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Highway One necks

creis2

creis2

Guest
Nov 11, 2011
703
1
Cambridge, MA
#1
It seems the Highway One series of basses didn't become very popular. I own two, but don't play them very often. It seems Fender put decent components in this instrument, and the price tag wasn't very high.

I understand these necks are graphite reinforced. Does anyone know the extent of the quality of these necks? I feel some kind of corner must have been cut to have a instrument at this price.
 
#4
The neck on my Jazz has been absolutely rock solid since I had it pleked and adjusted at Mike Lull's shop three or four years ago. It's a great bass and continues to be my go-to bass.
 
#5
I really love the feel of my Highway One's. My go-to bass is a 70's P, but both of my Highway One's are the closest thing I've seen that feel like a vintage P, more so than the reissues and re relic stuff they have out now.

They replaced it with the American Special or something, I've played a few, feels very different.

Just wondering other people's experiences and thoughts.
 
#6
Marial said:
The neck on my Jazz has been absolutely rock solid since I had it pleked and adjusted at Mike Lull's shop three or four years ago. It's a great bass and continues to be my go-to bass.
Click to expand...

I've always wanted to have one of my basses plecked, one of these days.

I'm always afraid to bring my instruments to a luthier, to be told my neck is twisted or something. This paranoia has prevented me from going to the dentist for quite a while :rollno:
 
#7
The first 2-3 years for the Hwy 1 did not have the Graphite necks and the adjustment was at the headstock. Later, they used the reinforced necks and the adjutment is at the heal. That is the easiest way to tell them apart. The main difference being, the Hwy 1 had less expensive hardware and electronics (same as MIM) and the fretwork was not done to the same perfection as the other MIA models. But still, nice instruments for the price.
Rocky
 
#8
Rocky McDougall said:
The first 2-3 years for the Hwy 1 did not have the Graphite necks and the adjustment was at the headstock. Later, they used the reinforced necks and the adjutment is at the heal. That is the easiest way to tell them apart. The main difference being, the Hwy 1 had less expensive hardware and electronics (same as MIM) and the fretwork was not done to the same perfection as the other MIA models. But still, nice instruments for the price.
Rocky
Click to expand...
You need to clarify between Highway 1 and Highway One here, otherwise there's a lot of misinformation, plus a lot of exclusions.

Never mind that there were differences between the P and J, particularly the grade of pickups. There were also a bunch of undocumented and purely random changes on the Highway Ones at the end of their official run.

These are hard models on which to give definitive answers and easy ones on which to give misinformation, the latter being the usual case when they come up here.
 
#9
So which came first, Highway 1 or One? I've been trying to figure out what year mine is and I can't seem to find any serial number information for them. I bought it new, but I can't remember when. :confused::scowl:
 
#10
Marial said:
So which came first, Highway 1 or One?
Click to expand...
1.

Look at your serial number for an approximate year date.

Quickest way to tell the general model change is the bridge, or whether the neck adjustment is at the heel. BAII means the later version, unless the owner's wised up and sold it to a sucker for ~$150 and replaced it with a conventional bridge.
 
#13
I always loved my 2009 Highway One P-- with the exception of the rosewood FB. My particular bass had that sort of flat unfinished look to the RW (I like a rosewood FB as long as it has a deep reddish brown color). But the neck itself I found to be extremely comfortable. The Fender modern "C" that they used fit my hand like a glove and the satin finish on the back is really nice I think.

BUT then the 70s P came out and I thought I could make a twin for my Geddy lee AND get the maple board I always wanted for my Highway One. So now the Highway One neck is on the sunburst 70s P body and vice versa.

Both basses sound great, but honestly even though the black P is now officially my favorite bass ever, I have been playing the SB bass with the Highway One neck at my weekly church gig for the last few months just because i love it feels so good. BTW it now sports a tort PG and ashtrays and it will get chromes as soon as i get some use out of these RWs.

rock on.
 

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#14
I have to put my 2 cents into the Hwy 1 talk.

3 years ago I bought a 2008 neck for an old P that I had. Took it off as I found replacement so I had a neck, no body, so this past Apr i bought a 2011 hwy 1 body from fleabay.

This is probably one of my fave all time basses. I love the satin finish on the body and the neck, it has no dead notes and the feel is awesome. I strung it BEAD and it took it fairly well. the low B isn't as crisp as I'd like, but I can really tell the difference in quality vs my Mex 75 Jazz reissue....

So the pups are mex quality? Seems to me that great quality....the one thing i can say is the finish is not as durable, so I guess that's a cost cutting function....

Would be interesting if someone could do a guitar part list side by side estimated cost sheet.
 

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