No matter how many instruments I own or play, there's always a need and a feel for a Strat. The sound is unmistakable. The feel is just right. The overall experience playing a nice Stratocaster is really an eye, feel, sound thing (and sometimes, a smell thing).
Strats have changed over the years, from the simpleness of the 50s to the big-hair rock of the eighties to the current array of models. We have so many from which to choose... Made in Mexico, made in Japan, and made in the United States of America. Maple, SSS, HSS, HH, rosewood, alder, ash, mahogany, big frets, skinny frets, vintage headstock, "Jimi" headstock (would that be a Woodheadstock?), gypsy bridge, AlNiCo, ceramic, samarium cobalt, noiseless, noisy, Greasebucket, S1, roadworn... There are so many different Strats and so many different things about those Strats.
I was looking for a USA Stratocaster. I didn't quite have the change available for an American Standard or an American Deluxe - so I looked at and fell in love with the Highway One. I've had Highway One Fenders before, and have always been pleased.
This particular Stratocaster is a complete joy and has absolutely no disappointments. The sound is unmistakable, remarkable, and pure Strat. It plays and looks like a dream.
Quick Opinion: The 2007 and later Highway One Strats are great (previous ones were fine, but for this conversation...). They play well, are affordable, and they sound just like I wanted to hear. They really are well made, and are very comfortable to play for one recording or a whole set of gigs. If you'd like a nice big-fret USA-made Stratocaster, you owe it to yourself to try one of these.
Features: Where do I start? They're genius simple and complex-wonderful all at the same time. They sound and play in a rich experience that leaves the player (and the listener) grinning.
My particular Highway One is, if I am correct, a short-run guitar. I purchased this one when all that was available was rosewood-fretboard Highway Ones. Now, Fender makes a version of these as a standard offering. I'm really glad they did. I like the old HSS Highway Ones just fine, but this was my alternative to an SSS American Standard - and I LOVE maple fretboards on Fenders. (To be honest, I'm reviewing a Gibson SG Raw Power with a maple body, neck, and fretboard - and I love it there too... stay tuned.)
A short list of what the Highway One has:
Excellent post-vintage AlNiCo III magnet pickups with staggered poles and excellent output balance - not too hot, not too thin
A thin-skinned nitrocellulose finish - the more you play it, the smoother and shinier it gets, the more it feels and looks like an old friend...
An excellent mid-size maple neck and fretboard with that 70s "Jimi" headstock and lettering
A comfortable lightweight body
The excellent USA vintage-style tremolo
The always cool Fender Greasebucket tone circuit
Standard tuners and buttons
Decent mass to the trem block
Great-feeling jumbo-style frets
Quality: This particular Highway 1 is an extremely well-made instrument. The craftsmanship is careful and is an extremely good example of what American guitar builders can do.
The fit and finish are flawless. The pickups are wound wonderfully well. The feel, finish, and wood chosen for the neck are just right for the satin variety necks.
Screw holes are lined up right, the action was just perfect for .009 Fender Bullets right out of the box. Easy and buttery to play, without any issues or not-normal buzzes. The frets are level and are nicely polished from the factory (see my wants and desires section of this review...)
I was extremely impressed with the consistency of the matte nitro finish. Nitro is not easy to apply in any stretch of the imagination - and matte finishes show every little flaw or inconsistency. This Strat was loved by the person who made it. Period. The lacquer finish feel is great and is a pleasure to have against your skin. I do like gloss finishes as a personal preference. However, the finish on these doesn't grab when you get sweaty...
I also felt the new Fender gig bag is a major improvement. Highway Ones come with the new super-thick, super-strong-fabric gig bag. Very nice. As gig bags go, these are definitely among the very best.
Playability: Here's where I start getting warm fuzzies about the Highway One I have: the physical experience of playing the guitar is fantastic. Everything about it from the way the trem works to the feel of the frets to the balance of the body and neck is just a pleasure. That's the operative term for these: a pleasure. Not every Strat is a pleasure to play, even when they're correctly and professionally set up.
