Fender Road Worn '60s Strat through a Fender Twin ReissueThe striking image of a well-worn guitar has long been a symbol of popular music. It elicits an array of emotions, embodies hopes and dreams, and rekindles old memories of seeing (or being in) a band that positively owned the stage at some smokey dive years ago.
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The sight of such an instrument— Joe Strummer’s beaten Telecaster, Neil Young’s tattered Les Paul, Eric Clapton’s “Blackie” Stratocaster, or the epitome of a well-worn instrument, Willie Nelson’s Martin, “Trigger”—makes musicians and non-musicians alike wish they could have been there to see the damage inflicted, or dream about being the ones who dished it out. They can inspire a sense of witnessing history, set in rusted steel and well-used wood.This admiration for beaten and bruised guitars has even created a trend in new guitars, but the phenomenon is fairly recent, when put into context. Fender and Gibson have been producing beaten-up versions of their instruments for several years now.
In the late 90s, the Fender Custom Shop introduced the Relic series, which were highly accurate reproductions of their vintage designs, but purposefully worn to replicate the feel of an actual guitar from the ‘50s or ‘60s. The idea was apparently inspired by Keith Richards, who told Fender that the replica instruments he’d received “looked too new” and that he wanted them to be worn out before he’d play them, so that he couldn’t feel or see the difference. Going even further, guitarists can now buy instruments that actually replicate the exact scratches, dings, and worn finishes of some of their favorite artists’ guitars.New, old-looking guitars can fetch thousands of dollars due to the comfortable feel of the neck, worn edges on the hardware, and of course, the look of cigarette smoke stains and finish dings from rowdy gigs and deflected beer bottles. Now that the demand for vintage-inspired, worn guitars has reached a peak, Fender is introducing an affordable line of their flagship models, complete with all the tarnished hardware, finish checking, and corrosion-encrusted vibe of those instruments.’60s Stratocaster The specimen we received is Olympic White, based on a ‘60s model, with a C-shaped neck and vintage-style tuning machines. The guitar is very striking, with the white body immediately setting off the yellowed plastic hardware and spots of worn finish. Even the tremolo arm has received a treatment, as the metal is lightly tarnished (but smooth) and the tip aged to match the matured pickguard and control knobs. With closer inspection smaller details come into focus, such as the lightly corroded neck plate, tarnished pickguard screws, and worn tuners and bridge saddles.
The only part of the instrument that doesn’t look like it’s been subjected to harsh treatment is the fretboard. The rosewood has a nice, healthy color and the frets are polished and fit to perfection.Running a pair of fingers over the body revealed the wounds to be real, some deeper than others. The distressed finish can certainly be differentiated from the feel of the bare wood, which adds to the effect Fender is aiming for. The back of the neck was a different story, however. Possibly the most important characteristic of a vintage guitar is the way the neck feels in the player’s hand— it can make or break the decision to buy. While the edges of the fretboard felt like they’d been rolled off to maximize comfort, the worn parts on the back of the neck didn’t really feel different from the areas where the lacquer is easily visible. Although there are heavily worn areas on the neck, the un-worn areas felt exactly the same, as if the finish had been worn away, then sealed over again.
It seems to detract from the purpose of replicating those worn areas for comfortable feel and grip that players used to have to work so long and hard to create. Up close, the worn away portions of the back of the body seemed a little contrived, as well. This might have more to do with the fact that it was white, as the Tele seemed more accurate with its worn yellow-to-white-primer areas (more on that in our ).Tonally, the Road Worn Stratocaster sounded a little more open than the Mexican Standard model we compared it with. Structurally, the guitar is similar to its Mexican Standard brethren, except that the Road Worn Strat sports a set of Tex Mex single coils with Alnico magnets, vintage style tuners and a nitrocellulose finish. The combination of upgraded pickups and thin finish allows the sound to bloom and sustain more. The guitar just seems more vibrant and responsive, and the vibrations through the wood are more noticeable than with the Mexican Standard. This could also be due to the additional wearing of the finish—a great side effect of the distress treatment.
![Does A 70s Precision Neck Fits Into A 60s Body Does A 70s Precision Neck Fits Into A 60s Body](https://thumbs3.ebaystatic.com/d/l225/m/mxjzXKlFgKkC45viQ5QlYcw.jpg)
Fender really did an excellent job in crafting this instrument. It may not beat its Custom Shop Relic cousins, but it can certainly hang in there with them.The Final MojoIt’s an obvious fact that pre-worn guitars are highlycontroversial among musicians.
Some love the idea of an affordable,worn replica that’s great feeling great sounding right out of thebox—and one that won’t take years getting it to feel the way they wantit to. Others think the whole thing is as pointless as buying a pair ofdistressed jeans, and are offended that anybody would think that thosebattle scars didn’t have to be earned.
