NBD - Road-worn Precision Bass surprise

[Pocket Dave]

Light-weight alder for sure - I've encountered very heavy alder on Fender basses. Ash also, but depending on the strain ash can be lighter in weight.

Density can vary in any type of wood. You can easily select lumber based on grain spread, and get a piece that's less dense, and potentially lighter weight. The problem is lower-density wood can still be pretty heavy based on moisture content.

I'm guessing Fender kiln-dried the bodies for these instruments. This would account for Road Worns being consistently resonant sounding and lightweight at their price point - Selecting already-aged wood is expensive, something I suspect Fender only only does for higher $$ custom shop basses and guitars.

BTW, "Swamp Ash" is the same type of ash you find in furniture, only because it grows in wetlands or low areas, it's a low-density wood once seasoned (or kiln-dried) due to removal of its native high moisture content.

 

[Deleted member 394181]

I actually like it when cars or trucks are involved…

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Yes, the patina!



Beautiful bass btw

 

[DJ Bebop]

I actually like it when cars or trucks are involved…

View attachment 7167805View attachment 7167806View attachment 7167807View attachment 7167808View attachment 7167809View attachment 7167810

Yes, the patina!



Beautiful bass btw

More…

 

[sabre79]

I like your creative effort. The whole "relic" technique for guitars evolved from decades old Decorative Arts related to interior design/furniture.

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I worked for interior designers for 30 years making mostly antique reproduction furniture. That chest you posted is the type of furniture pieces I absolutely love. My favorite type of art is depictions of the rusted hulks of derelict spaceships. I know, I'm crazy.

 

[friskinator]

I remember seeing a studio pro (I believe it was Chris Chaney) say that his RW P's neck felt identical to his real late 50s P.

 

[Operation Ivy]

If anyone is interested, Fender road worn necks are currently on sale for $350.

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[C-60 Bass]

I have the non-relic'd, non-nitro version of your bass.... The Classic 50s, also in Fiesta Red. Its a great bass, fit and finish are superb, sounds and plays fantastic, although I could never get use to the 1.75" wide nut.

I have an early Classic 50's Precision and it is one of the best P basses I've played. Over the years of playing / owning pre CBS, various 70's, CS and USA Standards, this is and a 71 have remained. The wide, flat neck is extremely stable and not tiring to play, overall lightweight and very resonant.

 

[ad9000]

I remember seeing a studio pro (I believe it was Chris Chaney) say that his RW P's neck felt identical to his real late 50s P.

I played a '57 P the other day that was at parked an amp repair shop near me, and I have to say the neck did feel very similar to my Road Worn P.

 

[Relsom]

I have an early Classic 50's Precision and it is one of the best P basses I've played. Over the years of playing / owning pre CBS, various 70's, CS and USA Standards, this is and a 71 have remained. The wide, flat neck is extremely stable and not tiring to play, overall lightweight and very resonant.

I'm aware that some of the Classic 50s were nitro finished. As far as I know, my Fiesta Red is poly, so I don't think it will ever age to match what folks love about the RW. I normally like to keep my instruments in as new a condition as possible, but still intrigued about the playability and resonance of some of these RWs that I hear about. Never held one. Also reading here that some of the RWs have thinner bodies, I wouldn't know where to start in making that comparison. Aren't modern Fender bodies about 1.75 thick? And those thin RWs?

 

[Yahboy]

I always thought the Road Worns were nice instruments but the relicing was so fake. None of it looked or felt like real wear, unlike the pricey CS Relics or something like a Nash.

The earliest batch are quite close to CS relic..... Fake worn start on year arpund 2014 till discontinued .

 

[Yahboy]

One thing is that the bodies are thinner than a standard P or J - more like a '60s vintage P or J were. Not sure what wood was used - possibly basswood which is a resonant tone wood and light. Being that it is generally softer & dents easier - again, on a 'road-worn' body such is right at home.

Dehydrated process on roadworn series male those neck and alder body has nice resonant tone and weight reduced . No basswood use on this line

 

[Pocket Dave]

The earliest batch are quite close to CS relic..... Fake worn start on year arpund 2014 till discontinued .

Depends on the model. Some early maple board Road Worns had fake wear in patterns you'd never see in a real worn instrument.

