Fender Road Worn '60's Strat...anyone else kickin' the tires?

[VaughnC]

Just saw Fender's new MIM Road Worn Strats on the Musician's Friend website and thought, what the heck, for snicks & grins, with a 45 day approval, I might as well kick the tires of one of the Road Worn olympic white '60's Strats. I have fond memories of my similarly equipped Jimmie Vaughan Strat but never really cared for the feel of its maple fingerboard. So, with its nitro finish, Tex Mex pickups and 7.25" rosewood fretboard with medium frets, on paper the Road Worn Strat seems like it might be a good fit for this Strat-o-nut. So, for a frame of reference, we'll see how if fares against my Mare pickup equipped '62 VHR Strat once it arrives. Curiosity just got the best of me...stay tuned ;).

http://mysite.verizon.net/vaughn47/guitars/60RWStrat.jpg

Anyone else "kickin' the tires"?

[r8burst]

Anyone else "kickin' the tires"?

I think so.....http://www.thegearpage.net/board/showthread.php?t=484118

Tony:)

[Joe_Steeler]

Why the heck not!!??

The purists are out in force "if it's not CS, blah!!", "more money out of MIM and Relic guitars". If they sound and play good, what is the problem?.

[openbar]

It's by far the best looking of the bunch, the maple fretboard ones just look flat out fake.

[trisonic]

I'd give one a go! Same as I would with the new Gibson Les Paul Jnr., you can find real gems by bucking the trendy.

Best, Pete.

[XKnight]

Looking forward to your review.

[gkoelling]

I'd be interested if they had a 9.5" radius. They do look nice, though.

[guitarplayaman]

i'd like to see a pic of the back of the neck...

[Carbohydrates]

I'd be interested if they had a 9.5" radius. They do look nice, though.
I dunno, 7.25" and Nitro is a pretty impressive combo for under a grand. I'll give these a shot when they hit stores, but I have no use for another strat.

[VaughnC]

i'd like to see a pic of the back of the neck...

Not a very clear photo from the MF site...but there appears to be some "comfort wear" on the rear of the neck, and it doesn't look overdone like some of the Fender Custom Shop Strats I've seen around. With the olympic white I think it has a nice comfy old pair of sneakers kind of look that just says "play me"...now only time will tell if it delivers in the tone & feel departments. I'm not really into the relic thing per se but, being in the twilight years of my life, this one appears to have just enough of a break-in head start for me ;). Now, if it only delivers the tonal & tactile goods!

http://mysite.verizon.net/vaughn47/guitars/60RWStratRear.jpg

[Yutaka]

I wonder if they'd do the NOS with thin nitro like these? That would be really cool.

[revgsmall]

Its funny this guitar came up. A few months ago, I bought a very nice playing MIM Telecaster with a nice fat neck and big frets. I 've always loved the Tex-Mex pups so i scored a pair off of ebay for cheap. I have less than $400 into this axe. I bought a cool pickguard for it through Greasy ???? somehing or other. Unless this Road Worn Tele is noticably lighter in weight and has a neck like the CS Nocaster I'll likely have to pass the first go around. $950 is a bit much with so many other alternatives out there. And man, no guitar gets edge chips like that from average wear and tear. Thats kind of a sad attempt at making a "road worn" guitar.

The guitar made the cover of my newest cd: Click on www.coyotebros.net (http://www.coyotebros.net) if you want a peak at the MIM axe.

[big mike]

I'm pretty interested in the 50s tele myself.

[Mike Duncan]

I'll be going after one. The entire line is sweet.

[gkoelling]

I'm pretty interested in the 50s tele myself.

Those do look nice but I'm a little heavy in the Tele dept.

[bluesjuke]

Poly neck, nitro bodies.

Is this nitro over poly or just nitro on the bodies?
Fender's specs don't specify.

[buddastrat]

Me too. I want a 9.5" radius (even tho specs suggest otherwise, It looks like a flatter radius in the pics), 6105 frets, heck I'll use it for parts. the maple neck looks good. I'd take a dremel and remove the rest of the finish too.

Only thing I don't like is, they use the cheap MIM hardware and the neck finish is supposed to be poly, not nitro. I hope string spacing is true vintage on the trem so I can install a real trem.

[VaughnC]

Me too. I want a 9.5" radius (even tho specs suggest otherwise, It looks like a flatter radius in the pics), 6105 frets, heck I'll use it for parts. the maple neck looks good. I'd take a dremel and remove the rest of the finish too.

Only thing I don't like is, they use the cheap MIM hardware and the neck finish is supposed to be poly, not nitro. I hope string spacing is true vintage on the trem so I can install a real trem.