After all, that’s one of thereasons why guitarists love worn guitars in the first place. They speakto the history between instrument and player. In the end, each playerhas to be the one to judge, but you ought to at least play one firstbefore deciding.Some aspects of a well-made, worn vintage replica can be a blessing indisguise: aged pickup magnets, thin nitro finishes and extremelycomfortable necks. If the look turns players away, hopefully the allureof a great sounding and feeling instrument can bring them back. In theend, that’s all that should matter anyway, whether or not it’s achievedby a player over time or by a craftsman in another part of the world.The Road Worn Series shows that Fender is on to something good here.The relic jobs are very good, and the sound and playability are a stepabove the Mexican Standard line.
![Does a 70s precision neck fits into a 60s body parts Does a 70s precision neck fits into a 60s body parts](http://www.bass-pedals.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/fender-p-800x445.jpg)
Some small changes might be nice, aswell. This reviewer is old school and still believes that any guitarapproaching the $1000 mark should come with a hardshell case instead ofa gig bag. As for the Stratocaster, the worn areas on the neck coulduse a greater correspondence to the Tele, and more color options wouldbe interesting, too. A worn, surf green or Buddy Holly blue would lookreally cool with this treatment. If the thought of new relics is aturn-off, then the Fender Classic Player line might be worth lookingat.
The Road Worn Series guitars are definitely in that league. If thegoal is pure rock ‘n’ roll vibe though, the new Fender Road Wornguitars undoubtedly merit a good play.Buy if.you're looking for a good-sounding relic'd Strat with upgraded pickups that doesn't come with a Custom Shop price tag.Skip if.you prefer to inflict scars on your guitar all by yourself.Rating.
A native of the Pacific Northwest, Jordan grew up traveling the country as the son of theater technical directors and speech instructors. His exposure to the performing arts early on helped foster his love for music and attention to detail, and upon receiving his first guitar at age 15, he became hooked.
Jordan brings a considerable background of gear knowledge and tech experience to Premier Guitar, and has contributed an extensive amount of articles, artist interviews and Rig Rundown videos since late 2008. He lives in the Iowa City area, where he also works to bring music education initiatives to both local and regional communities.
LIKE NEW CONDITIONIncludes Fender American Standard tuners and GraphTech nut - both purchased new with neck. Tuners are staggered. No string trees required. Neck was installed on a body that was never functioning. Has never been played. Ships in original box. 21 medium jumbo frets9.5” radius3/16” truss rod adjustment nut at the headstock Walnut skunk stripePredrilled for Fender two pin tuning peg holes US shipping only Items usually ship within 72 hours of received payment.
IF PAYMENT IS NOT RECEIVED WITHIN 48 HOURS OF THE END OF THE AUCTION AN UNPAID ITEM CASE WILL BE OPENED. I ONLY SHIP TO VERIFIED ADDRESS THROUGH PAYPAL. For sale the MIM made in Mexico 1999-2000 Fender Classic Series 50s Strat neck pictured. It hasn't been played much and the frets have very little wear, they were pretty dirty from not being used but cleaned up most of the way just from being played for a few minutes when I tested it with new strings.
It is straight with a working truss rod and has no playability issues. Cosmetically the only things to mention is a big spot in the finish on the back of the headstock and four extra mounting screw holes on the back of the neck heel that won't be visible when mounted. It is in excellent condition otherwise.
It comes with a set of lightly aged made in Japan Gotoh Gold Vintage Reissue Tuners installed. Only what is pictured is included. Guitar NecksThe neck of any guitar typically begins as one solid length of material, often a carved piece of dense wood.
Reinforcement with a rod that runs lengthwise inside the neck adds weight and balance. To complete the neck’s build, a fingerboard with slots in precisely measured intervals is wired with frets and a groove in the tail is cut to fit the body of a guitar. What are some important components of a guitar neck?. Model and make: Over the years, different designers have refined their manufacturing and build components in order to create a signature sound for their instruments.
Standard sizes for bass, electric, acoustic, and other specialty guitars can all sound subtly different depending on brand and personal preference in tone and sound quality. Width and curve: Generally, a thinner neck is often chosen for fast-paced players interested in moving their fingers along the strings quickly while fatter and heavier necks are preferred for their resonance and ability to sustain a note. The way a player grips and the dexterity in their playing can also factor into the neck profile they prefer. Materials and specialty features: From the type of wood used to make the neck to the way a manufacturer attaches it to the body of a guitar, the particular materials that make the components of a neck greatly influence the piece’s effect on playing. Guitar necks built for specialty instruments like 12-strings and mandolins may have an even more specific set of measurements to consider in order to play properly.Does replacing a guitar neck change the way it plays?For many brands, replacing the neck depends on the circumstances and if the piece is broken or simply needs replacing. If already broken, it’s important to check the entire guitar’s body for additional damage and assess if that will impair the quality of sound or the instrument’s ability to play.
Often, repairs can appear successful but are ultimately unable to hold a tune or sustain the notes while being played. Will different brands of guitar necks and bodies fit together?While it is possible for guitar necks manufactured by one company to fit on the body of a guitar made by a different brand, there are a lot of specific requirements to make sure the parts can work together. Some brands can fit another company’s guitar neck with additional pieces or modification to the stock parts.
Other third-party sellers have designed conversion necks or parts to help broaden the types of guitar bodies they can fit.