IMG_4658.jpg
IMG_4658.jpg

For sale Roscoe Century Custom 5 JM - 19mm Spacing

Sold
$1,950.00
Strings
5
Status
This item has been sold and is no longer available!

Details

$1950 shipped. Paypal preferred, but I'm open to discuss other payment options. For sale only, not looking for trades at this time.

The tone of this bass is fantastic - big, thick, and meaty, mixed with a nice midrange and treble response you'd expect from a MM-style bass. With its options, it can be very aggressive and snarling, get splatty and funky, or sit back and just do a smooth, fat bass tone with ease. Having owned five EBMM StingRay 5 basses before, I can say this bass definitely has that tonal playground, but with the feel of a Roscoe, extended 24 fret range, and 19mm spacing. So if you're one of those folks that's always wanted a StingRay 5, but can't deal with 17.5mm spacing, this bass is worth your consideration.

Plays great and is in great shape with the following notes:

- There’s a small dent on the treble side back of the neck just behind the 13th fret.

- The battery cover was tightened a bit at some point

- This one has a bit more neck pocket gap on the bass side than my Century JJ5.

Visually, this bass is just absolutely stunning between the gorgeous maple burl top and grain pattern in the Wenge fretboard. Ships in OHSC that's in good condition.

Specs:

#6451
Completed: 4/17/2013
Weight: 8 lbs 13.4 oz (8.8375 lbs)
Scale: 35”
Top: Exhibition Maple Burl
Body: Spanish Cedar
Neck: Maple with Purpleheart Center
Fretboard: Wenge with Upgraded Maple Burl 12th Fret Inlay
Nut: Diamondwood (upgrade)
Nut Width: I measure it as - 1 7/8" (1.875")
Preamp: Bartolini NTMB-F (with switch for MM pickup - series/single coil/parallel)
Pickups: Bartolini

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Reactions: gscroggin, vlad335, Laklandfan and 23 others

Comments

JoelFT

JoelFT

Nov 12, 2011
648
356
Newnan, GA
I remember this bass. It was originally built as a spec bass for the Atlanta Bass Gallery. I was real close to going home with it and even called Gard to accuse him of holding out on me. The pictures do not do that maple burl justice. GLWTS!
 
herndonbassist

herndonbassist

Low Down Thumper
Supporting Member
Apr 7, 2005
2,966
1,316
Herndon, VA - NoVa
www.bandmix.com
I've got a standard plus with the same setup, and I'm falling more in love with it each time I play it. Definitely taken some getting used to, but the Century shape is growing on me (typically play an SKB). If I had the fun money right now, I'd be all over this!
 
Chuck M

Chuck M

Supporting Member
May 2, 2000
5,623
16,436
San Antonio, Texas
I owned this bass and loved everything about it except for the string spacing. My little hands like the standard Roscoe spacing. That said, the 19mm string spacing is fantastic for slapping and this bass has the tone for every style. The photos do not do it justice. It is stunning in person and I believe the Wenge fingerboard adds something lovely to the tone.

Also, don't forget that the bridge is adjustable for string spacing so you can control it to an extent.

GLWTS Someone will get a fantastic Roscoe.
 
KaseOfBass

KaseOfBass

Put some stank on it...
Jan 8, 2007
3,753
3,482
Austin, Texas
herndonbassist said:
I've got a standard plus with the same setup, and I'm falling more in love with it each time I play it. Definitely taken some getting used to, but the Century shape is growing on me (typically play an SKB). If I had the fun money right now, I'd be all over this!
Click to expand...

Chuck M said:
I owned this bass and loved everything about it except for the string spacing. My little hands like the standard Roscoe spacing. That said, the 19mm string spacing is fantastic for slapping and this bass has the tone for every style. The photos do not do it justice. It is stunning in person and I believe the Wenge fingerboard adds something lovely to the tone.

Also, don't forget that the bridge is adjustable for string spacing so you can control it to an extent.

GLWTS Someone will get a fantastic Roscoe.
Click to expand...

Thank you, both!

The Roscoe JM setup is a great one, but it's definitely different from their typical offerings sound-wise. This one in particular is quite the looker, too! Just a gorgeous example of the Roscoe crew's work, but there are plenty of gorgeous Roscoes out there as well. I've had a couple of SKBs and now a couple of Century bodies - the Century is my favorite of the two.

It may just stay with me as it's a great playing and sounding bass and really, I'm just being picky about a few minor preferential details that once I'm playing, I don't really notice until I go back to the Century 5JJ with normal Roscoe spec. As with any Roscoe, this one is super comfortable and plays effortless.
 
KaseOfBass

KaseOfBass

Put some stank on it...
Jan 8, 2007
3,753
3,482
Austin, Texas
This one is back available. It's making trips as a backup, but it's just not getting played. I'd prefer to sell, but would consider trade offers as well. For trades, I'm only interested in five-string basses.
 
KaseOfBass

KaseOfBass

Put some stank on it...
Jan 8, 2007
3,753
3,482
Austin, Texas
Feel free to make a reasonable cash offer. I've got a couple of things I'm eyeing at the moment as a replacement for this one.

With that, I updated the trade interests in the first post. I'm very fond of a ~1.75" nut width if'n you're thinking about a potential trade.
 
KaseOfBass

KaseOfBass

Put some stank on it...
Jan 8, 2007
3,753
3,482
Austin, Texas
Bump for a price drop to $1975 shipped. That's a whole lotta USA-made custom bass for under two grand!

Edit: Trades updated. G&L USA basses have currently piqued my interest, so I've added a couple there.
 
