NGD 60's Road Worn

[Glacies]

As some of you may have remembered, I have been struggling to find something that is a little bit more pro-grade which I use to describe the idea that I want real quality across the board. I've looked at RG's, considered some custom Carvin's and have been all over the map. My uncle told me that since I like Frusciante so much, I should check out the Road Worn series by Fender because they are really similar in tone and feel to the real old strats, which he has. He's got a 57 and maybe a 62, I can't remember.

So I tried it out and I couldn't put it down. I still can't put it down. I sit at work fantasizing about when I'm going to get to play it again. I can move effortlessly up and down the fretboard with the worn neck. I can play high on the neck without a problem (always a struggle for me on my Les Paul). The pickups are very distinctive, classic fender tone, but a lot of USEFUL variety across the switch which is something I just don't see on any of the other SSS guitars I've played (with the exception of when I started getting into the real strats). Every single setting is just full of just awesome tone, I just can't get over it.

I am playing a party with my old band this weekend and very excited to unveil it there. I am still getting used to the new fretboard so hopefully I don't do any stumbling on the strings, but hot damn this thing is a cool axe!

http://www.productwiki.com/upload/images/fender_road_worn_60s_stratocaster.jpg

Nitro finish (which i'm scared of)
21 frets (was looking for 24 but I don't care now)
Tex-mex pickups (really freaking sweet)
Vintage 7.25" radius fretboard
C neck

I never thought I'd be a Fender guy, but like I said, I'm totally obsessed with this thing. I am going to lay my SX frankenstrat to rest until I am ready to frankenstein it even more. But honestly, after this neck, I feel like I'm ruined for other guitars.

[Eric]

Cool. I'm glad you found something you like. Have fun at your party.

[Spudman]

Congrats. I've heard nothing but good about those guitars. I'm (sort of) anxious to try one.

[Robert]

Congrats, they are really nice. I have a Road Worn Player Strat - it's awesome.

[NWBasser]

I played one of those in the store once. You're right, they are very hard to put down!

Super-comfortable neck and great tones out of those pickups.

Congrats and Happy New Guitar Day!

[FrankenFretter]

What worries you about the Nitro finish? I'd be worried about finding a stand that won't ruin it, but that's about it. Also, remember that all Fenders have a poly dip before they get the Nitro finish.

I've heard a lot of good things about those road-worn Fenders. Congrats on your new Strat!

[Glacies]

Congrats, they are really nice. I have a Road Worn Player Strat - it's awesome.

Thanks, Robert. Yes, I just noticed you had a similar post from a while ago. I considered the players strat too. Not sure what ultimately made the decision for me, but I just bought what I couldn't stop playing.


What worries you about the Nitro finish? I'd be worried about finding a stand that won't ruin it, but that's about it. Also, remember that all Fenders have a poly dip before they get the Nitro finish.

I've heard a lot of good things about those road-worn Fenders. Congrats on your new Strat!

Exactly, I can't put it in the guitar stand that I use, so I am thinking about masking the rubber with tape or something. Also, the strap I use, I can't tell what material the end and I don't want it to react. Other than that I'm just being dramatic.

[cebreez]

http://www.thefret.net/images/misc/quote_icon.png Originally Posted by FrankenFretter http://www.thefret.net/images/buttons/viewpost-right.png (http://www.thefret.net/showthread.php?p=234234#post234234)
What worries you about the Nitro finish? I'd be worried about finding a stand that won't ruin it, but that's about it. Also, remember that all Fenders have a poly dip before they get the Nitro finish.

I've heard a lot of good things about those road-worn Fenders. Congrats on your new Strat!




Exactly, I can't put it in the guitar stand that I use, so I am thinking about masking the rubber with tape or something. Also, the strap I use, I can't tell what material the end and I don't want it to react. Other than that I'm just being dramatic.

Its a "Roadworn". Is that even possible? I'm too careful with my guitars so I'm always scared I will scratch or discolor them. I would LOVE to have at least one guitar that plays great but doest have a pretty finish to worry about. Missed a great deal on a preabused fender strat at a music store that played like butter and haven't managed to find another one since.

[cebreez]

I just reread my post. I hope that didn't sound rude. I really didn't mean it that way. I actually almost bought one. Same thing, I couldn't put it down. But I wanted it because I wouldn't have worried so much about what happened to it cosmetically.

[mrmudcat]

I like those alot Glacies!!.................... cebreez you do have to have atleast one butt ugly:bootyshake guitar to abuse!!!!:socool

[kidsmoke]

Very cool. You sound deleriously happy.

I have a Nitro guitar, my 535. I use a swingaway wall mount, and a hercules floor stand, no problems with either, and both very common in the guitar retail world. My guitar is never in it's case and it gets pretty dang hot in my music room in the summer, so I'd think I'd have seen some issues arise by now.

What are you playing those Tex Mex p'ups through? I have a strat, it's a '97 AM STD that my neighbor has stored at my house for 5 years or so now. Super comfy, but I don't like the sounds and the neck is a bit slim. I'd manage with that if it sounded better. I think the electronics in general blow...but I've not altered anything for obvious reasons. It sits in it's case, pristine....but what a waste!!!

[Glacies]

Tio,

I am. I have it at work today to take to my tech so he can do a real setup. Kind of irritated that GC didn't set it up, but I trust my tech more anyway.

I'm playing through a Crate Vintage Club 50W 2x12 combo and a Boss ME-70 pedalboard. The crate is in pieces right now, just replaced a bunch of the circuits and I'm waiting for new jacks to show up today. I really love this amp but it hasn't been particularly reliable. I'm hoping my fixes bring it into a better state, else I'm probably going to go after a Fender Blues Deluxe Reissue.

