7 string pic request...

[nosajwp]

I'm considering posting a want ad for another SKB-3007, but before I do, I was just wondering if any of the Roscoeheads out there could post some pics of their 7 string Roscoe basses.

[Darkstrike]

Not my Roscoes, but I have these pics handy.

[Active Reasoner]

Hey, thanks for posting those pics of my 7's, Darkstrike. The top one is Goldie, and the bottom one is Unity. Thanks again!

Active

[Darkstrike]

No problem, they're a truly beautiful pair.

[jebmd]

Very nice indeed! They'd be fun to try.

[nosajwp]

Very nice! Anyone else?

[Bipslapper]

Originally Posted by Active Reasoner

Hey, thanks for posting those pics of my 7's, Darkstrike. The top one is Goldie, and the bottom one is Unity. Thanks again!

Active

You mean you have two 7 string basses??? Impressive, I would love to try one some day.

[PlanetEarth]

Man, what's the specs on the one in that top pic..??

-PE

[Active Reasoner]

Hey Guys,

Thanks for the compliments, but all credit goes to Roscoe for making such beautiful instruments.
As for having two Roscoe 7's, these are all I play, and are virtually irreplaceable, so at the very least, I need a backup instrument. Also all my music is played in altered tunings, so extra instruments helps lessen the constant retuning hassle.

Goldie is an older model- Maple/Purple Heart Neck with scarf joint, Maple Fretboard, Ash Slab Body, with a thin Maple top, 2Band Bartolini EQ, with Pre Amp Bypass and Coil Tap Switches.
And in case anyone wonders, Unity is a half and half Burl Maple Top, with Spanish Cedar Back, Maple/Purple Heart Neck, with Birds Eye Fretboard, Roscoe/Bartolini Pre Amp with 3 Band EQ.

Thanks Again!

Active

[Gard]

Originally Posted by nosajwp

Very nice! Anyone else?

Dude, you're at most 30 minutes from the shop, and this beast:



...will be finished next week, you should get in touch and come check it out before she ships off to her new home...

[Darkstrike]

Oooh, hot top!

[nosajwp]

Must not be many 7's out there. Want ad placed...maybe someone will offer one up!

[Active Reasoner]

You're right, there aren't many Roscoe 7's out there. I'm just speculating, but as a rough estimate, let's say Roscoe started making 7 strings in about 1990, and has made about 3 a year since, then that would be about 100 instruments.
Hey Gard, could you give us a Roscoe History lesson about the SKB 3007?

[edham]

Question for you lucky 7 string owners?

balance? - how well balanced when sitting on your lap? On a strap?
What do they typically weigh?

How is the 35" scale working for you.

Will Roscoe make a 7 in 34" scale?

I'm seriously considering ordering one. LOVE this thread!

thanks

[JAUQO III-X]

Originally Posted by Active Reasoner

I'm just speculating, but as a rough estimate, let's say Roscoe started making 7 strings in about 1990,

Keith did not make his first 7 string until the very late 90's early 2000's.


I remember talking to Keith in the mid 90's about a 7 string and he laughed at me. He felt that they were impractical. Asking me why would I want a 7 string bass. But a couple of years later he made a 7, 8 and 9 string bass

[Active Reasoner]

Thanks for the info, JAUQO III-X. That completely changes what I thought. Goldie has a scarf joint, and I based my estimate on reading somewhere on this forum, that Roscoe stopped making instruments with headstock scarf joints in about 1995-1996. I figured Goldie must be older than that. Your recollection revises everything.

Hey edham, both my 7's balance perfectly. If you hold them at the neck joint on the open palm of the left hand, they balance level. If you hold them by the upper horn, they balance at the perfect playing angle.
As for weight, Unity is really super light, unbelievably so. But Goldie weighs a ton, definitely the heaviest instrument I've ever owned.
The 35" scale isn't noticeable to me, but I'll bet Roscoe will make a 34" 7 string for you, just call them, they'll be happy to talk to you.

