So far your only option if you wanted a Fender Relic instrument was a Custom Shop, which was beyond the possibilities of many customers. New new Road Worn series allows you to enjoy the look, feel and sound of reliced instruments without breaking your wallet. These basses have made quite an impact at the last NAMM show in the US.
Fender Road Worn 60’s Jazz Bass
A veritable racecar of a bass, the Jazz Bass was born in the 1960s and became the favorite of players who put as many miles on the instrument as they did on their tour buses. The more it was used (and abused), the more it growled back and became even more comfortable. Fender’s new Road Worn ’60s Jazz Bass guitar delivers that aged look and feel—designed with 1960s specs, including a nitrocellulose-lacquer finish, and built to look, sound and feel like it’s got more than just a few miles on it.
Some things just get cooler with age. It’s especially true of electric guitars and basses they develop an unmistakable mojo over time that makes them look cooler and feel even more comfortable than when they were brand new.
Fender Road Worn Series guitars and basses come with a head start on history and bring the player the best of both worlds a killer aged design aesthetic that conjures up the ghosts of past music lives, paired perfectly with the modern functionality, playability and high-quality that players know to expect from Fender.
Based on classic Fender instruments of the 1950s and ’60s, and production methods invented at the world-renowned Fender Custom Shop, Road Worn instruments reflect the mystic quality of life on the road. The series consists of a ’50s Tele®, ’50s Strat®, ’60s Strat, ’50s Precision Bass® and ’60s Jazz Bass® guitars.
All models feature notably distressed nitrocellulose lacquer-finished bodies, as well as worn chrome hardware (nickel/chrome for basses), to create an aged appearance. Additionally, while the guitars have been designed with period-correct specifications, several modern upgrades have been built into each model, including Tex Mex™ single-coil pickups, larger 6105 frets, and five-way pickup switches (Strat models).
The ’60s Jazz Bass features an alder body, maple neck with rosewood fingerboard, vintage-style reverse tuning machines and American Vintage bridge, four-ply brown shell pickguard, and is available in Three-Color Sunburst and Fiesta Red.
“There’s something magical about a broken-in or worn instrument,” said Justin Norvell, director of marketing, Fender electric guitars. “Many of the musical icons we look up to for inspiration play road-hardened workhorse guitars, and there’s something very powerful and aspirational in that aesthetic. The new Fender Road Worn series guitars and basses allow players to experience not only the look, vibe and tone of those instruments, butperhaps most importantlythey have smooth worn-in necks providing the same comfortable feel as vintage instruments.”