Username: Password:

Author Topic: I need a decent strat and tele... (Fender Highway 1's)  (Read 12586 times)

dave_mc

  • Middleweight
  • *****
  • Posts: 9796
I need a decent strat and tele... (Fender Highway 1's)
« on: December 03, 2006, 09:45:00 PM »
I seem to be posting a lot of new threads these days... apologies for that!  :oops:

anyway, on to the matter at hand...


I badly need a strat and tele- I just plain can't really get those type of tones accurately enough without that style of a guitar.... :(

Unfortunately, I'm in the unenviable position of needing them enough to totally GAS over them when I don't have them (i.e. like now), but not needing them enough to want to spend an absolute fortune on them either, and equally well, I don't want it to be total cheap cr@p either.... and the problem is compounded with my retarded nut width problem, the vast majority of cheap-ish copies have a too-small nut width. :( (for anyone who doesn't know, it needs to be at least 43mm/ 1 11/16")

I've recently come across some Agiles on the net which are actually the right nut width (which is what got me started thinking about this in the first place)! There was a strat at $260, and a tele at $400. However, I'm not certain they'll even ship to Northern Ireland, and if they do, customs (close to 25% :() and shipping (liable to be over $100) will very quickly bring up the price, and I'm a bit wary, to be honest- I've heard both good and bad things about them. ( http://www.rondomusic.net/st802w.html and http://www.rondomusic.net/tc1000wad.html for anyone who wants them).

Anyway, finally the penny dropped! Fender Highway Ones!

The obvious sensible choice in my situation, the Mexican Fenders (or G&L versions), had always been out because of the nut width, but I'd completely forgotten about the Highway Ones.

There'd be a lot less risk in these- I could try them first at home, and then order from http://www.Thomann.de , who conveniently have really cheap prices, free postage, and I wouldn't be charged customs either (the EU is good for something other than corruption after all!). Also, I could order them separately, as postage is free for everything over 200 euro, so in the unlikely event of Thomann being cr@p, I'd only be out the cash for one of the guitars, minimising the risk/financial loss.

Here's a timely link to said Fenders: http://www.fender.com/products/search.php?partno=0111160304 and http://www.fender.com/products/search.php?partno=0111260304

I guess my question is, what do you guys think of them? Are they any good? Overpriced? A cheaped-out attempt to con people into thinking they're getting a bone-fide USA guitar?

Or are they actually what I'm hoping, a good no-nonsense, no-frills guitar that has cut costs in the parts that don't really matter, like the finish, providing a gig-bag instead of a hard case, and a pretty poor choice of colours?

Pickups don't matter overly, I'd switch them eventually anyway.

and I'll try it myself first, don't worry!

Thanks for your help.

:drink:

Twinfan

  • Light Heavyweight
  • ******
  • Posts: 10528
I need a decent strat and tele... (Fender Highway 1's)
« Reply #1 on: December 03, 2006, 10:41:50 PM »
Guitarist magazine reviews the new Highway Ones this month if you can get a copy?  They liked them.

For the price you could get a mint used USA Standard though...

Kilby

  • Welterweight
  • ****
  • Posts: 2363
I need a decent strat and tele... (Fender Highway 1's)
« Reply #2 on: December 03, 2006, 10:52:40 PM »
I would suggest checking out the light ash tele (the eastern made one) as i't about the nicest tele I have tried, and it's cheap(ish)

I don't know what the nut width is though.

The strats are supposed to be nice too

Rob...
Goodbye London !

Afghan Dave

  • Welterweight
  • ****
  • Posts: 3315
I need a decent strat and tele... (Fender Highway 1's)
« Reply #3 on: December 04, 2006, 12:02:55 AM »
Ya beat me to the punch there...

Fender Lite Ash Strat - I've got one in vintage white and I think it's brilliant even straight out of the box.

Plus points = Ash body + Birds Eye Maple neck (the birds eyes on mine are great) The neck is a wonderful soft V which is very close to Clapton spec. Genuine Seymore Duncan pickups.

Negative Points = Single ply black pickguard, Plain Fender logo on headstock, Low quality pots and jack. Made in Korea so quality control is hit and miss.

Solution = Try out as many as they have in stock and find a peach.

I then took mine to feline and had a 3ply Black/white/black pickguard and  all new pots and wiring.

Just for the hell of it I then got a re-fret with Dunlop 6000 and put an Uber-Sinner BKP in the bridge.

