to me. It'll be interesting to see how long the finish lasts!




Not being funny, its a genuine question, do you think you really can hear much difference due to the thinner paint? given all the other factors involved in tone.


Top
Profile
Post subject: Re: Highway One Stratocaster maintenance?
Posted: Mon Feb 27, 2012 5:47 am
Offline
Hobbyist
Hobbyist

Joined: Thu Jan 12, 2012 5:59 am
Posts: 5
'RCB-CA-USA' , thank you very much!!! A very comprehensive answer :D
I will buy nut sauce and gorgomyte, thanks for the tip! Could you clarify what you mean by 'treated cloth'?


Top
Profile
Post subject: Re: Highway One Stratocaster maintenance?
Posted: Mon Feb 27, 2012 6:15 am
Offline
Professional Musician
Professional Musician
User avatar

Joined: Mon Apr 27, 2009 1:31 am
Posts: 1281
Al 87 wrote:
RCB-CA-USA wrote

Quote:
The improved tone of the delicate nitro paint is worth the trade-off to me. It'll be interesting to see how long the finish lasts!




Not being funny, its a genuine question, do you think you really can hear much difference due to the thinner paint? given all the other factors involved in tone.


Yes. To my ears, the poly paints have a different tone than do nitro surface paints. The poly tone is more brittle and compressed, with an emphasis on mids and highs. The nitro yields a more dynamic, stronger tone. It's one of the many audible factors of tone I can hear.


Top
Profile
Post subject: Re: Highway One Stratocaster maintenance?
Posted: Mon Feb 27, 2012 6:19 am
Offline
Professional Musician
Professional Musician
User avatar

Joined: Mon Apr 27, 2009 1:31 am
Posts: 1281
Juraus wrote:
'RCB-CA-USA' , thank you very much!!! A very comprehensive answer :D
I will buy nut sauce and gorgomyte, thanks for the tip! Could you clarify what you mean by 'treated cloth'?


Here's what the Fender ad states:

Product Description...

Treated cloths have a cleaning agent added to the material.


I do not know what the cleaning agent is, you'll have to ask Fender!


Top
Profile
Post subject: Re: Highway One Stratocaster maintenance?
Posted: Mon Feb 27, 2012 6:47 am
Offline
Aspiring Musician
Aspiring Musician
User avatar

Joined: Mon Sep 14, 2009 7:26 am
Posts: 616
Quote:
Yes. To my ears, the poly paints have a different tone than do nitro surface paints. The poly tone is more brittle and compressed, with an emphasis on mids and highs. The nitro yields a more dynamic, stronger tone. It's one of the many audible factors of tone I can hear.


Thanks, interesting thoughts, my most recent guitar (c 1987) i bought a few months ago is the best sounding to my ears at least of all those i own. Thin paint it aint lol.

Cheers


Top
Profile
Post subject: Re: Highway One Stratocaster maintenance?
Posted: Mon Feb 27, 2012 6:57 am
Offline
Hobbyist
Hobbyist

Joined: Thu Jan 12, 2012 5:59 am
Posts: 5
RCB-CA-USA wrote:

Here's what the Fender ad states:
Product Description...
Treated cloths have a cleaning agent added to the material.


I do not know what the cleaning agent is, you'll have to ask Fender!


:D Ok, thanks! So it's Fender Treated Polish Cloth? I mean that does it treat well satin finish -> finish stays satin, doesn't turn any glossy?


Top
Profile
Post subject: Re: Highway One Stratocaster maintenance?
Posted: Mon Feb 27, 2012 7:29 am
Offline
Professional Musician
Professional Musician
User avatar

Joined: Mon Apr 27, 2009 1:31 am
Posts: 1281
Juraus wrote:
RCB-CA-USA wrote:

Here's what the Fender ad states:
Product Description...
Treated cloths have a cleaning agent added to the material.


I do not know what the cleaning agent is, you'll have to ask Fender!


:D Ok, thanks! So it's Fender Treated Polish Cloth? I mean that does it treat well satin finish -> finish stays satin, doesn't turn any glossy?


Whether you use a treated or untreated cloth, any time you rub the nitro finish, it gets glossier. I didn't notice any shine caused by the treated cloth. But, I've only used it a few times to do spot clean up after I lubed the bridge, saddles, nut, string trees, and polished the frets. After the treated cloth wipe, I finished up with the untreated cloth, which looks like it picks up grime and oil. The treated cloth loosens up the grime, the untreated cloth picks it up.


Top
Profile
Post subject: Re: Highway One Stratocaster maintenance?
Posted: Mon Feb 27, 2012 9:55 am
Offline
Aspiring Musician
Aspiring Musician
User avatar

Joined: Sun Jul 26, 2009 4:01 pm
Posts: 633
Location: Virginia USA
I have a Hwy 1 tele and used GHS guitar gloss on mine and it protects it and makes it slight ore shiny.

