highway 1 tele vs american tele

n8tron

New member
whats the difference with the highway 1 tele and the american tele?? why is the highway so much cheaper?

thanks
 
Besides the satin finish, the Highway series guitars also use all the same hardware, pickups, bridge, and tuners as the Mexican made Fenders.

H2H
 
wait... so the only difference between the tele highway and the standard tele is the finish?

I know that the bridge saddles are different for sure... but i thought the highway had better hardware?
 
n8tron said:
wait... so the only difference between the tele highway and the standard tele is the finish?

I know that the bridge saddles are different for sure... but i thought the highway had better hardware?
It's essentially a MIM "Classic" with a much cheaper finish done in the US.

It has virtually nothing in common with an "American" series, despite much false advertising by Musician's Friend and others (same goes for all in the H1 series).

Also exaggerated is the MIA-ness of the instrument.

Compare parts lists between various models on the Fender site (linked to old MrGearHead.Com).
 
Bongolation is right, they're essentially a Mexican Deluxe guitar with a body painted satin in the US...thats about it.

Now, don't get me wrong. I bought a Hwy1 Tele in sunburst brand new last year. It was a pretty nice guitar. I liked the finish and I thought it played and sounded great. But don't be fooled by the American-ness of the guitar. I only sold it because my 2 Strats covered that tonal range for me. I didn't need the extra twang of the Tele in my setup.

H2H
 
not THAT mexican

Actually the highway model of the tele is not a mostly mexican part model. In particular the neck is virtually identical to the american standard (save for some finishing of the medium jumbo frets) including the finish. The pickups are not of the mexican ceramic-based-magnet variety but are actually very similar to the vintage pickups on the '52 reissue. Play a highway & a mexi back to back & you will hear a pronounced differencen (namely less 60 cycle hum). The bridge is closer to the mexican 50's reissue than the mexican standard. Ultimately if you play rock you may like the highway better than an american standard. It's much less harsh in the top end. Dial the tone knob down about 45 degrees for an almost les paul-esqe honk.
-small
 
Hard2Hear said:
Besides the satin finish, the Highway series guitars also use all the same hardware, pickups, bridge, and tuners as the Mexican made Fenders.

H2H


I used to work for a Fender dealer and no, they aren't like the mexican models. The cost difference is mostly about the pickups and the finish.


The mexican models are almost identical to the american models in that the materials they use are IDENTICAL... ...EXCEPT... In the mexican models, the pickups are ceramic-based, as was said earlier, and of course the craftsmanship is lacking, and another big difference is that even though the body is made of the same wood selection, it's more like 5-7 pieces rather than 2-3 as in the american models.

The Highway One series is probably about the same level of craftsmanship as the mexican model(frets aren't as finished, etc.) but, the pickups are alnico-based like the american model.
 
Then your dealer was telling you to tell lies.

Its simple. Go to the old mr Gearhead site and look at the Fender Part Numbers for each part. The Highway1 (Strts OR Teles) share all hardware AND pickups with the MIM Classic and Deluxe guitars. Period.

H2H
 
Ok, I'll make it easy for you.

Here is the parts list for a MIM "Classic 50's Stratocaster"
http://www.fender.com/support/diagrams/pdfs/50SSTRAT/SD0131002BPg3.pdf

Here's a MIM Classic 70's (note pickup codes are different for aged or non aged pickup set. This is identical to the Hwy1 pickups which are non aged):
http://www.fender.com/support/diagrams/pdfs/70SSTRAT/SD0137000APg3.pdf

Here is a parts list for the Highway1 Stratocaster:
http://www.fender.com/support/diagrams/pdfs/HWY1STRAT/SD0111100APg3.pdf


read and compare for yourself. Straight from Fender.

