Hello folks and fellow Roscoe users.

Scoopbass · #1 07-14-2007, 08:01 PM

I'm a forum newbie from Liverpool, England and only registered here when I spotted the Roscoe section.

I own an SKB3005 with an exhibition grade maple top, ash body and tulipwood board, the body being finished all over in dark emerald green.

It's #5104 for those who are keen to know. It's a truly stunning instrument.

I have Bartolini/Bartolini electrics, which in truth have been no end of hassle. Gard may remember me mailing him in May last year (although there's no reason why he would!) to ask for his thoughts on why my bass drains batteries so quickly... Put new batteries in, put the bass back in its case for a week and the batteries will be completely dead when you come back to it.

I've never rectified it as both the output socket and the battery clips, which were Gard's likely suspects, proved sound. The problem must be in the pre-amp itself.

All the talk of Nordstrands and Auderes on this forum has got me thinking that I might just retro fit them to solve the problem once and for all.

I've not allowed this inconvenience to get in the way of enjoying a truly wonderful instrument tho'. I just put the two x 9volters in ten minutes before I gig and take them out again straight afterwards. No biggy.

I'm not sure, being a newbie here, if I have the savvy to link to an image but I'll give it a go...

ftp://ukmg:bertweedon@www.3dbhosting...%20SKB3005.jpg

Let me know if you can access that...

Scoop

CrashClint · #2 07-14-2007, 08:15 PM

That is a good looking bass!

I wonder if two of the wires are switched around on your jack? It sounds like the Ring and Sleeve wires are backwards, this could cause the batteries to stay on all the time. Preamps use the instrument cable to ground the Ring to the Sleeve which turns on your preamps power. If these two are backwards then the batteries stay on all the time.

Also, I had a jack go bad one time and when you would tighten or loosen the jack nut it would turn the terminal inside the jack and cause it to short against the other post. Also make sure you have shrink wrap or electrical tape around the jack to the Ring or Tip are not touching against the shielding paint on the inside of the bass.

Just some things to look at.

By the way, welcome to talk bass.

Oh, user "poptart" is a Roscoe dealer in the UK, you may want to PM him.

Shiveringbass · #3 07-15-2007, 05:12 AM

Hello Scoop and welcome here.
It's googd to see some fellow Roscoe owners in Europe !

Cheers

Scoopbass · #4 07-16-2007, 07:15 AM

CrashClint - thanks for the advice regarding the possible wiring reversal to the output socket. That hadn't crossed my mind as a possibility.

The socket itself is well insulated there's no question of it shorting to the shielding paint.

finally, thanks for the heads up on Poptart. Good to know.

scoop.

poptart · #5 07-18-2007, 05:16 PM

Hey Scoop, always good to hear from a UK Roscoe user. Welcome onboard

Shoot me a PM about the bass.

Scoopbass · #6 07-18-2007, 07:14 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by poptart

Hey Scoop, always good to hear from a UK Roscoe user. Welcome onboard

Shoot me a PM about the bass.

Shall do.

I'm going to be largely incommunicado for the next ten days or so as I've stupidly agreed to dep for three different bands, none of whom I've actually seen play before, on three consecutive nights over the weekend after next. It's good money but between the three bands there are, at the last count, 38 tunes I've never played before; ranging from The White Stripes to the Zutons to Steely Dan through Frank Zappa to Weather Report.

i have so much to learn that I'm almost in the "rabbit caught in headlights" inability to move scenario.

Once I've got that weekend out of the way I'll be sure to get in touch. It'd be good to get the wiring problem on my SKB3005 sorted once and for all and I really quite fancy a Roscoe LG four string at some stage. I'll start saving the scheckels.

Thanks for your welcome.

Scoop

Scoopbass · #7 07-31-2007, 07:03 PM

::Bump::

Gard,

as you may have seen from the above I've been a bit busy

...but I now want to get my electrics sorted once and for all - do you have any pearls of wisdom you may be able to add to CrashClints' suggestions?

All input gratefully received.

Cheers,

Scoop.

Gard · #8 08-01-2007, 09:22 AM

Scoop -

Based on experience, I would put my money on there being a very small bit of solder poking through the heat shrink tubing on the output jack, allowing it to contact the shielding paint. Seen it a few times....it may not be very evident, but usually, removing the heat shrink, filing down any "pointy' solder joints, and re-heat shrinking the jack makes this issue disappear.

Scoopbass · #9 08-01-2007, 10:50 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Gard

Scoop -

Based on experience, I would put my money on there being a very small bit of solder poking through the heat shrink tubing on the output jack, allowing it to contact the shielding paint. Seen it a few times....it may not be very evident, but usually, removing the heat shrink, filing down any "pointy' solder joints, and re-heat shrinking the jack makes this issue disappear.

Thanks for this, there does appear to one small area where the heat shrink is ever so slightly silvered by a solder appearing to want to push through. I've managed to get a thin layer of insulation tape around the heat shrink.

I'll throw a pair of new 9v bricks into it and see if they pass the "both terminals on the tongue sizzle test" in a week or so (alternatively, I'll just plug in and see if I get a signal...)

Thanks again,

Scoop