Don't know if the radius spec is accurate but, given a choice, I prefer a 7.25" radius but I can get on with 9.5" too. I just hope Fender finally came to their senses and used an American Vintage spec trem/bridge with a full sized steel block.

If the poly on the neck is thin enough that shouldn't make much difference. The body probably has the typical poly undercoat/sealer anyway and they probably did the same thing with the neck, but just didn't apply a nitro finish coat.

However, as we all know, Strats are very sensitive to the sum of their parts...so these could be dogs or gems. On paper, $950 is a lot of money for these but, IF they have the tone and feel, it'd be worth every penny to me.

[rydog2223]

These look cool and I think it wouldn't hurt to give her a try but I just have such bad memories of playing the Joe Strummer relic tele that was a MIM relic and it sucked! If these play better and feel better then we are in for a treat!

[bluesjuke]

I'm sure they will sell a lot of these to the people that would love to buy a CS Relic but the price is out of the question for them or even if they can go the price mile decide not to.

[sanhozay]

It's a urethane neck finish {not polyester} and those can feel very nice. I like the line except the tuners are ping and the bridge is probably cheap and the Tex.-mex pickups aren't warm enough for me - but more to be revealed. I'm hoping to pickup up a medium priced Strat and this new offering appeals to me. I'm still holding out to see if I can score a used Grosh for $1200 :fingerscrossed:

My issue with Fender Stratocaster's are over the past three years everyone I played or owned was just to damn soft sounding on the bottoms. I fingerpick a pattern on my Tele and the bass lines are punchy and tight - on a Strat they disappear. On my Fano's they are HUGE. I have played vintage Strats {even owned one :cry:} and they have the clear, percussive sweetness on the bottoms, so I know the design should accomplish what I want but finding a good one isn't fun.

[ktp_blues]

Man... If i had the money I would definitely be all over the olympic white 60s strat. Those things look great. I do agree that the maple fingerboards really look fake though. It looks like someone just smear some white stuff on some frets in some areas to me. + 50s V neck is not for me.

I compared the specs and the only real difference between the road worn 60s and the classic 60s MIM is that the finish is nitro (over poly?) on the body of the road worn, and it is also have jumbo 6105 frets. Oh and of course it is also beaten up. The small difference between the two is that the road worn has Tex Mex pickups. For that, the price difference is $250 according to MF. Seems kinda like a fair trade to me.

[big mike]

Yup. bigger frets and pretty damn good pickups for 250 list right?

[ktp_blues]

Yup. bigger frets and pretty damn good pickups for 250 list right?

haha, well I didn't say the pickups are better. The pickups on the classic 60s are probably very similar to the tex mex. Either way, if i were to get the road worn the pickups would be changed. Just like how I would change the pickups on the classic, and the MIAs (excluding the american vintage guitars).

$250 for a really good looking relic job is a good price for me. I don't really mind that it's not going to be totally unique but I'd rather not pay more then that just so there are some dings in different places. And unless you're a total gearwhore, I don't think you would really notice the difference if you have a CS relic next to the road worn. + obviously none of the road worn guitars can have the exact same looking dings, burns, and wear and tear (just compare the pictures that are available for them) so they are still somewhat difference from guitar to guitar.

[big mike]

Well, I think the tex mex sound better than the regular '60's' strat pickups. So for me that would be a plus.

But I hate strats.
So I like the tele. :D

[DrumBob]

As I said, I'm anxious to try them out and will reserve judgement until then. I do like the way they look, but wish there were other custom color options. I can see already that these will serve as good platform guitars for additional relic'ing. I think the pickguard on the Strat looks hokey. That would be easy to swap out for a nicer looking green guard. You could ding that up if you wanted to make it look old. I've been saying "no more Teles for me," but I'm willing to give the Tele a try too.

[thesweetness]

i see that the teles are a satin laquer finish rather than nitro laquer like the strats. I wonder why they did that. Call me a cynic, but it seems like fender always finds a way to mess something up, just when they were on the right track.

Still though, one of the strats on the used market will be such a value, really the way guitars should be. I do dig this line despite the cheese factor of relics, its a nitro body with mostly-vintage specs at poor man prices. They could sell them with the nitro bodies and without the relic and then we'd really have something. Afterall its the fact that you get a thin nitro laquer (to some extent) with relics that makes them good guitars to me, not so much the aesthetics.

[3 Mile Stone]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n6w2ArB_zzM&feature=channel_page

[Stephens]

I just hope Fender finally came to their senses and used an American Vintage spec trem/bridge with a full sized steel block.