H2H
 
And here's the HWY1 Tele parts list (since thats really what this thread was about). notice the pickup descriptions from Fender especially. All the other hardware can be found on various MIM models, too. It just takes some sluething to find it. (note that, of course, a body and neck are not considered hardware .. and they are American parts)


HIGHWAY 1 TELECASTER 0111200/1202
REF.# P/N DESCRIPTION
Body Part Number
1 0060083000 Neck, Highway 1 Telecaster, R/W
0060082000 Neck, Highway 1 Telecaster, M/N
2 0037429000 Tuning Key, (1) Set
0053106000 Washer
0053107000 Bushing
3 0083675000 Bone Nut
4 0021537000 String Retainer
0021405000 Mounting Screw
5 0020810000 Truss Rod Adjustment Nut
0023811000 Adjustment Wrench
6 0060081xxx Body, Highway 1 Telecaster
7 0018353000 Neck Mounting Plate
0015636000 Mounting Screw
8 0012344000 Strap Button
0015610000 Mounting Screw
0020491000 Felt Washer, White
9 0060817000 Pickguard, Highway 1 Tele., White/ Black/White
0015578000 Mounting Screw
10 0053678000 Pickup, Neck, Mexico Vintage Tele
0016295000 Mounting Screw
0039410000 Tubing, Latex Cut
11 0055216000 Pickup, Bridge, Mexico 50's Tele
0048631000 Mounting Screw
0036878000 Tubing, Latex Cut
12 0019064000 Control, 250K, Audio (2)
0016352000 Mounting Hex Nut
0016436000 Lock Washer, Intl
13 0018357000 Knob, Knurled (2)
0028897001 Screw Set
14 0040778060 Control Plate
0015578000 Mounting Screw
15 0053290000 Switch, Lever 3-Position
0021413000 Mounting Screw
0018359000 Knob, Black
16 0012869000 Lug
0015116000 Mounting Screw
17 0015552000 Capacitor, .05uf
18 0021956000 Output Jack
0016352000 Mounting Hex Nut
0016436000 Lock Washer, Intl
19 0021452000 Jack Ferrule
20 0060070000 Bridge Assembly w/o Pickup
21 0060084000 Bridge Asembly w/ Pickup
22 0012112000 String Retainer Ferrule
0060081500 3 Tone Sunburst
0060081504 Daphine Blue
0060081538 Crimson Transparent
0060081567 Honey Blonde
 
I'd get a MIM Tele before a hwy1. But then I'd get a REAL american tele before a MIM. I have heard some decent thing about the MIM strats/tele's though.
 
Hard2Hear said:
(note that, of course, a body and neck are not considered hardware .. and they are American parts)

They are not the same American parts, however, nor even the same grade wood. The neck is not the same, nor is it that similar, as it initially lacked the biflex rod (and may still - it doesn't say in the specs). There have been both documented and undocumented changes in the H1 line, but some instruments in the H1 line are using the MIM Standard "Upgrade" necks with different decals. Originally, the MIM bodies and necks were all produced in Corona and finished in Ensenada.

Fender changes so many things so fast in terms of production, assembly, etc. that you wouldn't believe it. I couldn't keep up with it. Fender does not sit still nor rest.

I believe the bodies at least, and possibly the necks, are now made in Mexico, as the Ensenada plant was gearing up to produce necks over a year ago, and started doing their own bodies after the H1 line was introduced. Not that it matters where the CNT machine is that does the blank. The blanks are not of the same grade as the "American" series, however, and that's what counts. Fender uses many incrementally different grades and sources for its instruments, according to price.

What I said originally is still correct, give or take a few very minor changes, the H1s are extremely close to the MIM "Classic" line, except for the cheaper finishes and fret size. The MIA-ness is wildly exaggerated as is the "value" of the H1 line.

I was possibly the first to really get into it with Fender over the initial gross misrepresentation of the H1 line to consumers by retailers when it was first introduced.

The best MIM/MIA values are the "Standard" and the "American" and anything in between tends to be less so. Personally, I now only buy Asian Fenders as I can't live with MIM/MIA finish and workmanship.
 
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I don't see the point, unless you really like the guitar, of buying a Highway 1(case not included), when any day of the week you could pick up a used American Standard in exellent condition, with a case, for the same $$, or less.
 
hixmix said:
I don't see the point, unless you really like the guitar, of buying a Highway 1(case not included), when any day of the week you could pick up a used American Standard in exellent condition, with a case, for the same $$, or less.
Periodically, you can find a long sale on H1s that make them almost worth it. I very nearly bought a new H1 Jazz bass for a hair over $300 at GC because it was a good example, but the actual difference between it and the (very overpriced MIM) "Classic" was as above, and in this case, the closeness to the "Standard" was striking. I did my homework and passed, in favor of a new MM S.U.B. on sale for $319.99, an infinitely better bass at the price.
 
