NBD - Fender Roadworn 50s P Bass

[ianrendall]

Just picked this up today as a swap for my Ibanez Singlecut, a 2014 Mex 50s Roadworn in the best colour. 

Now, when I’m going through a Fender playing phase, I’m normally a dyed in the wool US made or nothing kind of chap. But this Mex P is, by quite some margin, the best P I have ever played, and I’ve owned, like, 2. A weighty ‘78 and a ‘79. Oh, and a brief but successful affair with a Jap 57RI until GAS got hold for a Jazz.

It has everything I want in a P. Fairly hot growly pup, superb action, very light, and that unbeatable combo of Fiesta Red/Maple neck/Gold scratchplate. I’m pleased. 

[Lozz196]

Congrats, they are really nice basses, play really well and feel so comfortable. 

[Geek99]

I’ve played one in PMT leeds

very nice 

[LewisK1975]

Yup, my favourite P-Bass is my RW too.

Mine now has a US pup, Kiogon loom and added ashtray and tug bar.

This pic also shows a Hipshot D-tuner on it, since removed and replaced with the original tuner..

Edited September 28, 2018 by LewisK1975

[bassbiscuits]

The wide neck threw me a little on these having been used to a B profile (i.e. Quite narrow) 70s P for many years. 

But they do sound, look and feel fanastic and way nearer to an 'original' P bass than the modern stuff (which are also lovely, but different).

[discreet]

Right up there with the very best. Superb all-round P Bass. Regret selling mine (of course).  You just can't get better value than this. Why spend thousands when you can spend hundreds on a Road Worn and get the same quality?

Edited September 28, 2018 by discreet

[ianrendall]

4 hours ago, discreet said:

Right up there with the very best. Superb all-round P Bass. Regret selling mine (of course).  You just can't get better value than this. Why spend thousands when you can spend hundreds on a Road Worn and get the same quality?

Absolutely! My favourite little detail is the fake fag burn on the headstock. 

[discreet]

1 hour ago, ianrendall said:

Absolutely! My favourite little detail is the fake fag burn on the headstock. 

Actually that's my least favourite detail... especially as I once genuinely accidentally put a fag burn on a P Bass headstock in 1976. If you had told me then that basses would come with fake pre-burnt headstocks from new, I would NOT have believed it...

[ianrendall]

7 hours ago, discreet said:

Actually that's my least favourite detail... especially as I once genuinely accidentally put a fag burn on a P Bass headstock in 1976. If you had told me then that basses would come with fake pre-burnt headstocks from new, I would NOT have believed it...

Haha fair play. I would love to know how they and other manufacturers go about relicing though, especially the hardware and the checking finish.

I know relic’d basses aren’t for everyone but on a Fiesta Red P it just seems somehow right. 

[sPiKi]

Oh no...one of your tuners has gone missing..(Pic 3) 😁

[ianrendall]

51 minutes ago, sPiKi said:

Oh no...one of your tuners has gone missing..(Pic 3) 😁

iPhone portrait mode being a bit skiffy 😁

[ianrendall]

Now then, I’ve just tried this P through my big heavy Trace and it does sound epic. Disappointingly epic as I’m not looking forward to carting the damn thing around again. So, what are the alternatives? I’m using my little MB200 as my main amp which also sounds fantastic. Do I go for the MB500? I don’t need earthshaking volume. Max budget will be whatever I can sell the AH600SMX for. 

[discreet]

9 minutes ago, ianrendall said:

I’ve just tried this P through my big heavy Trace and it does sound epic. I’m not looking forward to carting the damn thing around again. So, what are the alternatives? I don’t need earthshaking volume.

My Roadworn P sounded very good indeed through a Fender Rumble V3 500 Combo... other amps are available.

[afterimage]

Nice bass 

[bassbiscuits]

Damn you all - you're making me want one now!

[discreet]

9 minutes ago, bassbiscuits said:

Damn you all - you're making me want one now!

