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Official Highway One Club

#503
Bongolation said:
The pickup set is a 56003 and a 59112 :eek:

The 56003 is the generic part number for the current MIA bridge pickup, but what a 59112 is, I have no idea. The 56004 is the matching neck pickup that normally goes with the 56003.
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Just an update, for those who may have missed the posts in other threads:

The effed-up bass went back and was replaced by another Highway One made on the same day.

1: The pickups are completely different, a 61276/7 set, but at least they're matched. These are the latest American Standard set, allegedly. Non-chamfered poles, etc.

2: There's no Greasebucket circuit, which is jake with me.

Can you say, "Specifications subject to change without notice"? :D

Weird, huh?

New replacement bass is OK.
 
#504
Changed mine up a little since I got it last fall. Black PG from WD Music (had to trace and file the trussrod notch myself but other than that it was fine) and put in an Audere pre. Put som DR Hibeams on and man, does this thing have some punch. :bassist:
 

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#505
Greetings from Greece here is my Fendy,i took a picture of her while she was sleeping ;)
So far i've changed only the pickguard but i'm thinking of adding a maple fingerboard and spb-2 or villain pickups...
 

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#508
9mmMike said:
bump for some new pics maybe?
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Generally pictures bore me, but for those who find them exciting, here's one of the Precision I took after retrofitting a vintage-style bridge and a spare 1972 pickguard I had around. The color is slightly off in this picture and the pickguard color actually looks much better with the 3CSB finish (here with a preliminary polish-out) than it appears to here:

Link Removed

I do have further examples of the current fairly chaotic 2011 Highway One builds, though. I've seen the 2011 bass bodies with two, three and four pieces, a extreme spread I haven't encountered previously on any one Fender model.

Fender is struggling to get out of their production hole and not sweating the small stuff fulfilling their huge backlog of orders.
 
#509
Got mine today. It's an '03.
It has the stock fender rounds on it. I will probably put a set of flats on it like I use in my main gig bass.
The color is very cool and the plastic was never even taken off of the pick guard.
Sadly it was not packed real well and it was dropped hard enough for the strap pin to be driven into the body and bend the screw. I pulled the screw and straightened it, filled the hole with some glue and a toothpick and put it back on. The felt washer and pin covers the crush/dent so you cannot see it so no sweat really. If it had been a hollow-body acoustic the pin would have busted right through the body.
The fretboard is a really light brown. Not very attractive in my opinion but overall it appears to be a very nice bass.
I only had a few minutes to tinker as I needed to get back to work but the relief was close to what I want so tonight I'll get the action down a skosh and maybe take it to an open mic for a test run.
Pics coming...
 
#510
Picked this 08 Precision up today, I got it for $450 which in my opinion is quite good being from the land down under and all. Basses are really expensive here.

It's a little beaten up, and is missing its knobs, but plays really nice, just fiddling with the action now:

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I have ordered some replacement knobs, a new set of strings and a fender 62 tort guard for it.

:hyper:
 
#511
OK, well I took the "new" '03 to a gig last night as well as my regular gig-bass. Played it for the 1st and 3rd sets. The Highway-1 was amazingly terrific. The lows were crystal clear. I was both surprised and annoyed that it sounded so much better than my regular bass as I have put so much work into that bass and the Highway-1 is pretty much stock except for the flats and pickguard. (update - my "regular" bass did sound very good in the recordings I heard - sitting great in the mix. It was onstage where I liked the HWY-1 better. Sadly, no recordings of that) I tried to get the plastic (original still on since '03) off of the pickguard and it was a real pain and left the pickguard covered in a tacky film that I guess is old glue.
This is my first 9.5" board and so far I do not hate it. It is as light as my parts-basses that I build to be light. I kinda sorta wish the board was maple but it is what it is. The tuning machines look cheap but they work fine. The vintage-style bridge has those allen height adjusters that I dislike instead of the regular slotted screws but once it is set, it is set.

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#512
Greetings -- My new-to-me '03 Highway 1 needs some new tuners. Already tried taking them apart and cleaning, adjusting, etc. but they're still rough, gritty and don't turn very smoothly.

I searched ALL over TB and tuner manufacturer sites. Looks to me like the only true "drop-in" options are stock Fender or Hipshot HB7, and that Gotohs and Schallers require drilling for the screw holes (which I do not want to do).

