Just played a road worn strat! LMAO!

Re: Just played a road worn strat! LMAO!

I checked them out. I liked them, but the idea of paying about $1,000 for a MIM strat turned me off.
 
Re: Just played a road worn strat! LMAO!

They should be called "Factory Worn."

Ironically, they are called "Road Worn."

It's ironic because their regular Standards are the ones that are getting worn, on the road (road worn), not these.

I don't know a single gigging musician who would buy a "Road Worn" guitar, because of the poser factor.

I just hate the name. They should call them "Factory Worn." That is what they are.

I stand by the statement that any MIA or MIM Strat or Tele in the store has a higher likelihood of getting "worn" on the "road" than any single one of those Road Worns.

God **** it, I am going to have to go get a breath of fresh air
 
Re: Just played a road worn strat! LMAO!

They should be called "Factory Worn."

Ironically, they are called "Road Worn."

It's ironic because their regular Standards are the ones that are getting worn, on the road (road worn), not these.

I don't know a single gigging musician who would buy a "Road Worn" guitar, because of the poser factor.

I just hate the name. They should call them "Factory Worn." That is what they are.

I stand by the statement that any MIA or MIM Strat or Tele in the store has a higher likelihood of getting "worn" on the "road" than any single one of those Road Worns.

God **** it, I am going to have to go get a breath of fresh air

Lol.

To be fair to the name, the ''scratched and dents'' look like someone dragged it on pavement for a few feet.

Maybe ''road worn'' is used as a description of the relic method.
 
Re: Just played a road worn strat! LMAO!

+1. Used to be you had to look on eBay to find some teenager's abused and mangled guitars. Now you can bypass the middleman & buy nasty guitars straight from the manufacturer! Of course, instead of getting them super cheap, now you'll pay even more than one in mint condition. No problem, as long as your disposable income isn't potentially effected by the stock market, real estate market, bank failures, corporate bankruptcies, and massive lay offs. Nothing I like doing more than blowing large amounts of money on beat-up 'new' guitars when I have no job security.

Fender was able to eliminate quality control and raise the price. Bonus time! Every guitar makes it thru now, straight into the stores. What other manufacturer can boost a 0.00% reject rate? Only in America. Not only is our economy collapsing, we're taking down the rest of the world with us. Ideas like this help that happen.

I'm not buying one of these or anything, but why do you care what anybody buys?
 
Re: Just played a road worn strat! LMAO!

I'm not buying one of these or anything, but why do you care what anybody buys?

I don't want to answer for blueman, but I can give you my take on it if you want. For me, it bothers me when people buy into these things, for 2 basic reasons.

1) It seems like it encourages the companies to spend their time making crap like this instead of other instruments with features that are useful, and innovative to the art of playing guitar.

2) Because companies are pushing crap like this onto the masses, it seems like people are getting scammed into thinking that these are good instruments, when they could be buying much, much better guitars for the same amount of money.

So really, I feel like it is a waste of potential by the companies, and a cheat for those who buy those guitars without knowing a whole lot about instruments. I know no matter what, people are going to buy what they want, and I cannot have an influence on human nature....but meh... it's just my opinion.
 
Re: Just played a road worn strat! LMAO!

If they sell, then someone out there obviously likes them. If they don't, they'll go away. Either way, if someone's not interested I hardly see why it should get them all worked up - it is just a guitar after all.
 
Re: Just played a road worn strat! LMAO!

I don't want to answer for blueman, but I can give you my take on it if you want. For me, it bothers me when people buy into these things, for 2 basic reasons.

I'm open for anybody's take as long as we all stay respectful of one another's opinions. :friday:

1) It seems like it encourages the companies to spend their time making crap like this instead of other instruments with features that are useful, and innovative to the art of playing guitar.

Are you saying crap like this meaning the guitars are crappy themselves, or they lack innovation?

Fender has done plenty innovative things in the past 10 years. S1 switching, thin skin, roland ready strats, new super champ, princeton recording amp. The thing is in the last 10 years guitarist have went back to the "old school". So none of this matters matter to most guitars.

