"New" 2003 Stratocaster Highway One

[kydave]

I've been looking for an early 2000 (2002-2006) Fender Highway One Stratocaster, an inexpensive, USA made model.

Found one on Ebay a couple weeks ago, put in a low bid and unexpectedly got it.

Woo hoo! It arrive this Thursday... Played it out last night for the first time & I like it!!



It came with a Fender molded hardshell case, non original (it originally came with a gig bag), but fortunately, I had an empty from one of my older Fenders in the past, that it looks perfectly at home in!

[Random1643]

Nice! Enjoy!

[Acoustic_Stevo]

Very nice. I love the look of the maple fret board.
Enjoy.

[Dru Edwards]

Sweet Score, Dave! It looks great. I remember when they came out, US made guitar at an impressive price point.

What's the Honher box on the piano? Is it an accordion of some type?

[clintj]

Very nice! What amp are you pairing her with?

[kydave]

Thanks guys!

I'm mainly playing at a venue where I have two bands I'm a hired gun for on pedal, electric & mando. House PA and amps, and there I use a Music Man 212.

At home I've got a Fender Princeton Chorus (2x10 solid state) and a single 12 Fender Hot Rod Deluxe (tube). I used to use all Peavey when I fronted country bands, but those days are long gone. PITA back in those days, hauling a honking Peavey Session 400 (single 15" Black Widow pedal steel amp) AND a Peavey Special 130 (for my Strat & D-28) that I don't miss.

Off for night two with a different band tonight, but last night was a great maiden voyage!



P.S. Dru, it's a button accordion - MaryAnn's, as is the bass (an Xmas present from me), the banjo (likewise) and piano. I've got one D-28 on a Herc in another corner of the living room and one in the bedroom and another in the office. The electrics stay in the closet with the Dobro and mandolin, and the pedal steel stays over at the regular venue. So her stuff keeps the living room looking nice and homey.

[Steve DeRosa]

Originally Posted by kydave

...a Peavey Special 130 (for my Strat & D-28) that I don't miss...

I love those old Peaveys for acoustic-electric; I had a Bandit 65 myself back in the '80s-90s that I ran my single-knob Ovation Custom Balladeer through - the only amp (other than a former bandmate's Special 130) that actually made it sound like a loud acoustic guitar, as opposed to the "acoustic-electric" tonality we've come to accept as the de facto standard. BTW, I also had a Music Man (mine was a 410-65) that I should never have sold; sweet amp for electric, but nothing beat that old Bandit for plugged-in acoustic - just sat well in the mix and kept cranking out the tone...

Cool Strat, BTW - tri-burst and maple neck give it the look of an under-the-bed '59...

[kydave]

Yeah, the Bandit and it's big brother on steroids - the Special 130 - were bulletproof single-12" combos, and a standard for many country guitar players. That pedal steel amp was also an incredible amp, but a monster to haul.

[sweiss]

Does your strat have the same super jumbo, and I mean super jumbo, frets that my Highway 1 Tele came with? If so, do you like them?

I've had to lighten my grip in a major way to keep from squeezing notes sharp on it. But maybe that's a good thing as it makes me concentrate on my fingering.

Those frets also seem a bit soft to me. I play it a lot, but the fret wear seems excessive for the time that I've had it. As you know, fret replacement on a maple board ain't cheap.

All in all, though, I think the Highway 1 series are fine guitars for a very reasonable price.

[kydave]

Night two, different band & different strings - Yep! It's a keeper!



I don't know about frets. I've never paid that much attention to them.

[Bob Womack]

Nice looking Strat! BTW, my 2009 American Standard has jumbo frets and looks very much like yours. Enjoy!

Bob

[kydave]

Thanks Bob.

According to the specs, this one has medium jumbo.

[jricc]

Very nice, lots of luck. I'm looking to score a Highway One Sunburst with a rosewood neck!
Most of the ones I have seen have a black humbucker at the bridge. I would prefer the 3 single coils.

[kydave]

Originally Posted by jricc

Very nice, lots of luck. I'm looking to score a Highway One Sunburst with a rosewood neck!
Most of the ones I have seen have a black humbucker at the bridge. I would prefer the 3 single coils.

Thanks. They've been hard to find, especially since I wanted the vintage headstock rather than the '70s logo headstock they went to in 2006.

Fortunately I was open to options:

Either sunburst or blonde;
Either maple or rosewood.

That was hard enough. I wasn't going to wait on finding a rosewood board.

Good luck!!

[MBE]

Congrats! Those early Highway One guitars are some if the best values out there in the Fender world. That looks like a keeper!