I e-mailed Fender about the specs on the bridge and it is not the same as the AV Series. It's a "Ping" bridge. I think these are the standard bridges used on the MIM Classic Series. Not sure if these bridges are good by themselves, or if they would benefit from a better block such as a Callaham. I may be considering the 60's Strat, been looking for a companion for my AV '62. On paper they look great, I need to play one first.

[bluesjuke]

It's a urethane neck finish {not polyester} and those can feel very nice. I like the line except the tuners are ping and the bridge is probably cheap and the Tex.-mex pickups aren't warm enough for me - but more to be revealed. I'm hoping to pickup up a medium priced Strat and this new offering appeals to me. I'm still holding out to see if I can score a used Grosh for $1200 :fingerscrossed:

My issue with Fender Stratocaster's are over the past three years everyone I played or owned was just to damn soft sounding on the bottoms. I fingerpick a pattern on my Tele and the bass lines are punchy and tight - on a Strat they disappear. On my Fano's they are HUGE. I have played vintage Strats {even owned one :cry:} and they have the clear, percussive sweetness on the bottoms, so I know the design should accomplish what I want but finding a good one isn't fun.

I got the poly neck from the Fender site specs. Where did you hear the urathane? Adifferent model than I checked maybe cause I loked at the 50's Strat specs and saw the Teles were a little different.

My '56 Strat Relic has the qualities you speak of.
That was a major criteria for me in choosing a Strat.

[guittguy1]

If these are like My Son's Joe Strummer Tele forget it. That thing doesn't impress Me at all. The whole thing looks like it was sanded, not worn. It just seems like it was done in a hurry.

[HeeHaw]

http://mysite.verizon.net/vaughn47/guitars/60RWStratRear.jpg

The belt sander treatment looks horrible.

[buddastrat]

On the neck, I'd just sand the rest away for best feel on the neck. Maybe a light coat of oil. I wouldn't do it to try and pretend it's worn that way, I just want it to feel good. Like an old Charvel feel or an old strat that's had all the finish worn off.

Only thing that looks tacky to me in that pic is the stained cover which gets tossed anyhow. Hopefully they don't do the pickguard that bad. But you could buff that stain off the plastics anyhow.

[buddastrat]

http://img3.musiciansfriend.com/dbase/pics/products/1/6/7/580167.jpg

Hope they all look this good. No ugly seams in the wood. looks like a two piece body to me. No over discolored plastics or rust. Just a nice looking dulled finish that's got a few beauty marks to get the party started.

[johnh]

Hey VaughanC - any more to report. I'm keen to hear from someone who has played one of these guitars, rather than reading the info from a spec sheet.

[audiodrome]

They would need to offer a '60s P-Bass and then I'm in! If I have to go for the Jazz Bass to get a rosewood fretboard I will, but I'd rather have a Precision.

[crzyfngers]

what's the deal with only 21 frets? dammit man, i want my high e, i can get it with 21 but it's too much work for an old man.

[audiodrome]

I don't like the way the headstock logo looks on the "Road Worn" Jazz Bass (left). It appears to be modeled after the mid '60s version (with the patent number underneath) but it still doesn't look quite right if you actually compare it: 1960 Jazz Bass (middle) and 1964 Jazz Bass (right). Or is it just my imagination? Maybe it's wood color. It looks too much a modern American Standard Series.

http://img90.imageshack.us/img90/1301/hscomphh4.jpg

[bluesking55]

Much rather have the Squier pine -bodied tele 299.00 out the door

[astroman302]

Damn how I wish they were MIA strats!!!

[jazzandmetal?]

Damn how I wish they were MIA strats!!!

Why? They are great guitars. Better than the american standard series IMO.

[Trandy]

Just got a couple of these in today.

Pics are here: http://www.thegearpage.net/board/showthread.php?t=487878

[pickaguitar]

I'm liking that fiesta red jazz version... http://www.fender.com/products//search.php?partno=0131810340

[VaughnC]

Hey VaughanC - any more to report. I'm keen to hear from someone who has played one of these guitars, rather than reading the info from a spec sheet.

Supposedly "available" when I placed the order from MF...then, a day later, I got a "Backorder Notice" email from them. Wonder if they are selling like hotcakes or Fender just didn't deliver them when promised ;)?

[revgsmall]

or Pedro just didn't deliver them when promised ;)? be nice dude, lets not go there in that fashion.

[VaughnC]

be nice dude, lets not go there in that fashion.

Sorry...my comment was meant in an affectionate manner but that doesn't always translate in the typewritten word. My favorite Strats of the 60's were most likely built by those of Mexican heritage and I've yet to play their equal.

