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Fender Highway One series discontinued?

#62
tastybasslines said:
All I can tell you is, that I wouldn't trade mine for anything. The neck is by far one of the best and the stiffening rods have helped me get unbelievably low action, along with awesome looks and sound. I may change out the GB tone circuit, but that is a 10 dollar fix. Couldn't be happier.

It seems to me that the Fender "aristocrats" poo poo on this bass any chance they get. It's not really MIA...blah blah blah...it is.
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Actually it will cost nothing but some time if you do it yourself and use the existing .1mfd cap, remove the .02mfd cap and small resister or if you choose less than $3.00 for a new cap (depending on your choice of cap). for myself I prefer a .047mfd cap.
 
#63
LoveThatBass said:
Actually it will cost nothing but some time if you do it yourself and use the existing .1mfd cap, remove the .02mfd cap and small resister or if you choose less than $3.00 for a new cap (depending on your choice of cap). for myself I prefer a .047mfd cap.
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Some of that last run of HOs didn't have the Greasebucket. My Precision doesn't -- it has straight American Series guts.

If you want to dump the greasebucket, here's what you want it to look like when you're done:

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Any .047mFd cap is as good as any other .047mFd cap in this application. Scrounge one off a dead circuitboard; it's what I always do. Fender uses a one-cent .050mFd ceramic (a less common nominal value used purely for tradition and of no audible difference from a +/-10% .047mFd one).

Personally, I wouldn't waste the time to de-greasebucket a bass. It's more trouble than it's worth.
 
#64
Bongolation said:
Some of that last run of HOs didn't have the Greasebucket. My Precision doesn't -- it has straight American Series guts.

If you want to dump the greasebucket, here's what you want it to look like when you're done:

[Invalid or Expired Link Removed]

[Invalid or Expired Link Removed]

Any .047mFd cap is as good as any other .047mFd cap in this application. Scrounge one off a dead circuitboard; it's what I always do. Fender uses a one-cent .050mFd ceramic (a less common nominal value used purely for tradition and of no audible difference from a +/-10% .047mFd one).

Personally, I wouldn't waste the time to de-greasebucket a bass. It's more trouble than it's worth.
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I fully agree! The Grease Bucket doesn't sound that much different than when I used a .047mfd cap on the Tone pot. This is my opinion on type of cap used and can and probably will be argued. I feel the better caps react a little different at the near full and full tone (10) settings in that they (coupled with the resistance of a pot) load some of the upper frequencies (shorting them to ground) to a lesser degree than a cheap cap does. Each cap has it's own internal resistance and I have personally seen on the automated people mover I once worked on that when too much carbon from the Collector brush on the signal rail insulators or wiring insulation broke down out in the weather communications or Door Handchake signals were compromised due to capacitive and resistive loading to ground. We are talking audio frequencies of 4-21K too. Having said that I suppose one could take it too far. I once tried and expensive Auricap (audiophyle quality) and found it did not even work in the tone circuit. Upon researching others posts I found one that stated "The reason a cap and resistive pot even work to control tone is due to the impurities within it. The Auricap was touted to have extemely low resistive reactance across it. I am not an engineer or research tech so this is beyond my scope of knowledge but I thought I would pass it on as it left me scratching my head a bit.
 
#66
ok, I guess I just got lucky. I picked up a 2006 HWY 1 j for 500 a few weeks ago. it plays better than any american special I've tried. I put an Audere JZ in there, and the thing smokes. it became my go to bass. had to play a gig with a house peavy tnt, and the difference between my hwy1 and other bands bass players tone (an MIA jazz, and a warwick crvt) was night and day. cant wait to record with it.
 
#67
american special is a great series. happened to try one at GC on a whim, a candy apple red Precision...liked it so much i went back and bought it the next day. now it's my main bass and the best precision i've played, although i'm no connoisseur. the neck is a big selling point, and the pickups seem very good as well. the tone on mine just jumps right out and grabs you. bridge is nothing special but honestly i question how much that even matters. i'm happy as long as i don't have to worry about it. i played quite a few highway 1's when they were commonplace in stores and well, i never liked one enough to buy it.
 
#70
Bongolation said:
I wouldn't at the $800 regular price.

The sad part about this is that existing retailer stocks of most Fender stuff is exhausted, so there won't be the ~$400 blowout on the discontinued HOs still hanging on the walls come Labor Day...'cause there aren't any. :(
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Here in Norway there seems to be plenty left in stock at several dealers.

Been wanting a Jazz for years, so I think it's time...
 
#73
rimtism123 said:
I think you're better off just going for a MIM...or just dishing out the cash for a CIJ or MIA.

The highway 1 and American specials are just hyped up mexican basses...assembled in USA. Don't believe me? note the color option of "candy apple red" in the american specials as opposed to Candy Cola. :/
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I wouldn't doubt it...hell I go as far to say the CS basses are Mexican basses but the difference is that the price has been jacked up to damn'er
200% !!!
 
#77
Bongolation said:
Did it have the BAII, greasebucket and the graphite neck? If so, I stand corrected. It will still be a somewhat different bass than the later HOPs, which used the new 61276/7 pickups.
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Yes it came with BAII greasebucket and the truss rod adjustment was at the heel. The pickup was replaced with a QP when I got it so I can't say how the stock pu's were but the QP sounds good to me so I kept it.
 
#79
yeah main difference between highway 1 and special, special has a nitro finish and cost about 300 more than the H1's did. basically $900+ for what is essentially an H1, no thanks

It seems like the worse the economy gets the higher fender's prices seem to go, if the unemployment rate hits 10% look out for $500 squires
 
#80
gt96g said:
yeah main difference between highway 1 and special, special has a nitro finish and cost about 300 more than the H1's did. basically $900+ for what is essentially an H1, no thanks

It seems like the worse the economy gets the higher fender's prices seem to go, if the unemployment rate hits 10% look out for $500 squires
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I think you mean the Hwy 1 has a nitro finish. The American Special is poly. Had the finish on the Hwy 1 not been so dull and lifeless looking I probably would have bought one. I just couldn't get past that. I can tell you the American Special's tone was not hampered in the least by not having the Nitro finish and It just looks better to me. BTW: I got mine for $879 out the door at a local mom and pop shop.
 

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