U.S. Special Highway 1™ Strat

U.S. Special Highway 1™ Strat®
Fender®'s new stripped-down, high-octane hot rod
by Mikey Lank

Champagne taste on a beer budget seems to be an unavoidable result of the musical life. If you've spent your best years honing your chops rather than banking the bucks-as so many of us have-chances are you have a very developed ear and a wanting wallet. While there are plenty of cheap Asian guitars on the market, the vast majority sound like cheap Asian guitars. They just can't seem to nail that inimitable American vibe your ears have learned to love. Now Fender®'s making an all-American honey that won't require a mortgage.


Bring it on home
I really dig Fender®, always have. At the dawn of the electric guitar, when everybody else was making expensive archtop electrics, Fender® came out with a production-line solidbody that was in reach for most serious players. They've always known their market-guys like us who, to put it bluntly, ain't rich.

This new U.S. Special Highway 1™ Strat® speaks directly to our kind by delivering all the manufacturing expertise, attention to detail, and general cool vibe I've found on all the American-made Fender®s for a price way below any of the others.

A lighter touch
When I strapped this baby on, it seemed to spring to life in my hands. One of the ways Fender® kept the price down was by applying a lighter paint job with a genuine lacquer finish rather than thick gloss. I think it actually makes the alder body breathe easier and resonate more freely. It's no huge secret that a lighter finish can enhance resonance; Fender®'s Custom Shop regularly produces special-ordered guitars with lacquer finishes.

The Highway 1™ colors are sharp-looking and unique. And Fender® says they'll age gracefully; the lacquer finish means they should reflect all of your time playing and develop that comfortable, played-in look a lot quicker. (Of course, the finishes are not as tough and are subject to the frailties of any lacquer finish.)

Six points of contact
Another money-saving strategy might also have resulted in a more resonant guitar. Rather than the two-point vibrato system found on recent Strat®s, this one reverts to the original six-pin design found on the originals.

U.S. Special Highway 1™ Strat®
Admittedly, it's not as slick a system and is a bit less stable for dive-bombers, but that increased contact between string and wood afforded by six screws directly into the top actually seems to enhance the guitar's overall resonance and lively feel. I think the six-point bridge is one of the many subtle features that created that world-famous tone of vintage Strat®s.

Necks to Godliness
The most radical departure of the Highway 1™ guitar from a vintage Strat® is the neck, which is essentially the same as any modern American Standard neck. Since this design has been developed through decades of trial, error, and innovation, Fender® wisely decided to include it on its new hot rod.


The Highway 1™ neck feels the same as the one on my 2000 American Strat®. I prefer it to the necks on any of my vintage Strat®s because it reaches a happy balance between substantiality, comfort, and stability. The 22-fret fingerboard really shows off the precision craftsmanship coming out of Fender®'s Corona, California, plant. I like the medium-jumbo frets because they make it easier to fret the notes cleanly than do the narrower vintage frets. The sealed, cast tuners provide stable and smooth tuning.

Pickup lines
Playing vintage Fender® Strat® pickups, Hendrix, Clapton, and Stevie Ray laid the foundations for modern rock guitar. If they were good enough for the greats, they're definitely good enough for me. Practically speaking, the three staggered pole piece, alnico magnet, single-coil pickups on this Strat® are the exact same thing the heroes played. While it has a modern-feeling neck and plays like "butta'," when I plugged it in the U.S. Special Strat®screamed out vintage tone so pure I thought I was in a time warp.


Yeah, the single coils are noisier than, say, Fender®'s Vintage Noiseless pickups, but they absolutely do what they're meant to-they crank out big, bold, edgy, and sweet tone. I had no trouble generating everything from lowdown, sweaty Texas blues to soaring stadium anthems. Unequivocally, these pickups produce the kind of serious tone I've learned to expect from American-made Strat®s.

Soft protection
Your typical American Strat® comes with a nice hardshell case. But if you're like me you never use those bulky things unless you're traveling. Fender® figured most players have the same attitude and replaced the hardshell case with an included Fender® deluxe gig bag. With 20mm thick padding, two adjustable shoulder straps, three external zipper pockets, and easy-grip handles, it will certainly protect your Highway 1™ Strat® from normal dings and abrasions, even if it won't fend off vicious baggage handlers.

All in all, the U.S. Special Highway 1™ Strat® is probably the best value I've ever seen from Fender®. By trimming the fat and getting down to the fundamental features that make a great Strat®, they've produced an instrument that's destined to be an American classic for a price workaday guitar players can afford.

The U.S. Special Highway 1™ Stratocaster® is already priced lower than any other genuine American Strat®, but Musician's Friend can make you an even better deal. We guarantee it. Call now and order yours while we still have plenty in stock.

Features and Specs:

* Alder body with satin lacquer finish
* Maple neck with polyurethane finish
* Rosewood or maple fretboard
* 9-1/2" fretboard radius
* 22 medium-jumbo frets
* 25-1/2" scale length
* 3 vintage-style single-coil Strat® pickups with staggered pole pieces and alnico magnets



* 5-position blade selector
* Master volume control
* Tone control for neck pickup
* Tone control for middle pickup
* White plastic parts
* Original headstock shape
* Original body shape
* H/S/H pickup routing