[revgsmall]

Sorry...my comment was meant in an affectionate manner but that doesn't always translate in the typewritten word. My favorite Strats of the 60's were most likely built by those of Mexican heritage and I've yet to play their equal.
Now say something nice about Tex-Mex pickups or Tex-Mex food and all will be forgiven:)

[buddastrat]

I was really psyched but now kinda bummed on these. I read they come with the the ping (China) tuners and trem, and those can't be changed out as the dimensions are different.

I've seen firsthand, that those tuners are absolute junk. A lot of times they fall apart. The trem block, if it's the one I'm thinking of is real wimpy. I'm sure Callaham has some kind of fix for that. But I wanted to use a regular vintage trem.

[pickaguitar]

I was really psyched but now kinda bummed on these. I read they come with the the ping (China) tuners and trem, and those can't be changed out as the dimensions are different.

I've seen firsthand, that those tuners are absolute junk. A lot of times they fall apart. The trem block, if it's the one I'm thinking of is real wimpy. I'm sure Callaham has some kind of fix for that. But I wanted to use a regular vintage trem.
I want a 60's bass...think it might have similar issues?
I guess not the trem...if the tuner holes are off they can be filled and drilled.

[VaughnC]

I was really psyched but now kinda bummed on these. I read they come with the the ping (China) tuners and trem, and those can't be changed out as the dimensions are different.

I've seen firsthand, that those tuners are absolute junk. A lot of times they fall apart. The trem block, if it's the one I'm thinking of is real wimpy. I'm sure Callaham has some kind of fix for that. But I wanted to use a regular vintage trem.
Wow, at nearly a grand I would have thought Fender just might do these "right". I like the Jimmie Vaughan Strat and I was kinda hoping for something along the lines of that quality. Oh well, my 60's Strat still on backorder.

[VaughnC]

Now say something nice about Tex-Mex pickups or Tex-Mex food and all will be forgiven:)
Mexican food...now you're talkin'...best stuff to ingest on the planet...but the wife doesn't like the after effects of refried beans on me ;).

[revgsmall]

Mexican food...now you're talkin'...best stuff to ingest on the planet...but the wife doesn't like the after effects of refried beans on me ;). I don't understand your wife's point at all...please let her .....vent on her own behalf.

and by the way VaughnC, love your posts and thanks for sharing what you know!!!

[Todd Lynch]

I was really psyched but now kinda bummed on these. I read they come with the the ping (China) tuners and trem, and those can't be changed out as the dimensions are different.

I've seen firsthand, that those tuners are absolute junk. A lot of times they fall apart.

I recently bought a Classic Player 60's that comes with Ping Kluson-type tuners and easily swapped them for Gotoh Klusons - zero issues.

[revgsmall]

Okay, I'll bite, how do your identify the "Ping" tuners?

[walterw]

I recently bought a Classic Player 60's that comes with Ping Kluson-type tuners and easily swapped them for Gotoh Klusons - zero issues.
and likewise i've upgraded mex reissue strats with usa vintage trem blocks and entire trems, also with no trouble.

[SgMaster]

I played one and spent some good time handling it yesterday at my local Guitar Center. It was much nicer than I'd expected. The frets and fretboard edges are all rolled for smoothness and the neck has just the right amount of broken in feel. Totally satin and silky. It played decently but I was just as concerned about the factory relicing on a non Custom Shop model. It was just decent. Having nitro finish of course helps. It seemed reliced just enough to not look overdone. Yet, as some mentioned about the sander, it wasnt totally genuine looking. If you did a little touch ups on your own it may look more authentic but for what it offers, the price seems almost justified:)

[Jazzydave]

I'd love to check one out but I doubt I'd actually buy one. Why not just grab a solid USA Standard and take some frustration out on it for $300 cheaper?

[johnh]

I've been gigging a MIJ strat and a MIM Classic 60's with Ping tuners for about 15 years with never an issue with either. There is no doubt that my dream guitar would not have Ping tuners, but I really don't think it's much of an issue. Plus when the do inevitably wear out, it seems to be easy and cheap to replace them with something better.

[VaughnC]

I don't understand your wife's point at all...please let her .....vent on her own behalf.

and by the way VaughnC, love your posts and thanks for sharing what you know!!!

Well, as we all know, women "vent" in there own way & time...so I suppose it all evens out in the end ;).

And thanks, I don't actually know a lot...just a lot of accumulated observations I've made over the years.

[buddastrat]

I recently bought a Classic Player 60's that comes with Ping Kluson-type tuners and easily swapped them for Gotoh Klusons - zero issues.

That's good to know. Thanks!

