6364

[pantherairsoft]

This has been a while in the making, but now well under way so I thought I'd post here...

It doesn't seem 5 minutes since my Century 3006 Fretless landed on my lap and I've been in love with it ever since. Unfortunately, due to some health complications, the bass I play has become a bit of an issue. I had my dream pair of Roscoes in cosmetic and tonal terms, but due to chronic Tendonitis in the right hand, triggering in 3 fingers, a damaged tendon in my left wrist, shoulder issues caused by constant hyper-extention & the revealing of a serious imbalance in my spine and hips... playing a wide necked, wide spaced, 35" scale bass has become exceptionally painful.

I have put many of these things down to 'aches and pains' for sometime before waking in agony and my fingers triggering persuaded me to go and see a Doc. Word of wisdom - if you have such issues don't ignore them for 6 months like I did!

Being very short, with short arms, and playing 35" scale basses for 8 years has forced my left shoulder into an unnatural position. To counter balance this, my hip has followed suit, causing my spine to be a tad awkward as well. The imbalance in my shoulders seems to of led to some weakening in my arms and slowly to my hands. The Doc has been very helpful and we making great progress without going down the surgical route. I've also been seeing a Chiropractor, which while slow progress at first, is now having fantastic results with my shoulder (Though my hip is still not keen). Facing facts though, the basses I have, while not the sole cause, are only aggravating the conditions.

So... I've spent 3 months trying every bass I possibly can, compiling what helps and what aggravates the conditions. Some things help in areas, but set off other issues etc. 3 months later I have a spec for a bass that works. Letting go of my pair is painful to say the least, the fretless especially.
I'd like to thank Mark @ Bass Direct in the UK for re-housing both my Roscoe Beauties and making parting with that fretless as painless as possible.
While I am not keen on loosing money, the realisation that I am making this move out of necessity and that frankly, my health and ability to keep doing what I love is vital and more important to me than anything. If you want a bargain, snap that bass up!

So, the new bass will be shorter scale, tighter spacing with a non-standard neck profile and very weight-efficeint.

Spec...
Roscoe LG Signature V
Serial number #6364
Tuned E-C with Hipshot Xtender on the E string
32" scale
18.3mm string spacing
Very lightweight Ash body
Buckeye Burl top & headstock facing
Signature Maple/Purpleheart/Maple wedge neck
Ultra SLIM neck profile
Pau Ferro fretboard
Diamondwood nut
Bart/Roscoe pickups (slanted LG style)
Diamondwood ramp (slanted LG style)
Bart 18v preamp with Active/Passive switch
Lightweight black hardware

This bass will be fretted, whilst I have been playing fretless almost exclusively for the last 6 months, this has been as I love the fretless bass just a little more than the fretted. Truth be told, a fretted works with my music too AND is ultimately more versatile should I want to dabble with other things. I will miss having a fretless, but hopefully I'll not be without forever.

The top:


Rough cut body:



Shep

[Jeff Moote]

Nice!

I'm really glad to hear you've overcome the ergonomic issues of the 35" 6 strings and come up with this spec. It sounds like it will be a fantastic bass.

Hopefully with therapy and such, you can get back to pain free as well. I know what it's like to have the body messed up due to doing one activity in an unnatural position (in my case cycling). It feels really good when you start to get back to a normal condition and free of pain.

[pantherairsoft]

Originally Posted by Jeff Moote

Nice!

I'm really glad to hear you've overcome the ergonomic issues of the 35" 6 strings and come up with this spec. It sounds like it will be a fantastic bass.

Hopefully with therapy and such, you can get back to pain free as well. I know what it's like to have the body messed up due to doing one activity in an unnatural position (in my case cycling). It feels really good when you start to get back to a normal condition and free of pain.

Thanks Jeff,

The Chiro has helped far more than the Physio so far. Realigning my hip and shoulder has given me strength back to my arms and eased the tendonitis a little - No trigger finger in 3 weeks, though it's still tight and aching bad.

The shoulder is still 'moving back' to the wrong position between sessions but the hip seems to be playing ball. I'm hopeful about it all and I think that moving to this instrument will mean that between sessions I'm not pushing though shoulders out again etc...

[DAMON]

That top is sick! I can't wait to see this once it's done.

As far as rehab/therapy, stay on top of it. It will work. In the arena of sports, sometimes injuries are great learning tools. Often people come back stronger and better than before they got injured because they learned something from it. Seems like you are well on your way Shep!

[LightGroove]

Sorry to hear of the health stuff. Sometimes its those small things we take for granted...thanks for sharing.

Interesting you went with the LG body as I always felt this was the biggest "reach" persay on a Roscoe?

The bass looks great regardless and hopefully captures all you hope for and then some.

[pantherairsoft]

Originally Posted by LightGroove

Sorry to hear of the health stuff. Sometimes its those small things we take for granted...thanks for sharing.

