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Roadworn Basses Opinions

#121
pedroims said:
Do you think our society is strange because some individuals likes replicas of something that was build in the past? I find more disturbing that some members of our society does not understand that diversity is inherent to the human race, so the things that each individual like or dislike.
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Who said anything about strange being bad? I'm not criticizing reliced instruments; I'm marveling at the circumstances that led them to exist.

Nothing about being a copy invalidates craftmanship or quality. Hell, I'm sure we've all seen tribute bands that probably play their instruments better than the original acts.
 
#122
At this point, there is enough real wear on my RW Precision that I'm not sure if it is a relic, a fake relic, a special extra relic, or what. I played it for about three hours last night and enjoyed every minute of it. I can't see much of the finish when I'm playing it anyway, so it isn't all that important to me. What amuses me is how the "wear" of a RW is the same as the "wear" of every other RW. It's just another finish. Mine, however, is now unique, since I have played it to the point there are holes in the finish that Fender put over the "wear" spots. The finish on the back of the neck must be pretty thin, or my hands are absurdly corrosive when it comes in contact with that finish, because there are a number of places where the finish is pretty much gone. I think there's some other finish underneath, but that's wearing away, too. I don't know how long this bass will last, but if the finish gets too far gone, I suppose I could just have it resprayed. I like playing it that much.

So, if you take a RW and refinish it to make it look unworn, is that a fake? The logical spirals you could get into trying to figure out all the fake/non-fake aspects of a RW when it is old and well used are endless. Gotta love it!
 
#123
I went to Guitar Showcase in San Jose recently to check out their new Rickenbacker 4003w. Nice bass but it didn't wow me.

I also played about 30 other basses. An orangey red Road Worn P Bass was the best sounding and best playing of them all. It had that ineffable quality we all seek in a keeper bass. I'm a fan.
 
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#125
hdracer said:
Isn't a Sadowsky a fake Fender?

No fool like a old fool.....
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LOL - good point.

Yes, I'm pretending to own a fender, but have to live with the shame that comes with that "Sadowsky" badge. When folks ask me, "is that a real Fender", I have to hang my head in shame and say it's fake.

So, when folks approach RW players and say "Wow, what year is that", what do YOU Say?
 
#127
Side track - somebody mentioned rust. I have no problem with relic'd paint, but rust is kinda where it crosses the line for me. I like the look of a well worn finish, the soft patina, the amber glow of the headstock and the feel of worn lacquer on the back of the neck. But rust??? I've had relic'd instruments where I actually removed the rust. I do it to the "real" rust on my vintage instruments too. It's not cool, it's not hip, it's not desirable; it's just decay. Note to relic'ers, lay off the rust.

:***:
 
#128
Not trying to fool anybody with my RW jazz bass. It's advertised as a new bass that has received relic treatment, no false advertising at all. If a bass player sees it, he or she knows what it is, If a non bass player asks about it I explain to them what it is. I've never gotten anything but compliments on it, it sounds and plays great.
 
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#129
dannster said:
I played a jazz at GC once and it was light as a feather and resonated like nothing else.
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Sparkdog said:
and the fact that they are MUCH lighter than any of the other Fender models.
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drnknmstr said:
It's SO light, and they use very high quality woods.
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headband said:
I like the road worn because it is light, and feels/sounds good.
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Well, I don't know if the relic'ed finish gives a false impression of "lightness" or if there's some other factor at play here, because based on the actual weights of American Standard vs Road Worn models Sweetwater currently has in stock, the Standard and Road Worn variants are nearly the same in weight. ???
 
#130
I've had 2 of the jazz basses in fiesta red and they are fine.... I really like the necks for their dimensions and feel... I recommend buying one with the attitude that you MAY need to get the frets levelled and I would also take the pickguard off and dig out a spot so you don't have to take the neck off for a setup.... lastly, if you really want to push these things over the top, replace pickups... I hear a lot of good about Lollar, but I put the 60s Aguilar pickups in mine hwen I had it and it was incredible
 
#131
SanDiegoHarry said:
So, when folks approach RW players and say "Wow, what year is that", what do YOU Say?
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This would only happen if I was playing a gig for an audience full of TB members who hang out in the Basses forum and obsess over gear. The only comments I've gotten at gigs about my Roadworn Jazz have been about how cool it sounds. And that has been from sound men and people in the audience who came out to enjoy MUSIC, and not a particular bass.

IF someone asks more, I'd freely tell them that it's a Fender Roadworn.
 
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#132
The gripe about them all being relic'd "the same" always cracks me up. As if you're ever going to see two of these next to each other, outside of a store.

And have you ever actually seen a RW from the audience in a club or theater? I have. The relic'ing is barely noticable, if at all. Under stage lights all the mojo (faux or no) pretty much disappears.
 