[buddastrat]

I've been gigging a MIJ strat and a MIM Classic 60's with Ping tuners for about 15 years with never an issue with either. There is no doubt that my dream guitar would not have Ping tuners, but I really don't think it's much of an issue. Plus when the do inevitably wear out, it seems to be easy and cheap to replace them with something better.


I'd have thought MIJ would've been Gotoh as they usually are, and I don't think the classic's have been out for 15 years. Thought I remembered them coming out in '99.

But anyhow, glad you're having good luck with them. I work at a store and have seen a few returned because they fall apart with normal use. I don't like the quality compared to Gotoh.

[revgsmall]

Before it gets lost on the previous page, what are Ping tuners and how do you ID em?

[douglee]

I was in Guitar Center the last week as they unboxed 4 of the Road Worns, 3 Strats and a Tele. I played all the Strats, mostly a 50's model, because it had the best setup. I was fairly impressed with the overall look, sound, and feel of it. It did have some ice-pick highs on the bridge pickup, but all other selections sounded good. The curved radius and the tall frets was an interesting feel, but not in a bad way. But I don't think I would pay $999 for a MIM Strat.

[Hugo Da Rosa]

I played both the 50's and 60's line today at Guitar Center and I think it sounds absolutely amazing. Plugged them into a Princeton Reverb and both of them sang and felt great. I personally liked the feel of the 60's neck better as it was rounder and had more of a sanded-worn feel. But the 50's neck had jumbo frets which made the harmonics come out real nice. Pickups were nice and clean - lots of character to them. If I had the money I would've dropped it then and there for one of these guys. Don't be fooled by the fact that they are MIM...still amazing instruments.

[jazzandmetal?]

Please look at my review with pics:
http://www.thegearpage.net/board/showthread.php?t=490611

[Michael T]

I tried one this afternoon. Felt like a mexi strat to me...not worth 1K for the fake wear job.

[jetydosa]

I played 5-6 of them in GC this weekend as well. I was *VERY* impressed. Id say they were all GOOD at least, and several were killer. Its been a long time since Ive played 5-6 off the shelf Fenders I could say that about.

The only thing I would say is I wish the tone knob on the Strat controlled the bridge p/u like on some other models. The bridge on the Strat was a bit too bright for my tastes. Otherwise, they were smokin. I dont care how they look personally.

[Tag]

Are the bodys thinner on the RW Strats like they are on the teles?

[jazzandmetal?]

Are the bodys thinner on the RW Strats like they are on the teles?

What do you mean? I can measure them if you want. I didn't notice that, but I will double check.

[Backless]

Tag, are you saying that the RW Teles have thinner bodies than vintage spec? Mine is 1.75"...same as vintage teles.

[Tag]

Tag, are you saying that the RW Teles have thinner bodies than vintage spec? Mine is 1.75"...same as vintage teles.

I just had 2 Roadworns next to a 52 RI and several US standards. The US standards and 52 RI were all the same body thickness. The RWs bodies were aprox 1/4" thinner, and the tone was about 25% thinner! :cry: This was the GC in Ridgewood NJ. (Formerly Victors house of music)

[jazzandmetal?]

I just had 2 Roadworns next to a 52 RI and several US standards. The US standards and 52 RI were all the same body thickness. The RWs bodies were aprox 1/4" thinner, and the tone was about 25% thinner! :cry: This was the GC in Ridgewood NJ. (Formerly Victors house of music)

Okay, you are right. The finish IS thicker on the 52 reissue.

RW measures 1 11/16 and the 52 RI is 1 13/16. I hope I typed that right.

Tone wise, I would agree that the teles don't quite sound as good as the RI. I do think the 60s strats hold up to their more expensive counter parts though.

[Structo]

These are $950 MIM guitars!:roll

They are probably made on a special CNC relicer machine!

Funny how Fender has jumped on the relic bandwagon.
Too bad they all look alike as though they were put through the way back machine.

The maple fretboards look like crap!

A guy I know went and checked them out at GC, he said they looked like bad poly relics, although Fender claims they are nitrocellulose finished.....:BITCH

[Alpedra]

just the bodies are nitro finished, and probably have a poly coat underneath.

[jazzandmetal?]

These are $950 MIM guitars!:roll

They are probably made on a special CNC relicer machine!

Funny how Fender has jumped on the relic bandwagon.
Too bad they all look alike as though they were put through the way back machine.

The maple fretboards look like crap!

A guy I know went and checked them out at GC, he said they looked like bad poly relics, although Fender claims they are nitrocellulose finished.....:BITCH

Well......I don't know how they would be jumping on the band wagon since well....they kind of started the whole thing and got it to the level it is today.