Hard2Hear said:
Ok, I'll make it easy for you.

Here is the parts list for a MIM "Classic 50's Stratocaster"
http://www.fender.com/support/diagrams/pdfs/50SSTRAT/SD0131002BPg3.pdf

Here's a MIM Classic 70's (note pickup codes are different for aged or non aged pickup set. This is identical to the Hwy1 pickups which are non aged):
http://www.fender.com/support/diagrams/pdfs/70SSTRAT/SD0137000APg3.pdf

Here is a parts list for the Highway1 Stratocaster:
http://www.fender.com/support/diagrams/pdfs/HWY1STRAT/SD0111100APg3.pdf


read and compare for yourself. Straight from Fender.

H2H


Without looking at your diagrams, which I have no reason to disbelieve you, I suppose if we're comparing a Highway 1 to the Classic 70's model(which is mexican) I agree with you. I would not consider the Mexican Standard to be similar to the Highway 1 when you plug them in. I was saying that the mexican models(Standard) are like the american models(not Highway 1) in a lot of ways. I think there is a vast difference in the sound of a Highway 1 and a Mexican Standard. I don't think there is big difference in the sound of the Highway 1 versus American models that I've heard. There is a chasm that separates the Mexican Standard and any American model in sound and price. So, aren't we in agreement that the Highway 1 is a reasonably priced american model that meets these two in the middle?
 
InTheFire said:
I don't think there is big difference in the sound of the Highway 1 versus American models that I've heard.
There certainly should have been, as they are entirely different instruments in terms of what should make sonic differences between nominal Stratocasters or Telecasters, but of course there are wide variations in sound between "identical" instruments anywway.

There is a chasm that separates the Mexican Standard and any American model in sound and price. So, aren't we in agreement that the Highway 1 is a reasonably priced american model that meets these two in the middle?
No -- absolutely, categorically not. That's been my entire point since these models were introduced.

1: They're not "American" in any sense except a legal fiction based on the huge differential in labor wage value between Corona and Ensenada. Most of the work is done in Mexico and virtually all the parts are import. The raw US materials (wood, paints, adhesives, etc.) and a small amount of expensive US labor for quick, crude matte finishing and final assembly have enough net value to make a legal majority of the production cost attributable on paper to "American" materials and labor. I've discussed this at length with a production manager at FMIC. Legal "MIA-ness" is not based on the amount of labor, but the cost of the labor, though with about 90% of the work now done robotically, I wonder how the beancounters assess value based on the location of the machines.

2: The H1 series is a poor value at market price, as it is only slightly more expensive to produce than a MIM "Standard" -- there is no "chasm" between the H1 and the "Standard." There is a chasm between the H1 and the "American" series. Some H1 instruments are virtually identical to the "Standard (Upgrade)" except for slightly better Mexican pickups and a couple of other extremely minor touches that amount to only a dollar or two difference in manufacturing cost. This is my main beef against the H1, that it's only a minor improvement over the "Standard" in terms of production costs, but you get soaked for hundreds of bucks for almost nothing but a largely fictive "MADE IN USA" decal. FMIC sells the "Standard" for as little as they can as an "entry" buy, and they sell the H1 (and other intermediate instruments like the "Classic") for as much as they can to make up for it.

It's called "marketing." ;)

Of course, if you can get a long deal on a good one -- a price that more accurately reflects the relative production cost -- by all means get an H1. Remember, it's all about the deal - any axe is fine at the right price. I'm just saying that you're getting burned at the going "everyday" H1 prices.
 
n8tron said:
whats the difference with the highway 1 tele and the american tele?? why is the highway so much cheaper?

thanks

It was my understanding that the Highway one guitars are made in Mexico and assembled in the USA. One could argue California is Mexico but that's another story for another day. The guitars are painted in Mexico to avoid environmental laws in the US. The parts I consider to be cheap but can be upgraded. One good aspect of any of the highway 1 guitars is they breathe. They has a nice acoustic response. I have a Fender Highway 1 Strat. I think the Tele(highway 1) would be a better value so you don't have to deal with the cheap tremolo.

