i have heard alot of bashing of the road worn series strats . does anybody have anything good to say about them ?

I own 4 RW Strats and 2 RW Teles....I really love these guitars.The fact that are beat up is of least importance to me.I love the fact that they are finished in really thin nitrocellulose lacquer.The contouring of the bodies is very vintage correct.Mine are all really light and extremely resonant acoustically.They play great due to the 6105 tall frets.You just need to set up the action a little higher on these to compensate and avoid the string fretting out after the 12th fret area.The Tex Mex pickups sound fine,obviously not the holy grail of pickups but still very nice....especially in this price range.I 've played mive alot over the last year at many gigs and these guitars break in really quickly due to the thin lacquer.....they absorb your sweat and rub marks way faster than a polyester finished guitar so they feel like your favourite old shoe really fast.I love these and recommend them to anyone who wants a relic style guitar at a third of the price.

True.But then again much of the finish on the neck is stripped off anyways.They applyed a very thin coat as well.After playing mine for this year,the little varnish that was on the back of the necks has completley worn away.The bare wood has absorbed my sweat and with all that direct rubbing that it is so comfortable and smooth.

I don't owe one but I've played a few at the local shops. I think they feel and play good and have a great sound.

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Tune Low, Play Hard & Floor it!

thanks for the reply i am currently waiting for the one i ordered to come in they had one in white but i really wanted the sunburst 60s strat . already have a white strat . the music store gave me one to use in the mean time and i found the fret ends needed to be finished more . they stick out from the neck enough to feel it when you run your hand up the neck. im sure its not like that on all of them . it is winter here and the dry air could be a factor. the pickups are very good ( first time with the tex mex ) . and after i set it up before the gig it played and sounded great. what is taking so long with my guitar that i ordered its been almost 4 months !!!

Nitro has a HUGE affect on tone.Signed Eric Johnson

HAHA So does taking off the back cover plate.

I wish I could find a Road Worn that was even half way setup so I could see how it really sounds. IMHO for the money you should get something better than Tex Mex pups.

I agree supro.I have tried quite a few and they were unplayable.One even had the pickgard warped .I like the 6105 frets and i like the vintage tuners, but for the money I expect alot better guitar.Lets be real,its about the same price as the American Standard ,considering you have to add about 100 bucks for a case.Its not in the same league.Its a MIM standard with different tuners ,frets and MIM pickups hit on a beltsander to give it "relic" effect.Not exactly 400 bucks worth of upgrades.

Ah,not if you can stick your fingers under it and the pickup was almost touching the strings.

I agree with this. i haven't seen one with a good set up, makes me wonder if they can have a good set up. All the other guitars in my favorite shop were well set up.

But with a pee-poor set up i can't objectively evaluate it, so i won't pass final judgment. the relic thing isn't my bag, but I don't really care if someone else likes em. that said, i didn't get this magical feel from the neck like some people are claiming. but then again it wasn't horrible either.

My opinion as it stands though is you are paying too much for the 'aging' of the finish. too little guitar for too much money. Classic Players seem the better deal to me.

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I'm not an expert, but I play one on the internet.

Yep,it was.Never seen anything like it.Stevie Wonder must have been doing the quality control that day.Wished he would have at least signed the thing.

Tex Mex pups are just middle of the road pickups. For that kind of coin I'd like to see Texas Specials in there. I do like taller frets too.

I've played some late 50's and early 60's Strats that didn't have severly warped pickguards as well. The whole quality issue irks me. Even when GP reviewed the Road Worns there were setup issues with the Strat, The Tele was fine. If the Tele were a few hundred bucks cheaper, I'd jump on it as a beater guitar. But not at those prices on a guitar I'd have to upgrade.

Yep Texas Specials would be a better choice for that kind of money.I was glad to see them being used in the new American Special .I wish they would have issued it with vintage tuners and 6105 frets without the big headstock.I think its a way better guitar than the Road worn,and cheaper too.

well the music store just called and told me the rw 60s strat my girlfriend got for me for christmas is now in . i will tell you how the quality control is . this one is fresh out of the box and i know i will have to set it up and change the strings check intonation and pick up hieght but dont we all do that to our guitars on a regular basis. i play everyday in two different bands and i put my guitars thru hell most every weekend during gigs . i will let you know what this new guitar is lacking as far as assembly and craftsmanship from the factory .

Road Worn's sound great. But they are so closely priced to MIA standards, its just not worth it. Besides, if you like Nitro finishes, buy a Highway 1 or American Special... Then there is the "relic" job. Most of those "relic" marks don't represent true wear markings.

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"Epitaph on a blues musician’s tombstone: “I didn’t wake up this morning”" Davy Knowles


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