The balance on my shoulder (with a nice 2.5" faux-suede, thick black strap)is superb. I don't know if this is something factual, but here's something nicely subjective: the big headstock makes the balance unique. I felt that the way this guitar is assembled and planned and sourced is ideal for someone looking for their guitar to feel almost transparent to their playing.
Simply put, it becomes an extension of my mind and heart - without getting in the way and demanding my attention. I've made some nice progressive rock instrumentals with this instrument, and I couldn't be more happy with the way the guitar felt standing or sitting.
Action is subjective, and is really a personal thing. My son Kennon (of theN.C. band Out of State) likes his strings low but off the frets a good bit - he likes to dig under the string a little when he bends. Me? I like it low enough that the strings buzz a little when they're struck or plucked with vigor. This Strat has been set both ways, and in both instances, it STILL played like buttery joy. Smooth, effortless, and just awesome. This thing plays .010s just fine, but it really feels effortless with .009s. (Incidentally, I tried this guitar with Carlos Santana Big Core 10.5 pure , nickel strings and was very happy with the result.)
Sound: OK... this is a place where you'll either think I'm a genius or a charlatan - Strat players are funny about their sound. Malmsteen, Beck, Hendrix, Clapton, Guy (and the list goes on in a BIG way)... all these folks get (or got) different sounds out of their Strats, and contemporary amateur and pro Strat players are no different. That's my disclaimer... and I'm stickin' with it.
I REALLY like the Jimmie Vaughan, SRV, and Tex-Mex based Roadworn Strat sounds. They make me giddy with distortion, clean, blues, chorus, wah, phaser, crunchy, reverby, vibe-y, and more. BUT these AlNiCo III USA pickups are a great way to have vintage sounds without the truly vintage thin-ness.
Bell tones. Bell tones. Bell tones. Bell tones. (Did I tell you Bell Tones?) The 2 and 4 position sounds on this guitar are just fantastic.
The neck position sound is a little too bright for me. I really wanted something warmer out of this guitar. Even with unique wiring, this guitar didn't quite give me the smooth rich neck pickup experience I was expecting.
The bridge sounds great in overdrive, as does the middle (3rd position). I use an http://www.buyanalogman.com (opens new window) SD1 Silver when playing some of my more adventurous Strat stuff - and the two are MADE FOR EACH OTHER. Wow. Just, WOW.
Value: These days, guitars have gone up in price to reflect the US Dollar, and the cost of everything... but when you look at the Highway One's street price compared to the US Standard street price and the MIM Strat street price, this guitar is really priced just right. It's not a bargain. But at the same time, I don't see it as overpriced, either. The Highway One Stratocaster is an extreme bargain when compared to MIJ Strats.
You get A LOT of guitar for your money. The craftsmanship, features, and ocmponents are well worth every cent these cost. Both in the new market and the used/secondary market they are worth the money.
They hold their value more than the MIM Strats, and in some selling environments, better than the depreciation of the USA Standard Stratocasters.
When times get better, I will buy another to replace this one once it is sold.
Wishes: I'm not really too hung up about anything on this particular Strat. But I do have some wishes:
Do a better job with the fret-ends.
Really, the rest of the craftsmanship is worthy of rolled-edge fretboards. The lack of rolled edges feels strange on a guitar this nice.
Tuners: they need to hold tune better. They're nice and they're smooth, but could do a better job on this particular instrument. The vintage string-in-post tuners on the Jimmie Vaughan and Roadworn Strats hold much better.
Review in brief: D'Addario Chromes Flatwound Guitar Strings
I've just recently written about D'Addario XL strings in my reviews. I got some new strings in today to replace some worn-out wires on my Ibanez AF75D hollowbody electric (yes, I still have/love the great Orange Punkin AF75D... forever a fan).
