Taking Roscoe to see a Man about a Roscoe

VroomVroom · #1 07-06-2009, 01:48 PM

So, had a cool road trip on Saturday. We took this guy...

...to see this guy...

....about this guy:

It was a wonderful time, and at the end of the day (I hate that phrase, but in this case it actually works) Guy #1 was pooped, and Guy #2 and I exchanged Samolians for Guy #3.

So now I've got a third Roscoe bass in the family, and I'm ecstatic! Tony couldn't have made the transaction any smoother, and I'm really grateful - he and his family accommodated us at the last moment (with incredibly gracious hospitality) so I could have the bass in time for two immediate gigs. The first was yesterday afternoon, and...youse guys know me...of course there are some sound clips.

Sample 1

Sample 2

Sample 3

Sample 4

I've commented in other threads about my lust for this instrument. The Nord/Aggie combo, the flat-out stunning top, and that wenge wedge neck...this thing is ridiculous, it sounds as good as it looks, and it just seems like it was made for me. Thanks again to Tony for letting me buy it, and here's to much more music with this beast. I've got a gig tonight that should be even more fun (except for the potential sea sickness...wish me luck!) and I can't wait to play.

jwbassman · #2 07-06-2009, 01:59 PM

Nice. Sweet bass. Great sound clips too. Sounds like it was a fun weekend.

RocketMusic · #3 07-06-2009, 02:35 PM

I'm guessing you didn't trade "Roscoe" for that Roscoe

Basso Gruvitas · #4 07-06-2009, 04:26 PM

Very sweet!

Vroom, you should ask Joe about Guy #3. I think he used to own it!

ubone · #5 07-06-2009, 04:33 PM

Sweet bass Jerry.

VroomVroom · #6 07-06-2009, 04:35 PM

Ha! Nope...the way little Roscoe was behaving on Saturday, I would've been lucky to get a guitar stand and a speaker cable for him.

Instead, I traded Guy #4 (forgot to include him earlier)...

....and a bunch of his relatives for Guy #3.

Here's a phone-cam shot from the gig.

I'll try to capture a few more tonight...we'll be in the tight confines of a bay cruise ship. Should be a great gig - keys/sax/drums/bass. The keyboardist and I will both be running through the Genz Benz Shuttle combo. These guys are smokin' players (what they're doing with me is a mystery

) and the client is a musician who wants us to stretch, so I'm really excited to play this bass on the gig.

Mojo-Man · #7 07-06-2009, 04:42 PM

Jerry killer basses.
I lust for a Roscoe 6-string.
Question, now that you own three Roscoe's.
What are the tonal differences of the three fingerboards?
Any one you like best?
Or, does it matter?

VroomVroom · #8 07-06-2009, 04:58 PM

Good question! I'm not sure I can offer a fair/objective answer, though. I know that sounds like a copout

, but here's why...

Two of the basses have Bartolini electronics and ash bodies. But...one has a myrtle top and a spalted purpleheart board, while the other has a maple top and an ebony board. Further compounding things, that ebony board is fretless. And now the third, while it also has an ash body and a maple top, it has totally different electronics (Nord/Aguilar) to go with a maple board and that amazing wenge wedge neck. So, we really are looking at three different animals here. If it'll help, I'll offer a Cliff Notes version of the tone of each bass:

5520 - ash/myrtle, purpleheart board.
Look up "Roscoe" in the dictionary, and this bass is what you'll find. Which is also why I love it so much. To me it just totally exemplifies the Roscoe sound. Even, full lows, fat mids with that wee bit of upper-mid emphasis and sweet compression, and highs that are a little bit soft but with plenty of cut.

5705 - the newbie - ash/maple, wenge wedge neck, maple board.
There are a lot of similarities with the myrtle/purpleheart one, but this one has a bit more oomph across the board. The lows are really clear, and overall there's a low-mid emphasis to the tone that really makes the bass speak. The highs are a bit more crisp, but definitely not overbearing. To me, this bass just has more "attitude" if that makes sense. It's also the first Roscoe I've owned that has a pretty strong slap tone.

5907 - ash/maple, fretless ebony board.
As you know, taking frets out of the equation makes it a whole new ballgame. That said, this bass is actually quite similar (I think, anyway) to the myrtle bass, with a bit more sparkle from the highs. I'm guessing this is a function of the ebony board, and I'd just love to hear how wicked this bass would sound with frets. The typical Roscoe midrange formula makes for some terrific growl when digging in a bit, and the lows really speak nicely.

I hope that helps a little bit. I'm not sure how much of this relates directly to the fingerboards, but I'm sure that parts of the "strengths" of each instrument owe a little bit to the fingerboard woods. And even if they don't, they sure make each instrument look sexy.

