More Clarification on Hwy 1 Strat

[BluejazzMalmsteen]

After talking to Fender for almost an hour, this is what they stated about the assembly and parts of this "American Made" guitar.

Electronics are American parts assembled in Mexico.
Tuners and bridge are Asian.
The remainder is American.
Final assembly is in America.

They further stated.
"As long as a certain percentage of parts/assembly is American, we can call it American made." (this happens to be true)

[Taller]

So I guess the question now would be, 'are American parts interchangable with the Asian parts?' Particularly the bridge, should it be found that the bridge is of inferior quality. I'm not saying it is inferior, I'm just 'supposing'.

[Marcondo]

Fender really doesnt know much about their own products but if you know where to find parts lists and numbers you can see whats in all the models.

All bodies and necks of all Fender guitars exceot the MIJ models are cut on CNC machines in Corona California.

The highway 1 has the same ping tuners and ping bridge as the 50's and 60"s MIM Classic Strats the better Gotoh hardware like the 57/62ri use is a direct replacment without any drilling.

So what the Highway 1 basicly boils down to is it has the same body as the MIM Standard but its satin lacquer instead of poly. It also has the same neck as the MIM STD.

SO its really just an MIM STD with a lacquer finished body. The MIM STD's are $350 new with a solid Alder body a much better deal than the $600 Highway 1.

Thats why the JV Strat is the best buy in the whole Fender lineup. It has all the same good hardware as a 57/62ri and its less than $500 new.

[BluejazzMalmsteen]

Well mine just arrived today. And it's not an MIM neck..entirely different measurements. They match the American Series. And Im glad of that. Everything is as Fender represented on mine. But as I figured, its a good project guitar. The pups run bright and thin...which is what i expected. Those will be swaped out. Its accoustically more resonant than my other strats. But I'll have to see if that makes a difference when I change the pups.

Btw..the neck on the American Series strat and the Highway 1 are the same..which has a 1.6875" (43 mm) width at the nut....22 frets....and 9.5 radius....medium jumbo frets.
Anyone who says that these are MIM specs...doesnt know what theyre talking about.

[Marcondo]

Both the MIM STD and Highway 1 are 9.5 radius with med jumbo frets the Highway 1 has 22 frets the MIM STD is 21.

Enjoy your new guitar.

[TattooedCarrot]

I thought only the MIM deluxe series had the medium jumbos ? ANd the MIM has the smaller vintage style frets.

[Jimi D]

Originally posted by TattooedCarrot
I thought only the MIM deluxe series had the medium jumbos ? ANd the MIM has the smaller vintage style frets.

They changed it this year... MiM Standards now have med-jumbos too...

I've played 6 Hwy1's, and tho' I think they're decent guitars for the money, I wouldn't trade my MiM Powerhouse Strat for one... The necks are very, very similar, but the Powerhouse has a fuller, rounder tone with more meat. I lucked into a killer MiM guitar - one of "The One" types that everyones always talking about :) Anyway, the Asian bridge is crap - I'm putting a Callaham bridge on it (yes, it's a direct replacement part) and keeping it for-frickin'-ever!