I had a Dingwall for a couple of years with Hipshot tuners and I thought they were good - which is why I was OK making the swap. In this case, I'm not saying they're bad - just not a noticeable improvement to justify the cost.
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Official Highway One Club
- Thread starter NorCal Dog
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I had a Dingwall for a couple of years with Hipshot tuners and I thought they were good - which is why I was OK making the swap. In this case, I'm not saying they're bad - just not a noticeable improvement to justify the cost.
Thank you for this! Fantastic review and photos!
I was thinking of switching to those tuners on my Highway One P bass quite a while ago, but ended up not doing it because I have flats on it, and I plan to keep them on for years if they don't break or rust (currently going over 2 years) so I don't have to restring often. Since I have no issues with tuning stability (it stays in tune great!), I figured, what the hell, I'll keep them. Looks like I made the right choice.
It’s been a while since I’ve posted in this thread so I have A LOT of catching up to do!
As a refresher, I bought this 2005 HWY One as a project bass to completely revamp for fun.
After quickly swapping out the Pups and tuners I decided it was a keeper.
So the next step was to strip it down. After a lot of Web research, I decided to try the heat gun method.
I can tell you – do NOT try this method with these basses!
This is the mess after an hour of trying. The Nitro came off easy enough but there is a thick coat of poly underneath that was next to impossible to get scrape off.
Unfortunately I ended up burning the wood in a few areas while I was at it. I was a little worried at this point!
So on to method #2: Sanding.
This is after an hour of sanding with 80 grit and a Mouse sander.
All paint gone – and just the Poly left.
Hope that I could do this successfully was returning!
Here it is after another hour of sanding. The Poly is a huge PITA to get off
Almost at the end. Starting to look good
I went from 80 grit to 120 to 220 grit – and after approx. 8 hours of sanding over the course of a month or so - everything was looking great. So on to a hand rubbed oil finish.
After much research I chose Danish oil for its ease of application and I wanted a warm matte finish - no gloss. Here it is after 1 coat. I was pretty happy at this point:
Then after 3 coats. I did 4 in total.
On to the Nut. Surprisingly easy to pop out
I installed a Black TUSQ XL. You can sand these from the bottom to get the height you want.
Which makes it easier for a hack like me.
I also oiled the fretboard while I was at it. It helped darken it a little which I like
I decided to go with a Hipshot Kickass bridge and I am glad I did.
These things are rock solid, easy to install and adjust and look great too. I highly recommend it:
And finally the ‘piece de resistance’! A new neck plate to replace the blank one. This one is thicker than the original but lighter. It may be aluminum but I don’t know for sure.
You can still see some of the burn marks from my first experiment below. But hey....its only Rock n' Roll!
As mentioned earlier in this thread I already installed Hipshot tuners and Dimarzio Model P’s.
So there was nothing left to do except put it all back together and set it up.
Et volia!
Before and After….tried to match the same crappy pic I took when I first bought it
So how does it play? Like a rock solid snarling beast! Exactly what I was hoping for.
I haven't tried it with my Metal band yet - however - my bar friendly Rock band love it and have requested I play it all the time. So mission accomplished I think
I hope you enjoyed the pictorial!
Though I am probably mostly just talking to myself on this thread haha
As a refresher, I bought this 2005 HWY One as a project bass to completely revamp for fun.
After quickly swapping out the Pups and tuners I decided it was a keeper.
So the next step was to strip it down. After a lot of Web research, I decided to try the heat gun method.
I can tell you – do NOT try this method with these basses!
This is the mess after an hour of trying. The Nitro came off easy enough but there is a thick coat of poly underneath that was next to impossible to get scrape off.
Unfortunately I ended up burning the wood in a few areas while I was at it. I was a little worried at this point!
So on to method #2: Sanding.
This is after an hour of sanding with 80 grit and a Mouse sander.
All paint gone – and just the Poly left.
Hope that I could do this successfully was returning!
Here it is after another hour of sanding. The Poly is a huge PITA to get off
Almost at the end. Starting to look good
I went from 80 grit to 120 to 220 grit – and after approx. 8 hours of sanding over the course of a month or so - everything was looking great. So on to a hand rubbed oil finish.
After much research I chose Danish oil for its ease of application and I wanted a warm matte finish - no gloss. Here it is after 1 coat. I was pretty happy at this point:
Then after 3 coats. I did 4 in total.
On to the Nut. Surprisingly easy to pop out
I installed a Black TUSQ XL. You can sand these from the bottom to get the height you want.
Which makes it easier for a hack like me.
I also oiled the fretboard while I was at it. It helped darken it a little which I like
I decided to go with a Hipshot Kickass bridge and I am glad I did.
