My third thread. My second Roscoe bass.

[Snaxster]

The imminent second Roscoe I mentioned in my first post arrived yesterday. And it's a beaut.

Here is a description of it, including preview photos that link to large photos:

2008 Roscoe Guitars LG-3000 fretted, no. 5937



Since this is only the second Roscoe I've ever played, my points for reference are very limited; but my impression is that this LG-3000 is by the same hand as my LG-3005 fretless, though the two basses feel and sound different. One is a 5-string fretless, the other a 4-string fretted, of course. But more important are the differing woods and neck shapes, I think.

So how does this bass sound? It can make many sounds, yet it always sounds like wood. And that is good. It has this in common with my LG-3005 (and with all Roscoe basses is my guess.)

Here is a little demo of this LG-3000. It is processed, but subtly and it is only the bass being played:

Ditty of "Lady Madonna"

Yes, how better to demonstrate the sound of my new Roscoe LG-3000 bass guitar than to plow under one of the Beatles' finest? (The noise during the sustain of the final chord is good ole bad fretting. Yeah!)

My thanks go to Roscoe Guitars for crafting this fine instrument; to Jay of Blueberry Hill Basses for selling it to me; to Gard for his engaging conversation, way coolness, and exemplary customer service; and again to this forum for encouraging my Roscoefication.

Best,

Snaxster

[Funkplayer]

Hey Snaxter thats a very cool bass, different choice of top wood but in a good way!

Congrats on the new addition.

[JOME77]

Man Snaxter! You're on a roll! Two within one week!
I reconize that beauty from the Blueberryhill Bass website! Great looking Roscoe! Very cool top!

Jay's a great guy to deal with too!

[CliffD]

Dude nice bass brah, if (lets be honest, when) I get a Roscoe 4 banger it'll be an LG, for some reason I really dig the look. Nice choice for sure!

[CrashClint]

I prefer the SKB body on my 5 strings, but when I get a 4 banger it will be an LG with straight pickups with the neck pickup a little closer to the neck.

[Snaxster]

Hello, Funkplayer. Thank you!

The top wood is different, isn't it? I was thinking of it as I usually do the visual character of decorative woods on guitars, as a mix of order and chaos (e.g., flamed maple tends to be orderly, burled myrtle tends to be chaotic.) But this morning I realized the brown knots are like demented ∫ sound holes.

Best,

Snaxster

[Snaxster]

Thanks, JOME77!

The truth is I never meant to get a fretless or a 5-string at this time, let along a 5-string fretless. So the wenge LG-3005 was kind of a rescue mission. I knew it was unique and needed a good home, so I took it in.

Originally I was talking with Jay about a custom Century Signature IV. Then after I got the LG-3005 unexpectedly, the more I looked at the description of this LG-3000, the more I felt I should save some money and time by going for it. Pending a fix for its setup quirks, I don't regret the decision.

It just means I may have a Century Signature IV or V to look forward to.

Best,

Snaxster

[VroomVroom]

I love it! What a gorgeous instrument - I love the contrast between the top and the fingerboard. Totally different, yet one complements the other beautifully.

Great playing, too. I'm VERY anxious to hear you in a group setting, not only for your playing but also to hear how both Roscoes sound in the mix with other instruments.

If you're so willing, would you share details of the setup issues you mentioned?

Excellent post, and congrats on your second outstanding instrument!

[Snaxster]

Thanks, CliffD! In addition to the look of the LG (which I like, too), the light weight should be mentioned.

I haven't weighed this LG-3000, but I can tell that it's very light. Perfect for the mature player with a bad back.

Best,

Snaxster

[Snaxster]

Hi, CrashClint. Yes, I too would have gotten straight pickups if I'd had the option. I watched that zebrawood LG-3000 (with straight Nordstrands and an Audere) on eBay for awhile, but in the end felt this box elder burl one was for me.

Speaking of pickup placement, I needed to lower the pickups quite a bit on this LG. They were quite high at first, and this gave me almost no room to do thumb picking while palm muting. Gard said I had to balance the heights of the pickups so their output would be matched, so I used a micrometer to measure. Then I increased the preamp output adjustment (which I had previously decreased to its minimum setting) and voilà — very playable!

Best,

Snaxster

[Snaxster]

Oy! I just replied to your post, CrashClint, but it ended up under my OP. Please see it there.

Thanks,

Snaxster

[Snaxster]

Hi, VroomVroom. Thanks on all counts!

I agree about the visual pairing of the body top and fingerboard. I went to art school, but Keith Roscoe is making the art.

Once again, you are too kind in your assessment of my playing. Thank you.

As for group settings, my days of real musicianship were longstanding but are now long past. Like many of you, I paid my dues in venues ranging from scary dive bars to big theaters and outdoor festivals (never played an arena or coliseum) and attended countless rehearsals, jam sessions and recording sessions. This time around, I'm not calling it anything; I'm not a musician as I used to understand the term, rather music is something I am simply doing. And I'm doing it at home, alone. LOL!

The main issue with this LG is intonation. I had to make radical adjustments to all the saddles, and one of them couldn't be moved far enough to achieve proper intonation.

There is also a question about action. As per usual, if I play finger-style aggressively, some sustained fretted notes buzz. I often encounter this on fretted basses (it was true of my new Fender J Bass, though Carey Nordstrand improved it.) What was curious about this LG was how high the saddles were positioned.

