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Buying a road worn bass

#44
I don't own one and never have, but I've played them and they play really, really well and sound great. They seem extremely easy to bond with. If I had a use for one, I would definitely get one as they are way nice basses especially for the price.

And the whole new/old doesn't bother me. The people in the audience (who aren't musicians) DON'T CARE what you are playing, and never will.
 
#45
I think it's all personal preference. I wouldn't buy a pre worn bass because I like them to look nice and new when i buy them and I like to know where the dings come from. I love the metal showing through the gold hardware, the finish sanded off the neck, and bald patches on the tips of my v, because it has memory and meaning to me. But I could care less if you want a pre worn bass. Different strokes for different folks. It's like when someone buys a blacked out harley sportster. They like it, but to me my 79 honda sprayed rattle can flat black with soup cans for turn signals is where it's at.
 
#46
I like them a lot. Sound good. Play well. Feel really good. I have a '73 p bass that's worn from years of playing. I didn't cause the wear but I still play it all the time. I bought it from a guy. Am I a poser?
 
#48
You will all be relieved to know that this happens on the drum related fora every week as well. Over there its about acoustic versus electronic drums. Poor old edrums get bashed in so many ways. I love them both.

I feel annoyed every time edrums get bashed!

Davo
 
#50
Thats something that made me more like poly and the satin or warwick like finish. Better then nitro. Doesnt start looking bad after ageing like nitro. That and the feel of nitro for neck just never appealed to me. But I can understand some liking aged nitro. But I dont like the beat up bass look. Only aged nitro look Ive liked is with some darker 3tone sunbursts or ones that dont go all yellowy with age. Maybe if age color was a green Id like it better, Just not a fan of yellow tint that much. loll
 
#53
Jookbox said:
This is what I was thinking. Fender should just make new looking guitars with the pre aged wood.
Click to expand...

Yeah. The Classic Vibe Squiers are a good value in my opinion. They could be taken up a notch or two and they'd be killer. I dug the feel and sound of the Telecaster I picked up over the others ones I played. I never like the RW look but looked past it once I felt and heard them. Now the J and P are my go to.
 
#54
ShoeManiac said:
To the OP: Have you played one of the Road Worn basses?

I was very skeptical about the whole Road Worn thing. That is, until I attended a Fender in-store event. I got to hear someone else demo a Road Worn Jazz bass, and also had a good chat with one of the Fender rep's in attendance.

As it's been stated elsewhere in the thread, Nitrocellulose lacquer finished instruments are somewhat expensive. Prior to the release of the Road Worn series, your only hope for a nitro finished Fender was to own a vintage instrument, or a reissue. The previous range of American Vintage Reissues would sell for a minimum of $1200 new. And the new series of Fender vintage reissues are significantly more expensive than that. When the Fender Road Worn instruments came to market, they sold for well under $1000.

Nitro wears far more differently than a Poly finish. And since it isn't quite sealed, as a poly finish is, the wood can breathe more and over time it will dry out more. This is one of the key features of a vintage instrument. Many people marvel over just how light a vintage bass feels, and that's largely because the nitro finish doesn't serve as a moisture barrier and the instrument dries out even more than when the wood was initially milled.

The Fender reps also let on that the wood used in these Road Worn instruments is different from standard Fender Mexican made instruments. It's reportedly a higher grade of wood. And there has been widespread speculation that Fender is kiln drying the wood to a degree that is comparable to an instrument that has been naturally aging for some 40+ years. Further speculation is that a dryer piece of wood is more resonant than a less seasoned piece of lumber.

As for the performance of the instruments? Many people who have tried Fender Road Worns have regarded them as the best instruments to come out of the Mexican production facility. That may be due to the fact that a good deal of the production team that works on the Road Worn series was trained personally by staff from the Fender Custom Shop.

When I first played a Road Worn bass, I was shocked. I was apprehensive about the concept. But the neck felt so natural in my left hand that it was remarkable. And the tone was fantastic. I was convinced, and eventually I got a Road Worn Jazz of my own.

If you're not into a relic finish? Then don't buy one. You have a choice in the matter. But focusing on the relic aesthetic and not the playability and tone is frankly short-sighted.

Try one. Feel that neck in your hand. And listen to the sound of the instrument. Don't listen with your eyes.
Click to expand...

I was ready to dismiss them too... until I saw Ed Friedland playing one.
 
#55
From what I understand, it's a combination of the fact that they're good basses, and they have a vintage vibe without being expensive or delicate. It's really no different than buying a pointy bass for metal, it's just an aesthetic that some people Luke, and as mentioned, nitro finishes are less common nowadays, and that's how you really get that nice worn look.
 
#57
I like them. It's funny about the jeans...unless you are buying a pair of blue jeans that are really really dark like we used to wear in the late 70s and earlier, they have been aged to some degree... so there. ;) To each their own it's all good and nice to have choices.
 
#58
msaone said:
...I thought worn paint and neck were badges of honor not something you buy...
Click to expand...

Wear and tear are badges of honor?

I guess you better not buy my used '71 P-Bass, as it has wear and tear you didn't put on it. Also, after over two years of continuous use, one of my nitro-finished Jazzes is showing tons of wear and dings. Better not sell it 'cause the "honor" badges I got (for bumping into stuff) are non-transferable and have to be EARNED! :rolleyes:

So let's see, have we covered the six main RW cliches yet?....

1) "gotta earn it not buy it" — CHECK
2) "like buying jeans with holes" — CHECK
3) "no scratch or dent sale" — CHECK
4) "why buy new bass that's already used?" — CHECK
5) "posers play 'em...no offense intended." — CHECK
6) "all look the same" — not yet


Now RW owners have been compared to "clowns that go to the airport wearing a military uniform decked out with medals and ribbons, without having served, let alone earning that Medal of Honor they're wearing." :rollno: so...

7) "like violating the Stolen Valor Act (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stolen_Valor_Act)" — CHECK

:atoz:

IT IS JUST PAINT ON A CHEAP MASS-PRODUCED REPLICA OF A VINTAGE BASS. GROW UP FOR HEAVEN'S SAKE, AND WORRY ABOUT SOMETHING THAT ACTUALLY MATTER. OK? :spit:
 
#59
Jim Carr said:
Wear and tear are badges of honor?

I guess you better not by my used '71 P-Bass, as it has wear and tear you didn't put on it. Also, after over two years of continuous use, one of my nitro-finished Jazzes is showing tons of wear and dings. Better not sell it 'cause the "honor" badges I got (for bumping into stuff) are non-transferable and have to be EARNED! :rolleyes:

So let's see, have we covered the six main RW cliches yet?....

1) "gotta earn it not buy it" — CHECK
2) "like buying jeans with holes" — CHECK
3) "no scratch or dent sale" — CHECK
4) "why buy new bass that's already used?" — CHECK
5) "posers play 'em...no offense intended." — CHECK
6) "all look the same" — not yet


Now RW owners have been compared to "clowns that go to the airport wearing a military uniform decked out with medals and ribbons, without having served, let alone earning that Medal of Honor they're wearing." :rollno: so...

7) "like violating the Stolen Valor Act (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stolen_Valor_Act) — CHECK

:atoz:

IT IS JUST PAINT ON A CHEAP MASS-PRODUCED REPLICA OF A VINTAGE BASS. GROW UP FOR HEAVEN'S SAKE, AND WORRY ABOUT SOMETHING THAT ACTUALLY MATTER. OK? :spit:
Click to expand...

Best post of the thread.
 

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