[Glacies]

So I mentioned to my tech that the switch was a little weird (middle position sounded like the bridge) and the pickups needed to be balanced (low E sounded like a bass line) and the action was too high. This guy sets up all my guitars and I trust him. He said that the pickups are wired incorrectly and that the middle position volume is wired to one of the tone pots. Also that he'd have to shim the neck to get the action lower at the 12th.

I told him not to do anything and that I was going to take it back to GC to look at. What do you guys think?

[marnold]

So I mentioned to my tech that the switch was a little weird (middle position sounded like the bridge) and the pickups needed to be balanced (low E sounded like a bass line) and the action was too high. This guy sets up all my guitars and I trust him. He said that the pickups are wired incorrectly and that the middle position volume is wired to one of the tone pots. Also that he'd have to shim the neck to get the action lower at the 12th.

I told him not to do anything and that I was going to take it back to GC to look at. What do you guys think?

I'm not sure how these things are wired normally, so I can't comment on that, but I wouldn't think that a brand new guitar should need a neck shim. Don't expect anything intelligent from the GC staff. They'll probably just say that that's the way they all are and you're just imagining things.

[Glacies]

That's kind of what I"m afraid of.

Does the neck shim take anything away from the guitar? Any reason NOT to do it?

[marnold]

I know of people who have shimmed necks before. Assuming that it doesn't have to be shimmed a ton, I wouldn't think it would be an issue. Having said that, I wouldn't want a brand-new guitar that cost almost a grand to have problems like that. You could tolerate it with a super cheap guitar, but not something like that. At least I wouldn't.

[cebreez]

I know of people who have shimmed necks before. Assuming that it doesn't have to be shimmed a ton, I wouldn't think it would be an issue. Having said that, I wouldn't want a brand-new guitar that cost almost a grand to have problems like that. You could tolerate it with a super cheap guitar, but not something like that. At least I wouldn't.

I second that Glacies!

[Glacies]

I would rather pay my tech for it than juggle it back and fourth with GC, but I just want to make sure a shimmed neck isn't the sign of other problems and won't affect anything adversely. The switch thing is a non-issue. I'd fix it myself if I didn't have a policy about working on my guitars.

[cebreez]

I just want to make sure a shimmed neck isn't the sign of other problems and won't affect anything adversely.

That really depends on how far out it is. And is it a bad neck pocket or was the heel of the neck ground too thin? Either way if it is out more than 1 or 2 mm then I would seriously consider swapping it for another one. Shimming does not hurt anything. But a large enough shim job is more than noticeable. I would bet these guitars are not made to really tight tolerances. Play to the masses so to speak. Some people like their action high. I believe SRV kept his a little higher than I would like.

All of that being said. Have you considered replacing the nut? Maybe it was grooved too deep.

[NWBasser]

I would rather pay my tech for it than juggle it back and fourth with GC, but I just want to make sure a shimmed neck isn't the sign of other problems and won't affect anything adversely. The switch thing is a non-issue. I'd fix it myself if I didn't have a policy about working on my guitars.

Shimming is very common to bolt-on guitars and doesn't indicate any problems.

FWIW, I put a shim in my new G&L JB and it made a world of improvement. That bass is not a cheapie by any means either.

[NWBasser]

I just reread my post. I hope that didn't sound rude. I really didn't mean it that way. I actually almost bought one. Same thing, I couldn't put it down. But I wanted it because I wouldn't have worried so much about what happened to it cosmetically.

He he, I thought the same thing. It's already worn and scratched.

I agree too that they're hard to put down. Something special about those Roadworns. I've heard the basses are really top-flight too.

[sunvalleylaw]

sounds like an awesome guitar! Congrats! I hope the minor problems sort themselves out.

[stingx]

Shim it yourself. In fact, learn to maintain your own guitars. No one can know better than you how you like your guitars to feel and play. I had a tele custom built for me and I needed to shim the neck just a tad. I used a piece of business card. Problem resolved. Enjoy the hell out of your guitar.

[Glacies]

Stingx,

I'm actually really scared to do this. I am the head of experimental testing at an engineering research facility, have no qualms about totally ripping apart my amp, but messing with the guitar scares the hell out of me. Is there a good tutorial you know of? I admit I never had my tech solder anything for me, and I'm totally anal about solder joints, so I have been contemplating doing this myself.


So we played that party on Saturday night and just destroyed it. This guitar just cut through the mix so my solos were so freakin incredible, I got lost in my own little world a couple of times and had to figure a way out of it. That happened really badly when we played Blood Sugar Sex Magik by the Red Hot Chili Peppers. I broke into the solo, totally forgot where I was so I just dropped the volume a bit and kept going until the end, where I juiced it and went crazy. Everyone clapped at the end and the band guys were like "Holy hell! We never heard you play like that before!"

I never heard myself play like that before either! It's the guitar man. This is just my guitar...

[NWBasser]

Shims are 100% reversible so if you make a mistake, you just put things back where they were.

I'm a first-class idiot and managed the shim job just fine. Nothing to it really and it helps a lot.

[Glacies]

I'm less worried about the shim after playing this for a bit. He was trying to get the action lower at the higher frets, but I am playing it really well where it is. I'm not particularly shreddy and I play chords hard so when the action is much lower than it is now, I get a lot of buzz. Where he put it is perfect in my opinion.

[sunvalleylaw]

Shim it yourself. In fact, learn to maintain your own guitars. No one can know better than you how you like your guitars to feel and play. I had a tele custom built for me and I needed to shim the neck just a tad. I used a piece of business card. Problem resolved. Enjoy the hell out of your guitar.

StingX, I like your attitude. Good to have you around!