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Post subject: fender Highway one P Bass usa?
Posted: Wed Sep 01, 2010 10:36 am
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Friend told me he bought a H1 bass in usa in 2006. And he said its 100% Usa made and all hardware is USA
i read in Germany that the H1 is a mixed bass with mex and USA hardware.
who knows something about it?
Is just the year from 2006 everthing made in USA and later is becomes also mex Hardware?


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Posted: Sun Sep 12, 2010 3:55 pm
yep


Last edited by 6163asfj on Fri Sep 17, 2010 4:51 pm, edited 1 time in total.

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Post subject: Re: fender Highway one P Bass usa?
Posted: Mon Sep 13, 2010 12:43 pm
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rob72 wrote:
Friend told me he bought a H1 bass in usa in 2006. And he said its 100% Usa made and all hardware is USA
i read in Germany that the H1 is a mixed bass with mex and USA hardware.
who knows something about it?
Is just the year from 2006 everthing made in USA and later is becomes also mex Hardware?


Here is the process in a nutshell on Highway One's. Bodies and necks are CNC carved in Corona, CA. Next the bodies and necks are loaded onto a truck. The truck carries them southbound on HIGHWAY ONE into Baja Mexico ultimately to the Fender Factory in Ensenada. The guitar necks and bodies are finished in Ensenada. The finishes used have evolved to the current nitro paint. Bodies and necks are put back onto the truck and carted back to Corona, CA where electronics and hardware is installed and the instrument set up.

The hardware and electronics on the 2005 models and up got an update with ceramic caps and a better bridge among other things.

The thing about the earlier Highway One basses in general is that the neck construction was different from the other USA basses. The update added the graphite reinforcement rods so now there is little if any difference in the neck construction.

Other than the capacitor switch to ceramics, the electronics have not changed much. They are just standard pickups.

Another thing to keep in mind about Highway One basses is the wood sorting and selection process. All the wood blanks arrive at Corona. The best wood blanks go to the custom shop, next best are for USA Deluxe, the next best after that are used for USA standard instruments, then come those that are selected as Highway One blanks, the rest after than go to Ensenada for MIM production. So if you want better wood it will cost you more money.

A lot of people buy a Highway One with the intent to upgrade the pickups or other components. That in my view is a mistake as it is what it is, a very good instrument, however all the mods in the world won't improve the quality of the tone wood.


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Posted: Mon Sep 13, 2010 11:03 pm
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Reminds me of the mid 90's black label MIM Fenders, sorta. I understand they were made with MIA bodies/necks cut in u.s.a., assembled in Mexico.

I think I'd rather find a good MIM bass instead of buying a Highway One model.


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Posted: Tue Sep 14, 2010 4:26 am
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DantheBassist wrote:
Reminds me of the mid 90's black label MIM Fenders, sorta. I understand they were made with MIA bodies/necks cut in u.s.a., assembled in Mexico.

I think I'd rather find a good MIM bass instead of buying a Highway One model.


True. Fender only ran one CNC setup back then and it was at Corona.

I'd rather have Custom Shop myself, but I can't afford it.

If you are looking for an upgrade platform them MIM is the way to go, especially used recent production. Other than the cap and maybe the pickups as a last desperate resort, I would not bother upgrading a new Highway One. Otherwise you will wind up spending so much that you might as well have bought full blown USA in the first place.

The Highway One's are nice, but the full blown USA basses have better wood in my opinion. As far as wood goes, the see through type finishes usually mean a better body blank.

Based on my personal experience with a neck issue on an early Highway One I'd never buy one of those early Highway One basses again.


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Post subject: Re: fender Highway one P Bass usa?
Posted: Thu Sep 23, 2010 7:48 pm
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brotherdave wrote:
The hardware and electronics on the 2005 models and up got an update with ceramic caps and a better bridge among other things.

The thing about the earlier Highway One basses in general is that the neck construction was different from the other USA basses. The update added the graphite reinforcement rods so now there is little if any difference in the neck construction.


HWY1s made prior to 2006 used spaghetti-style decals. Fender switched to the CBS-era logos since that date.

Actually HWY1 basses are only available with a rosewood fingerboard. We expect to see these basses with an optional maple fingerboard in the future.


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Post subject: Re: fender Highway one P Bass usa?
Posted: Sat Sep 25, 2010 3:56 am
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chromeface wrote:
brotherdave wrote:
The hardware and electronics on the 2005 models and up got an update with ceramic caps and a better bridge among other things.

The thing about the earlier Highway One basses in general is that the neck construction was different from the other USA basses. The update added the graphite reinforcement rods so now there is little if any difference in the neck construction.


HWY1s made prior to 2006 used spaghetti-style decals. Fender switched to the CBS-era logos since that date.

Actually HWY1 basses are only available with a rosewood fingerboard. We expect to see these basses with an optional maple fingerboard in the future.


Chromeface, you quoted me, and seemingly contradict me on things I never said. I was talking about the internal graphite rod reinforcement upgrade on the neck and the bridge upgrade, not the fretboard material. Yes all H.O. basses have rosewood fretboards and I never said otherwise.

I've heard nothing about any maple board Highway Ones coming down the pike, so that is good news. Thanks for the information that maple neck H.O. basses are expected. First I've heard of that.

So far as determining the year, the serial is the true hallmark. The decal changed in the year after the upgraded neck and bridge. So a full year's run of H.O. basses with the older decal will actually be upgraded issues.


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