Also, they are supposed to look like they were put through a time machine. When they came out, the were the "Time Machine" series of guitars.

I agree with you 100% on the Maple. I don't care for the way they did it on these ones. And the wear patterns as to be expected are almost the same on all the guitars. Maybe the DO have a cnc type machine for it.:dunno

Also, they are nitro. Go check one out for yourself. They don't look anything like a poly coated guitar.

[Tag]

Okay, you are right. The finish IS thicker on the 52 reissue.

RW measures 1 11/16 and the 52 RI is 1 13/16. I hope I typed that right.

Tone wise, I would agree that the teles don't quite sound as good as the RI. I do think the 60s strats hold up to their more expensive counter parts though.


Not the finish. The bodys. The actual WOOD is a lot thinner than on the US standards and RIs. I am taking it that the 52 RI has the original body thickness. That means the RWs are thinner, and also a reason why they feel lighter. Simply less wood.

[Backless]

The finish on the 52 RI are much thicker than the RWs. By jazzandmetal's measurements there is 1/8" difference. My RWs finish is the thinnest I've seen including the CS Relics. Maybe this is where the difference is.

[VoodooBlues]

just the bodies are nitro finished, and probably have a poly coat underneath.

They claim that there are no undercoats in the advertising.

[Tag]

The finish on the 52 RI are much thicker than the RWs. By jazzandmetal's measurements there is 1/8" difference. My RWs finish is the thinnest I've seen including the CS Relics. Maybe this is where the difference is.


No, the bodies were much thinner. It had nothing to do with the finish. Its the wood. Hold the guitars up next to each other side by side, you cant miss it.

[big mike]

No, the bodies were much thinner. It had nothing to do with the finish. Its the wood. Hold the guitars up next to each other side by side, you cant miss it.hmmm not that I noticed. Just these? I'll have to double chck but I think I would've noticed. Thinner body would mean the jack cup wouldn't work and it had a trad cup.

[Tag]

hmmm not that I noticed. Just these? I'll have to double chck but I think I would've noticed. Thinner body would mean the jack cup wouldn't work and it had a trad cup.


Hey Mike,
The difference was very similar to a chambered PRS cu22 held up next to a non chambered side to side. Maybe 1/4".

[jazzandmetal?]

Not the finish. The bodys. The actual WOOD is a lot thinner than on the US standards and RIs. I am taking it that the 52 RI has the original body thickness. That means the RWs are thinner, and also a reason why they feel lighter. Simply less wood.


Well the measurements I got were from a 52 and a RW. The roadworns that I have played...teles while maybe a touch thinner in the body were heavier than the 52 I played.

The guitars were measured with a tape measure. Not eyeballed. 1/8" is a big difference from 1/4"

I am not saying that the finish IS why. Just saying that it IS a much thinner finish.

[lakehaus]

I played one on Saturday while at my local GC... I like the way it looked better than the way it felt and sounded unplugged. I didn't plug it in. It didn't move me to want to do that.

[voodoo364]

I'd love to pick one up...the body thickness has me concerned.

[jpage]

A/B'd a Roadworn strat with a Classic 60's MIM, a USA Standard and one of those satin bodied deals with the 70's headstock and black p/u's today. I am looking for resonance, comfort and playability. I will replace any stock strat pickups with Fralins so they aren't an issue for me.
The MIM's are not consistent at all--never have been. The 60's classic I found was a real gem. It was next to two dead ones and one with a tweak in the neck. You really have to play and inspect these if you are in the market for one. Like any guitar IMO, but especially the MIM Fenders. The most resonant guitar was the Roadworn by far--the thing just rang and had a wonderful "zing" acoustically. Unfortunately, the bridge on it was offset and the high E string was almost off of the fretboard. Second was the MIM Classic and last was the USA Standard. That one played nice but had some jagged fret ends and acoustically sounded like it was dipped in rubber.
I will keep looking for a nice Roadworn and will probably buy one if I find a diamond in the rough. It really felt good, was light, and if the one I had today was any indication, really breathed. Not to mention it looked pretty cool.
I don't get the hate for the relics--for the past ten years it's been, "Fender charges $3k for a guitar that looks beat up"... Now, it's, "Fender charges an extra $200 for a guitar that looks beat up". Geez, what do you want? Obviously there are extra costs associated with finishes like this--just look at what a decent aftermarket relic finish will cost. I can't stand finishes with glitter in them, but who the hell am I to judge a guy playing a Sparkle Jet?
Bottom line, it seems like a cool looking, nice playing Strat for under a grand. Just be sure and play and inspect before buying.

