Roadworn Basses Opinions

[Muttleybass]

At that point I would have laughed in his face. Sounds like your guitar player has smoked too many bowls.

Lol... You're probably not far off. He was a child of the 60's!

 

[Gaolee]

Here is a newsflash for some of you: some bassists buy basses because of how they sound. I am one of them.

The wear is completly unimportant and doesn't factor into the equation.

Take care!

John

Or how it feels to play it. That's what sold it to me.

 

[ShoeManiac]

Totally not my point. My point was buying a bass BECAUSE it is manufactured to look like it's been through hell to fool everyone into thinking it's vintage is phony. It's like putting a Harley badge on a Kawasaki. .. Or a Fender decal on an Indonesian Squire. It's not WHAT you play, it's how you play it and it's sound and playability. Now if you like said road worn bass because it plays and sounds great, and you think it looks great, that's awesome. I'm glad you found what you were looking for. FWIW, I pay more attention to the player, not the bass.

To me... and this is my opinion ONLY, To me, there's something romantic about it a truly worn out instrument... Like it's given it's life in the pursuit of music! (he says with tongue firmly planted in cheek)



Exactly! Rock on...

And my point is that you're simply not looking at this from a comprehensive standpoint. Some people beat up on their instruments. Others don't.

Case in point? I was at a vintage instrument show last month. And there were some TRULY SPECTACULAR examples of Pre-CBS Fenders that had practically ZERO wear on them at all. So are those instruments NOT special?

We need to stop romanticizing that wear on an instrument comes with some legendary folk tale. Odds are that some old P-Bass wound up looking like hell because the jerk who owned it left it in his car in 100+ degree weather, or spilled beer on it more times than he could remember or simply had the most corrosive perspiration imaginable.

It's been said in this thread numerous times but bears repeating: what's remarkable about the Roadworn series of instruments is that the Fender designers nailed down what real player wear looks and feels like. And the wear on these instruments gives them a comfortable feel. THAT is something that has practical, tangible value to players. Fender was also able to determine that the wood in a vintage instrument with a nitrocellulose lacquer finish is able to dry out. This leads to greater resonance of the wood over time. Fender's solution? Kiln dry the wood to approximate the drying that would naturally occur over the course of 30, 40 or 50 years. And that has a significant impact on tone.

Long story short? Try one out. Try to get past the appearance and appreciate a great sounding and playing bass.

 

[SwitchGear]

Love my RW j!

Is it a sure thing that Fender selects and kiln dries wood exclusively for the road worn series, or is this just somebody's hunch?

 

[Gaolee]

Case in point? I was at a vintage instrument show last month. And there were some TRULY SPECTACULAR examples of Pre-CBS Fenders that had practically ZERO wear on them at all. So are those instruments NOT special?

Since I don't mind one way or another, it doesn't matter to me, but were those refinished? Or were they mostly unplayed? I guess those are special if you want them to be. They just got the luck of the draw and got sold to some guy who lost interest and stuck them in a closet for 60 years. Or they just got the luck of the draw and got refinished by somebody who didn't like a worn looking guitar or bass.

Wear happens, and I don't think it is good or bad. It just is. A 50 or 60 year old instrument with next to no wear on it probably hasn't been played all that much, especially if it is a Fender. I don't know what it is about Fender nitro finishes, but they seem to wear off easier than the finishes on other instruments. I'm not making a value judgment here, either, just an observation. A 1970s Fender, with a thick poly finish, won't ever look worn in the same way as a 1960s Fender that has a thinner finish. I have worn holes in the finish of my P-Bass. It is a Road Worn that was new in 2010. So, clearly, the finish on a Road Worn instrument is thinner than the finish on other current Fenders. It's neither here nor there, it just is. I don't think it makes the bass sound better or worse, but now that it has worn spots in the finish that my fingers know very well, I am reminded that it is my bass every time I pick it up. Same with my EB-2. Its finish is in very good, mostly unworn looking condition, but it has little dings here and there that are completely familiar to my hands. The Ric will get that way in time, as will the fretless 'Bird. My hands know where the back of the neck is polished and where it isn't on the upright. Same with the fingerboard down where my right hand goes. I have had it for about two years, but that's long enough to have polished parts of it just by playing and to have learned where the little quirks and things that could be considered defects are, assuming you don't recognized them as landmarks.

I can go up and down the stairs in my house without turning on the lights. There are winders at the top and bottom of the stairs and no handrail and the dimensions are odd, so it's not like going up and down normal stairs. But I have lived there a very long time and gone up and down those stairs many thousands of times. Playing instruments that have identifiable bits of wear, little bits of damage my fingers know, and familiar landmarks makes playing them a different experience from playing a brand new instrument.

OK, that's enough philosophy from me. I'm going back to being a troll and wise guy again.

 

[Tom Howland]

The Roadworn.

Plays great.
Feels great
Light-weight.
Sounds great.
Great price.

Conclusion- Great Bass.

 

[Fuzzbass]

My point was buying a bass BECAUSE it is manufactured to look like it's been through hell to fool everyone into thinking it's vintage is phony.