2) Because companies are pushing crap like this onto the masses, it seems like people are getting scammed into thinking that these are good instruments, when they could be buying much, much better guitars for the same amount of money.

Believe me the thought of a 1k MIM strat/tele is sickening to me, but so is a 1k American Standard. As an owner of a 99 Am. Standard I've had to come to grips with the fact that sometimes the MIM guitars deliver better vintage tones than the Am. Standard. For some dudes that's THE sound, for other it's not. Personally I'm appalled that a Jimmie Vaughn is so much better than my MIA strat, but that's the way it is. Unless they discontinue allll the other guitars in their line they aren't forcing it on anyone.

So really, I feel like it is a waste of potential by the companies, and a cheat for those who buy those guitars without knowing a whole lot about instruments. I know no matter what, people are going to buy what they want, and I cannot have an influence on human nature....but meh... it's just my opinion.

We all get our opinions :friday:

I'm not into relics for the record.

Luke
 
Re: Just played a road worn strat! LMAO!

As an owner of a 99 Am. Standard I've had to come to grips with the fact that sometimes the MIM guitars deliver better vintage tones than the Am. Standard.

Imagine how I feel --- I bought a used PRS SE for $250 that walks all over my American Standard Strat, that I bought for a 4-digit number of dollars in 1996.

:laugh2:
 
Re: Just played a road worn strat! LMAO!

Luke, I totally respect your opinion on the matter. I see what you are trying to say, but there is still a part of me that feels like the line is a waste of human potential. Your probably right on the whole thing though, as I know I am heavily biased against everything that is a poor relic.

Immortal, maybe that is just because it's a PRS.:cool2: Lol, jk, I own a strat also. I have had americans strat, but I kept a Mexi 50s classic instead.
 
Re: Just played a road worn strat! LMAO!

I
I'm 31 years old and even if I played that guitar everyday for the next 40 years that modern POLY finish Fender uses these days is not going to wear.

.

my #1 strat has been my goto guitar since i bought it in 99, and the finish on the body is still flawless. the back of the neck is shiny where my hand touches it, and the rosewood has taken some color too.

that poly finish, does do its job, looks good no matter what
 
Re: Just played a road worn strat! LMAO!

my #1 strat has been my goto guitar since i bought it in 99, and the finish on the body is still flawless. the back of the neck is shiny where my hand touches it, and the rosewood has taken some color too.

that poly finish, does do its job, looks good no matter what

+1

I remember when I realized my two guitar stand isn't stable on one side without a guitar on the other.....yep the strat took it in stride. Not a mark....of course the trem arm did take a lot of the hit.

Luke
 
Last edited:
Re: Just played a road worn strat! LMAO!

I saw a gaggle of these Rod Worn instruments in the local Guitar Sinner... I had to chuckle. The "wear" on them looks so artificial. These will go the way of the Splattercasters before them, you just watch.

If they're gonna relic guitars, they should do it right and keep it on the Custom Shop stuff where it looks halfway realistic.
 
Re: Just played a road worn strat! LMAO!

Yeah, I sure dont get it.. First, I hate to get dings and stuff on my guitars. So why would I pay more for something pre beat up? (same with the relics)
And especially these, they are MIM but cost what an American strat costs.

And someone mentioned lack of innovation. Ditto. I mean it sounds like alot of work and effort goes into aging these things. do custom graphics or something to individualize the guitars instead.. I Love all the 80s kramers and Jacksons tht had the custom graphics.

I didnt get the high priced relics and I dont get these.. Other than for guys to get relics cheaper..
 
Re: Just played a road worn strat! LMAO!

They are nitro finishes.



True Nitro with the classic sanding sealer, nito based undercoat, color and lacquer techniqe or that marketing term nitro "thin skin" Fender uses where its nitro but over a poly basecoat ?
 
Re: Just played a road worn strat! LMAO!

I have no idea exactly how Fender goes about distressing the finishes on these things, but the results are remarkably synthetic-looking in person. Absolutely unlike real wear.
 
