• TalkBass has been independent since 1998. Add your voice.
    Create a free account to reply to discussions, view embedded media, and browse with fewer display ads.
    Join free Log in
    Want zero display ads or expanded classifieds tools? Compare plans.

Roscoe Club

#20,121
@bgartist Roscoe Barts replaced 57js, and the switches (series/parallel) were added. All of this was done at the Roscoe factory, where the bass also received Plek. Subsequently, @Joe BassPlayer gave it one of his famous fine-tune setups, and life has been good since. Right, @SteveC ?
 
Last edited:
  • Like
Reactions: steelin4u, SteveC and Joe BassPlayer
#20,122
brian v2.0 said:
Hey there fellow Roscoe lovers! A beat up 1990's Roscoe was my first really nice bass. Unfortunately back in 2005 it was stolen. After a few years of buying and selling everything from Dingwalls, to Benaventes, to Devons, to Spectors, etc... I found another 90s Roscoe with weird old EMG electronics and an old Schaller bridge. I got it for a great deal and had my buddy Justin from J. Kennedy Guitars put an East U-Retro preamp, a Hipshot Bridge and Ultralite tuners on it. It's been my number one bass now for about a decade.

Here's a pic before the upgrades and a more recent one of a part of my collection, including the upgraded Roscoe. Do I need to do anything else to get a number?
Click to expand...

I really enjoy Keith's scarf joint necks from the mid 90s. They fit like a glove to my hands.
 
  • Like
Reactions: brian v2.0 and Joe BassPlayer
#20,123
Purchased during a “two week” period. Replaced the pickups with Pure Vintage 63’s and is now wearing LaBella 760FLs.
FBF8340F-3222-4748-9384-415E17B2874D.jpeg
 
  • Like
Reactions: Freddy-G., Mighty Thumb, oren and 3 others
#20,132
JOME77 said:
The Nordstrand preamp arrived today and I originally thought that I’d wait a while before I installed it but I only last an hour or so …. :roflmao:

View attachment 4455285
Click to expand...
Wow, nice work in there! I bet it will sound great, but you should confirm that in another hour or so. ;)
 
  • Like
Reactions: staccatogrowl, armybass, Fred312b and 1 other person
#20,133
Nightman said:
And the sound verdict?
Click to expand...

steelin4u said:
Wow, nice work in there! I bet it will sound great, but you should confirm that in another hour or so. ;)
Click to expand...

Much more versatile sound. It can get the really warm Bart tones but it can also get the nice clear open tones (and anything in between).
Plus you get the great passive function along with the passive tone control. What’s not to love? The Nordstrand pre should be a standard offering IMO.

41A75F9A-EF02-41A2-B48E-FCEDFE92BCFC.jpeg
 
  • Like
Reactions: Mighty Thumb, Nightman, geggy spoiger and 7 others
#20,134
I believe what amazes me the most about changing out the preamp is the fact that for years we were all told that the Roscoe Bart quad coil pickups were not suitable to be run in the passive mode (that the output would be to low due to the impedance of the pickups). Yet with the Nordstrand preamp the output level (without boost of the active EQ controls) is exactly the same in the passive mode as it is in the active mode.
I don't know about your guys but I really like knowing that if I have a preamp failure (or dead batteries) in the middle of a gig or session I can flip a switch (or pull a knob up) and keep on rocking. :) :bassist::bassist::bassist:
 
  • Like
Reactions: 5StringPocket, steelin4u and Fred312b
#20,135
JOME77 said:
Much more versatile sound. It can get the really warm Bart tones but it can also get the nice clear open tones (and anything in between).
Plus you get the great passive function along with the passive tone control. What’s not to love? The Nordstrand pre should be a standard offering IMO.

View attachment 4455664
Click to expand...
Joe, the stacked knob on the far left is vol/vol? What about the original blend knob (second from the left) ... what function does that now have? I assume that the remaining two are still the eq knobs (bass, mid, treble).
 
  • Like
Reactions: Fred312b and Joe BassPlayer
#20,136
tsl said:
Joe, the stacked knob on the far left is vol/vol? What about the original blend knob (second from the left) ... what function does that now have? I assume that the remaining two are still the eq knobs (bass, mid, treble).
Click to expand...

That’s the passive tone control which also has a P/P function for active/passive.
And yes, the other two are mid with P/P and stacked bass/treble.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Fred312b
#20,137
JOME77 said:
It can get the really warm Bart tones but it can also get the nice clear open tones (and anything in between). The Nordstrand pre should be a standard offering IMO.
Click to expand...
Since every Roscoe is custom spec'd by it's purchaser, and many recent new Roscoes have left the factory with Nordstrands, it virtually is a standard offering at this point.

As far as tonal options with the "traditional" Bart preamp? ( @Joe BassPlayer: This is like the end of 60 Minutes with point/counterpoint. It's just a different point of view, not a disagreement with you.) In my experience the traditional Bart preamp provides what I need.
• My most used tonal adjustment is the blend control, with a slight pan left or right from center detent. EQ flat.
• Sometimes, bass EQ gets adjusted with a slight roll off.
• Finally, a miniscule boost of treble and high mids is sometimes a useful option.
• I've never experienced batteries dying during a gig. A distorted signal is usually a precursor, or the signal is just missing from the start. I change batteries every 6 mos to avoid it.
• When having passive mode in other basses like Sadowsky M5, I never used it. The Sadowsky preamp was way better than passive. It was a feature that I never wanted or had to use, for tone or dead batteries.
 
Last edited:
  • Like
Reactions: Joe BassPlayer, SteveC, geggy spoiger and 1 other person

Latest posts

Top Bottom
Back