I think strings are a very personal thing, and as I've said before, this is not a fanboy point of view. This is a real, objective writing about some really wonderful strings. At some point, I'll cover other flatwounds... I can't always change strings every day to write tons of reviews - so I review the things I play and count on just as much as I write about what I like or don't like.
I use flatwounds on one fretted bass (an Epiphone EB-3 - YOW), my fretless bass, and on two Artcore hollowbodies. Flatwounds have a decidedly warm and smooth feeling to them. Although one can play them through a triple-Marshall-stack on full gain... the best use of them (for me, anyway) is to get that wonderful "mwah" warmth in my tunes.
I do have occasion to use flatwounds elsewhere - combined with good tubes and my trusty Analog Man SD-1 (Silver Mod). They really throw something different into the listener's ears! If you have a couple of different guitars at your disposal, you owe it to yourself to try some flatwounds.
On my Fender Jazz Fretless, I love and use nothing but Fender Flatwound bass strings. On one of my Artcores (Punkin), I only use D'Addario Chromes. Why? Fender and others make GREAT flatwounds, too... but I have a method and reason for my madness.
With my D'Addario XL Chromes Jazz Light (.011-.050) and D'Addario XL Chromes Extra Light Gauge (.010-.048), I get a SMOOTH third string. In most thicker flatwound sets for six-string guitars, the third string (generally a G string {no puns here}) is a wrapped string and not a plain string.
With Fender flatwounds, the third is a little course in texture, so you end up with an odd experience: 1, 2, 4, 5, and 6 feel smooth and silky. 3 grabs at your fingers. It's a disconcerting experience for me (personally) when I'm playing. I like all 6 strings (and 4/5 on my bass strings) to feel like slippery smooth wonders. NOTE: I do like the Fender flatwounds on my Bigsby-mounted Artcore AFS75T - the not-so-smooth G string has a nice growly sound to it for rockin' a little harder than my jazzier D'Addarios.
Remember, in my opinion, that strings and picks are integral to both the sound AND experience of playing guitars and basses... So, I go with Chromes on my feel-good Artcore AF75D.
So, where's the review? Right here:
Quality Every single D'Addario XL Chromes string I've ever installed and used has been ultra-consistent and very resistant to breaking. Each string has a profoundly comfortable consistency in wrapping and polishing.
Every single time I install a new set, they feel just like the last set did when it was new. Every single time. Interestingly, with flatwounds (irrespective of brand), it seems my flats last much longer than my roundwound strings... it is as though they don't trap as much "stuff" in them to corrode them...
In the past 5 years of playing flatwounds, I've not had even one D'Addario Chrome string break.
Sound Wow. Always. If you've fallen down on your sound and can't get up, it's worth the $8-$10 to try a set of Chromes! Each new set is like Christmas (or pick your holiday as your heart desires). I cannot wait to play them once they're on! Often as not, a new set of Chromes causes me to be inspired and record a new piece or start a new piece. It's wonderful.
The sound is decidedly warm and comfy, and definitely jazz-like. It can smooth out even high-gain or distortion tunes, too.
One thing, though: they're not as brassy and bright as roundwounds, so flatwounds (in general) don't PUNCH through the tune's sound as much as everyday roundwounds. You might have to tweak your EQ a little and maybe turn up the volume and/or gain... Value Flatwounds, of every brand and type, are more expensive than comperable brand and size roundwounds. Most are wound, then polished in one or more extra steps. Some are ribbon-wound. Expect to pay a little more for a set.
But, my flatwounds (particularly my D'Addario Chromes) last as long as coated strings - without having to use coated strings. On average, my Chromes last three times longer than my roundwounds.
The packaging for chromes uses less materials, paper, and plastic... that usually means that they're a little "greener" than some of the other brands and types of strings I use. I like that part...
Conclusion D'Addario Chromes flatwounds are great strings. Try some. You might just get hooked! (BTW, some metal guitarists use flatwounds!)
Wishes None, really. I like them just as they are. I guess the only thing that would be bonus is if I could get them in colors :-).
