Fender HIGHWAYDREADNATRW Acoustic-Electric Guitar: Full Review

The Fender Highway One Acoustic-Electric is part of Fender's Highway One series, which reimagines classic Fender models using modern appointments and materials while staying true to Fender's roots. The Highway One series aims to capture the vibe of classic Fenders at an accessible price point.

This particular model is an acoustic-electric dreadnought guitar. It features a solid spruce top and mahogany back and sides, a fast-playing maple neck, a rosewood fretboard, and Fishman electronics. The Highway One design updates the classic dreadnought with contemporary aesthetics like open-pore finishes and stylish body binding. Altogether it's an attractive, great sounding, and easy playing acoustic-electric guitar for players who want authentic Fender tone without breaking the bank.

Body Style and Design

The Highway One Dreadnought acoustic-electric guitar features Fender's recognizable dreadnought body shape. This full-bodied design provides a balanced, resonant, and well-rounded tone. The larger lower bout produces richer low-end tones while the smaller upper bout delivers clear, articulate trebles.

The dreadnought body style offers excellent projection, allowing the guitar to be heard even when played without amplification. The broad shoulders and wide waist allow easy access to the higher frets while remaining comfortable for the strumming arm. This makes the Highway One dreadnought a versatile choice suitable for lead playing, rhythm work, and fingerpicking.

Overall, the dreadnought body provides a timeless look and balanced, full-range voice perfect for a variety of musical genres and playing techniques. Fender's classic body shape makes the Highway One a great choice for players who want the rich, room-filling tone of a dreadnought acoustic.

The Gretsch G9201 2717013000 is another excellent acoustic-electric guitar option with a dreadnought body shape. Gretsch is known for making high-quality guitars with classic designs and upscale appointments. The G9201 features a solid spruce top and mahogany back and sides for warm, balanced tone. It has a comfortable mahogany neck and 20-fret rosewood fingerboard. Fishman electronics provide natural acoustic amplification when needed.

Like the Highway One, the Gretsch G9201 dreadnought produces full lows, sparkling highs, and excellent projection. The Gretsch dreadnought shape differs slightly, with a wider lower bout for enhanced bass response. Gretsch's expertise in guitar manufacturing results in clear articulation and sustain. The G9201 has upscale visual appointments like binding, pearl inlays, and gold hardware.

Players who like the traditional dreadnought sound but want more ornate visuals may prefer the G9201 over the plainer Highway One model. The Gretsch produces comparable dreadnought tone with some unique twists. See more details on this model here: Gretsch G9201 2717013000.

In summary, Fender and Gretsch both offer excellent dreadnought acoustics. The Highway One provides a great traditional dreadnought experience with Fender's classic styling. Players wanting a similar voice with more upscale appointments can consider the Gretsch G9201. Either dreadnought acoustic-electric will provide balanced tone and excellent projection for any style of music.

Tonewoods

The Highway 1 Dreadnought features solid tonewoods that produce balanced, rich acoustic tones. The top is made from solid Sitka spruce, which is a popular top wood prized for its balanced sound across the tonal spectrum. Sitka spruce offers excellent clarity in the treble registers along with full, rich bass notes.

The back and sides are made from solid mahogany, which imparts a smooth, balanced tone with emphasis on the midrange frequencies. Mahogany adds warmth and sweetness to the sound. The combination of mahogany's mellow quality with the crisp treble tones of the Sitka spruce top creates an excellent tonal profile for playing various music genres. The all-solid wood construction allows the guitar to open up and blossom over time.

When selecting the optimal acoustic guitar for your needs, it's important to consider the tonewood combination. The type of woods used affects the sound profile and suitability for different playing styles. Many players prefer a spruce and mahogany combo for versatility across musical genres. However, other wood options like cedar, rosewood, maple, and koa each have their own tonal characteristics.

If you're looking for an option with a unique modern twist, check out the Enya Carbon Fiber X3 Pro Mini. This travel-sized acoustic-electric model features a carbon fiber top and mahogany back and sides. The carbon fiber produces a bright, crisp tone with excellent note separation. It's a great option for amplified live performances or recording applications where clarity is key. Though small in size, the X3 Pro Mini packs impressive volume and projection thanks to its innovative construction. The compact carbon fiber design is also extremely durable for frequent travelers. If you want cutting-edge technology in a portable package, the Enya Carbon Fiber X3 Pro Mini delivers impressive acoustic tones and stage-ready features.

Neck and Fretboard

The Fender Highway One features a maple neck and rosewood fretboard, which gives it a comfortable feel and smooth playability. Maple is a dense, hardwood that provides stability and sustain, while the rosewood fretboard is known for its rich, complex overtones.

The neck has a modern "C"-shaped profile that fits nicely in the hand. It's not too slim or too chunky, making it accessible for most playing styles. The maple offers a satin finish that feels smooth and fast.