These things are rock solid, easy to install and adjust and look great too. I highly recommend it:
And finally the ‘piece de resistance’! A new neck plate to replace the blank one. This one is thicker than the original but lighter. It may be aluminum but I don’t know for sure.
You can still see some of the burn marks from my first experiment below. But hey....its only Rock n' Roll!
As mentioned earlier in this thread I already installed Hipshot tuners and Dimarzio Model P’s.
So there was nothing left to do except put it all back together and set it up.
Et volia!
Before and After….tried to match the same crappy pic I took when I first bought it
So how does it play? Like a rock solid snarling beast! Exactly what I was hoping for.
I haven't tried it with my Metal band yet - however - my bar friendly Rock band love it and have requested I play it all the time. So mission accomplished I think
I hope you enjoyed the pictorial!
Though I am probably mostly just talking to myself on this thread haha
Reviving this old thread for the sake of Highway 1 and One owners!
I just acquired this 2003 Hwy1 P-bass on Reverb for $500. May have overpaid slightly, but these and the Highway One's are getting harder to find under 6-700 bucks. I swapped out the pick guard for a black Fender one, and added strap locks. The biggest change was the neck - for a 2018 Am. Pro Jazz neck in lovely maple. I very much prefer the width, feel and look of the maple neck.
Oh and since numbers are self serve, I'll take #97.
I just acquired this 2003 Hwy1 P-bass on Reverb for $500. May have overpaid slightly, but these and the Highway One's are getting harder to find under 6-700 bucks. I swapped out the pick guard for a black Fender one, and added strap locks. The biggest change was the neck - for a 2018 Am. Pro Jazz neck in lovely maple. I very much prefer the width, feel and look of the maple neck.
Oh and since numbers are self serve, I'll take #97.
So it's probably time for an update....it's been about 9 months. Since the post above I have made the following changes:
New pickups: Fender Pure Vintage '63
New PG: Flat black single ply
Drop D tuner:
Sanded the back of the neck down to the wood. Tried my hand at a little Nash-esque relicing. Topped of with a bit a Danish oil. Not sure how I feel about my relic work but I can tell you this is best feeling/playing neck I have ever owned:
It's quickly become my #1 bass and I have received many compliments from band and audience members on the tone. Lot's of clarity and punch. Most of that goes back to the PV63 which I highly recommend and posted about here:
Fender Pure Vintage 63 Precision Bass Pickups
Here's an updated evolution photo - though I think there is one more major change coming...
New pickups: Fender Pure Vintage '63
New PG: Flat black single ply
Drop D tuner:
Sanded the back of the neck down to the wood. Tried my hand at a little Nash-esque relicing. Topped of with a bit a Danish oil. Not sure how I feel about my relic work but I can tell you this is best feeling/playing neck I have ever owned:
It's quickly become my #1 bass and I have received many compliments from band and audience members on the tone. Lot's of clarity and punch. Most of that goes back to the PV63 which I highly recommend and posted about here:
Fender Pure Vintage 63 Precision Bass Pickups
Here's an updated evolution photo - though I think there is one more major change coming...
When I applied the Danish oil I followed the instructions and did 2 coats. After it dried for a couple of days I sanded with 320 grit to knock it back down a bit. It feels amazing now and plays like butter (as they say)
I would envision the same thing being possible with a satin poly - follow instructions then knock it back a bit
Btw - to get the original poly off I started off at like 600 grit and went down for there. It was taking forever even with 220 grit so I jumped all the way down to 80 grit. Not for the faint of heart!
I took my time and was gentle and it moved things along much quicker and with a lot less effort. As soon as I hit wood I went all the way back up to 600 grit before the danish oil.
Here's my Hwy 1 Jazz, all factory stock (except for the white knobs I put on it). Dunno what pickups came with these basses, but my example sounds great with the broken-in set of Chromes that were already on it.
I like that it came stock with Fender's vintage style threaded saddle bridge, saves me the trouble of changing it myself. The neck on this thing is arrow straight, never budges and offers an insanely low buzz-free action. I suspect the PO had the frets massaged by someone who knew what they were doing. The neck profile is Fender's timeless classic and still my all-time fave.
The Daphne Blue paint job is crude and wears easily, it's meant to be that way. There are impressions in the paint on the back of the body that look like they were caused by the cloth lining of a hardcase. Not sure exactly what type of lacquer it is, but it doesn't look/feel quite like nitro.
Weighs 8lbs, 9oz.
If I have one niggle, it's that the stock tuners could be better. They're adequate, but a set of Hipshots would be a marked improvement. But hey, for the price these basses originally sold for, you have to expect some compromise in quality somewhere. As far as I can tell, the tuners and crude finish are where that compromise is. For me, the important stuff....sound, playability, looks and feel are on point.