 

[C-60 Bass]

I'm aware that some of the Classic 50s were nitro finished. As far as I know, my Fiesta Red is poly, so I don't think it will ever age to match what folks love about the RW. I normally like to keep my instruments in as new a condition as possible, but still intrigued about the playability and resonance of some of these RWs that I hear about. Never held one. Also reading here that some of the RWs have thinner bodies, I wouldn't know where to start in making that comparison. Aren't modern Fender bodies about 1.75 thick? And those thin RWs?

My Classic 50 isn't nitro or Roadworn but is simply an outstanding example of a Precision bass. I dont think the body is any thinner than others I've had but it is definitely alder and is a light weight. Mine is an early one, I believe from around 2008?

 

[DJ Bebop]

My Classic 50 isn't nitro or Roadworn but is simply an outstanding example of a Precision bass. I dont think the body is any thinner than others I've had but it is definitely alder and is a light weight. Mine is an early one, I believe from around 2008?

I have a Classic ‘60s Jazz. Its has a poly finish and Alder but is not as light as the the RW’s or real vintage pieces but it is as heavy as late ‘60 to early ‘70 Jazzes as the weight started to creep up. I remember as I was shopping for a Jazz in the early ‘70s as a kid

I grab it to augment the P Bass of Doom

 

[Major Seven]

I've long chuckled at the very idea of paying thousands of dollars for intentionally 'roadworn' or 'relic' basses. Imagine if we did that with cars; a Camry with bald tires and dings and dents worth more than a spotless-looking model. I know, 'But the patina!' And I can appreciate the aesthetics while still being amused. Yet somehow, when a 2009 Fiesta Red Road-worn Precision Bass showed up for sale about a half mile from me at an unreasonably low price, I had to go look. Of course I didn't need a new bass. Just in the Fender side of my collection, I already have a legitimately patina'd MIJ '87 re-issue '57 P-Bass, a '89 MIJ Jazz Bass Special, and a much newer MIM P-Bass I'm modding because it's so clunky. And there are a Spector and Warwick that needed more playing and less company. You already know that of course I went to see it and of course I bought it. I've played with it or a day or two and I'm surprised to be really impressed with how this thing feels and sounds. I'd originally thought about maybe cleaning it up and flipping it, but now it keeps jumping into my hands. Darn it. I hate it when my skepticism gets stuffed.View attachment 7167799

They are doing just that with cars. Aside from the ratrods (an example which you can see in the next posts),
Teenagers and 20 somethings are taking daily drivers and "ratting them up".
I saw a 24 year old take a 1988 or so pickup truck, scratch up the already faded paint, then slather it with
linseed oil (including right over the rust) to create/preserve a patina finish. He also removed the hubcaps
to expose the rusty wheel rims. And installed a CB antenna connected to nothing.
For extra effect he leaves a handgun on the dash.

The same kid informed me that you can get those trendy vehicle plastic wraps for your car with rusted areas
superimposed so your not rusted car now looks rusty.

My own car is missing one hubcap lost sometime this winter. He thought it looked really cool.

 

[JIO]

Dehydrated process on roadworn series male those neck and alder body has nice resonant tone and weight reduced . No basswood use on this line

Are you saying they are torrified/roasted? I hadn't heard that but that process does lighten wood. There's also a light-weight alder from Australia.

 

[SJLee]

One of my favorite players, Oteil, using a Road Worn P on Midnight in Harlem.

 

[Yahboy]

Are you saying they are torrified/roasted? I hadn't heard that but that process does lighten wood. There's also a light-weight alder from Australia.

There are documentary and share about dehydration process on early road worn series. Different methods compare to roasted

Unlike serious process provide from CS team, some report that certain roadworn neck has ski jump and twisted issue fresh from box, suspect cause by short dehydration period on vary wood density by Mexico factory.

 

[JIO]

There are documentary and share about dehydration process on early road worn series. Different methods compare to roasted

Unlike serious process provide from CS team, some report that certain roadworn neck has ski jump and twisted issue fresh from box, suspect cause by short dehydration period on vary wood density by Mexico factory.

All news to me.

 

[JIO]

One of my favorite players, Oteil, using a Road Worn P on Midnight in Harlem.

Oteil is given a certain (small) amount of "screen time" which sadly continues to propagate the subservient role of "the bass player" as an internal member/part of an ensemble. I'm retroactively referencing this to when bass players got no screen time, so an improvement yes... but incrementally IMO.