[Summerfield]

Following up on jpage's excellent post:

I stopped by Guitar Center today and they had three RW Strats. Two were two 50s models (one sunburst, one black), one was the 60s model (sunburst). In addition to those I played two 60s classics and a 50s classic.

Just real quick: the 50s classic was a total dog, and the 60s classics were both daphne blue (I think, anyway - very light blue) with mediocre action - one had a ridiculously bad bridge setup but was very loud unplugged. That was a bit of a shame.

As for the Road Worns: the body finish is super thin and it's definitely nitro. The neck finish seems to be poly but it's sanded and feels almost the same as a CS relic job. I did not notice the body being any thinner than a standard strat; the bodies are, from what I've seen, the normal deal. I can't speak for the teles on that topic (but I REALLY doubt Fender is pawning off 3/4s thickness squier slabs for roughly a grand - and I'm pretty jaded).

Like jpage said, these guitars are resonant. They're also fairly light. For my money they look pretty great, though I have to say the 50s models seem more authentic to me (the aging on the 3-ply pickguards looks a little "off" but whatever).

The 60s RW was noticeably less acoustically resonant compared to the other two, but I see no reason for that. Luck of the draw I'm sure. The sunburst 50s RW had a good feel to it - it was a really nice guitar. The action was a little high but that's nitpicking since I'll be setting up anything I buy anyway. It was significantly better than the vast majority of "normal" strats I've ever taken off the wall (disclosure: I've owned 3 American Standards and 1 MIM Standard during my career - the sunburst was better than all of them).

Then there was the black 50s RW.

http://img443.imageshack.us/img443/9312/dsc00275th5.jpg

It lives with me now. I've tried to capture the details for anyone interested in these.

http://img154.imageshack.us/img154/8016/dsc00267lw8.jpg

http://img154.imageshack.us/img154/1162/dsc00268gc8.jpg

http://img443.imageshack.us/img443/5104/dsc00274yg3.jpg

http://img443.imageshack.us/img443/2479/dsc00270js2.jpg

http://img443.imageshack.us/img443/9599/dsc00271sg1.jpg

http://img442.imageshack.us/img442/7960/dsc00272pi0.jpg

The bottom line is the good ones are good strats with really comfortable necks. I've been jonesing for a ~ $3,300 CS relic I had the opportunity to jam with at Guitar Center, and for the money this guitar is a better find than the CS. Is this guitar of the same quality? Of course not. It isn't as beautiful or as clean as my Anderson Classic, and god knows the same level of workmanship didn't go into this, but it can hold its own and it's better at really ballsy, dirty tones.

It made me plug it in after I noodled for at least 20 minutes. Plugged it into a blues junior and it played the blues like I like the blues to be played. So, like jpage said, some of them are sure to be gems. The good ones are realllllllllllly good - good neck, good body, the right dude or lady tightened the screws, and it turns out to be magic. I'll post a follow-up after I get to know it a bit better but I can already tell you that it sounds huge and plays super smooth. The neck is extremely comfortable.

Funny added bonus: I didn't even notice, but as I was leaving and the salesperson was reading my receipt he read the serial number (which you can see pictured) - "8 0 5 1 0 0 7." I find that interesting because my area code has always been 805. What a coincidence!

[jetydosa]

I picked up one today too! I tried some out yesterday (see my post earlier in the thread) and stopped by another GC today and tried 4-5 more. Again I would say they were all "good" but two of the 60s Strats really stood out to me (1 3TSB and 1 white). I A'Bed them for a good 30mins probably and finally decided on the white one. I mentioned that I had heard of mom-pop shops selling for 850ish and he said they could match this deal Musicians Friend was doing w/o sales tax that would make it 859 and I said sold!

Came home and tweaked the action/bridge/pickups a bit and man its KILLER! It screams, spanks, quacks, and does everything a good Strat should and feels fantastic while doing it. I A'Bed with with my Nash, and I tell you, it holds up quite well! The Nash sounds a little more "dimensional" I guess I would say but Im sure the Lollars in it have a lot to do with that. This thing is 1/2 the price! I think a boutique set of pickups would really make the thing come alive but I doubt Ill spend the money on that.

I also compared the body size wise to my Nash and its identical, almost down to the contours. On my highly accurate bathroom scale it weighs 6lbs 10oz. LIGHT!

Complaints? The "relicing" doesnt look super authentic but I could care less. I will prob pick up a green guard for it as the pickguard aging *IS* a bit much. I do like the checking in the finish tho. Other that that....the action was a bit low for me and pickups adjusted very oddly at the store but thats it. I will probably wire the treble pickup to the tone knob (like my Nashes) to take out a bit of the brightness but as is, 100% giggable.

