Cory Wong: Why I love my… Fender Highway One Stratocaster

Incredibly funky guitar powerhouse and occasional Vulpeck member Cory Wong visited the MusicRadar studio during his UK tour.

In this video he tells us about his Highway One Strat and why he can't buy vintage guitars.

[Maxx-mp]

My 2003-04 Highway One is still my favorite strat ever. Here are the original specs from Fender I saved years

Model Name Highway 1™ Stratocaster®
Model Number 011-1100-(Color#) and 011-1102-(Color#)
Series Highway 1™ Series
Colors (300) 3-Color Sunburst,
(327) Saphire Blue Transparent,
(338) Crimson Red Transparent,
(348) Teal Green Transparent,
(367) Honey Blonde,
(Satin Lacquer Finish)
Body Alder
Neck Maple, Modern “C” Shape,
(Satin Polyurethane Finish)
Fingerboard Rosewood (p/n 011-1100) or Maple (p/n 011-1102), 9.5” Radius (241 mm)
No. of Frets 22 Medium Jumbo Frets
Pickups 3 Vintage Style Single-Coil Strat® Pickups with Staggered Pole Pieces, Alnico Magnets
Controls Master Volume,
Tone 1. (Neck Pickup), Greasebucket™ Tone Circuit, (Rolls Off Highs without Adding Bass)
Tone 2. (Bridge Pickup), Greasebucket™ Tone Circuit, (Rolls Off Highs without Adding Bass)
Pickup Switching 5-Position Blade:
Position 1. Bridge Pickup
Position 2. Bridge and Middle Pickup
Position 3. Middle Pickup
Position 4. Middle and Neck Pickup
Position 5. Neck Pickup
Bridge Vintage Style Synchronized Tremolo
Machine Heads Fender®/Ping® Standard Cast/Sealed Tuning Machines
Hardware Chrome
Pickguard 3-Ply White
Scale Length 25.5” (648 mm)
Width at Nut 1.6875” (43 mm)
Unique Features Satin Lacquer Finish,
White Plastic Parts,
Original Headstock Shape,
Original Body Shape with “Original Contour Body” Decal on Headstock,
H/S/H Pickup Routing
Strings Fender® Super Bullets® 3250L, Nickel Plated Steel, (.009 to .042), p/n 073-3250-003
Accessories Deluxe Gig Bag
Case Deluxe Gig Bag
Introduced 7/2002
Notice Product Prices, Features And Specifications Are Subject To Change Without Notice

[gregcsefko]

I had a black HSS strat from around 2007. Great guitar! My favorite part of it was the satin finish & the humbucker bridge. It was affordable enough that you could mod it to your liking without ever feeling like you were ruining an American made Strat. You could have your own “signature custom” fender without breaking the bank. I ended up selling it to a friend who added new pickups & saddles. I’d get another if I could. One of the best strat models in the last 20 year IMO.

[Vadimirtodorov]

I had fender amerikan standard 96 and highway one 2002 now, the highway one is still with me :)

[JersonAnthony]

Straight up.. No bullshit!! Exactly how it should be!

[jamesmcgrath]

Highway One Necks are unique, and fender will never make anything like them again, from the fretboard numbers, pickup types, and colours. 06+ are just as awesome. 👌🏼

[Kept_Crude]

Love my old highway one too. So much I got some work done on it including a refret by the best around which ended costing me more than I had bought it for. But it is a great Strat! Weight wise mine's a bit on the heavy side though.

[HigzyTeflon]

I bought a USA 2004 Highway One 50th anniversary in Honey Blond with a really dark rosewood fretboard that looks close to ebony last week from a friend in need of quick cash for $500 CAD and because I had been seeing these selling on the used market for $1, 200 - $1, 900 -- my initial thought was to buy and flip and make a decent return, but then I removed it from the case, plugged and played it and immediately fell in love with it, especially the feel of the neck. It felt like home to me. I don't know how else to describe it but it put a smile on my face and in that moment I realized I was in love. This baby is NOT going anywhere! I'm a Metal guy so once I get my Seymour Duncan Invader installed in the bridge I will be one very happy camper!

[jc]

I just got a 2009 trans wine red highway one in almost mint condition! It’s my 1st American made instrument! I love everything except the pickups, I am swapping the deluxe drive pickups for Fatpups Fat Little Wings pickups (check out their demo video, they sound amazing!) and swapping the aged white pickguard for a vintage tortoise one, it’s going to look and sound better than a custom shop!

[razvanvoncu]

What a decent person! Not only a guitar player that worths listening, but a wise and educated guy. One of the few that doesn’t sell “magic” (a.k.a. snake oil).

[James-zylh]

I absolutely loved this video. I had my first bass and then I had my first “good” bass. My first good bass was an EBMM StingRay 4H in honest burst. I cut my teeth on that instrument and used it exclusively for around 4 years. After that, I got sucked down the rabbit hole of buying, selling, and trading tons of gear, and I simultaneously lost the joy of really sitting down and mastering my instrument as GAS filled the time I once put towards practicing and bonding with my instrument. Watching this and hearing Cory talk about his #1 and #2 guitars takes me back to those first four years and just focusing on learning and wearing the crap out of the few things you could actually afford. Really cool stuff.

[stratcat]

I love the look and feel of my 03 Highway One. Compared it quite a bit to other guitars in the store before I bought it. Very resonant, smooth frets, nice balance. The see thru wood grain is very cool. BUT... doesn’t last forever. Had to replace all the electronics over time, the saddles started cutting strings apart and the trem arm stripped out. Frets are quite worn now but it still plays great with no buzz. I still have two of the original pickups and they sound better with an added tbx tone circuit. Less ice picky. $20 Wilkinson pickups are a comparative replacement and I really like the neck pickup I bought from them. The guitar feels like an old friend having only ever worked on it myself. Nothing original on it but every ding is mine.

[carpediem]

Just got a 2011 Hwy One Strat - awesome guitar… love the neck

[tekkau]

You dont need to spend tons of money on a guitar to play well . We need more guitar hero like him.:)

[travelerworld]

The paradoxe is now Highway one strats become more expensive because Cory Wong said they were great.

[rich]

I loved the Highway One series so much that I bought every color of the HSS Strats.
That 10 colors plus two FSR's.
I also own 3 Highway Teles.
All the Highways are heavily modded and no 2 sound alike !

[Marcus_C]

Hey Cory-I have a 2003 Honey Burst HWY 1 and love it. Yours sounds great by the way! I know what you mean about rosewood! I got a Charvel San Dimas with a maple neck a few years ago and never really bonded with it. Great sleek neck but rosewood just has that resonance that I love!

[CatharticGuitar]

This helps with my G.A.S. Great perspective on gear.

[fredhgl]

I have a 09 with a maple fretboard and the body painted in white, the pickups are david Gilmour emg set. Love it

[KRAZEEIZATION]

Alder body. Beautiful guitars. I’ve a red Strat, and two Teles. Looking for a HW-1 Strat with a rosewood board.

[dulla]

ive been learning on my dads yamaha pacifica and when i got decent, i bought an affinity squier strat, some would argue that the squier and the pacifica are two of the same thing so no upgrades, but i got it for 200$ and upgraded almost everything through time, pickups, polished and shapes the fret ends, tuners, nut, and pots, so the only thing thats factory built is the wood