Specifications

Manufacturer:
Fender, fender.com

List Price:
$1,200.00

PERFORMANCE

While the Road Worn guitars undoubtedly look cool, the aging process also helps improve the sound and playability of these instruments. The necks are strategically worn down so they have a comfortable, broken-in feel that’s like an old leather jacket or pair of jeans. The 6105 frets help “tame” the dangerous curves of the vintage-style radius, making it more comfortable to play chords and bend notes.

The lacquer finishes are already applied to the body with a light hand, but in several areas the finish is sanded down so it’s even thinner and the wood is exposed in a few key places. This results in exceptionally lively response and rich resonance that you just won’t get from guitars wearing a thick coat of urethane. If you desire authentic vintage Tele snap, punch and twang, the Road Worn ’50s Tele gives you all of it for roughly a grand.

The Tex Mex pickups deliver big, expressive tones that are a cut above most single-coil pickups on guitars in this price range. Rest assured you don’t need to budget for a pickup upgrade when buying a Road Worn guitar as the tones are pretty hard to beat right out of the box. The Strat’s bridge pickup produces a thick snarl that comes to life through an overdriven amp, and the neck pickup has that desirable liquid quality that jazz, blues and funk players build careers upon.

THE BOTTOM LINE

If you love the look and feel of a more-than-slightly-used guitar but feel squeamish about buying an instrument with a secret past life, the Road Worn Series is for you. The Road Worn Strat and Tele are true players’ instruments that promise to deliver long after you’ve baptized them with tequila, beer and sweat and added your own wellearned battle scars to them.

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