Blake Bass · #9 07-07-2009, 08:02 AM

Congrats on the beautiful bass. Here is a pic of my Roscoe with my Roscoe Century Sig 5 and LG 3005.

Anyone else have a dog named Roscoe?

RTL · #10 07-07-2009, 09:20 AM

I have a dog named Roscoe, but his name has nothing to do with these fine instruments. I didn't even know about Roscoe basses until about 3 years ago, and the doggie will be 5 this year

That's him in my avatar pic, playing with his cat (Dr. Orpheus).

Gard · #11 07-07-2009, 09:36 AM

Jerry, cute dog, you need to head up to OT and join the Bassists With Dogs club!

Blake, nice Sonus Special to the left! That's my second favorite fretless in the known universe (and the bass that influenced a majority of the choices in my first favorite!

)....all three Roscoes look great as well!

RTL, so, your dog influenced your bass choice?

Hey, however you join the family is cool!

RTL · #12 07-07-2009, 09:53 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Gard

RTL, so, your dog influenced your bass choice?

Hey, however you join the family is cool!

Word.

You know, the dog association did have something to do with it

Furthermore, I've been trying to figure out how to obtain #5854, since it matches his coat so well. Gotta love that black & gold!

VroomVroom · #13 07-07-2009, 09:58 AM

Ok, so the gig from last night is in the pantheon. The band was just smokin', the crowd was totally into it (a bunch of moderately imbibed railroad workers ending a convention with a bay cruise), and the bass sounded like a little more than a million bucks. Had my recorder with me...and the microphone for it tucked safely at home. DOH! I am kicking myself for not capturing some of the magic from this gig. The only memory....a phone cam pic taken by the saxophonist right before everyone boarded the boat:

We ran the keys and the bass through the Genz Benz, and both sounded incredible. More kudos to that amp. I am just loving this bass - it sounds like a Roscoe, but one that's been to the gym and now kicks sand on wimps at the beach.

Here's a great hint on how to know the gig is going to be really cool... The guy running the show comes up as the band is setting up and says (and I quote), "Whoa. Beautiful bass. Is that a Roscoe?" I was blown away. Yet another Roscoehead out there!

The only downside - I think the captain from the Exxon Valdez was in charge of the boat - we slammed into the pier on the way out...and then again on the way back in. Fortunately, the Bonine worked. I'm still feeling the motion of the ocean today, but no seasickness.

Darkstrike · #14 07-07-2009, 10:52 AM

Awesome dude, congrats on the new addition!

Sounds just fantastic too.

XavidmanX · #15 07-07-2009, 08:11 PM

Let me tell you that my kids are PISSED that I didn't work the dog into the trade. What a great little guy! Jerry and his lovely wife were also pretty nice, but my kids forgot their names in about 10 minutes and can't stop saying "Roscoe licked my face!" "Roscoe dove head first into the water dish!" "Roscoe humped our dog!". That last one is much funnier to watch than it is to talk about. Jerry, your dog needs some pointers.

Seriously, this is one of the finest examples of a Roscoe I've ever seen (the bass, not the dog...although the dog is pretty special). Had it not been for my affinity for 5 strings and my bills I'm stacking up associated with my dissertation (editor, statistician, etc.) then the bass would still be here in Bako. Either way, it couldn't have gone to a better player or a nicer guy.

Let's just say I see a similar Roscoe in 5 strings with 19mm spacing in my future.

CactusmanDoug · #16 07-07-2009, 08:50 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by RTL

You know, the dog association did have something to do with it

Absolutely. I was pondering a handmade bass in 2006. Shortly thereafter, I had to make the dreaded decision to have my beloved friend, Roscoe (the large handsome fellow towards the top of my avatar) put down due to old age.

I somehow stumbled onto Roscoe basses and had to have one even though I'd never played one.

()smoke() · #17 07-07-2009, 09:28 PM

great thread, i love the bass and the story is very entertaining!

JOME77 · #18 07-08-2009, 07:10 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Basso Gruvitas

Very sweet!

Vroom, you should ask Joe about Guy #3. I think he used to own it!

Oh yeah! As a matter of fact, unless it's been altered, you'll find part of a FedEx business card shimming that neck. Just enough to get the action where I wanted it.

That is one very stunning top. I'd still have it if I could have ever found a use for the high "C".

I think hanging with Jerry for a while might have tought me a few uses for it!

Very nice addition to your collection!

CrashClint · #19 07-08-2009, 08:19 AM

I believe that is the bass I put in one of the Roscoe Ads on the left side of this forum.

Gard · #20 07-08-2009, 08:56 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by CrashClint

I believe that is the bass I put in one of the Roscoe Ads on the left side of this forum.

It is, and with good reason, that's a killer bass in every way!

Tony, you've had this one twice now, right?

....let me know when you're ready to put that 5er on order!