Re: Just played a road worn strat! LMAO!

I don't want to answer for blueman, but I can give you my take on it if you want. For me, it bothers me when people buy into these things...I feel like it is a waste of potential by the companies, and a cheat for those who buy those guitars without knowing a whole lot about instruments. I know no matter what, people are going to buy what they want.

+1. Thank you Phil. People are free to buy what they want, but that doesn't mean companies should take advantage of them. Personally I don't see the point in buying any Fender, but for those that do, they should get their money's worth. It's funny for us to joke about, but really, how many rejects will Fender have now, since sloppy workmanship seems to be just as sellable? It's not fair to unload these on an unsuspecting public at a marked up price. Hopefully the whole concept will flop.

Maybe it will sink in for Luke & other some people here when you think of it like this: What if Epiphone msold relic'd LP's for the same selling price as American-made Gibson LP's (even if they had Gibson PU's, like some models do)? Anyone have a problem with that? Would you personally buy a new road worn Chinese Epi when you could buy an American Gibson for the same price? It's not ethical, and neither is what Fender's doing. Even if they sell only one Road Worn Strat, they've still ripped off some innocent person. The philosophy in corporate America shouldn't be to get away with everything you can, who cares about the chumps. Yeah, I have a problem with that. That's the mentality that's caused the current recession. Greed. What happened to ethical corporate behavior? Is it out of style? Get what you can and screw the other guy, it's his problem.
 
Re: Just played a road worn strat! LMAO!

+1. Thank you Phil. People are free to buy what they want, but that doesn't mean companies should take advantage of them. Personally I don't see the point in buying any Fender, but for those that do, they should get their money's worth. It's funny for us to joke about, but really, how many rejects will Fender have now, since sloppy workmanship seems to be just as sellable? It's not fair to unload these on an unsuspecting public at a marked up price. Hopefully the whole concept will flop.

Maybe it will sink in for Luke & other some people here when you think of it like this: What if Epiphone msold relic'd LP's for the same selling price as American-made Gibson LP's (even if they had Gibson PU's, like some models do)? Anyone have a problem with that? Would you personally buy a new road worn Chinese Epi when you could buy an American Gibson for the same price? It's not ethical, and neither is what Fender's doing. Even if they sell only one Road Worn Strat, they've still ripped off some innocent person. The philosophy in corporate America shouldn't be to get away with everything you can, who cares about the chumps. Yeah, I have a problem with that. That's the mentality that's caused the current recession. Greed. What happened to ethical corporate behavior? Is it out of style? Get what you can and screw the other guy, it's his problem.

Is it really taking advantage of people if there is a desire though? Tom Murphy has so many guys wanting his aged LPs he's months and months behind.

I mean the CS Fender stuff caught on and people who liked but didn't want to pay for it gave rise to Nash, GVCG, and plethora of other guys doing the same thing. All of which undercut the CS by thousands of dollars.

Another thing, the Gibson price structure is radically different from the Fender price structure. A Gibson LP Standard plaintop is 1999 now on MF and Epi LP Standard plaintop is 549. Whereas a MIM strat is 449 and MIA strat is 999.

Now you'll notice thats almost exactly twice as much. Now the ones that are getting the relic treatment are 699 the classic 50s strat. They spend X amount of time doing the relicing and it's 949 so thats 250 bucks more. Now if you want Fender on the headstock, resale etc the only other option you have is the CS strats which range from 2955 to 3849. You could almost...almoooost buy 4 road worns for the cost of the high dollar matching headstock model. I honestly think that regardless of what we think/say about the quality these are probably the creme de la creme of the MIM strat necks and bodies. Since the wood is going to be visible they can't make them of 4 dozen pieces of wood and 13 veneers, and guys are going to expect them to be light and resonant.

I've played the Tele and strat models and they're cool, and they have a vibe, but they aren't my thing....however I think it's marketing and production genius by Fender.

Oh and there are epis that sell everyday for the price of Gibsons. People just put a higher priority on the "looks" when they are getting a Gibson.

Luke
 
Back
Top