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Roscoe Beck Fans: Check This Out

primussucks9126

primussucks9126

Supporting Member
Jan 1, 2008
1,499
2,622
37
Bronx, NY
#1
So I've been having major GAS for this Cort signature model that's only available on the Indonesian market.

I was browsing a site that stocked it, and I came across this:

Soloking MJ-1 Classic Bass in 3 Tone Sunburst with Roasted Maple Neck and Rosewood FB

Seems to be a straight up copy of the Roscoe Beck signature bass, only WAYYYY cheaper and with a few modernized features (truss wheel, roasted neck, contoured heel).

It's got 1 less fret, and obviously different pickups/hardware, but I would imagine that this packs a lot of the versatility that those basses get praised for.

Edit: Total cost to import one to NYC seems to be 556.31. This doesn't include the customs fee.
 
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#3
primussucks9126 said:
So I've been having major GAS for this Cort signature model that's only available on the Indonesian market.

I was browsing a site that stocked it, and I came across this:

Soloking MJ-1 Classic Bass in 3 Tone Sunburst with Roasted Maple Neck and Rosewood FB

Seems to be a straight up copy of the Roscoe Beck signature bass, only WAYYYY cheaper and with a few modernized features (truss wheel, roasted neck, contoured heel).

It's got 1 less fret, and obviously different pickups/hardware, but I would imagine that this packs a lot of the versatility that those basses get praised for.

Edit: Total cost to import one to NYC seems to be 556.31. This doesn't include the customs fee.
Click to expand...

Ugg, I seriously doubt that thing is going to mimic the RB very well. The Bill Lawrence pickups are pretty unique. Plus, it's just another pathetic forgery.
 
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#5
Michael Jewels said:
Looks good to me.

I say buy it! :thumbsup:

Mike
Click to expand...
I'm far more interested in this:
Cort M¥ISTER Vintage Thomas Ramdhan Signature Bass
I've just never seen anyone attempt to copy the RB, so thought I'd share.

mdogs said:
Ugg, I seriously doubt that thing is going to mimic the RB very well. The Bill Lawrence pickups are pretty unique. Plus, it's just another pathetic forgery.
Click to expand...

I dunno. Pickup locations are right. Same switching setup, construction method and materials. I know how good Bill Lawrence pickups are, but I'd be willing to bet this would get you very close.

I wouldn't say a forgery, but definitely a copy. It doesn't really bug me in this case since Fender have had 0 interest in bringing this back for around 15 years. I appreciate that they at least did a few things to modernize it.
 
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#9
Funny how a Sadowsky jazz bass is considered by most of us a holy graal; a Lull jazz is an absolutely respected hi end bass; a La Bella Olinto Precision (a simple Precision copy that costs an arm and a leg) is revered and applauded, or sort of. Now these guys are putting a big effort (it is evident) in replicating with some good twist in the design a classic bass (RB) and the sentence is "forgery"; maybe it is just me, but let's check their product, first. That do not seem something you find by Alibaba... My opinion, obviously...
 
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#15
I owned a RBV, for a few years, I wanted one ever since I saw it in the Musicians Friend catalog when I was in High School. Is it a cool bass, sure, but it's not as incredible as everyone makes it out to be. The neck isn't my thing, and I found that it gave me a lot of good tones but none that were particularly great. So cool they make a cheap version that looks like, perhaps sounds somewhat like an incredibly overrated bass. Ha
 
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#17
primussucks9126 said:
I love Bill Lawrence pickups as much as the next guy, but look up clips of the old RB IV/V.

It still sounds like a bass. A very Fendery one at that. There's no real magic at play in my opinion.
Click to expand...

Well, yes that was the magic. Up until that bass Fender had not really managed a decent five string Jazz Bass. The RB V was clunky, heavy and not very attractive but it was one of the best five string basses Fender made at that time. The pickups achieved the goal of producing a "vintage" Fender Jazz bass timbre in a five string bass. Something Fender had struggled to do. I don't need to look up clips I still get to hear one in person when I feel like punishing my back. :D
 
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#20
Avezzano said:
Funny how a Sadowsky jazz bass is considered by most of us a holy graal; a Lull jazz is an absolutely respected hi end bass; a La Bella Olinto Precision (a simple Precision copy that costs an arm and a leg) is revered and applauded, or sort of. Now these guys are putting a big effort (it is evident) in replicating with some good twist in the design a classic bass (RB) and the sentence is "forgery"; maybe it is just me, but let's check their product, first. That do not seem something you find by Alibaba... My opinion, obviously...
Click to expand...

At $399 it's an obvious forgery.

At $1399 it's better than any Custom Shop Fender but at 1/3 the price and without the wait or spotty QC.

At $3399 it's boutique, easily as good as my Sadowsky at barely more than half the price.

Hope that helps clear things up.
 
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