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Thoughts on Fender Road Worn Precision Basses?
- Thread starter lea56
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- fender precision bass
I wonder too!.......I wonder why every time I read one of these threads I'm reminded of our cat who lives outside now because every time she came in the house she made a mess! Some people just gotta mess up things. To paraphrase my mother, if you don't like these threads just BUTT OUT. Take yer' ball and go home.
Me I've got basses that are pristine and basses that are beat to crap and a dozen in between. We bought these basses because WE LIKE THEM, that's all that matters.
Me I've got basses that are pristine and basses that are beat to crap and a dozen in between. We bought these basses because WE LIKE THEM, that's all that matters.
Bought mine as a backup, because I got it for cheap on ebay. Had my reservations about the relicing, now it's my favorite bass.
One question though: With mine and on a lot of the pictures on the internet, the nut seems to have some weird spacing that places the low E string pretty close to the edge of the neck, i.e. it doesn't go in a straight line from the tuner to the nut, but kind of bends outward a little. Like this:
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What's the idea behind that?
One question though: With mine and on a lot of the pictures on the internet, the nut seems to have some weird spacing that places the low E string pretty close to the edge of the neck, i.e. it doesn't go in a straight line from the tuner to the nut, but kind of bends outward a little. Like this:
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What's the idea behind that?
My Dusty Hill FCS is the best bass I've ever felt or played in 25 years. I've never been asked what magical stories it holds secret to it's relicing.
Don't let the anti-relic turds sway you from it if it feels or looks good to you.
Don't let the anti-relic turds sway you from it if it feels or looks good to you.
I played a few of these in stores and I liked them. Fender was able to reproduce that "played in feel" quite well. If you really like that feel, then I think they might work for you. As for holding up, I don't know. My only concern is that any time you have exposed wood, you run the risk of having something warp more than if it were sealed. But I assume Fender took enough care with these to make certain they were ready for a working player. They wouldn't produce a bass that would see endless warranty work, I think....? Perhaps a few owners could step in here with some reassurances.
Playing a road worn bass doesn't make you a poser IMHO. Holding an expensive (or cheap) bass without any idea of how to play it, while pretending you do > makes you a poser in my book. To me, being a poser has little to do with the bass and much to do with the player.
Personally, I like to put in the scratches myself. Then, each one has a story - I like to tell stories. So I am not crazy about the 'fatiguing' of finishes. I did dig what they did with the neck though. I would pick one up used if it ever crossed my path FWIW.
In the end man, your bass is a tool, just like a drill or saw is to a carpenter. Choose what feels comfortable in your hand and sounds right to your ear and to hell with what anyone else thinks.
Playing a road worn bass doesn't make you a poser IMHO. Holding an expensive (or cheap) bass without any idea of how to play it, while pretending you do > makes you a poser in my book. To me, being a poser has little to do with the bass and much to do with the player.
Personally, I like to put in the scratches myself. Then, each one has a story - I like to tell stories. So I am not crazy about the 'fatiguing' of finishes. I did dig what they did with the neck though. I would pick one up used if it ever crossed my path FWIW.
In the end man, your bass is a tool, just like a drill or saw is to a carpenter. Choose what feels comfortable in your hand and sounds right to your ear and to hell with what anyone else thinks.
Man sorry to hear your bass has lice again, or did I read that wrong? LOL... Just hit me as funny, no offence intended.
It's cool now. At least there's no more relicking going on.
Well ok, except....
Many old basses aren't being played by the folk who put the scratches and nicks in them originally. I have a 19th century doublebass that has many interesting marks, cracks, and blemishes. I put a few on myself, but not most. I don't think that makes me or, anyone else who plays an old instrument a poser.
I think these are like a fashion preference. There is definitely an argument to be made for feel preference too. If you like that played in feel but don't have the coin for a 'vintage' bass with that feel, then these may fill the bill.
Aside from this reply - here is another point. Most of your audience won't know or care what the vintage is, or what you are playing for that matter. Those who do will likely recognize these for what they are and either like them or not based upon personal opinion, about which you can do exactly nothing. So why worry about it?
I don't.
No sense in it, and like you said - audience won't care! Plus my basses are all in pretty great shape anyway.
About stories...
It would amaze me if anybody could remember how they got a particular ding or scratch on an instrument.
It would be even more amazing if said story was anything more interesting than "I accidentally hit my drummer's crash when I was turning around and got this ding in my headstock."
And the most amazing thing would be if anybody actually asked about a particular ding, and then actually cared.