I've talked with Gard about it and Roscoe will fix the intonation problem and look at the action. (I'm not a guitar tech, but I wouldn't be surprised if the two symptoms are related.)

Thanks again,

Snaxster

[Snaxster]

Originally Posted by VroomVroom

...I'm VERY anxious to hear you in a group setting, not only for your playing but also to hear how both Roscoes sound in the mix with other instruments...

Hi, VroomVroom. This probably isn't quite what you're looking for, but it may be helpful.

I added a little "ensemble" arranged around the previously solo LG-3000 track:

Ditty of "Lady Madonna" for Ensemble

This one is a bit quiet, so crank it up. Oh, and: may Lennon/McCartney forgive me!

Best,

Snaxster

[Snaxster]

My LG-3000 is back! So I threw together a little test piece for it -- just finished, and rough and ready. It features two tracks of the LG, a bassline and a guitar-like treble part:

LG-3000 Test Groove

After the initial inspection, checking the setup, etc., something occurred to me as I played the LG-3000. Have you ever met a beautiful woman and been too polite, too goofy? You're so impressed by her beauty that at first you forget that there is a person in there; a woman. (I'm a GUY guy, so my illustration cites a woman; others can adjust according to taste.)

Well I think that's what happened to me with this LG-3000. I was too polite with it previously -- too impressed by its appearance. But not today I wasn't. I started playing it, digging into the strings, listening to the clank and grind of metal-on-metal resonate through the wood. At one point I was really getting into it () and I realized that not only was I not looking at the fretboard, but I wasn't even thinking about the bass. It was all sound and playing and more sound.

I think these basses are like motorcycles or sports cars in this regard: there's a time to admire their beauty, but when it's time to ride it's time to just ride. And when you push them, you are making them do what they were designed to do. My LG-3000 opened up and showed its true pedigree and purpose when I started to push it.

Now stop reading on the internet and go play the mess out of your bass!

Snaxster

[Gard]

Cool stuff man, you're starting to inspire me to get off my butt and start looking into a computer based recording setup...

...the bass sounds great, so do YOU.

[VroomVroom]

Snaxster, it sounds awesome! Like Gard said, great playing! The bass sounds terrific, and I couldn't agree with your more. With a light touch my basses sound beautiful - that sweet compression (for lack of a better word) is awesome. But when you dig in, that mid presence snarls a bit and really adds to the sound. Nothing quite like it, and to my ears it's what makes a Roscoe a Roscoe!

[Snaxster]

Originally Posted by Gard

Cool stuff man, you're starting to inspire me to get off my butt and start looking into a computer based recording setup...

...the bass sounds great, so do YOU.

You are too kind, Gard. Thank you very much.

But yes, the bass does sound great. It has grit (I was going to say "balls", but I'm not sure if that term is permitted here. ) At first I thought it was good but that it lacked this quality, so this came as a very pleasant surprise.

Thanks again for talking with me yesterday, and for Keith's and your help with my LG.

IMHO:

As for a home recording setup, I know that almost everyone is doing personal computer-based systems, but when I got back into it this time, I went for a stand-alone workstation instead. If you remember not only the sounds of recording in the old days, but the way we worked, you will want the stand-alone DAW.

ProTools and its ilk make you think in terms of blocks or sections of information; but that is not how most music really is. Music flows like a river... or like a ribbon, for which analog tape is a very close metaphor. The stand-alone DAW lets me work in the analog tape way, and I use outboard electronics to get the analog sound.

Best,

Snaxster

P.S. - Speaking of the analog sound, just five minutes ago I took delivery of one of these:



Woo-hoo!

[Snaxster]

Thank you, VroomVroom. As usual, you are generous in your assessment of my playing!

However, I will cop to my recordings sounding better these days. Years ago I was an aspiring producer. I practiced the craft, but I was never a trained recordist and always had an engineer to help me. But I must have retained a lot of what I saw and heard since now I am homing in on good mixes. I can tell you this: in recorded music, mastering is the final frontier. With each mix I learn something new; gain more control and finesse. It's hard work, but very rewarding.

Anyway, the bass. Yes! We are lucky to have such fine instruments. In my brief experience with Roscoe basses, I have noticed they a have broad, rich midrange as part of their sonic signature. Midrange is where most of the action is for us humans (vocal range and all that), but there is only so much I can do with my playing to control it.

So I find myself often using the preamp to roll off some high mids. This resets the scale, so I can dig in harder to get more bark, but lay off and get more round and/or hollow tones by default. I'm mostly in favor of passive tone pots, as I've said, but I think this is a good argument for keeping a preamp in these basses.

Best,

Snaxster

[Snaxster]

Originally Posted by Snaxster

P.S. - Speaking of the analog sound, just five minutes ago I took delivery of one of these:

And now, at 6:00 am the next day, here is some new test music I finished five minutes ago. It features the LG-3000 recorded through the new LA-610 MkII channel strip:

LA-610 MkII and LG-3000 Test

I really shouldn't stay up all night recording.

Goodnight!

Snaxster

[JOME77]

Originally Posted by Snaxster

I really shouldn't stay up all night recording.

Goodnight!

Snaxster

Very nice groove Snax!

Sleep well!