Fender Road Worn '50s Precision Bass

[Fender_Bender]

The neck is wide on them for sure. They don’t do you any favours by having the E string nut slot as far up as it can go. I mentally debate cutting a new nut with slots closer together, but I’m as lazy as anybody.
What most people fail to realize on the roadworn series is that if you want 50’s or 60’s style specifications including fretboard radius, type of truss rod etc and don’t have multiple thousands for the real thing, this is the way to go.
On with the relic bashing .

 

[jobu3]

I have one with a Fender Roadworn Jazz neck swapped in. It’s literally one of the best basses I’ve ever laid my hands on in well over twenty years of playing. Tone and playability are phenomenal. It’s beaten out quite a few basses that cost 2-4x its cost easily.

 

[bcbassman]

I bought one used about 8 years ago. Fiesta Red Precision bass Roadworn. It has been a great bass and well worth its purchase price. I like the wide neck and light weight body, aluminum PG. Go for it, you will be impressed.

 

[FronTowardEnemy]

Have one. It’s the greatest bass I’ve ever played. It is like it was built for my body and hands.

Its light too so those 4 hour gigs are a breeze to play.

 

[bmusic]

Those of you who owned one and sold it, why did you sell it?

I sold it because I also picked up a 57 AVRI at around the same time, it I felt like it had "that sound" I was looking for. I was kinda sad to let it go, but I had 4 P's at the time, and the other three are vintage, so...you know, gluttony is a sin.

EDIT: I also only had it for a couple months, so we didn't have much time to get cozy.

 

[jnewmark]

Can't speak about the P bass, but I have a RW Jazz. Its the best Fender Jazz I've ever played next to my MIA, '95 Fender Jazz.

 

[GravyGoodness]

I've got a classic 50' lacquer and from what I've read it's the same thing, but shinier.

It's cured all my GAS for a bass, except for a real vintage one, which is not possible at the moment. That monster neck is what made me fall in love with it. Nothing more you can ask for really.

The RW would be cool, but I'm hoping this one will wear in after a decade or so, I'm a sucker for the white.

 

[MichelD]

I was at a music store on Tuesday and it was the first time I had sat down and played a variety of basses off the rack. No kidding. And I've been playing for 45 years.

I'm used to my Japanese Jazz copy and my fender Jazz necks but I had a hankering for a pre-Bass and even though I have enjoyed playing other folks Pre-Basses at jams and whatnot sitting down alone in the booth with the Squire Pre-Basses I found the necks too wide. The Jaguar was nice to play but the Jazz pickup hummed like a fridge when turned up.

 

[1bassplayinfool]

This:

 

[andare]

The neck is wide on them for sure. They don’t do you any favours by having the E string nut slot as far up as it can go. I mentally debate cutting a new nut with slots closer together, but I’m as lazy as anybody.
What most people fail to realize on the roadworn series is that if you want 50’s or 60’s style specifications including fretboard radius, type of truss rod etc and don’t have multiple thousands for the real thing, this is the way to go.
On with the relic bashing .

I don't think many people fail to realize that. On the contrary, anybody browsing Fender's website will quickly realize that the Classic Series, RW and now Vintera are the only accurate reissues, especially now that the American Originals have 9.5" fretboards.

 

[hypercarrots]

i had both the lacquer classic 50s and the road worn at the same time. they did not feel or sound similar. at all. the lacquer classic 50s lacked character and sounded more generic. not bad, just not what the road worn had.
in an attempt to get the new body look with the road worn sound and neck feel, i switched the everything but the body wood from the road worn to the lacquer classic 50s body and it did not sound the same. i had 2 lacquer classic 50s bodies. i did the experiment with both. i tried different strings...
there's something special in the body wood of that particular road worn i had. it wasn't just the parts on their own that brought the sound, though. it was everything together.

road worn neck on left, lacquer classic 50s on right

 

[Marc61]

you’d better grab it. I’ve loved them from day one of seeing them yet have blown pulling the trigger on owning one three times. Grab it, the grip it and jam on!

I have a chance to buy a Fender Road Worn '50s Precision Bass at a good price. I've never seen one or played one. The last one listed in the TB classifieds sold in a few hours.

What makes this bass so great and sought after?

View attachment 4199254

 

[Kirk Bryant]

Had one for years, they are just great basses. The necks too wide? Yep it was for me, so I just slapped a Jazz neck on it and we’re good to go. (They are just parts bases you know.)
The pickups sound great, noticibly. The feel is worn and wonderful and although I don’t pick it up much anymore because I mostly play fives I’m not selling it anytime soon. And oh yeah it’s lightweight, that’s a godsend for us old road dogs. And for the person that said wait 10 years for it to age, are you kidding me, the finish almost falls off it. You can wear a hole in that finish in a couple of nights playing hard. Mine doesn’t look like most cause it has honest play wear. I also added a somewhat vintage tort PG. Whenever I bring it out people always ask, oh, what year is that, ? It looks like a really old one. LOL

 

[stringthrough]

Still own mine and gig with it regularly. It’s one of the finest basses I’ve owned, and I’ve owned Sadowsky, Lull, Elric, Fender CS and other high end basses. It sounds and plays like a great broken in P bass and it weighs under 8 lbs.

 

[pigpen ridding]

ive got a `57 i inherited along with a few other basses its a great bass even though the necks super wide compared to now a days but it still plays just as well as the day it was brought even though it could do with a paint job it`s a great bass

 

[TheAnalogKid]

The only thing that turned me off to the Road Worn the fact that series is the fake cigarette burn near the E tuner. I'm sure it is a "nod" to virtually (esp. musicians) having smoked in the 50s/60s. Otherwise, I think they had the best (realistic, if you will) factory-relic jobs.

 

[Lowbrow]

Mine is simply the best-playing Fender bass I’ve ever laid hands on, this as the owner of several Pre-CBS Fenders and former employee in a NYC vintage guitar shop.
Besides the sculpting of the neck, on my 2009 there was absolutely some real attention paid to selecting optimal body wood with amazing results. Mine weighs just 7.6 lbs, too.
Do I wish it wasn’t relic-finished? I used to ... but that phase is long past as I treasure this forever-keeper.

 

[fretno]

The necks are classic Fender. They are as wide as The Godfather intended. Its like a vintage car. Your modern Prius will get you around with all the luxuries you are used to but nothing beats a vintage Shelby , except sometimes a vintage Corvette my point is drive these old things as they are , they are a joy to use and get a Prius if you need modern refinement. “Too wide “ Nah.. Vintage correct is more accurate.

 

[logdrum]

I have a chance to buy a Fender Road Worn '50s Precision Bass at a good price. I've never seen one or played one. The last one listed in the TB classifieds sold in a few hours.

What makes this bass so great and sought after?

View attachment 4199254

Your avatar is making me hungry. Can't wait till lunch to get me some sushi and some miso soup. I have no idea about your question.

 

[ole Jason]

Best feeling P-bass Fender makes outside of the custom shop stuff IMO.