All of my stories are about people I've met, bands I've played with, or crazy situations I've encountered while touring. Not one is about how I got a scratch or ding on my bass. YMMV, IMHO, my two cents etc.
It would amaze me if anybody could remember how they got a particular ding or scratch on an instrument.
It would be even more amazing if said story was anything more interesting than "I accidentally hit my drummer's crash when I was turning around and got this ding in my headstock."
And the most amazing thing would be if anybody actually asked about a particular ding, and then actually cared.
All of my stories are about people I've met, bands I've played with, or crazy situations I've encountered while touring. Not one is about how I got a scratch or ding on my bass. YMMV, IMHO, my two cents etc.
Hey RW owners come on over and join the Official Fender Road Worn Bass Club!
MrRobert: I remember that in the late 60's and early 70's I used to intentionally crash the drummers cymbals with the head of my 57' Precision bass! (Oh my!). I do remember doing that often. And the headstock has the scars to prove it. I also have a Precision Lyte that I put a large ding in the bottom by the plug jack. We were playing a gig and while rocking hard the strap broke and the bass went flying out of my hands hard into the uncarpeted floor of a bouncy hollow plywood stage. The bass hit the floor hard and fast and immediately bounced straight back up at me!! I caught it and kept on playing till the tune ended. Three guys came up after the set and asked me how I did it. Haha I just laughed and told them what happened. That wouldn't happen in a million years if you tried. Funny as heck.
MrRobert: I remember that in the late 60's and early 70's I used to intentionally crash the drummers cymbals with the head of my 57' Precision bass! (Oh my!). I do remember doing that often. And the headstock has the scars to prove it. I also have a Precision Lyte that I put a large ding in the bottom by the plug jack. We were playing a gig and while rocking hard the strap broke and the bass went flying out of my hands hard into the uncarpeted floor of a bouncy hollow plywood stage. The bass hit the floor hard and fast and immediately bounced straight back up at me!! I caught it and kept on playing till the tune ended. Three guys came up after the set and asked me how I did it. Haha I just laughed and told them what happened. That wouldn't happen in a million years if you tried. Funny as heck.
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I wish I still had my 78 Precision. I could give you some fun stories from the scratches on that one. Dropped on the tarmac in LHR, knocked over by a drunk frat boy at a party, fell out of the case onto a driveway the night my nephew was born after we toasted his birth over and over and..., you get the idea. I enjoyed giving fellow players a few stories because some of those dings occurred on memorable tours, etc.
I guess we all live differently. YMMV..indeed.
I didn't mean to imply that everybody's stories aren't worthy or valid to themselves personally! I think stories are great and I definitely get attached to my instruments as well... The romantic ideas of stories are great, and part of why so many of us bond with instruments. Also, I have much love for the roadworn basses... I had a Roadworn P that was fantastic... But I traded it for a fiesta red AVRI. Sometimes I wish I still had it.
I have the same bass in the black lacquer finish, and I have the same thing you describe here. Our neck withs are 1 3/4" wide versus the more normal 1 11/16" spec and they space the strings a little wider to accommodate the extra wide neck we have.
Yes, it's all good as they say. I like the roadworn basses too. I am not anti relic, I am much more focused on the 'played in' feel of the neck when I say I like them, and I am less interested in what they did with the body finish. But in the end, play what ya like. Who cares what anyone else thinks if you are happy with your axe?
Oh yeah... These babies are all about the feel of the neck. I've often wondered how they get them to feel so broken in. It can't just be the relic job, can it?
My Strat had a great feeling neck, and one day in the midst of doing some mods, I wet sanded the poly on the neck from 600 all the way up to 12,000 grit. I didn't sand too hard, just the right amount each time. Then hand polished with polishing compound, and then a good carnauba wax, and it feels down right sexy!
It just made a great neck better, much like our forum brethren who have done the same to their exotic raw wood necks and made them feel stellar!
My 57' P had tales to tell. I once parked my VW bus on it........long story.......it was the hippy days....didn't even knock it out of tune but the case was trashed though I used it with belts to hold it together thereafter.
I love road worn because a new bass would get dinged really fast in my hands, and I had that happen to this glossy super nice bass and I felt so lousy for a long time. Then I also have a reliced Sandberg jazz and I can bang that around all I want and never have to worry about yet another ding. And yes it absolutely should come with flats. What's up with that Fender? Put some GHS precision flats on there. Gimme road worn any time, glad to hear they are good players. I got a real 1983 P bass from the Fullerton years and the edges of the frets were sharp and the truss rod was broken, sending it back. Getting me a road worn, thanks for all the info - super helpful.