Interesting you went with the LG body as I always felt this was the biggest "reach" persay on a Roscoe?

The bass looks great regardless and hopefully captures all you hope for and then some.

I spent some time with each of the body shapes and to me the reach felt as though it added an extra inch on the LG - so a 34" LG felt like a 35" Century the way I hold the bass.

In my experiments I also found that standing up, a 33" scale bass was the easiest on my shoulders, however when sitting the two 32" scale basses suited me better as I don't play sitting the way I do standing.

The LG offered me the ability to own a 32" scale bass that feels a little longer when standing (call it a faux-33" neck). I also found the LG's balance to be slightly better given the slight changes to playing angle I have made since my shoulder issues were really highlighted.

Of course, until I have the bass I can never 100% certain that my mathematical calculations based on aspects of other instruments will of worked - but I am feeling good about the choice!!

[Darkstrike]

Looking great! Good luck with everything man.

[pantherairsoft]

Originally Posted by Darkstrike

Looking great! Good luck with everything man.

Thanks dude. It's a scary prospect being a 1 bass man!

[flyman]

Originally Posted by pantherairsoft

Thanks dude. It's a scary prospect being a 1 bass man!

Not if that one bass is a Roscoe! A friend of mine has a 33" scale, ash-bodied LG 3005, that's a blast to play. Good luck.

[pantherairsoft]

Can't argue with logic!

[JOME77]

Awesome that Keith, Gard and the guys are willing to work with on this one! I don't know of any 32" scale Roscoe's out there so I'll be real curious as to how the bass sounds.

Are you getting a special bridge made or are you just going to dial in the 18.15 mm via the adjustable saddles on the current Hip Shot model?

Looking forward to seeing this one come together. Great looking buckeye burl top! Very balanced looking grain.

[Darkstrike]

Originally Posted by JOME77

Awesome that Keith, Gard and the guys are willing to work with on this one! I don't know of any 32" scale Roscoe's out there so I'll be real curious as to how the bass sounds.

I remember seeing a guy with a pair of 4 string 32" scales, all midi too, no magnet pickups.

Originally Posted by JOME77

Are you getting a special bridge made or are you just going to dial in the 18.15 mm via the adjustable saddles on the current Hip Shot model?

IIRC that's almost(if not) dead on with a 5er Roscoes standard string spacing. The 6ers for some reason being a hair wider at 18.5.

[pantherairsoft]

Originally Posted by JOME77

Awesome that Keith, Gard and the guys are willing to work with on this one! I don't know of any 32" scale Roscoe's out there so I'll be real curious as to how the bass sounds.

Are you getting a special bridge made or are you just going to dial in the 18.15 mm via the adjustable saddles on the current Hip Shot model?

Looking forward to seeing this one come together. Great looking buckeye burl top! Very balanced looking grain.

There were a couple of amazing midi basses they made in 32" some years back which quite caught my eye... So I knew they'd knew what they were doing. They are here: Roscoe Midi Basses

18.15mm is the standard Roscoe 5 string bridge spacing. My pair of Roscoes had the 19mm spacing so I'm going slightly tighter.

That Buckeye too was my choice out of 5 equally stunning tops. That one had less detail destroyed by pickup placement so it was the winner.

[pantherairsoft]

Darkstrike - great minds think alike!

[Darkstrike]

[Gard]

Sorry, late to the discussion...

....few things:

Standard spacing at the bridge is what is slated for this one, and that would be 18.3mm or .708" for both 5 and 6 string versions (4's are 19mm or .750")

This will be one stellar looking bass, great top choice by Shep.

On scale length, 32" has been done, but not often. I really don't like seeing a B string get below 34" (really, 35"...but that's just my opinion...man...), the 33" ones we've done were not bad, but I felt I had to "baby" them a bit. Since this is an E-C tuning, I don't think it will be an issue in any way.

Really looking forward to this one moving forward!

[pantherairsoft]

Has the bridge changed? I got the 18.15mm figure from your email back in Jan (18.15mm was standard for a 5 and 18.3mm standard for the 6). Not that it will make any difference under the finger!

E-C all the way.

That Xtender is in the mix though just wen those low notes are needed in a hurry!

[Gard]

Originally Posted by pantherairsoft

Has the bridge changed? I got the 18.15mm figure from your email back in Jan (18.15mm was standard for a 5 and 18.3mm standard for the 6). Not that it will make any difference under the finger!

E-C all the way.

That Xtender is in the mix though just wen those low notes are needed in a hurry!

Um...I dunno why I would have typed 18.15, it's been 18.3 or .708" since the time of the cavemen around here.

I hope that's OK?

[pantherairsoft]

Yeah all OK... No probs on that front

I'd like the Xtender to flick between E and low A please...

...Joke

[Gard]

Originally Posted by pantherairsoft

Yeah all OK... No probs on that front

I'd like the Xtender to flick between E and low A please...

...Joke

Oh, absolutely!