Highway One Jazz Basses

[Mog]

I've recently sold a few of the basses I had lying around for students, mostly VMJ's and RBX's so I've a few €'s to throw at another bass. There's a couple of Highway One Jazz basses for sale SH on the local flea market for roughly 450 of your GB£'s.
Having never spent much time with one I'm wondering if it's worth taking a gamble on one? £450 seems dirt cheap for a US Fender.

My major gripe with Fenders over the years has been the soft necks,[i] ie[/i]. they always seem to bow easily. So the question is, have any H.O. owners experienced any problems WRT build quality etc?
Ideally I'll be throwing a set of DiMarzio Model J's into one so I'm not really too concerned with sound quality. I know exactly what the DiMarzios will offer.

[Beer of the Bass]

I believe the later series Highway Ones (the ones with the Badass bridge) had carbon fibre rods in the neck like the Am Stds do, so they ought to have decent stability. I had one and it was a very nice bass - the only obviously cheap things about it were the machineheads (which worked fine) and the matt finish.

[Mog]

[quote name='Beer of the Bass' timestamp='1393104568' post='2376331']
I believe the later series Highway Ones (the ones with the Badass bridge) had carbon fibre rods in the neck like the Am Stds do, so they ought to have decent stability. I had one and it was a very nice bass - the only obviously cheap things about it were the machineheads (which worked fine) and the matt finish.
[/quote]
Cheers lad. Hadn't heard about the carbon strips. In Rod we trust!The two I've been watching have Badass II bridges.
The nitro finish is kinda appealing at the mo. I'm gassing for some mojo.

[RandomBass]

I had a later Highway One Jazz in Wine Red. Really very nice instrument indeed, and worth £400 - £450 if in good condition. The tone circuit is the Fender Greasebucket thing, which apparently works differently to the 'standard' one, but to honest it made no difference to me.

I'd go for one.

Cheers

Geoff

[Lee Carter]

My current go to is my Badass II Highway Jazz, a damn fine instrument. They do go 'road worn' quite quickly though due to the nitro finish. That price looks about right.

[throwoff]

I always liked the Highway series, I turned down a sandy coloured Strat in Soundcontrol just as before they went under because it had a dink in the back, they wanted £295 for it... slightly silly of me looking back at it.

[MarkG3]

I've had a Highway One precision for about 3-4 years now, hands down the best Fender I've played. I love the nitro finish and mine has got a bit beaten up but that's how I like it. £450 is definitely worth it, I think I payed something like £650 for mine new and I don't regret it at all.

I went down the route of changing the pickups to a set of Delano's with the long name, big pole pieces. I had them in for a while but put the originals back in and love the stock pickups more so sold the Delano's.

I would say go for it!

[badboy1984]

I don't think you can go wrong with a Fender highway bass. They are quality instrument. If you ok with the nitro finish then is all good lol.

[Adee]

I had the 'first edition' of the Highway One Jazz, excellent in every way (although I just don't get on with Jazzes), £450 is the top end of what I would pay though nearer £400 would be nearer the mark that I would pay though.