End result = I have a bloody great personalised spec Strat for F' all money with great Seymore Duncans and an incredible BKP Sinner.  :twisted:
"There's more knowledge on these boards than there are necks under PhillyQ's bed"

dave_mc

  • Middleweight
  • *****
  • Posts: 9796
I need a decent strat and tele... (Fender Highway 1's)
« Reply #4 on: December 04, 2006, 04:11:27 PM »
Quote from: Twinfan
Guitarist magazine reviews the new Highway Ones this month if you can get a copy?  They liked them.

For the price you could get a mint used USA Standard though...


already have it, twin... I don't trust reviews as far as I can throw 'em, but I still like to read them- I'll probably hang off for a few weeks, though, as guitar buyer supposedly is reviewing them next issue too  :lol: I'm not fussed on second hand, either... most of you will probably call me stupid (with good cause, most likely!), but there you go.

i've tried the lite ash, the nut width's wrong, unfortunately... nice guitar if it wasn't wrong, but i just can't really get over that nut width- even something awesome like a suhr would still feel "wrong" to me with too narrow a nut width...

:(

Thanks for the replies, though, i appreciate it- anyone else with any input, keep it coming! ;)

:drink:

EDIT: update- deluxe players strats (and deluxe powerhouse strats) and deluxe nashville teles have the right nut width as well, so I guess I have to try them too- I think they're mexican- but they're actually dearer than highway ones!

interesting.

anyway, I guess my main question is this- highway ones are closer in price to mexi-strats/teles than to USA standard ones- but in terms of quality, are they more comparable to USA fenders or mexi fenders?

if anyone's compared these head to head...

:drink:

headtheball

  • Lightweight
  • ***
  • Posts: 624
I need a decent strat and tele... (Fender Highway 1's)
« Reply #5 on: December 04, 2006, 07:31:19 PM »
FWIW,

According to my sources, there's a red and a black highway one Strat in Matchetts at the minute, about the 480 mark. Both have maple necks, and are the new versions (big headstocks)

The word is, the black one looks fantastic.
Evil, Evil, Evil...

dave_mc

  • Middleweight
  • *****
  • Posts: 9796
I need a decent strat and tele... (Fender Highway 1's)
« Reply #6 on: December 04, 2006, 08:12:49 PM »
^ thanks, I appreciate that. by red do you mean wine-red? I don't think the new ones come in red, is all.

That'd let me try them- they kind of know me in Matchetts, though, and I can get it from Thomann for about £100 less (delivered)... don't really like to try stuff that I have no intention of buying- at least in places where they know me, lol.

But yeah, I'll look into it. Problem is, it's getting a little close to Christmas, Belfast is a hell-hole around then, even without the westlink being covered in roadworks...

I'm guessing the emporium might have some too- or maybe dawsons in bangor (though I'd need to find out where it is exactly in bangor, lol).

:drink:

Joe Dorcia

  • Featherweight
  • ***
  • Posts: 320
    • http://www.bythedorciadeceived.com
I need a decent strat and tele... (Fender Highway 1's)
« Reply #7 on: December 04, 2006, 11:56:59 PM »
Go for a Jap Tele and Strat, much better than mex ones. I love them

J£350 for the standard range Awesome deal and loverly guitars

Joe
Yours,

Dorcia #861

Kilby

  • Welterweight
  • ****
  • Posts: 2363
I need a decent strat and tele... (Fender Highway 1's)
« Reply #8 on: December 05, 2006, 08:48:39 AM »
Quote from: dave_mc

But yeah, I'll look into it. Problem is, it's getting a little close to Christmas, Belfast is a hell-hole around then, even without the westlink being covered in roadworks...

I'm guessing the emporium might have some too- or maybe dawsons in bangor (though I'd need to find out where it is exactly in bangor, lol).

:drink:


Dawsons http://maps.google.co.uk/maps?q=BT19+7QT&spn=0.027697,0.059687&hl=en

According to the emporiums web site thay have a highway 1 tele in stock

Also try those Music Matters in lisburn as thay are fender stockists (along with ibanez) these days.  http://www.musicmatterslisburn.co.uk/

Rob...
Goodbye London !

dave_mc

  • Middleweight
  • *****
  • Posts: 9796
I need a decent strat and tele... (Fender Highway 1's)
« Reply #9 on: December 05, 2006, 04:36:39 PM »
Quote from: Joe@fortyseconds
Go for a Jap Tele and Strat, much better than mex ones. I love them

J£350 for the standard range Awesome deal and loverly guitars

Joe


I'd already been recommended them on another forum, I looked into them, but the nut width's too narrow, unfortunately (far as I can tell, going by the specs)- thanks for the input, though, I appreciate it.

