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Post subject: What's the Appeal of a Road Worn Bass?
Posted: Mon Jan 18, 2010 1:57 pm
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Is it that the finish being scuffed up makes the tone different since you are paying a pretty hefty chunk of cash for it? Or is it that you guys just like it to look like you've had it for 25-30 years? Just curious :P


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Posted: Mon Jan 18, 2010 2:16 pm
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Me personally, I don't care for artificial aging. I would prefer the instrument come by its wear and tear honestly. IMO, it's a cheat.


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Posted: Mon Jan 18, 2010 6:28 pm
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Those who buy the road worn bass are victims of our society. Violence has been getting worse in all media for so many years that, there are those that want an instrument that appears to have been dragged behind a truck.

For those of you that own them, I'm only stating an observation, if you like them, glad you're happy.


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Posted: Mon Jan 18, 2010 9:21 pm
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Same sentiments here. If you love yours, cool and enjoy it. It's just not something that appeals to me.


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Posted: Tue Jan 19, 2010 7:36 am
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The thinner Nitrocellulose Lacquer Finish is designed to sound and feel like an older instrument. It is not much different in thought with prefab (pre-washed & broken in blue jeans). I am not violent person & I love my 'AE' not-so-new jeans...they look and feel pretty nice. Again, that would likely be the same with the 'Road Worn' gear. I can't imagine this is an social issue, it is just a bass or jeans...just as long marketers don't have road worn food. :wink:

With instruments I personally don't like any scars that I have not experienced with the instruments journey, though it's kinda like buying a used instrument that you haven't added the wear & tear with a very similar sound as an older vintage instrument (& far from the vintage price). Overall, they are a little pricey for being made in Mexico. But I must assume this is in part due to the Nitrocellulose Lacquer Finish.


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Posted: Tue Jan 19, 2010 12:12 pm
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I dont think i could get away with playing a road worn bass.Im only 14 so it might look a bit weird if my bass looks twice my age :lol:

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Posted: Tue Jan 19, 2010 12:17 pm
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Personally if I want something road worn, I'll road wear it myself.

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Posted: Tue Jan 19, 2010 1:01 pm
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fjbass wrote:
A lot cash to lay out for a new bass you can break-in yourself. With prices down, an MIA Std. isn't that much more in price. Highway One basses are very good too.


I totally agree.

The new MIA are very cool award winning basses. The new P-bass is wonderful :!:


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Posted: Tue Jan 19, 2010 2:15 pm
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I have one of the RW P-basses, and love it. I bought it for the neck and the light weight. The neck is a larger-profile shape that I absolutely dig. I have about 30 guitars/basses, and this particular shape is one of my favorites. The body is very light with a crisp airy character to it. Overall, it just has a certain mojo that I love. I've been playing 30+ years, and this is the first axe in some time that leaped off the wall at me.

However, I am not enthralled by the relicing. I don't smoke, so the phony burn mark is lame. I like to sand the back of my necks, so I just finished what they started. Thankfully, the fretboard is not reliced too much (unlike the guitars, which are way overdone). I put a new black pick guard on it, and you probably couldn't tell from the stage that it's a RW. I also put a Seymour Duncan SPB-1 in, and it gets that old school vibe real nice.

Incidentally, the neck is one of the straightest and best playing of any guitar/bass I have. The nut work was perfect, and the (small) frets were level. The truss responds very well. Ensenada put out a *very* good one in my case.

Bottom line: I wish Fender sold an unreliced version. The HWY 1s are close, but the '50s Pbass is a different animal, especially the neck. The RWs have the larger-backed reverse tuners (not the standard MIM tuners) and the vintage spiral bridge saddles, again a difference compared to the HWY 1s. Small, but something to consider.

Mine gets gigged often in a blues setting, it sounds great and sits beautifully in the mix. If Fender sold an unreliced version with their '60s pup in it, it would be a great funk machine.

That is my experience FWIW, I just hope this thread doesn't spiral into yet another relic-hater thread.


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Posted: Sat Jan 23, 2010 6:28 pm
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I can tell that everyone except for lawdaddy hasn't tried one of these basses out yet. Do yourself a favor and try one out and get some idea of what they sound like and feel like before you judge what they're about. I did, they are totally different than any of the modern poly finished instruments in both sound and feel. I really didn't didn't think much of the idea either, at first.

They are really very cool, and sound terrific, also kind of freeing,not having to worry about the finish getting dings on a new instrument too. They are very open and woolly sounding, just like the originals, surprisingly great basses.


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Posted: Sat Jan 23, 2010 7:43 pm
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I don't care how good an instrument it is , I'm not gonna pay extra just to have it antiqued. IMO, it's a rip-off. I'd rather just buy a brand new American Standard (which I did, it's an excellent instrument and I love it, and no fake wear and tear, to add extra cost).


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Posted: Sat Jan 23, 2010 9:55 pm
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rather than roadworns... probably save up for an American Vintage 62... well its the closest for the real deal...

before i wanted to get one RW 60's Jazz... but I've decided that i'd save up for a white AV 62


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Posted: Wed Jan 27, 2010 8:24 pm
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Hi guys I recently bought a road worn jazz bass and I have to admit I bought it because it stood out over all the other basses at the music store, it had a nice peachy orange tinge and it looked really unique.
The major thing that stood out was the nitro finish, and I can hardly believe that nitro is only available on a few base models, the highway series being one of them, I almost bought a highway one just for the finish alone.

That being said I took it home and played it and just hated it.
I think it was the combination that it was made in Mexico and it's high end American series price tag that really turned me off, not to mention that the road worn look began to creep into my mind that I was now an official poser holding a brand new expensive bass that had sub par parts and quality that looked kind of cool and sounded and played horrible.
I then though of the conversations I would be having after every show about my sick relic bass and how I'd be explaining that it just looks cool but is actually made in Mexico and it doesn't play or sound nice.

The logic behind those feelings made me return it and I am just done with the road worn series.

The reality is that you can buy an actual vintage Fender for not that much more at most Fender dealerships.

If you want that vintage look, I am telling you as honestly as I can as a real player and lover of sound and style that the road worn is for posers only.

If you want the real deal, either make it happen over the coarse of your lifetime or save up a few hundred bucks more and buy a vintage piece, their is an entire universe of difference between an instrument that has been played for 20, 30, 40, 50 plus years that simple factory scuffing can't compare to.

Take it from me, I bought one, then I spent the few extra hundred and bought a real one.

-peAce


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