Ritter 6 vs Roscoe 6 - Opinions?

[hasadari]

I like Elrick's too, but the one which I tried had a very low radius neck (e.g., thick). I prefer very thin.

 

[Brad Johnson]

I've had them both and Roscoes are hands down the better bass IMHO. Ritter to me are more a work of art. I've owned every and I do mean every high-end boutique bass on the marker Ken Smith, Fodera, Roscoe, Dingwall, you name it, if its a reputable builder then I probably had his bass at one point and time. And my conclusion as of right now is that Roscoe 6 string basses and Sukop 6 string basses are the best playing and sounding basses I've ever laid hands on. I give the Sukop bass the slight edge on playablity and far as feel and action goes. Overall you can set the action very low on both. I have my action currently set at 2/32"nds on the "b" string and 1/16th" at the "c," all without the slightest of fretbuzz. Of course me having a light touch helps also but that Sukop basically plays itself!.

So you've played a Brubaker six? Which model did you own?

Of the two choices, I've played several Ritters and owned some Roscoes. It depends on which one pushes your buttons. They can both be very nice.

If I were in the market for a new six, I'd include Elrick in the search, F Bass BN6, definitely include Wilser Ramirez (a real up and coming Virginia luthier), I liked the Surine Protocol 7 I had so I'm sure a six would be cool and a few other builders. I am currently down to four sixes (sold the BN6 and Elrick) so I'm almost set... I have two Brubakers (KXB and Tone Chamber), a Fodera Anthony Jackson Contrabass, a Bone Avatar (unfortunately no longer being built) and have a fretless Brubaker KXB in process.

Good luck.

 

[jhoffmann33]

I have played Roscoe basses for the past eight or so years. I have played on three different SKB 3006s and one LG 3005. My current is a SKB 3006, maple neck maple board with a Spanish cedar body and maple top. I have not played a Ritter, very cool looking basses though. My spin on things is going to be a bit different.

Roscoe Guitars is a great company and the whole team is great to work with, the team boarders on genius. I will in the future get more instruments from them. However make sure YOU pick exactly what woods you would like in the bass. The thing to remember is just because a piece of wood would make a kick butt coffee table does not mean that it should be put in or on a bass. I have no problem with a company using new nontraditional woods in a bass but some IMO do not work.

This should put a bee in Gard’s bonnet! But the idea of using Wenge in a musical instrument is beyond me. It is a junk wood that was used to make palettes out of in Germany; I was stationed in Germany and had a few German friends. Gard I do not believe that you wenge neck will last as my all maple neck… what would you like to bet?

Walnut is also another loser IMO in the woods not to put in a bass. I have used a Spector 5 and a Smith 6 that where both constructed out of walnut and a maple top with maple necks and rosewood fingerboards. Both bass had them same brittle, trebly nasty sound. Where as my all maple, except for the fingerboard, Spector sounds incredible in comparison to the other two.

Also, be aware that the shape of a 5 string Roscoe is completely different than a 6 string, IMO. I actually preferred the neck of my LG 3005 to my SKB 3006. I liked the more pronounced D shape it had. I don’t like super thin necks… not that the SKB is super thin just not as comfy as the LG neck.

The reason I don’t have the LG any longer is because I mainly sit when I play now and it was impossible to play seated for any length of time. The ergonomics of the bass is also very important to keep in mind to. Do sit when you play? Do you stand? Does the bass need to be light in weight or do you prefer a heavy instrument. And don’t forget the electronics.

 

[Gard]

Jason -

They may make pallets out of wenge (I'm betting you got ovangkol and wenge crossed up, myself), but if so those are some pallets that will still be around in a lot of years!

Wenge is pretty seriously sturdy stuff, my experience with it as a neck material goes back long before my move to Roscoe.

Keep in mind that several other builders are very fond of it as a neck material (Mike Tobias, Rob Elrick come to mind right away), and that the most sought after Warwick basses are the ones from the early 90's with the wenge necks.

It is far from a "junk wood" in my experience. If they're makin' pallets from it in Germany, then I want someone over there to start sending me pallets!

As for a bet, no bet is necessary, as I am pretty certain neither of us will ever collect on it anyhow.