If you like P necks and 'that' P sound, it's for you. No upgrading or modding necessary - these are light, resonant and lovely. I have to get another!

[bassbiscuits]

I wasn't crazy on the 7.25" radius, vintage frets and wide nut when I played one last, as my own P has none of those.

But i think i need to revisit these things....

[discreet]

5 minutes ago, bassbiscuits said:

I wasn't crazy on the 7.25" radius, vintage frets and wide nut...

Embrace these features! Once you're into 7.25" radius, all other boards seem way too FLAT. And narrow... 

[LewisK1975]

31 minutes ago, discreet said:

If you like P necks and 'that' P sound, it's for you. No upgrading or modding necessary - these are light, resonant and lovely. I have to get another!

All true!  I only changed the pickup and wiring harness on mine coz it felt like an upgrade, none of it was necessary, it sounded great as it was.

[Bridgehouse]

I'm gonna say it.

I had one. It was probably 95% of my 64P. 

 

Yeah. That good and that close. 

I only got rid because, er, I have a 64...

[LewisK1975]

1 minute ago, Bridgehouse said:

I'm gonna say it.

I had one. It was probably 95% of my 64P. 

 

Yeah. That good and that close. 

I only got rid because, er, I have a 64...

I've got one of those stories too, kinda...

When I got married 2 years ago, my wife talked about buying me a '59 Precision as a wedding present.  I must be mad, I told her not to bother as it most likely wouldn't be much better than my Roadworn.  And I'd be too scared to take it out on a gig anyway....

[Bridgehouse]

Just now, LewisK1975 said:

I've got one of those stories too, kinda...

When I got married 2 years ago, my wife talked about buying me a '59 Precision as a wedding present.  I must be mad, I told her not to bother as it most likely wouldn't be much better than my Roadworn.  And I'd be too scared to take it out on a gig anyway....

I think unless you really want to drop the best part of £7k on that final 5% then there's no point. 

For me, the 64 was about the heritage, the history and the fact that I'd worked hard to get the cash and just wanted to do it. I don't gig it, but it does get recorded a lot. 

But for any recording I've done, I reckon I could have swapped the 64 for your roadworn and we would both be very very hard pressed to notice any difference at all.

The 64 does feel slightly different - not much, but the braz rw board with years of play and rolled edges and the unique feel of the tort does give it a slightly different vibe. The pickups have definitely aged as well so the output is slightly different - but again, not by much at all. 

I may be mad for saying it, but unless you really really do want to have a pre-cbs in the house, and absolutely nothing else would do, then there's no point. A roadworn will scratch any other itch very well.

[discreet]

Just now, Bridgehouse said:

I had one. It was probably 95% of my 64P.. Yeah. That good and that close. 

Absolutely agree. The big deal is, if you don't have pre-CBS money and want the sound and feel of a Vintage P with vintage specs, a RW P will get you there for around £650 - £700 (used). One of the best Ps you will play - and not just 'for the money'. Why I sold mine is beyond me, but that's GAS for you...

[Bridgehouse]

Just now, discreet said:

Absolutely agree. The big deal is, if you don't have pre-CBS money and want the sound and feel of a Vintage P with vintage specs, a RW P will get you there for around £650 - £700 (used). One of the best Ps you will play - and not just 'for the money'. Why I sold mine is beyond me, but that's GAS for you...

I'll go further than that. 

If you want the real deal and that vintage vibe, for me, the order is:

1. Proper pre-cbs

2. Roadworn

3. AVRI

And the gap between 1 and 2 is probably that 5%... between 2 and 3, it's more like 10%. 

When you consider the money you pay for a roadworn compared to 1 or 3 on my list then it's a proper bargain. 

[Lozz196]

The two most instantly comfortable Precisions I`ve ever played was a Custom Shop Pino Palladino and a Road Worn. Yes the PP was better, but not as much as the differing price tags would have you believe. If it weren`t for the fact that the colours of the RWs are not that much to my liking I would have had one of them years ago.