The rosewood fretboard has a 9.5" radius which strikes a balance between feeling rounded and flat. This allows for comfortable chording while still facilitating lead playing up and down the neck. The medium jumbo frets provide a good amount of height for various fretting techniques.

Overall, the maple neck and rosewood fretboard pairing offers a great feel and fluid playability, which contributes to the Highway One's versatility across different musical genres and playing applications. The materials and design yield a resonant, full tone with sustain.

Electronics

The Fender Highway Dreadnought is equipped with a Fishman Sonitone preamp system, giving this acoustic-electric guitar excellent amplification and tone-shaping capabilities. The Sonitone preamp features volume, bass, mid, and treble controls, allowing you to dial in your ideal tone whether playing live or recording in the studio.

The preamp utilizes Fishman's Sonicore pickup, which is designed to accurately capture the true acoustic tone of the guitar. The Sonicore is made with smaller than usual pole pieces to prevent hot spots and allow for more even string-to-string output. Its undersaddle transducer placement also results in excellent balance between the wound and unwound strings.

Overall, the Fishman preamp provides studio-quality plugged-in performance while retaining the organic, resonant sound of the all-solid wood dreadnought body. The tone controls and Sonicore pickup give you the versatility to shape your amplified tone, making the Highway Dreadnought stage-ready right out of the box.

Hardware

The Fender Highway Dreadnought comes equipped with quality hardware that enables stable tuning and great tone. It has die-cast chrome tuners with white pearloid buttons for accurate and slip-free tuning stability. The nut and saddle are both made of synthetic bone, which provides a smooth feel during playing as well as optimized transfer of vibrations.

The synthetic bone nut is cut for excellent intonation across the neck, while the saddle matches the radiused fretboard for even string height. Together, these components allow the guitar to stay in tune through changes in humidity and temperature. The chrome die-cast tuners also give a classy and visually appealing look. Overall, the hardware components on this guitar are thoughtfully designed for reliability, playability and tone.

Sound and Playability

The Fender Highway Dreadnought provides a balanced and resonant acoustic tone that projects beautifully. The solid spruce top creates a warm, full-bodied sound. While it is not as loud as some other guitars in this price range, the tone is very nicely balanced between the highs and lows.

The neck has a comfortable C-shaped profile that makes it easy to transition between chords. The satin finish allows for smooth, speedy playing across the maple neck. The neck joint allows easy access to the higher frets. Overall, the HIghway Dreadnought is a very playable and comfortable guitar.

Pros

• The Fender Highway Dreadnought stands out for its quality materials and electronics that deliver rich, balanced acoustic tone and amplified sound. The all-solid spruce and mahogany body produces full low end, pronounced mids, and clear harmonically rich highs.

• The Fishman Presys preamp and pickup system captures the guitar's natural acoustic sound excellently. It features tone shaping controls for volume, bass, mid, treble to dial in your amplified tone. The pickup blends seamlessly with the guitar's inherent acoustic resonance.

• Playability is another major pro. The slim C-shaped maple neck offers smooth, comfortable feel and fast action. The 20-fret rosewood fingerboard plays very easily without buzzing. Fender added compensated bone nut and saddle for even intonation up and down the neck.

• Overall, the Highway Dreadnought really shines for its quality tonewoods and electronics that enable rich acoustic sound and amplified versatility. It's a pleasure to play as well, with premium components enhancing playability. For gigs or practice, this guitar delivers.

Cons

While the Highway One Dreadnought Acoustic-Electric is an excellent guitar overall, there are a couple of potential drawbacks.

• May lack some low-end - Being a dreadnought body style, some musicians expect a strong low-end from this guitar. However, the smaller body size and maple back/sides result in a balanced tone that may lack the robust bass response some players want in an acoustic. It has good lows, but not huge.

• Expensive - With a list price around $700, the Highway One is more costly than many beginner and even some intermediate-level acoustics. While the materials and design justify the expense for serious players, it stretches the budget for casual players just starting out. Those looking for the most affordable option may want to consider the CD-60S or other budget models.

Conclusion

The Fender Highway One Dreadnought is a great choice for intermediate players looking for a dreadnought acoustic-electric guitar with great resonance. The solid spruce top and mahogany back and sides produce a balanced, dynamic tone. The slim neck and low action make this an easy guitar to play, even for those with smaller hands.

While it doesn't have a solid wood body, the laminated mahogany construction helps keep costs down while still providing great sustain and resonance. The Fishman electronics accurately capture the guitar's natural acoustic tone when plugging in.

Overall, Fender delivers their classic dreadnought shape and sound at an affordable price point. The Highway One hits a sweet spot between traditional looks and modern playability. For intermediate players wanting a workhorse acoustic with stage-ready electronics, the Highway One is a winner. Its resonant voice and comfortable feel make this a great choice for gigs, practice, and studio work.