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Thoughts on Roadworn Fenders

I can understand your thinking. I never would have considered one either before I read about the rw posts here on talkbass. But I have to say after trying one out and the classic 60 nitro for the last couple of weeks I can't think of a better vintage spec bass that's currently available. It sounds exactly the same as the real 63/64 j bass I have and it plays better. Also it's nice to finally own a high quality bass that I don't have to worry about scratching and denting it. As far as the 200 difference I have no problem paying for the lighter weight and the better neck and tone. The only option left now for me is do I want to go back to flats. Also I'm going to order the rw p bass to see whats up with that and if they have a classic p in nitro I will grab one as well to test side by side. If anyone is in the western CT area and would like to take both for a test ride just pm. I have another week or so to keep the classic before it's gets returned.

Well let me tell ya, you will LOVE the RW P with flats. All I can say is WOW.

Let us know if/when you get the RW/Classic Precisions.
 
Has anyone A/B'd a RW against a comparable (P to P, J to J) current AVRI? Thoughts?

Yep a friend loaned me a avri j for 2 days. It's a nice bass but the rw was better. Also I tried a used custom shop vintage in the store for about an hour and can't really see an advantage there, especially price wise.

Well let me tell ya, you will LOVE the RW P with flats. All I can say is WOW.

Let us know if/when you get the RW/Classic Precisions.

That sounds great. I used roto flats what are you using?

I will be ordering the rw p tm. DO they do a cp p in nitro?

It feels like I am the one who aged it, not Fender, if that makes any sense !
Makes perfect sense...
 
After one month fiddling with it, I'm comfortable saying that this may be the best bass I've ever owned.
Especially the neck. This thing plays itself.

Couple of clips where you can hear the Jazz + TI flats (1 month old) combo.
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...
The ones I found in shops on my periodical wishroute, are
still there after all these few years. While Classic versions
never still at all.

Just my 2c BTW

Cheers,
Wallace

Interesting you see them sitting there not selling. I've heard great things about them, but I've never actually seen one in a store to try out. Relic'd body aside - smooth playing neck, great sound, lightweight and resonant is what I keep hearing. Personally I couldn't ask for any more in a bass.
 
I picked up a Road Worn jazz last year and I play it exclusively now, none of my other Fenders even come close. People say to buy a new bass and let it age from normal use.......bull. Modern finishes don't wear at all, at least mine don't and I've been playing them for 25 years.
 
Got to see the Allman Brothers Band tonight for one of their shows at NYC's Beacon Theater tonight. And true to form, bassist Oteil Burbridge was playing his Roadworn Precision Bass for most of the night. But his RW P-Bass looked a little different from the last time I saw him perform live at the 2010 with the Tedeschi-Trucks band. Oteil seems to have added a Jazz pickup in the bridge position on his bass. It's tough to make out much more than that from the balcony. But Oteil and the RW P-Bass sounded GREAT!
 
...Thinking about...Fender RoadWorns, either you're just posing and looking for something [for that], or...need...a killer sounding bass [yet which will be] requiring futher upgrades [and] bear not so affordable street prices for the overall quality...

Apologies for the obsessive edits, but I think I have understood you correctly. No disrespect intended, as my other languages aren't half as good as your English. Anyway, to the point...

I sincerely disagree with everything you have said here. The only sensible explanation that occurs to me is that when you wrote this you had seen but not actually played a Road Worn Fender bass. Also, perhaps Italian prices reflected import and VAT costs. I bought my first RW Jazz used for the equivalent of 484 €. The sound has been a joy, and I forsook a '69 P-bass, a 55-01D,a Sadowsky P/J and a Valenti 5er.

My Road Worn was the best Jazz I'd had, until I found an even better sounding more resonant RW Jazz for 616 € new. These basses have reigned over my musical imagination until recently, when I found a '60 Custom Shop relic on sale that is even more resonant and tone ripe—but not by a huge amount! :hyper:
 
On the finish, and the 'trademark' wear patch at the forearm cut, I got busy with this one and took the fiesta red finish down to the wood. Was hoping to do a stripper look with the revealed alder grain, but I wasn't able to get the pink tone out of it, and didn't want to sand a whole lot. Inca Silver finish now, with a lot of work with a small gouge knife to reveal the dings and the white primer. Anyway, I'm of course happy with the instrument.
 

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Got to see the Allman Brothers Band tonight for one of their shows at NYC's Beacon Theater tonight. And true to form, bassist Oteil Burbridge was playing his Roadworn Precision Bass for most of the night. But his RW P-Bass looked a little different from the last time I saw him perform live at the 2010 with the Tedeschi-Trucks band. Oteil seems to have added a Jazz pickup in the bridge position on his bass. It's tough to make out much more than that from the balcony. But Oteil and the RW P-Bass sounded GREAT!