_________________
08 Fender Highway One Tele-Sunburst
09 Squier Custom Tele II-Blonde
04 Squier Standard Strat Antiqueburst
07 Washburn D10SCE natural with Rosewood backing
Fender Mustang II amp


Experience is the best teacher


Top
Profile
Post subject: Re: Highway One Stratocaster maintenance?
Posted: Mon Feb 27, 2012 10:13 am
Offline
Hobbyist
Hobbyist

Joined: Thu Jan 12, 2012 5:59 am
Posts: 5
jaknzax wrote:
I have a Hwy 1 tele and used GHS guitar gloss on mine and it protects it and makes it slight ore shiny.


Ok, thanks!


Top
Profile
Post subject: Re: Highway One Stratocaster maintenance?
Posted: Mon Feb 27, 2012 5:53 pm
Offline
Rock Star
Rock Star
User avatar

Joined: Wed Jul 18, 2007 9:53 am
Posts: 5189
Location: Magnolia, Texas (just north of Houston)
There is not much that hasn't already been said. I do use Carnuba wax on my Highway 1 body about once a year or so. It gives it a little better protection than without it and provides a bit of a shine.

_________________
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


Top
Profile
Post subject: Re: Highway One Stratocaster maintenance?
Posted: Tue Feb 28, 2012 1:06 am
Offline
Hobbyist
Hobbyist

Joined: Thu Jan 12, 2012 5:59 am
Posts: 5
rkreisher wrote:
There is not much that hasn't already been said. I do use Carnuba wax on my Highway 1 body about once a year or so. It gives it a little better protection than without it and provides a bit of a shine.

Ok, thanks. I have read and understood that when you put the wax on the satin/nitrocellulose surface it may never be completely removed without degrading the satin surface? What do you think of that notion?

I see that there was previous topic about wax and Highway One. There were comments for and against wax.

Topic: Is it OK to use carnuba wax on my HWY1?

previous topic -> guitslinger wrote:
I have never used waxes of any kind on any of my guitars because no matter how good or expensive they are they always leave some residue that can built up over time.Some waxes also contain a fine abrasive that actually removes a minute amount of the finish that can also have a detrimental effect over the years.I only use polishes made expressly for guitars that way I'm assured I'll have no regrets.

previous topic -> flyingarmadillo wrote:
Since the Fender Care Kit was made by Meguiars (who made their name with car care products) I'd say there's no problem using carnuba on a Highway 1. Every rumor I've ever seen on the subject says it was the same stuff.


Top
Profile
Post subject: Re: Highway One Stratocaster maintenance?
Posted: Wed Feb 29, 2012 2:00 am
Offline
Professional Musician
Professional Musician
User avatar

Joined: Wed Feb 08, 2012 1:33 am
Posts: 1247
AL 87 wrote:

Not being funny, its a genuine question, do you think you really can hear much difference due to the thinner paint? given all the other factors involved in tone.


That's what I always ask myself as well!
Unless the finish is REALLY thick, I don't think there's much of a difference.

Given the point that even two guitars of the same model sound different, I can't imagine that one can judge whether it's the paint or just any another difference.

I personally compared: nitro finished Strat when I got it, then sanded & refinished with model paint (bad idea!!!), then sanded and refinished with 2K paint, then sanded and played in natural look (no paint, no oil, no wax), then fillerd & painted & airbrushed & clear coated. It was all the same guitar and I heard absolutely no change in sound at all.

It's just my personal opinion, so please don't be offended anybody:

I think that many people just take over opinions from others who use these kinds of "knowledge" to show, what greatly experienced, perfectly talented and musically experienced people they are.

Honestly, I've done so many cosmetical mods to otherwise unchanged guitars without ever getting a difference in tone.

"Some people can even hear fleas caughing" (popular saying in Germany).

There might be a noticeable change in tone when using an oscillator but I doubt that human ears can hear the actual difference between different finishes.
There's just too many factors affecting the sound including personal fitness/mood on different days! (ever experienced this: one day super great sound, next day $@!&#* sound with same guitar and same settings?)

Biggest joke I've ever heard: I asked a guy why he had "aged" his guitar. One would expect to hear "it looks cool!" but no, he said it would be more resonant and sounding better with the missing paint (he had removed maybe 5 sqare inches(!!!!!) of paint on the spot where he puts his arm when playing!!!!!)

Resumee: I personally would say, you can't hear a difference in finishes. You certainly can hear differences in woods, pickups, strings, picks, amps...... but with finishes the differences are too minimal to be able to conciously HEAR them without mistaking them with maybe different room acoustics or whatever. IMVPHO (in my very personal humble opinion)

And yes, my hearing is very good, I'm not half deaf :wink:

_________________
Kindest regards from Germany, Dee
My recordings --> http://www.soundclick.com/bands/page_mu ... dID=564337
STRATS ROCK!!! but Teles and Firebirds, too!


Top
Profile
Display posts from previous:  Sort by  
Post new topic Reply to topic  [ 14 posts ] 

All times are UTC - 7 hours

Fender Play Winter Sale 2020

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 2 guests


You cannot post new topics in this forum
You cannot reply to topics in this forum
You cannot edit your posts in this forum
You cannot delete your posts in this forum

Search for:
Jump to: