MadTownMoxie Posted April 7, 2003 Share Posted April 7, 2003 Highway 1 Strat or a MIM Jimmie Vaughan Sig Strat Hey I have narrowed my Guitar search down to these two (probabaly). Now, just on a quality level alone (when I play them both I will get the sound/vibe feel of them). Price, they are comparable. The Jimmy V from what I have read has U.S. electronics in it but everything else is MIM and assembled there. It has the Medium Jumbo Frets as does the Highway 1, I like these better than the vintage frets. The Jimmie V has the much nicer finish (Poly vs the H1's transparent Laquer) so thats a plus for the JV. The Highway 1 has USA built appeal and vintage U..S. parts (a plus for teh HW 1) FYI, I will be getting a Fender Blues Jr. Amp to go along with it. I am just wondering what anyone's thoughts\experiences are out there regarding these two guitars. PLease keep in mind this is my first electric (after playing Acoustic for a little while), and that I do plan on playing both (probably multiples of each) before I decide. Thanks MTM MadTownMoxie Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Caevan O’Shite Posted April 7, 2003 Share Posted April 7, 2003 Play them both. It all comes down to which one you feel plays and sounds best, nothing else really matters if you are getting it to play. Best of luck! -k Ask yourself- What Would Ren and Stimpy Do? ~ Caevan James-Michael Miller-O'Shite ~ _ ___ _ Leprechaun, Esquire _ ___ _ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
michael saulnier Posted April 7, 2003 Share Posted April 7, 2003 I agree with the "try 'em and see what you think" idea... A bit more info from a Jimmy Vaughn owner. First, the neck shape is a fatter "V" shape than the HW1. I personally like the neck, but ymmv. Also, the pickups are the "tex-mex", these are nice, a bit more powerful than the conventional American Standard pickups... There's another electronic difference, the Jimmy Vaughn has unique wiring, like Jimmy's own strat... the middle pickup is not connected to a tone control and is a bit brighter as a result. However, when on the "in-between" position, you get the classic strat tones. Overall I'm very happy with my Jimmy Vaughn, it gives me a vintage strat sound and feel without being too expensive. Another subtle, but nice thing, Jimmy had them put his "signature" on the BACK of the head, instead of on the front like most of the other "signature" models. Jimmy's cool... I hope Fender pays him a bit for each of these they sell. Supposedly he was very interested in having a guitar that PLAYERS would love, yet was still affordable for anyone... I think they succeeded with this model. Good luck in your quest! guitplayer I'm still "guitplayer"! Check out my music if you like... http://www.michaelsaulnier.com Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
baronedo Posted April 7, 2003 Share Posted April 7, 2003 This is an easy choice for me as I own a Jimmy Vaughan (JV) "Tex Mex" Strat and recently tried the Highway No. One. Go with the Highway No. 1. In my opinion, it is a much better sounding and built guitar for the money. The Tex Mex pups on the JV Strat are not great sounding and I am going to replace them with Bill Lawrence pups. I tried the Highway One by accident a few weeks ago when I went to the guitar store to pick up my amp which was repaired. In testing the repaired amp, the guitar saleman handed me a Strat and indicated it was the best sounding guitar in the store. I tried it and the tone and playability were awesome. He then informed me that it was their first Highway One Strat. Here's my overall vote: Body: Highway One has Alder which is better that the JV poplar body. I like the semi-tranparent look of the Highway One and believe it contributes to its good tone as heavy finishes can dampen tone. Pups: Highway One vintage pups are far better than JV Tex Mex pups which I feel are junky. Neck: Highway One neck gets a slight nod here. It iw a fast playing D shaped neck as on the American Standard and plays well. The JV is more fat Vee shaped but you can get used to it. Hardware: Both have vintage type hardware. However, the saddles on my JV were junk and continually broke my high strings, despite my attempt to hone out the rough spots. I had to change to graphite saddles as the stock JV saddles would break string within one day of changing them. Price: Highway One is about $550 vs. $450 to $500 for JV. For the slight $ increase, the Highway One is a better buy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave da Dude Posted April 8, 2003 Share Posted April 8, 2003 To be completely honest, I have never played the Jimmy Vaughn model (that I know of) and I am completely stoked on the Highway One (I've got one on layaway). Given that, take my opinion with a grain of salt. The Highway One is awesome!! It is the FIRST and ONLY Strat I have EVER played that I liked! Great action, tone and overall playability. IMHO, Dave. Gotta' geetar... got the amp. There must be SOMEthing else I... "need". Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave da Dude Posted April 8, 2003 Share Posted April 8, 2003 Oh, but if you haven't actually played them, by all means DO SO immediatley and pick the one that "sings" to YOU. Nothing else really matters. Dave Gotta' geetar... got the amp. There must be SOMEthing else I... "need". Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
michael saulnier Posted April 8, 2003 Share Posted April 8, 2003 Lancer's post just goes to show you how "personal" opinions on these guitars are. I for one, LOVE the sound of the Tex-Mex pickups in both my JV strat and Nashville Tele, and PREFER them to the Delta Tone ones... YMMV, so YOU will have to try them and see for yourself. Either guitar could be a great addition... if you pick one you like, I'll bet you'll be happy. I noticed you posted the same question over on HC's guitar forum... Ironically the overwhelming favorite there seemed to be the JV strat... But opinions vary considerably, and everyone's entitled to their own... guitplayer I'm still "guitplayer"! Check out my music if you like... http://www.michaelsaulnier.com Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wickerman Posted April 8, 2003 Share Posted April 8, 2003 While I ADORE Jimmie and his 50s style and great voice, I'm not a big fan of his signature guitar... The Highway One strat is very nice though. Great tone and a nifty little neck. It's not like the Mexis or Americans but it's very comfortable to me. The Highway 1 Fat Strat is where it's at for me though. Those things burn like no other! More tones come out of that that any other guitar I've played short of using synth pickups! I was FLOORED when I played it. The only problem I have with the H1s is the finish. I'm just not sure about the softer finishes. Looks cool but how will it hold up? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Caevan O’Shite Posted April 9, 2003 Share Posted April 9, 2003 Just what finishes are on these various Strats? -I personally like the feel, smell, look, and (I think, anyways...) tone of the nitro-cellulose lacquer finishes. And a friend who has worked with various paints and finishes professionally (but not on guitars, though he is a great player) informs me that it is great to work with in repair and touch-up jobs, being "wetable" and "meltable". Although my all-time favorite finish for the back of a neck is, hands down, a nice tung-oil and Butcher's Wax (a brand name) on bare maple or other woods that don't need a "filler". Again, the penultimate primeordinance is that a given axe works for ya, no matter its pedegree or lack thereof.! Ask yourself- What Would Ren and Stimpy Do? ~ Caevan James-Michael Miller-O'Shite ~ _ ___ _ Leprechaun, Esquire _ ___ _ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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