Pics

http://www.8400rpm.com/music/wr1.jpg

http://www.8400rpm.com/music/wr3.jpg

http://www.8400rpm.com/music/wr2.jpg

Oh and yeah it comes w/Fender bag but I had an extra brown case laying around...good match!

[franksguitar]

Saw a few at the local GC.

[big mike]

I'd chalk an 1/8th up to finish differences. THere's a lot of poly on the regular stuff. You're not going to save much wood by thickness planing an extra 1/8th.

[buddastrat]

I really love the look of the necks. Body wear looks okay, but both will wear in and look better as they wear. Especially those maple necks! Those bare spots will darken up from sweat and UV. Only thing I don't like is the pickguard aging. It definitely looks weird and too much. But putting a new pickguard on it would stick out like a sore thumb.

[buddastrat]

I can't wait for these to show up on ebay from the chop shop guys!

[LPguitarman]

Played a Road Worn Strat the other day at my local GC. Great feel and sound. Can't get past the $950 for something that looks so beat up. Not a relic type of guy, but that's just me.

[JStizz]

i played one today and LOVED it. i wish i had a G to drop on it.

[Mark]

I got to check some of these out the other day. I picked all of them up and played one. None were light. The Tele's were heavy. I was surprised how much time they spent ageing the hardware and plastic. I played the maple neck strat and the back of the neck felt great! It sounded fine, nothing special. The set up was not good. Strings rattled. When bending the high E it would fret out. Also the frets were really rough. It was a little like trying to bend strings on sand paper :) The fret tangs also stuck out from the fretboard a little. The frets weren't like that on all of them.
I was glad to check these out but they are like the rest. You have to run the racks to find a good one.

[revgsmall]

Aaarrrgghhh! we should split this thread into the RW strat and the Tele. Most folks on this thread are strat guys for sure.

[Blue4Now]

Tried a 50's and 60's strat tonight at GC. Both were about 7.5 lbs and were very nice. The manager siad they sold 5 today. WOW this is going to be a big seller for Fender. He said they has a real nice one in that sold. A black 50's. Very light he said. So like many fenders, you have to pick through a bunch to get a special one.

[blueslover]

I'm sorry but it makes absolutely NO business/economical sense for Fender to use a different size body for this line of guitars.

To further support my claim:
I have a 62 Hot Rod "Thin-skin" nitro body that I stripped to match the mayer relic pattern and the finish on it was pretty thick. I would say the finish on a regular non-"thin-skin" would be even thicker, so that is the difference in size right there (easily 1/8")...

plus these RW's have NO undercoat..

The "beefiness" difference could be easily attributed to the peices of wood/ moisture content/or even the necks on the guitars. Too many factors come into play to just make that claim.

[jboylan67]

I have a 62 Hot Rod "Thin-skin" nitro body that I stripped to match the mayer relic pattern and the finish on it was pretty thick.blueslover,
Did you mostly use lacquer thinner to get the mayer pattern you wanted? Or did you sand it down & start from scratch?

[blueslover]

blueslover,
Did you mostly use lacquer thinner to get the mayer pattern you wanted? Or did you sand it down & start from scratch?

I was going for a similar guitar but in Oly White. So what I did was mask of the areas I wanted to keep and then used lacquer thinner to take it down everywhere else. It looks really cool, definitely has the John Cruz thing going on.

[audiodrome]

The relicing on that white Strat almosts looks too perfect - very calculated and planned out. Maybe it looks better in person.

[omni]

I'm sorry but it makes absolutely NO business/economical sense for Fender to use a different size body for this line of guitars.



Huh?

[jetydosa]

Huh?

Someone earlier in the thread was saying the RW guitars were thinner bodied than the other production Strats, and I believe he is saying it doesnt make sense for Fender to build/carve two completely different bodys just to make 1/8" thinner. Since then I believe people have attributed the diff to the super thin paint finish on the RWs.

[matt5150]

I played a 50's and 60's last night.

Great guitar for the $$$. Sounded good and played even better.

Better relicing that on some CS guitars I have seen.

The local shop is selling them cheaper than I have seen them so it makes them more appealing.

Matt

[omni]

Someone earlier in the thread was saying the RW guitars were thinner bodied than the other production Strats, and I believe he is saying it doesnt make sense for Fender to build/carve two completely different bodys just to make 1/8" thinner. Since then I believe people have attributed the diff to the super thin paint finish on the RWs.

Thanks for clarifying that. I also own the white one. Love it.