:drink:

Quote from: Kilby

Dawsons http://maps.google.co.uk/maps?q=BT19+7QT&spn=0.027697,0.059687&hl=en

According to the emporiums web site thay have a highway 1 tele in stock

Also try those Music Matters in lisburn as thay are fender stockists (along with ibanez) these days.  http://www.musicmatterslisburn.co.uk/

Rob...


Thanks kilby, I'll look into music matters- last time I was in it they only had mexi-fenders, but I guess it's worth a try.

Thanks for the map, too- I now have to translate that into my shaky knowledge of bangor, which pretty much consists of "there's sea near it"...

:lol:

:drink:

headtheball

  • Lightweight
  • ***
  • Posts: 624
I need a decent strat and tele... (Fender Highway 1's)
« Reply #10 on: December 05, 2006, 11:19:53 PM »
The highway 1 in the emporium is gone, i fear.

There is a double-bound black MIJ tokai tele though, that's going for a song, if you ask the right guy.
Evil, Evil, Evil...

froglord

  • Featherweight
  • ***
  • Posts: 325
I need a decent strat and tele... (Fender Highway 1's)
« Reply #11 on: December 05, 2006, 11:23:08 PM »
I'm in a similar boat to you, Dave. I feel the Strat-lust, but can't find one that really has the features I want. Going the custom route seemed too expensive until I saw this guy's work:

http://www.soundsinscale.com/index.php?id=gallery

I mean, just look at this:

http://www.soundsinscale.com/gallery/picture.php?image=guitars/cooke/cooke_1

He quotes £750+ for a flat-bodied guitar with £120 of pickups (which makes it £820 for the HSS set of BKPs I'm toying with). Less than an American Deluxe Strat!

Or is it better to save some money, go for a Mexican / Japanese Strat and pimp it yourself?

Decisions, decisions ...
Mules (Eggle Berlin), Piledriver/Yardbird (CV Tele Thinline)
Egnater Tweaker 15

dave_mc

  • Middleweight
  • *****
  • Posts: 9796
I need a decent strat and tele... (Fender Highway 1's)
« Reply #12 on: December 05, 2006, 11:39:48 PM »
Quote from: headtheball
The highway 1 in the emporium is gone, i fear.

There is a double-bound black MIJ tokai tele though, that's going for a song, if you ask the right guy.


interesting... i'll have to check that out!

:drink:

Quote from: froglord
I'm in a similar boat to you, Dave. I feel the Strat-lust, but can't find one that really has the features I want. Going the custom route seemed too expensive until I saw this guy's work:

http://www.soundsinscale.com/index.php?id=gallery

I mean, just look at this:

http://www.soundsinscale.com/gallery/picture.php?image=guitars/cooke/cooke_1

He quotes £750+ for a flat-bodied guitar with £120 of pickups (which makes it £820 for the HSS set of BKPs I'm toying with). Less than an American Deluxe Strat!

Or is it better to save some money, go for a Mexican / Japanese Strat and pimp it yourself?

Decisions, decisions ...


That's still a bit dear for what I'm after- I could pimp out the highway one with BKP's for not much over £500... and I could stick with the stock pickups till I gather up the necessary cash. Not to mention, I'd have it sooner...

Thanks for the info, though, I appreciate it, frog.

:drink:

Kilby

  • Welterweight
  • ****
  • Posts: 2363
I need a decent strat and tele... (Fender Highway 1's)
« Reply #13 on: December 06, 2006, 09:19:42 AM »
Dave,

Marcus music are fender dealers too, so you could try giving them a call.

Rob...
Goodbye London !

froglord

  • Featherweight
  • ***
  • Posts: 325
I need a decent strat and tele... (Fender Highway 1's)
« Reply #14 on: December 06, 2006, 09:34:41 AM »
Quote from: dave_mc
That's still a bit dear for what I'm after-


I know what you mean. I've still got half a mind to BKP my old Squier Strat by dropping in a new scratchplate, but it seems a bit bonkers to spend more on the pickups than the guitar cost in the first place!
Mules (Eggle Berlin), Piledriver/Yardbird (CV Tele Thinline)
Egnater Tweaker 15