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Roadworn/Relicing(sic) - Is it over?


4 Strings
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Theres a huge lucrative trade in old components for amps, pedals and guitars; people paying 50£+ for NOS bumble bee carbon resistors, then theres the 'classic orange drop caps' that hold charge in a more vintage manner than the new cheap mass-produced and entirely more accurate capacitors out of China at a fraction of the cost. The old germanium transistors go for good money to get a matched pair, again leaky and often quite inconsistent across a batch, all part of their mystique.

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Heh, I'm still trying to work out if the 'red wine stain' is there from new? - If it is, is it printed or is it marked on afterwards, so each one has its own 'character'?

Poor Ampeg, rather than charging more for 'stressing' they're going to be knocking bits off their prices to shift it. Unless the person who took the pics missed the 'Road worn' sign swinging above it.

This brings an interesting point about the real roadworn products, what has to be wrong before it's actually 'wrong' and not 'skilfully applied stress'? The shop could get away with quite a lot.

In fact, does anyone think that the real roadworn products are really returns where spotty kids have put a dig in a guitar in the shop and it gets returned to the maker? Costly to repair/refinish they make it look intentional.

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[quote name='4 Strings' timestamp='1337175847' post='1656661']
....In fact, does anyone think that the real roadworn products are really returns where spotty kids have put a dig in a guitar in the shop and it gets returned to the maker? Costly to repair/refinish they make it look intentional.
[/quote]

I've always thought this. No proof obviously but it would make perfect economical sense for them to do this. They actually get more for it second time around.

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[quote name='4 Strings' timestamp='1337175847' post='1656661']
In fact, does anyone think that the real roadworn products are really returns where spotty kids have put a dig in a guitar in the shop and it gets returned to the maker? Costly to repair/refinish they make it look intentional.
[/quote]I picked up a bargain MIM telecaster in a shop a few years back due to someone having dropped it, gouging a pre-worn relic artifact in the back of it, lucky for me this was before the road-worn thing became cool and I got a reduction not an increase.

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[quote name='xgsjx' timestamp='1337176147' post='1656677']
I've got a 'Roadworn" carpet if anyone wants it? Tea & coffee stains, door treads & a couple of other period features.

Let's start offers at £3k
[/quote]

Wow I bet Sting has one just like it.... of course the one he has out in his house is just a replica of the original - the original is kept hidden away somewhere safe in case it gets damaged. :blink:

:D

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Based on the fact that these roadworn finishes do seem quite popular. I'm now offering my own 'roadwearing custom shop' all you have to do is bring me your bass and £100 and a week later you'll have a roadworn one.

Edited by dc2009
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I can do better than that, I won't charge but you have to leave your bass with me for 10-15 years. Expensive basses that play nicely and look cool will get a more stressed look. If you forget to leave the case I may only need 1-2 years.

We jest, the real question was whether this concept is still popular, and it appears it is.

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I think Fender still has a lot of mileage to get out of flogging this weary horse for the next few years of now old releases. Every attempt they have made to push out a new product based on a significantly different guitar outline has been a disaster. Thus the only 2 things their marketing dept can do to generate new business is to release more artist endorsed limited editions and more families of NOS/roadworn, old-looking but still nice, slightly damaged in places and anywhere in between.

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[quote name='Ou7shined' timestamp='1337077392' post='1654883']
I doubt it.
I think there need to be a few more influential and looked up to people to point out about the road-worn series "hang on these basses are just the same as the other ones but with some paint knocked off them ... it's ... it's just a con really" before the masses will take heed and stop fawning over the intangible reasons why they are better than their identical but mint brothers and sisters. And seeing as the core elite are all Fender through and through I doubt they will come out and say it. :ph34r: ... :D

Of course the best thing about them is you can play them for a while, add your own dinks and scrapes then sell them on "as new" :D
[/quote]


In the case of Fender's Road Worn basses that's just not true. I can attest to that after ordering in a Honey Blonde Classic 50's MIM Precision at my local shop and walking out with a Fiesta Red Road Worn Precision that was several hundred pounds more and several hundred pounds over my budget, despite the fact I didn't like the colour and thought the relic'ing was a bit naff.