 

[Bryan R. Tyler]

This should put a bee in Gard’s bonnet! But the idea of using Wenge in a musical instrument is beyond me. It is a junk wood that was used to make palettes out of in Germany; I was stationed in Germany and had a few German friends. Gard I do not believe that you wenge neck will last as my all maple neck… what would you like to bet?

Your ideas on the quality of wenge are......crazy? Yeah, crazy's the word. It's a high-quality, very dense wood that's highly sought after by some of the world's top luthiers. If a wenge neck doesn't outlast your lifespan, you're probably doing something wrong with it.

Walnut is also another loser IMO in the woods not to put in a bass. I have used a Spector 5 and a Smith 6 that where both constructed out of walnut and a maple top with maple necks and rosewood fingerboards. Both bass had them same brittle, trebly nasty sound. Where as my all maple, except for the fingerboard, Spector sounds incredible in comparison to the other two.

That may have been your experience, but it contradicts the sound and experience of countless other players (many pros use walnut-bodied basses that have a sound that can't be described as brittle or trebly at all). Perhaps the combo of walnut, rosewood board, maple top, and maple neck isn't what worked for you. I doubt it was the walnut alone.

Heck, my favorite combination of woods for a fretless is a walnut body with a wenge neck I've had two made from two different luthiers, and both sounded terrific and very different than how you're describing.

 

[TrevorOfDoom]

funny... Ed Freidland just got a Century Standard 6 in yesterday. it's perty... and it sounds great!


p.s. i agree with the thought that while ritters are amazing to look at, they don't have a tone that matches. it's not bad, it's just not that great, IMO.
roscoes, however sound even better than they look!!

 

[climb]

Two great instruments. I've had both. The Ritter is better for a collector, and both are fantastic playing/sounding. Ritter resale is better. Sukop 6ers are amazing, btw. This thread won't help you one bit!

 

[Ryan L.]

I've never played a Ritter, but have owned 4 different Roscoe SKB3006's.

IMHO, you can't really go wrong with a Roscoe. Top notch all the way around. They are truly wonderful instruments, IMO and IME.

But, as others have said, it all boils down to what you are looking for.

 

[john turner]

Ritter makes a wonderful bass, as well, but it is no more "hand-made" than a Roscoe (I bet Jens has a CNC router, by the way).

i don't think that's the case, but it may be.



i've played a few roscoes, all fabulous instruments, really well made, and i own a ritter 7, and could not be happier with it. the tone is even and alive, almost composite-necked sounding. considering i have 12 other 7+ string instruments to compare it to, it's saying something when i say 1) the tone is awesome and 2) it doesn't sound like any of my other basses.

they're both great instruments, both serious investments, and you should not think that someone else could tell you which would be right for you, because with instruments of this quality, they can't.

 

[john turner]

This should put a bee in Gard’s bonnet! But the idea of using Wenge in a musical instrument is beyond me. It is a junk wood that was used to make palettes out of in Germany; I was stationed in Germany and had a few German friends. Gard I do not believe that you wenge neck will last as my all maple neck… what would you like to bet?

Walnut is also another loser IMO in the woods not to put in a bass. I have used a Spector 5 and a Smith 6 that where both constructed out of walnut and a maple top with maple necks and rosewood fingerboards. Both bass had them same brittle, trebly nasty sound. Where as my all maple, except for the fingerboard, Spector sounds incredible in comparison to the other two.

if the wood is properly cured, neither wenge nor walnut should have any problems. as for tone, well, that's subjective, but my all walnut 8 string is anything but brittle, and the low f# on it (an octave lower than the f# at the 2nd fret of the low e string) is sufficient to rearrange your insides, with amp and onboard pre set flat. the overall tone of this bass is about as rich and growling as it gets.

i have multiple 7 and 8 string basses with wenge necks, and none have shifted at all - my basses don't even go out of tune when i'm not playing them.

to put this delicately, i find it very hard to believe that wenge is used to make palettes anywhere. not only would they weigh a ton, but they would cost a mint too. wenge is considered an endangered specie of wood, and as such is very expensive.

just as a rule of thumb, it's a safe bet to assume that if something is done by many experienced, knowledgeable folks, like use wenge or walnut in general instrument construction, and has been done for a long time, then it's probably not "junk".

