copacetic

The PF 350 & 500s are by now notorious for dying out on you. Cannot comment on the PF 800. Too many horror stories here in California. They have a 2-3 year life for the most part. Admittedly the portaflex setup looks tops. The cabs hold up ( what too much can go wrong?) So best bet is if you just have your cab fin a compatible amp you like to go along with the show. I was really tempted by these 3 years ago but was warned by fellow Ampeg fanatics about the amps and they have proven right. My B100r is still holding up what 11 years, but that was a different time for Ampeg, before the fall. Now the Ampeg Heritage series are contenders but have that damn price tag. Jess Olivers farewell postcard!

The road worn stamp is there so they are no passed off as something other than they are. I can tell that the nitro cellulose finish on these is thin enough that after not much handling they will be prone to your own wear marks. Actually the finish on these does have some influence on their sound. I noticed they were especially 'woody' sounding compared to some of the other MIM's and even a '62 ri(which was real nice too).

I admit I had reservations about the whole road worn bit esp with the 'worn in the exact same place' tattoo but was in a shop the other day with some time on my hands and went over several Fenders of all styles and price points. I always judge an instrument by it's resonance, feel, balance and sound. The Road Worn is a contender by any stretch of the imagination. It had all those qualities mentioned and it did feel 'worn in'(!!) and comfortable. As with all instruments you can try one of the exact same model, year & make and they can differ. In this case I tried 2 Jazz and 2 P's. All passed the test pretty consistently. I was pleasantly surprised.