#133
I like the idea of looking at what produces the vintage sound everyone likes and then working on ways to get closer to that in a new instrument (treating the wood, certain pickups & wiring, etc.). I also like incorporating certain aesthetic touches that we like about older instruments, like the tinted neck (I personally hate the look of all these new, ultra-white, plain-looking necks).

But I don't like fake wear and tear, because I don't like fake in general. The above things, to me, aren't faking it. They're adapting physical traits that have only become apparent, and desirable, with time. But there's no substantive reason to fake the outer look of something worn, and if there isn't, then I don't like it. My various basses are more and less worn, and every bump, nick, and scratch on them was put there in actual use. I'm not saying relic'ed things shouldn't be sold, or that people shouldn't like them, but I personally have no interest in them.

Real is real, fake is fake, and I never truly enjoy something fake being connected to my creative process.
 
#135
SanDiegoHarry said:
LOL - good point.

Yes, I'm pretending to own a fender, but have to live with the shame that comes with that "Sadowsky" badge. When folks ask me, "is that a real Fender", I have to hang my head in shame and say it's fake.

So, when folks approach RW players and say "Wow, what year is that", what do YOU Say?
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Pardon me, but I found this post to be more than a bit condescending. If you are implying that there is shame in playing something that is "less" (in your eyes) than the real thing, or through your sarcasm that your Sadowsky is "superior to other instruments", well, in my book there is no shame in owning a RW. If you would feel shame, then don't play one. I own a Sadowsky, and a Nordy, and three 60's vintage Fender basses. I also own and use a few basses that aren't so expensive (and a couple that are downright cheap). I have them because they work for me. And I play them all. I play around 150 shows a year, and they all get out there, depending upon the venue and what I feel like playing at the time.
And I have had someone ask me what I was playing when I have had the RW out, and I told them exactly what it was. No big deal. Most of my musician friends say it sounds great and the tone and playability are what is important to me. No one in my circles is impressed by the name or look of my basses. I get hired and have worked continuously based upon my skill as a bassist. If I play well neither the bands or the audience cares too much which bass I am playing.

Good luck my friends.
 
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#136
I bought my Nate Mendel P bass because it has a unique spec (neck shape, body contours, ash body, BA II bridge, CAR nitro body and nitro neck, SD QP pups) that isn't available in any other Fender at that price range. The relicing (mild compared to the other road worn offerings) played no part in my decision, but it wasn't a deal breaker, either. It plays and sounds phenomenal, and that's the important thing.

I also owned a road worn Jazz and loved it. I played a sunburst model in the music store and ordered a fiesta red model for myself because I preferred the red. When it arrived it played and sounded just as good as the floor model I had tried. I traded it away during a bout of GAS, and I'll probably replace it down the road. FWIW, the shop I traded it to sold it within a couple of days of me bringing it in. I liked how the body relicing looked, and I can't afford a true vintage instrument (or justify the expense). I also have read posts on TB from players that bought theirs to gig with so they could retire their vintage basses from gigging, as the cost of replacing a true 60's P or J is prohibitive.

Different strokes for different folks, and although I don't like every bass on this site, I wouldn't be tactless enough to tell someone that they're wrong for playing what inspires them.
 
#137
I have played many types of basses since 1979 and these Road Worn series basses really knock me out.
It is a shame so much negative energy floods these Posts. I would actually like to hear what others think about theirs or how they have modded them.

Instead I am reading why my bass is fake and I am dumb for falling for Fender's shallow marketing.

To shift gears here I own 1 RW 2-tone sunburst Precision and 2 RW sunburst Jazz basses. Why 2 Jazz basses? I loved the 1st one so much I decided to get a second to make into a fretless. That project never happened but may someday. That 1st one is special. It is lighter and more resonant than any Road Worn I have played anywhere. It was used, played hard and still has the original strings on it (which sound more flat than roundwound).

The RW P really was purchased because I fell in love with the tone on one I tried in a shop. Been using it for 50% stage and 100% studio. It wears Sadowsky Black label flats right now.

I have a fiesta red Road Worn body on the way to me as I speak for a project. I am slapping a Nate Mendel P neck on it and most likely Fender original '62 pickup in it. I was originally going to put a Road Worn Jazz neck on it but now am going for a CS Pino thing. I own 10 or 11 (have to count again) basses right now and I just keep going to the Road Worns so I decided to do a parts bass based on one.

Keep rockin your Road Worns.
 
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#138
Very cool. When I bought mine it had been modded with a Hipshot bridge and new control cavity electronics (CTS pots and a Sprague cap). I switched to Aguilar hum canceling pickups as I had been wanting to try them and they work really well in this bass. A little brighter perhaps but easily tamed with the tone control.
 

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