I like that it came stock with Fender's vintage style threaded saddle bridge, saves me the trouble of changing it myself. The neck on this thing is arrow straight, never budges and offers an insanely low buzz-free action. I suspect the PO had the frets massaged by someone who knew what they were doing. The neck profile is Fender's timeless classic and still my all-time fave.
The Daphne Blue paint job is crude and wears easily, it's meant to be that way. There are impressions in the paint on the back of the body that look like they were caused by the cloth lining of a hardcase. Not sure exactly what type of lacquer it is, but it doesn't look/feel quite like nitro.
Weighs 8lbs, 9oz.
If I have one niggle, it's that the stock tuners could be better. They're adequate, but a set of Hipshots would be a marked improvement. But hey, for the price these basses originally sold for, you have to expect some compromise in quality somewhere. As far as I can tell, the tuners and crude finish are where that compromise is. For me, the important stuff....sound, playability, looks and feel are on point.
You guys must be Hoarders. I search used parts and basses all the time and can't remember finding any Highway 1/ One. More power to you. These were great.
Nah....I got lucky I guess. Pretty much the same day I decided I wanted a project bass to mess around with, preferably a US precision sunburst - my HwyOne was for sale in my local classifieds.
Good afternoon.. well boredom during lockdown bought me here.
However, I am a huge fan of the Fender Highway One series.. so much so, I got me two!
Early last year, I was looking for a P bass, and a local seller posted in Facebook Marketplace that he had a US Highway One for sale, at the right price. I went over to see it. It was a honey blonde 2007 bass, looked a bit "worn", as in well-gigged! However, I played it for a bit and I was smitten! The seller tried to offer me a couple of Mexican's in better nick, but the bass I now own really felt right. So I bought it, took it home, cleaned it up, adjusted it and popped on some TI Jazz flats. It is now extra-special. Tone, playability, everything, looks - just perfect. My band mates, everyone, just loves the tone.
Anyhow - fast-forward to summer last year. Local guitar shop (always has a couple of basses in but specialises in 6 strings) has a 2008 Highway One Jazz come in as a part exchange. I went down to see it - condition is perfect, the previous owner had try to introduce a bit of fake relic to the desert sand colour, but it had hardly been played. The seller told me he would knock off £25 because it didn't have a gig bag, so I walk out of the shop with the bass for £450! Again, like the P bass, I pop on a set of TI Jazz flats, tweak the truss rod and adjust, it is now perfect for me. So I end up with my two favourite instruments for under £1,000 in total.
However, I am a huge fan of the Fender Highway One series.. so much so, I got me two!
Early last year, I was looking for a P bass, and a local seller posted in Facebook Marketplace that he had a US Highway One for sale, at the right price. I went over to see it. It was a honey blonde 2007 bass, looked a bit "worn", as in well-gigged! However, I played it for a bit and I was smitten! The seller tried to offer me a couple of Mexican's in better nick, but the bass I now own really felt right. So I bought it, took it home, cleaned it up, adjusted it and popped on some TI Jazz flats. It is now extra-special. Tone, playability, everything, looks - just perfect. My band mates, everyone, just loves the tone.
Anyhow - fast-forward to summer last year. Local guitar shop (always has a couple of basses in but specialises in 6 strings) has a 2008 Highway One Jazz come in as a part exchange. I went down to see it - condition is perfect, the previous owner had try to introduce a bit of fake relic to the desert sand colour, but it had hardly been played. The seller told me he would knock off £25 because it didn't have a gig bag, so I walk out of the shop with the bass for £450! Again, like the P bass, I pop on a set of TI Jazz flats, tweak the truss rod and adjust, it is now perfect for me. So I end up with my two favourite instruments for under £1,000 in total.
Not had a problem with the stock pickups on my HO P. I tend to mute a little with foam near the bridge, but they do suit the music I play (more R&B style).
Still loving my HwyOne P. Definite #1 for playing live.
No real thoughts of replacing the Pure Vintage 63 pickup I posted about earlier.
I think that pickup is really hard to beat in the bass. Punchy and thick with clarity
I'm on the hunt for HwyOne J so it anyone wants to part with one let me know.
Also wasn't digging my earlier oil work - too yellow - so I did some more sanding and tried some other things.
Pretty happy with this now....kind of rustic look...
No real thoughts of replacing the Pure Vintage 63 pickup I posted about earlier.
I think that pickup is really hard to beat in the bass. Punchy and thick with clarity
I'm on the hunt for HwyOne J so it anyone wants to part with one let me know.
Also wasn't digging my earlier oil work - too yellow - so I did some more sanding and tried some other things.
Pretty happy with this now....kind of rustic look...