D'Addario XL (and EXL) Strings - Time Proven Favorites
This is an opinion review, not a religious or fan-boy review... This is an experienced view of a high-quality brand and string... I play MANY brands of strings, including D'Addario XLs - I believe my review presentation is objective...
As a musician, a guitar nut, and a recording artist, I'm always exploring different things to get different sounds. I'm always trying out strings, picks, pickups, electronics, and much more... always looking to see what something sounds like or feels like.
Strings are a fundamental of music with stringed instruments. Just as a stylus is important to the audio output quality of a fine phonograph, strings effect the sound quality of an instrument. Also, the feel of strings is important to the way the musician interacts with their instrument. There are many, many things about strings that are very personal in nature...
So, what do we feel about our strings? It seems as though every musician with whom I speak has a completely different view of their strings. It's truly amazing. Musicians, from pro to novice, all express divergent views on their strings.
Some folks are so fanatic about their strings that they will spend long periods of time going through identical sets of strings to get just the perfect string or set or pairs or sets of strings. Yet there are others who have the attitude of "it doesn't matter to me, just make sure they're nickel-plated 10s" or "I guess I should change my strings - they're a year old now."
And yet others are somewhere in between. What's right? The right answer is, if the strings do what you want, then they're the right ones.
So, enough about the philosophy of strings... let's talk about a particular brand and type... I'll write more reviews about other brands and types down the road a bit. Today, I'm going to ramble about D'Addario XL strings.
Briefly: I don't beat my strings, nor do I pick/pluck extremely hard or firmly. But, on the other hand, I don't have the light touch, either. Suffice it to say that I am somewhere in the middle when it comes to being hard on my strings. Also, I do like fresh strings - both from a cleanliness point of view and from a sound point of view. I change my strings when they feel icky or they begin to "darken" my instrument's sound. I don't like blackened rough strings or strings that are smelly and dull-sounding... with that in mind, let's do some exploration... Quality:
First of all, I love these. They're super-consistent quality. I've opened, installed, and played hundreds of sets of D'Addario XL guitar and bass strings - and I've NEVER had one with a bend, a "funny place", or with a largely unreliable sound.
D'Addario strings, in general, are extremely consistent and extremely reliable. I've never had one break. I've never had one "go dull" on me before the rest of the set. I've never had one feel strange when I'm playing. The quality is good and consistent. Sound:
Here's one of the main things about strings... how do they sound? Not all strings are the same manufacture, not all strings sound the same, and not all strings are musical in the same way.
D'Addario XLs sound generally bright, whether you're playing nickel-plate, pure nickel, or acoustic brass/bronze strings. They have a nice growl to them that sounds like freshly wound metal - very nice. I've played strings from other manufacturers - strings bearing virtually the exact same specs as the XLs I've played. In general, the D'Addarios growl a little more, sing a little more, and produce a mellow tone when played easy on clean.
Value:
D'Addario XLs are generally priced within a half-dollar of all of its competitors. I don't feel that D'Addario XLs are expensive or cheap - they seem priced just right... I feel as though they are the "workhorse" type of string - a brand and type musicians can count on.
They're a great value and will please a large percentage of the string-instrument-playing population...
Long Lasting:
D'Addario XLs last a fairly long time. There are other brands and types I've used that stay close to "fresh" feel and sound longer than the XLs I play, but not many. I have also played brands (brands that I DO like, mind you) that don't last nearly as long.
In general, D'Addario XLs seem to last well past average, and are consistently in the top range of long-lasting uncoated strings.
Closing opinion:
I love D'Addarios. I install them on customer's guitars very frequently. I have a couple of guitars that get nothing but D'Addario XLs (generally 10s). I REALLY like the phosphor-bronze sets I use on my Ibanez acoustic.
I love the quality and the general sound of them. I like the multi-pack options to save some coin, and I like the way they feel even up to the time when they start to get grimy.
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