Need tone help

[Bassist30]

I bought a used Roscoe. Looking for that huge fat bottom that Roscoes are known for. I also have a Sadowsky NYC 5.
The wood combination on the Roscoe is Spanish Cedar body with maple top. Maple with purple heart neck and with birds eye finger board. Does it have the hugh big bottom Roscoe's are known for ? No It has a good slap tone. But My Sadowsky has a bigger bottom. I was hoping it would have the bottom that I heard Roscoe have. Now, I have it only for a short while. say about 7 weeks. But I can't seem to get the bottom I love and want for this particular instrument. Please don't think im putting down Roscoe basses. Its one of the best priced sounding instruments around....... Im just talking about this instrument. Not Roscoe's in particular. All I want is a huge big bottom....... How? Is this a bad combination of woods for that? Im used to having my Sadowsky near flat. Do I increase the bass all the way. Half way? It has a good sound. but not that big fat bottom. Similar to Jimmy Haslip. But he always had a big bottom as he eq's for that. Can anyone help? Eq suggestions... Body Wood for my next Roscoe if I sell it which at this time I do not. I want to explore it to its fullest . But its a roscoe sound I am looking for.

[Joel B]

Hi Bassist30, Just a couple of suggestions.

One of the Roscoes I have has the same body wood combo as the one you described. I also sometimes needed a little more "Junk in the trunk" so to speak, at least on occasion, so this is what I did.

I too, usually run my onboard preamp nearly flat. I found that I could get a fantastic, booming low end to practice with, but when you added guitars,drums,horns,organs,etc...(you get the picture) I would get squashed in the mix.

Instead of just ADDING control,I first CUT some of the highs about a quarter of a turn, then I moved the balance detent an eighth of a turn toward the neck.

Then, I boosted the mids about a quarter, and the lows about an eighth, and there she was, Big Booty Judy. As a matter of fact, one of the trumpet players I sometimes record with calls my bass that.

I also noticed that you use EA gear. I love their stuff, but I now use Eden. When I was playing through the Iamp 800, I would have to boost the low mids some, and run the highs flat on the amp to get a good bootylicious sound.

I know each piece of wood has its own unique sound characteristics, and your bass wont sound EXACTLY like mine, but this should help you get in the Bootyhood.

Hope this helped, good luck.

[T-MOST]

I have a SKB 3005 Burl Maple/Ash with a Birdseye Maple fingerboard. My Music Director is always wanting me to cut a little bass and add more mid. This is a Gospel ensamble so thick bass is a must... but clear & thick bass is even better. I run though a Hartke 4.5xl cab (which isn't my favorite... or known for thick bottom). I get really good slap tone of course. I am having made another SKB 3005 with Walnut/Spanish Ceadar with a Rosewood fingerboard. This bass should be a little warmer and thicker in the buttocks! But I find that the amp/cab you go through is just as important as the bass you play.

[chadds]

Roscoes have it. But. I just got my second and it didn't have it. In fact the B was listless or ordinary. It was a week old. I thought perhaps my other one was an anomaly or that like you did the wood combinations was deadening the good stuff. I was so discouraged until I learned about and did these two things.
1) with the bass in tune push down firmly on the B string right in front of where it leaves the bridge and if you can behind it. Bend it over the bridge. This makes a real witness point for the vibrations. My Bass suddenly said hello!

2) lower your pickups front and back to at least one depth to even twice the depth of your B string when the last fret is fretted. My Bass now sings like a bird.
The magnets where preventing full vibration of the string.

and I'm assuming your batteries are new and you've got good strings. New they come with D'Addarios Nickels.
Now my bass sounds like a Steinway!
Depending on your pre amp you may have to turn the bass on the bass all the way up. I've done it for years through EA but found out that more mids was better to cut live. Pre that could be in your bass are the Aguilar OPB1 or 3 or Bartolini and probably not the Demeter. If it has boost and cut and a stacked bass/treble pot it is the AG OPB3 or the Bart. The OPB1 sounds great with the bass all the way up but that is huge and sometimes excessive. I also dial the treble almost all the way up that gave me a slightly scooped mids as the t and b crossed.

[Bassist30]

I hit the sweet spot ................. Thanks for all your help.

[poptart]

Originally Posted by Bassist30

I hit the sweet spot ................. Thanks for all your help.

What did you end up doing?