Last edited:
KaseOfBass

KaseOfBass

Put some stank on it...
Jan 8, 2007
3,753
3,482
Austin, Texas
I'd say that 99% of the time a bass isn't selling it's the price, but I can't see that being the issue here. I'm guessing this one is just outside the normal for Roscoe (19mm spacing and JM pickups). It's a great bass, folks!

If you like the StingRay 5 type tone, this bass will do that all day long since the MM pickup is in the same sweet spot as a SR5 (unlike the closer MM placement of a Lakland 55-94/14/02). Then there's those that like the SR5 tone, but not the 17.5mm spacing. This bass gets you there and with the adjustable bridge, you can fine tune it to your specific bridge spacing preference in the 19mm range.
 
KaseOfBass

KaseOfBass

Put some stank on it...
Jan 8, 2007
3,753
3,482
Austin, Texas
Had a lot of nice trade offers on this one, but just not quite the right fit for me yet. I'm expanding trades to amps I'd like to try -

Aguilar AG700 + cash
Mesa WD800 + cash
Bergantino Forte HP + cash
 
SteveC

SteveC

Supporting Member
Nov 12, 2004
31,653
46,778
60
NE ND
KaseOfBass said:
I'd say that 99% of the time a bass isn't selling it's the price, but I can't see that being the issue here. I'm guessing this one is just outside the normal for Roscoe (19mm spacing and JM pickups). It's a great bass, folks!

If you like the StingRay 5 type tone, this bass will do that all day long since the MM pickup is in the same sweet spot as a SR5 (unlike the closer MM placement of a Lakland 55-94/14/02). Then there's those that like the SR5 tone, but not the 17.5mm spacing. This bass gets you there and with the adjustable bridge, you can fine tune it to your specific bridge spacing preference in the 19mm range.
Click to expand...

I would say it's the spacing more than the pickups. It sure isn't the price. Great deal on an awesome bass - regardless of your pickup preference. I loved the J/MM electronics when I had a Lakland. I was tempted to get a Roscoe with that option, but timing was never right.

I have trouble playing my "jazz" bass as it has "standard" 19mm spacing. It's odd that such a minimal difference can be "felt" when playing but I guess it can.
 
KaseOfBass

KaseOfBass

Put some stank on it...
Jan 8, 2007
3,753
3,482
Austin, Texas
SteveC said:
I would say it's the spacing more than the pickups. It sure isn't the price. Great deal on an awesome bass - regardless of your pickup preference. I loved the J/MM electronics when I had a Lakland. I was tempted to get a Roscoe with that option, but timing was never right.

I have trouble playing my "jazz" bass as it has "standard" 19mm spacing. It's odd that such a minimal difference can be "felt" when playing but I guess it can.
Click to expand...

Yep, I can get that, as that's my ONLY hang up on this one - It's a great playing and sounding bass, just not my preference.

Laklandfan said:
Is the nut width the same so Roscoe replace the nut for narrower spacing?
Click to expand...

I'm thinking the answer is yes, but it wouldn't just be a nut and bridge replacement, it'd be an entirely new neck. And that's just way more $$$ than I want to put into it.

With that, anyone that likes the typical 19mm bridge spacing and 1 ⅞" nut common to a lot of five strings out there, would be completely at home and happy with this one assuming you like a thin front-to-back profile and a 16" radius fretboard.

Edit: @Laklandfan - I didn’t notice originally, but I guess you edited your post while I was replying (my email notification had your question as being “Could Roscoe replace the nut for narrower spacing?”). Anyway, to answer this now, the nut on this bass is not the same as a regular Roscoe with 18mm spacing. My Century JJ5 is just a smidge over 1.75” at the nut where this one is 1.875”.
 
Last edited:
KaseOfBass

KaseOfBass

Put some stank on it...
Jan 8, 2007
3,753
3,482
Austin, Texas
For anyone interested, I had a friend bring a Lakland 55-02 over today so I could look over a few things for him. First, it was fairly new, a 2019 according to the serial number, and it played fantastic.

A couple of things as a takeaway since this Roscoe JM I have for sell is similar -

1. The necks definitely have a different feel to them. The nut on the 55-02 is slimmer, but the Roscoe is noticeably thinner front to back. Out of the two, the Roscoe is the faster playing, better feeling, bass in my hands. With that, Lakland makes some of the best feeling necks out there, but I do have a definite preference for necks that are thinner front to back and the Roscoe is the winner here for me.

2. The two sound more similar than different. When set completely flat with both pickups on, the Roscoe has a slightly thicker tone, but I could EQ the 55-02 to get close. I think this is simply because of the placement of the MM pickup in each bass - Roscoe is in the MM sweet spot while the 55-02 is closer to the bridge. To my ears, the Roscoe has more of a funky, modern tone to it naturally with everything set flat.
 
SteveC

SteveC

Supporting Member
Nov 12, 2004
31,653
46,778
60
NE ND
I was playing my 19mm jazz bass tonight for a while. It wasn’t that bad. Of course it’s a 4 string so the neck is slimmer...and I don’t have $1,900 lying around.
 
KaseOfBass

KaseOfBass

Put some stank on it...
Jan 8, 2007
3,753
3,482
Austin, Texas
SteveC said:
I was playing my 19mm jazz bass tonight for a while. It wasn’t that bad. Of course it’s a 4 string so the neck is slimmer...and I don’t have $1,900 lying around.
Click to expand...

Playing that 55-02 and my DJ5, I completely get it. Both are great basses, but my Century JJ5 is just better for me and my current preferences.

This JM makes me want to keep it every time I pick it up. It’s such a great playing and sounding bass, but it’s outside of my current preferences spec-wise. If it were typical Roscoe specs, it wouldn’t be going anywhere. The neck and feel are fantastic for someone who prefers 19mm bridge spacing and a 1 ⅞” nut width.
 

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