Instead of thinking one can buy a used American Tele for the same price. One can buy a used Highway 1 and upgrade the parts. Fender parts have been crap for years. I plan on taking my Highway one and adding some Callaham hardware.

Remember this about guitars it's not always the price, in fact it rarely is. It's how the guitar is set up in conjunction with the player's intentions musically. Eddie Van Halen made his own frankenstein guitar out of spare parts. That guitar served him well.

AlienSurfMusic
 
aliensurfmusic said:
It was my understanding that the Highway one guitars are made in Mexico and assembled in the USA...The guitars are painted in Mexico to avoid environmental laws in the US. The parts I consider to be cheap but can be upgraded. One good aspect of any of the highway 1 guitars is they breathe. They has a nice acoustic response.
Some H1 subassemblies and parts are constructed in Mexico.

They are finished in Corona, CA in EPA-approved, non-breatheable acrylic.
Remember this about guitars it's not always the price, in fact it rarely is.
No, it's not about price -- it's about value for the price. The H1 at retail does not represent good dollar value, for the reasons that have been amply pointed out here.
 
bongolation said:
There certainly should have been, as they are entirely different instruments in terms of what should make sonic differences between nominal Stratocasters or Telecasters, but of course there are wide variations in sound between "identical" instruments anywway.


No -- absolutely, categorically not. That's been my entire point since these models were introduced.

1: They're not "American" in any sense except a legal fiction based on the huge differential in labor wage value between Corona and Ensenada. Most of the work is done in Mexico and virtually all the parts are import. The raw US materials (wood, paints, adhesives, etc.) and a small amount of expensive US labor for quick, crude matte finishing and final assembly have enough net value to make a legal majority of the production cost attributable on paper to "American" materials and labor. I've discussed this at length with a production manager at FMIC. Legal "MIA-ness" is not based on the amount of labor, but the cost of the labor, though with about 90% of the work now done robotically, I wonder how the beancounters assess value based on the location of the machines.

2: The H1 series is a poor value at market price, as it is only slightly more expensive to produce than a MIM "Standard" -- there is no "chasm" between the H1 and the "Standard." There is a chasm between the H1 and the "American" series. Some H1 instruments are virtually identical to the "Standard (Upgrade)" except for slightly better Mexican pickups and a couple of other extremely minor touches that amount to only a dollar or two difference in manufacturing cost. This is my main beef against the H1, that it's only a minor improvement over the "Standard" in terms of production costs, but you get soaked for hundreds of bucks for almost nothing but a largely fictive "MADE IN USA" decal. FMIC sells the "Standard" for as little as they can as an "entry" buy, and they sell the H1 (and other intermediate instruments like the "Classic") for as much as they can to make up for it.

It's called "marketing." ;)

Of course, if you can get a long deal on a good one -- a price that more accurately reflects the relative production cost -- by all means get an H1. Remember, it's all about the deal - any axe is fine at the right price. I'm just saying that you're getting burned at the going "everyday" H1 prices.


I completely agree with what you're saying. When I said reasonably priced I certainly meant on a Fender scale.

I've never purchased, nor will I ever purchase a new Fender instrument. For reasons that you've described. I am not an advocate of Fender instruments. If I had a close friend that was intent on buying a Fender and he couldn't afford an american made guitar by Fender, I would point him to the H1. I enjoy the H1's that I've played. I think they're worlds superior to the mexican standard.

I understand the concept of marketing completely. But, if you would like to state that case, why don't we talk about how the guitar is an entertainment industry rather than a craft.

Fender works hard to sell their instruments based on who has played them in the past rather than the quality of the instrument. Every product catalog I've ever seen spends more time on pictures of endorsers and artist testimonials than on the instruments' attributes.

It's all about history. As long as people believe that Fender is the only company that can make a "real" guitar, the Highway 1 will sell like hot cakes.

Since the guitar is an entertainment industry, does it matter that it's actually a good guitar, or that it's really american made?

No. Not really. And that makes me sad.
 
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