Maybe he added a Jazz pup to get a little closer to the Oakley sound.

.
 
Apologies for the obsessive edits, but I think I have understood you correctly. No disrespect intended, as my other languages aren't half as good as your English. Anyway, to the point...

I sincerely disagree with everything you have said here. The only sensible explanation that occurs to me is that when you wrote this you had seen but not actually played a Road Worn Fender bass. Also, perhaps Italian prices reflected import and VAT costs. I bought my first RW Jazz used for the equivalent of 484 €. The sound has been a joy, and I forsook a '69 P-bass, a 55-01D,a Sadowsky P/J and a Valenti 5er.

My Road Worn was the best Jazz I'd had, until I found an even better sounding more resonant RW Jazz for 850 € new. These basses have reigned over my musical imagination until recently, when I found a '60 Custom Shop relic on sale that is even more resonant and tone ripe—but not by a huge amount! :hyper:

+1. It's too bad the whole relic'd thing has to put off so many players from even trying them. I know I was one of them, but, kept reading these glowing reviews, especially of the Jazz, that I finally broke down and got one. Really, once you play these RW's, the whole relic'd thing goes out the window; I don't even notice it anymore.
 
Maybe he added a Jazz pup to get a little closer to the Oakley sound.

.


Who knows? I mean, aside from Oteil and his bass tech, that is.

I've always found P/J's to be a little odd because for the longest time people were just using a standard single coil Jazz bass pickup in the bridge position. It added some bark tonally, but without that second Jazz bass pickup in the neck position with the opposing phase there was invariably some noise. I know that there have been some cool developments with stacked coil J pickups that eliminate the hum of a regular single coil. But it always seems to go into that humbucker territory.

Be that as it may, Oteil sounded great last night. He played the majority of about 3 hours of music on his RW Precision, and maybe only 2 or 3 songs on his 6 string Fodera (a beautiful instrument in it's own rite). And he sounded great in context with the band, both with a pick and fingerstyle.
 
On the finish, and the 'trademark' wear patch at the forearm cut, I got busy with this one and took the fiesta red finish down to the wood. Was hoping to do a stripper look with the revealed alder grain, but I wasn't able to get the pink tone out of it, and didn't want to sand a whole lot. Inca Silver finish now, with a lot of work with a small gouge knife to reveal the dings and the white primer. Anyway, I'm of course happy with the instrument.

Looks great. And it plays and sounds great because under the Inca lies a Road Worn, which are one of Fender's best products to date (IMO).
 
Interesting you see them sitting there not selling. I've heard great things about them, but I've never actually seen one in a store to try out. Relic'd body aside - smooth playing neck, great sound, lightweight and resonant is what I keep hearing. Personally I couldn't ask for any more in a bass.

I played one before I knew too much about the series and fell in love. Everything you have heard is NO exageration.
These basses are as good as ANY US made including AVRI, which I also own.
 
Yep a friend loaned me a avri j for 2 days. It's a nice bass but the rw was better. Also I tried a used custom shop vintage in the store for about an hour and can't really see an advantage there, especially price wise.



That sounds great. I used roto flats what are you using?

Right now I have Sadowsky Black Label 45-105. I have also tried Labella and TIs. All sound amazing, IMO. I have not exactly settled on the Sadowsky. I like lower tension like the TIs along with the midrange bump but for a Precision I wanted a more classic P sound. Labella or Sadowsky was closer to the sound in my head. The RW P has such a good tone whatever strings I slap on it do sound good.
 
Has anyone A/B'd a RW against a comparable (P to P, J to J) current AVRI? Thoughts?

I have an AVRI Jazz and a RW Jazz. Both are very nice but the Road Worn is better in my opinion.

First, the neck on the Road Worn feels much better and is slimmer.

The Road Worn is lighter and more resonant. Not sure if resonant actually affects amplified sound but it make me happy :hmm:

The AVRI has stacked tone/volume knob setup and it does give a different sound than other basses. Combined with that pickup in the AVRI it does not have as smooth of a sound to it. Kind of 'mid-range-ish' and VERY growly.
A very good sound that is but if I had to sell my Road Worn or AVRI, the AVRI goes. And it is, as I am putting the AVRI in the classifieds this week due to money issues :crying:...oh well.
 
...I wasn't able to get the pink tone out of it, and didn't want to sand a whole lot. Inca Silver finish now, with a lot of work with a small gouge knife to reveal the dings and the white primer...

WOW!! :eek: :hyper: That is friggin' awesome, er... all IMHO, that is. ;) :D