Does that sound right to you experienced sages?

I'm especially interested in advice from you fellow Highway 1 & One'ers that have the same neck as my '03 HWY 1.

Thanks for any btdt!
 
#513
13ftHand said:
Greetings -- My new-to-me '03 Highway 1 needs some new tuners. Already tried taking them apart and cleaning, adjusting, etc. but they're still rough, gritty and don't turn very smoothly.

I searched ALL over TB and tuner manufacturer sites. Looks to me like the only true "drop-in" options are stock Fender or Hipshot HB7, and that Gotohs and Schallers require drilling for the screw holes (which I do not want to do).
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I think there have been two different varieties of machines on these basses over the run, but I'm assuming yours has the "Standard" set as on the MIM.

I am not sure about available no-drill options but would be interested in finding out, too.

As far as making the Standard set work better, before you despair, you should check the lubrication of the shaft where the shoulder bears on the backplate. I have had these come in feeling like there were rocks being crushed in the "worn out" gears, and some thorough lubrication at this point with the tension off restored them to smooth-as-glass performance.

People always try lubricating the gears, but it's usually the shafts causing the nastiness.

Just a possibility.
 
#514
13ftHand said:
Greetings -- My new-to-me '03 Highway 1 needs some new tuners. Already tried taking them apart and cleaning, adjusting, etc. but they're still rough, gritty and don't turn very smoothly.

I searched ALL over TB and tuner manufacturer sites. Looks to me like the only true "drop-in" options are stock Fender or Hipshot HB7, and that Gotohs and Schallers require drilling for the screw holes (which I do not want to do).

Does that sound right to you experienced sages?

I'm especially interested in advice from you fellow Highway 1 & One'ers that have the same neck as my '03 HWY 1.

Thanks for any btdt!
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My friendly music shop got me some wilkinson vintage tuners (and a bridge with brass saddles) made in Korea I think, but look great and cheap as chips!
 
#516
"...check the lubrication of the shaft where the shoulder bears on the backplate. I have had these come in feeling like there were rocks being crushed in the "worn out" gears, and some thorough lubrication at this point with the tension off restored them to smooth-as-glass performance..."

Hmm -- Yes, the tuners did work smoother before I "fixed" :D them (adj shims 'cause the keys were rattling around.) And yes, they feel like they're crushing rocks.

I'm wary of lubrication in this area, as I don't want the unfinished wood inside the peg holes to soak up anything that would soften the area--that would be quite a mess. But you're probably right; a little dab where backing plate/shims meet the shaft would do me. I'll give it a try--thanks!
 
#517
Mr. Sound said:
Had to drill new screw holes, but, the old holes help you line them up, and are totally hidden by the next tuner, so good result!!
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Heard about Wilkinson; I'll investigate further. Hadn't thought about the old screw holes being hidden by the new plates. That's cool, as long as the new holes wouldn't be too close and break through to the old holes.

Thanks for your perspective!
 
#519
13ftHand said:
I'm wary of lubrication in this area, as I don't want the unfinished wood inside the peg holes to soak up anything that would soften the area--that would be quite a mess. But you're probably right; a little dab where backing plate/shims meet the shaft would do me.
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Where I am talking about is the shoulder of the key shaft, right where the face of it bears on the outer pressed half-cylinder of the plate.

That one tiny area bears the entire load of the string tension, pulling the key shaft inward against it. With the string loosened so you can pull the key shaft outward a bit, get a drop of oil in there where you can work it in. This assumes you've determined there's no junk or plating flakes in there contributing to the problem.

This cleared up 100% of the "rock crushing" sensation on the last "worn out" set of Standard machines on which I tried it.
 
#520
Sleeq said:
I'm so GAS'ing for a Honey Blonde HWY1 P-Bass.

I want one just to be the "throw around" bass for all the mule work.
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That was exactly my plan, but it turned out to be a hugely better bass than I was expecting. As I said in other posts, complete disassembly revealed that except for the machines, bridge and finish/detailing, the 2011 I got was identical to the American Standard (not even the Greasebucket was there). After selling the bridge for $150, I was going to buy new machines, but there's really no point. The ones on it work perfectly fine.

There's no real downward compromise from a more expensive model on the Precision after some fret detailing and polish-out of the "dry" finish.

Very pleased with it.
 

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