Take a Spin Down Highway One: Destination Tonetown
You'll take to the newly "repaved" Highway 1 Stratocaster with its thin-skinned satin nitrocellulose lacquer finish, hotter and very distortion-friendly Alnico III pickups (that still sparkle when clean), and a reverse-wound, reverse-polarized middle pickup for better hum canceling. Other improvements include huge jumbo frets for faster action, bold '70s styling, a steel bridge block (more tone than the zinc version), and new colors.
Fender Highway 1 Stratocaster HSS at a Glance:- Solid alder body with satin lacquer finish and three-ply white pickguard.
- One Atomic Humbucker (bridge), two vintage style single coils (neck and middle).
- One-piece maple neck and rosewood fingerboard with modern "C" shape.
Unique Low Gloss Finish Strat Adds Humbucker
Players demanded it and Fender delivered it! The Highway One Strat was born with a new, unique satin nitrocellulose lacquer finish and a mind-blowing low price tag, making it one of the most in-demand Strats in the Fender catalog. But the company knew there were players who needed something extra and so the Highway 1 Strat HSS was unveiled, with two traditional single coil pickups in the neck and middle positions plus a specially-designed black bobbin Atomic II humbucker in the bridge position for a fatter, hotter lead sound. Another interesting cosmetic touch came in the form of the larger '70s headstock, further indication - if any were needed - that this was no ordinary production line, "me too" Strat. Other features include a vintage style synchronized tremolo and a rosewood fingerboard with 22 medium jumbo frets.
Vintage Tones Plus Fat Humbucker Lead Sound
The original Strat had three single coil pickups, so it was able to produce sounds that no other guitar could deliver, particularly once players discovered they could lodge the three-position blade switch in those "in-between" positions to access neck / middle and bridge / middle pickup combinations. These were often erroneously referred to as the "out-of-phase" settings. The Highway One Strats have made it easy to access all the pickup combinations thanks to the modern five-way blade pickup selector switch. But as already noted, the Highway 1 HSS puts a screaming hot, specially-designed humbucker in the bridge position, providing the extra punch and fatter midrange that only a humbucking pickup can deliver. This gives the Highway 1 HSS its own unique sonic signature and makes it the perfect choice for players who want the Strat style, but with a fatter tone in the lead / bridge position.
Fast Playing Maple Neck with Modern "C" Shape
Leo Fender wasn't afraid to "think outside the box" when it came to guitar designs - after all, he was an engineer, not a guitar player. In the 1950s and well into the 1970s, the blond natural maple neck became almost synonymous with Fender guitars. The Highway 1 HSS Strat carries on the tradition with a fast-playing one-piece maple neck, but adds a rosewood fingerboard. Another interesting touch is the large '70-style headstock. In keeping with contemporary player preferences, the neck is finished in a smooth satin polyurethane.
- Color: Daphne Blue.
- Body Type: Solidbody electric.
- Finish: Satin nitrocellulose lacquer.
- Neck Wood: Maple.
- Neck Shape: Modern "C" shape with 9.5-inch radius.
- Body Wood: Solid alder.
- Machine Heads: Fender / Ping standard cast / sealed tuners.
- Fingerboard: Rosewood.
- No. of Frets: 22.
- Position Markers: Dot inlays.
- Pickups: One Atomic II humbucker (bridge) and two standard vintage single coils with staggered pole pieces (neck and middle).
- Controls: Master volume, two tone.
- Bridge/Tailpiece: Vintage style synchronized tremolo.
- Pickup Switching: Five-position blade switch.
- Hardware: Chrome.
- Case: Deluxe gig bag.
- Scale Length: 25.5 inches.
Fender Guitars
You could easily make the case that Fender electric guitars were responsible - at least in great part - for the birth of modern rock 'n' roll. Originally designed to be easier to build, and thus more affordable, Leo Fender's masterpieces, which include classics like the Stratocaster (is there a more distinctive guitar shape in the world?), the Telecaster and the original Precision Bass, were at the core of a musical revolution that spawned everything from surf to country to punk!
In the 1960s, when Fender guitars first hit bandstands and stages all around the country, it was astonishing to see that trademark Fender maple neck and fingerboard. Though the company eventually offered rosewood fingerboards as standard or optional on its entire line of instruments, those first"blond" necks really shook things up. Others have picked up on the maple neck theme, but it's clearly yet another of Leo Fender's "firsts."
Today, no other manufacturer can match Fender for the sheer number of options available throughout its entire line. While vintage Fenders can command astronomic prices, the company now has the widest range of quality instruments in the world, along with the highest profile players like Eric Clapton, Jeff Beck, Jimi Hendrix and Stevie Ray Vaughan, all of whom are legendary.
