Roadworns - the next step?

[RickC]

Whatever you think of them, it's my impression that the Roadworns are hugely successful for Fender. Literally every time I've been in a Guitar Center within the last month I've seen at least one person walk out the door with one; no exaggeration.

So what do you do with a successful product idea like that? You milk it. My guess is that we'll be seeing a second generation of Roadworns by next year, if not sooner. I'm thinking Strats in Sonic, Fiesta, and Seafoam. Maybe a Tele Custom? Maybe with a maple neck and HB (Andy Summers on the cheap - hey Fender, are you listening?)

What would you like to see?

/rick

 

[jazzandmetal?]

DonM is on right track. I am hoping for a Road Worn Esquire or Nocaster.

 

[3 Mile Stone]

Squire '51.

 

[EricPeterson]

I could see them expand it to other colors and options, they are modualr anyway so it would be easy.

FWIW my local shop when I lived in Montana used to relic squiers and MIM strats and sell them for only 25-50 bucks more than standard prices or if they were used they would be less than a new one. The jobs were not as good as the road worn but at least they were unique.

 

[m@2]

+1 on more colors... daphne, seafoam, dakota red etc.

Maybe offer different scales of relicing? light medium and heavy? (I'd personally go for a lighter relic if they offered it)

would neck binding be too cost prohibitive for the market? I'd dig that on a rosewood neck tele

 

[blood5150]

 

[Release]

This: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0qy3bmDkyOw

It's John Mayer talking about Fender putting out 2 versions of his relic black Strat. Hopefully one will be the real deal and the other version will be an affordable model. A relic of a relic!

 

[pir8matt]

The next step will be a third-party company that restores them to sparkly brand-new condition, with poly finishes.

Oh sure, you laugh now..just wait.

 

[Tadams]

they need to work on cutting those fret ends down

 

[VJF]

Teach the guy at the plant responsible for fretboard wear on the 50's Tele how to play in D minor pentatonic

 

[gkoelling]

they need to work on cutting those fret ends down

 

[candid_x]

wwhooaaa... wonder if he used real cigarette ashes on the neck?

 

[candid_x]

My MF catalog arrived this morning. I flipped the cover over to road worn promo, and just stared......genuinely trying to get it. I engaged first the left brain and then the right.. seeing if my creative imagination could conjure some semblance of reason, which would lead me to want to spend a thousand dollars on what I was looking at.

Seriously...

 

[Mike Duncan]

Hey candid x - the thing I try to wrap my mind around is people actually ordering ANYTHING from MF or GC. Good grief, their prices are absurd. $779 locally here in Northern Virginia - fancy way of saying Washington DC 'burbs.

As far as the Relic thing...I'm sure you can find several threads on why or why not we should like Relics.

I'm still trying to figure out why people still (or ever) buy SGs.

 

[m@2]

I flipped the cover over to road worn promo, and just stared......genuinely trying to get it.

you have to play one to find out if it's right for ya... i didn't get drawn in by looking at the catalog either... as far as the relic "love it or hate it" thing, that's covered in about 17,567 other threads : )

 

[Marcel]

Thats just beautiful !!!

 

[candid_x]

Mike, LOL, not too loud on the SG comment or you'll hurt my son's feelings! But between us, I hear that.

Yeah, I've read or at least skimmed the love/hate relic threads, and I checked a few CS's out when they first came out. I can sorta dig it, maybe, if it was the right one. But if it was the right one, I wouldn't care what color it was or how little of the finish was left on it. But a grand for a guitar that really should have upgrades right out of the box? Mnno.

I wasn't aware of MF and GC prices being uncompetitive with local shops. Seems odd, dun'nit?

 

[Ampegged]

I am on the fence with relics, etc. for several reasons. One of the main problems I have is that 90% are just so poorly done. I will say this though, I just left my local guitar center & they had a "road worn" display with two teles & two strats, & they all actually looked way better than I expected. The blonde tele actually looked pretty sharp up close. Way better done than the Strummer tele IMHO. I think they will be very popular & will sale tons of them....

 

[candid_x]

Take it from me, you don't have a creative imagination.

Oh, ok.

 

[rabbuhl]

Whatever you think of them, it's my impression that the Roadworns are hugely successful for Fender. Literally every time I've been in a Guitar Center within the last month I've seen at least one person walk out the door with one; no exaggeration.

So what do you do with a successful product idea like that? You milk it. My guess is that we'll be seeing a second generation of Roadworns by next year, if not sooner. I'm thinking Strats in Sonic, Fiesta, and Seafoam. Maybe a Tele Custom? Maybe with a maple neck and HB (Andy Summers on the cheap - hey Fender, are you listening?)

What would you like to see?

/rick

Yesterday, I checked the price on MF for an American Stratocaster and it was $999.99. Today it is $1,274.99. The price on MF for a Road Worn 60's Stratocaster is the same at $949.99. My suggestion was for them to lower the price of the RW to $850.00 and they would sell more. Instead, they seemed to have raised the price of the American Stratocaster.