 

[Basso Gruvitas]

Are you going to play it or hang it on the wall? Are you going to gig with it or just pull it out of the case to impress your friends?

What sound are you after bro? That should help you with your decision.








BTW, I have 2 Roscoes

 

[jhoffmann33]

Ok, my point was not to insult anyone. If you don’t agree with me that is your right to do so. But at one point Wenge was not a endanger species of wood and it was not always used in instruments. I seriously doubt that bass manufactures are the ones that made Wenge an endangered species. If I am wrong about it being used as a palette than fine but that is what more than one person told me in Germany. But hey I could be wrong.

My intention was not to insult any… I said I don’t like it. My point was make sure you pick wood you like. I am allowed to not like these combinations of wood for me. I may even like how they sound when used by someone else…

Man now I know why I don't bother with this site.

 

[Bryan R. Tyler]

Who said they were insulted? You were simply shown that your opinions are contradictory to a large consensus of builders and players, and putting something in a negative light without much to back it up will get you a result like that. If your point was to make sure the OP picks woods that he likes, then you wouldn't have done that. Again, no one was insulted, but if receiving opinions and evidence that don't jive with yours disuades you from using Talkbass, then you may want to stay away from the rest of the internet This is about as civil and respectful a site as you'll find.

 

[CrashClint]

The reason I don’t have the LG any longer is because I mainly sit when I play now and it was impossible to play seated for any length of time. The ergonomics of the bass is also very important to keep in mind to. Do sit when you play? Do you stand? Does the bass need to be light in weight or do you prefer a heavy instrument. And don’t forget the electronics.

Wow, I play my LG3005 seated all the time. If I could get away with being seated all the time while I play I would do it! This is one of those things were it may work for one person, but not for another person.

 

[jhoffmann33]

Thanks for the tip Mr. Tyler. I'll keep that in mind.

Crash Clint I am glad that you are having success with your LG! I loved mine to pieces but just couldn't get it to work.

I play seated not out of wanting to but out of being injured. I would prefer to stand but that's not going to happen.

 

[Munjibunga]

Excellent advice.

And Dave, if you've only had experience with an LG, you REALLY need to make the 90 minute drive up 85 to Greensboro. I'd be happy to let you check out my Century Sigs, and if you time it right, there should be one or two SKB's around as well as Century Standards.


Oh, and Munji, that was just not nice...that bass is purdy...

I'm just trying to put more gold in your pocket, man. Our pals over at The Perfect Bass have that one (I have no financial interest in TPB or Roscoe, I just like their stuff).

 

[Munjibunga]

It is a junk wood that was used to make palettes out of in Germany ...

Is this one wenge?

 

[Gard]

Ok, my point was not to insult anyone. If you don’t agree with me that is your right to do so. But at one point Wenge was not a endanger species of wood and it was not always used in instruments. I seriously doubt that bass manufactures are the ones that made Wenge an endangered species. If I am wrong about it being used as a palette than fine but that is what more than one person told me in Germany. But hey I could be wrong.

My intention was not to insult any… I said I don’t like it. My point was make sure you pick wood you like. I am allowed to not like these combinations of wood for me. I may even like how they sound when used by someone else…

Man now I know why I don't bother with this site.

Jason -

No one here was attacking you!

It's just that your information/opinion is contrary to the experience that I myself have, and that of many others.

Your personal taste is completely cool, if you don't like certain wood for tonal reasons, that's fine. But you did come across a bit strong - calling wenge "junk" for one, and pretty much saying walnut sounded bad in any situation - so keep in mind that you may have insulted some folks yourself (not me, I know that wenge is not junk, and you were just misinformed on the subject).

 

[Halftooth]

If money were not an issue...


I'd buy two Roscoes (or more really) for the price of one Ritter.

I'd also probably buy one Roscoe and one Elrick for the price of a Ritter, one Roscoe and one ...you get the point.

 

[hasadari]

If we introduce Sukop into the discussion (whether SC or DC), does this change anyone's feelings on the matter?