Active

[JAUQO III-X]

Originally Posted by Active Reasoner

Thanks for the info, JAUQO III-X. That completely changes what I thought. Goldie has a scarf joint, and I based my estimate on reading somewhere on this forum, that Roscoe stopped making instruments with headstock scarf joints in about 1995-1996. I figured Goldie must be older than that. Your recollection revises everything.

Hey edham, both my 7's balance perfectly. If you hold them at the neck joint on the open palm of the left hand, they balance level. If you hold them by the upper horn, they balance at the perfect playing angle.
As for weight, Unity is really super light, unbelievably so. But Goldie weighs a ton, definitely the heaviest instrument I've ever owned.
The 35" scale isn't noticeable to me, but I'll bet Roscoe will make a 34" 7 string for you, just call them, they'll be happy to talk to you.

Active

You're welcome.

[Gard]

Originally Posted by edham

Question for you lucky 7 string owners?

balance? - how well balanced when sitting on your lap? On a strap?
What do they typically weigh?

How is the 35" scale working for you.

Will Roscoe make a 7 in 34" scale?

I'm seriously considering ordering one. LOVE this thread!

thanks

Ed, hey man, welcome to the forum.

Balance on a strap for both the SKB & Century 7's is very good - I find the Century is a bit nicer for both 6's and 7's personally, but there is NOTHING bad about the SKB either. Sitting with almost any 7 will always have a tendency to give you a bit of a neck dive issue, but I was playing the Century 7 pictured above yesterday (need to get some completed photos up!) sitting at my desk, and it didn't give me any issues at all.

Typical weight doesn't really exist on our basses, as each is a unique combination of different woods with different weights - even if it's the same combination of woods as another bass, there can be significant variations in density and weight from one piece of wood to another within the same species.

The 34" versus 35" argument has gone on forever, and always will. Everyone has an opinion, and that opinion is correct for YOU. My position is that the difference between the nut and 1st fret on a 34" versus a 35" scale length is literally a FRACTION of an inch, and a pretty tiny one at that. What most people feel is the overall ergonomics of the bass - how it hangs or sits against you in relation to where your hands are. A shorter upper horn will make the nut end up further to the left, thus making you "reach further" to 1st position; a longer upper horn will make the nut end up further to the right, this making the reach a bit "shorter" and more comfortable. That said, I usually recommend the Century body for people that are concerned about the 35" "reach", but still want to go with that scale length. Keep in mind, this is all my personal opinion, and everyone is different - for reference, I switch between 34", 35", and 41.375" (NS Design CR5M) on gigs without even noticing it, so I may not be as sensitive to this as others are.

We will indeed make a 34" scale length 7, there is a $300 retail cost for that option.

If there is anything I can do to help out, or any questions I can answer - please just let me know.

[Gard]

Originally Posted by JAUQO III-X

Keith did not make his first 7 string until the very late 90's early 2000's.


I remember talking to Keith in the mid 90's about a 7 string and he laughed at me. He felt that they were impractical. Asking me why would I want a 7 string bass. But a couple of years later he made a 7, 8 and 9 string bass

I'll have to confirm it, but I believe you may be a bit off on the dates, as there are indeed scarf joint headstock 7's out there, and those vanished in the mid-to-not-so-late 90's, like '97-'98 era. I think there were some mid 90's 7's...don't have my data at hand though, 'cuz I'm at home...and Keith "laughing at" you is very un-Keith like. He may have said he didn't see the idea as practical, and said that he wouldn't do it, that is not out of character, but "laughing at" you would be out of character.

[JAUQO III-X]

Gard when I asked Keith about a 7 string bass in the late 90's, he said that he wasen't interested in making one. And he did indeed laugh and expressed that he thought a 7 string bass was impractical.

This is when Conklin and Warrior were the two main companies putting out 7 and more string basses.


And a couple of years later after our conversation he did make his first 7 string bass.

This is not slam on Keith but my experience with a luthier who at the time of our conversation was not interested in building a particular instrument.