The difference between the Road Worn's and the Classic 50's is night and day.

Relic'ing in general IMO is only really 'cool' if it's genuine wear and tear. I don't really care for the aethsetics but Fender basses definitely feel better for being worn in.

Nitro seems to make a difference as well.

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My old Aria SB1000 was certainly road worn in a very genuine and time-served way. It could have something to do with a lot of interaction with the drummer over about 10 years - I'd use it to hit his cymbals & he'd play my bass with his drumsticks.

Since then, it's been stripped back to bare wood, dents steamed out, sanded down, re-fretted and is now just waiting for several coats of laquer and nice new hardware - that's how much I like road-worn - not at all!

The 'mojo' that wasn't dents and chips still didn't look anywhere near as bad as a 'reliced' bass.

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Why don't they do whatever to all their guitars? If rolled edges to a fret board improves the playability, why not do that to others?

Oh, they do.

On the videos from the factory the roadworn process appears to be about little chips etc. The Fender ones certainly don't look as bad as the sander mad stressers.

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[quote name='4 Strings' timestamp='1337350365' post='1658654']
Why don't they do whatever to all their guitars? If rolled edges to a fret board improves the playability, why not do that to others?

Oh, they do.

On the videos from the factory the roadworn process appears to be about little chips etc. The Fender ones certainly don't look as bad as the sander mad stressers.
[/quote]

I'll take the attempt at sarcasm as a no to my previous question.

I have an American Standard from 2005 with rolled in fretboards. It feels brand new- hard, unforgiving, tight. I also have a Road Worn. The Road Worn feels soft, woody, warm and worn in. Not at all like the USA.

You can choose to dislike the relic'ing all you want- I even agree to some point- but as an owner of both modern style fenders and the Road Worn I can attest to their playability, and the worn in feel.

Relic'ing for the sake of relic'ing- yes, down to personal choice and some will hate it, others love it.

I guess what I'm trying to say is in the case of Fender's Road Worn series there is more to the relic'ing than merely aethetics. Whether that's more accident than choice I don't know, but I will say very different woods, finishes etc were used compared to the equivalent un-roadworn MIM Classic 50's.

You could always try one and find out.


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Is it the sanding at the back of the neck? Or different lacquer. MM used a matt sort of lacquer (maybe still do) for the business part of the back of the neck.

I'm not denying that there might be something other than aesthetic differences, just asking what they are.

No, never tried one, I suppose I don't get to try out many basses anyway, never had the opportunity to play a Roadworn. Would certainly like to!

Edited by 4 Strings
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[quote name='4 Strings' timestamp='1337354341' post='1658741']
Is it the sanding at the back of the neck? Or different lacquer. MM used a matt sort of lacquer (maybe still do) for the business part of the back of the neck.

I'm not denying that there might be something other than aesthetic differences, just asking what they are.

No, never tried one, I suppose I don't get to try out many basses anyway, never had the opportunity to play a Roadworn. Would certainly like to!
[/quote]

Yes the neck is what sold it to me, really. The finish on the neck is very thin, the fretboard is not so much rolled as worn down on the edges. The whole bass is very light, seems a thinner body, very resonant warm wood. You're very aware you are playing a piece of wood, which I don't find on a modern bass.

I read online the Road Worn series was Fenders attempt at bring Custom Shop to the masses. I played a 2- grand custom shop not long after I bought the Road Worn and although it had better pickups and electronics, the Custom Shop didn't feel miles apart from mine. They definitely nailed the feel. The Custom Shop had much better fretwork however, with worn down, bus-top profile frets which felt great. That was the biggest difference. So for £90 I went and got my luthier to dress my frets just like the Custom Shop.

The frets are the only thing that let them down actually, they are 'new' feeling, crowned frets and don't match the feel of the thing.

Next on the list for me is a Nash '57.

Just a matter of finding one!

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