Well yeah, of course lying to people is lame. There are all kinds in the world, but I see no evidence that many relic/RW purchasers think that way. Goes without saying that roadworns aren't to everyone's taste (nothing is), but there are plenty of legitimate reasons to enjoy them. I love the look and feel, especially the neck. I also love the fact that I wouldn't have to worry about the additional ding here and there. I'm extremely careful with my instruments, but stuff will inevitably happen when you frequently gig in small bars.

Note that I don't actually own a relic/RW: my Sadowsky "relic" got that way over 10 years of frequent gigging (the aforementioned small bars). That said, a pre-made relic of some kind is next on my GAS list. If Fender made a non-CS roadworn five string P-bass I'd probably own one by now. (Are you listening Fender?)

 

[Muttleybass]

Case in point? I was at a vintage instrument show last month. And there were some TRULY SPECTACULAR examples of Pre-CBS Fenders that had practically ZERO wear on them at all. So are those instruments NOT special?

Never said, or even implied that. My comparison was artificially road worn versus ACTUALLY road worn. No good condition basses were meant to be harmed in any way.

We need to stop romanticizing that wear on an instrument comes with some legendary folk tale.

Isn't that why Fender came out with the RW in the first place?? Why else would they do it?

It's been said in this thread numerous times but bears repeating: what's remarkable about the Roadworn series of instruments is that the Fender designers nailed down what real player wear looks and feels like. And the wear on these instruments gives them a comfortable feel. THAT is something that has practical, tangible value to players.

Point taken. Not sure how pre-denting and tarnishing chrome has any bearing on playability, but okay.

Fender was also able to determine that the wood in a vintage instrument with a nitrocellulose lacquer finish is able to dry out. This leads to greater resonance of the wood over time. Fender's solution? Kiln dry the wood to approximate the drying that would naturally occur over the course of 30, 40 or 50 years. And that has a significant impact on tone.

Not sure I believe that. Again, how does denting, sanding and tarnishing fit into that? Why not just do what they did to get that feel and finish it properly?

Long story short? Try one out. Try to get past the appearance and appreciate a great sounding and playing bass.

Not my thang... If I were to go Fender, it would be a Custom Shop Jazz.

Fuzzbass, I get that and thanks for putting it so eloquent. I was only trying to offer my opinion on why they weren't for ME. Nothing more. I can see how getting a new bass that has been pre-disastered could be a blessing.

 

[AMJBASS]

The Roadworn.

Plays great.
Feels great
Light-weight.
Sounds great.
Great price.

Conclusion- Great Bass.

Yep.

 

[JIO]

I've followed this argument (RW ethics) for some time and I'm still not sure I understand it. I bought my RW Jazz because I dug the way it looked. Subsequently, I have been very pleasantly surprised by the way it feels and plays. I have five basses and it is my favorite. Savvy, experienced musicians admire it, want to buy it, and ask me how old it is. I always tell them the truth. What is my sin?

There are many basses I am not attracted to and, therefore, would not buy, though they are fine instruments and coveted by other players. I am fascinated by how differently two people can perceive the same thing. Maybe if we can dig that, we can have an enlightening discussion of our different perceptions... learn from each other. Arguments are polarizing and unproductive. Discussions offer more options.

This (to me) is the period at the end of this sentence and an opportunity to begin the next sentence more creatively/constructively . Well played jfh2424

 

[jimmyjames77]

I've found the finish to be cheesy and kindof obviously fake, no offense to them, but the one road-worn P-bass I played at a local music store was amazing in every other regard - tone and feel were just the way a P-bass should feel IMO.

The relicing is done with a machine. If it wasn't it would be WAY out of the price range it is in. It's a trade off .

 

[Pet Sounds]

It amazes me that this debate has gone on for 21 pages.

 

[JIO]

It amazes me that this debate has gone on for 21 pages.

tb

 

[pedroims]

The relicing is done with a machine. If it wasn't it would be WAY out of the price range it is in. It's a trade off .

As far as I know it is done by hand: lot of sanding and some "tools" like chains to bang the body, acid to rust metal etc.

 

[lavmonga]

If you like how it looks and how it sounds, why not?

 

[Gaolee]

As far as I know it is done by hand: lot of sanding and some "tools" like chains to bang the body, acid to rust metal etc.

I saw a photo of a bunch of RW P-basses, and they looked pretty close to identical. If they are done by hand, then it's a consistent guy who does the work.

 

[SwitchGear]

My point was buying a bass BECAUSE it is manufactured to look like it's been through hell to fool everyone into thinking it's vintage is phony.

Turn on the tv and almost every show is "phony." As is most everything shown at the movie theaters. The props, costumes...are phony. A few (tongue in cheek) politicians are phony. Wrestlemania is phony. I could go on and on.

Entertainment is all about perception.

 

[Dr. Funk]

The Roadworn.

Plays great.
Feels great
Light-weight.
Sounds great.
Great price.

Conclusion- Great Bass.

Nothing phony about that!
Love my RW Jazz. Been playing 30 years and it is my favorite bass....... Well, that and the Warwick Thumb.

 

[iammr2]

Feels great and I like the light weight. Like the thin body also. The nitro feels better, less sticky, to me. So there you have it.

 

[RickC]

RW jazz saw some action this weekend. Saturday night was an outdoor show at the base of a mountain in VT. Several people came up after the show and told me how good the bass sounded that night. Even the guys in the band said something about it.

Last night I took it out to a local blues jam; similar reactions.