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Roscoe Club
- Thread starter JOME77
- Start date
Probably a good decision Steve. Roscoe STD’s and Custom JJ basses don’t sound at all like Fender style basses (IMO).
So I finally gigged my Roscoe LG 4 Standard Plus Friday night. It was beastly. Run through my ampless in ear pedal board. Woo doggie what a great tone. I truly love Wenge fingerboards and this Aggie PJ with the boost only Aggie preamp is a great combo in my humble opinion.
So what do you guys think about having Keith put a gloss finish on this bass. I’m not a huge fan of the feel of an oil finish and I’m afraid that my fingernails will scratch up the top. But on the other hand it was made this way and I really like things stock and am not a fan of altering instruments.
So what do you guys think about having Keith put a gloss finish on this bass. I’m not a huge fan of the feel of an oil finish and I’m afraid that my fingernails will scratch up the top. But on the other hand it was made this way and I really like things stock and am not a fan of altering instruments.
I say go for it Scott. The standard finish on the STD’s isn’t durable and at a minimum it’ll end up getting shiny spots all over it.
The Diamondcoat high gloss finish will look great on that bass!
If it makes you feel more comfortable/confident playing with a protective gloss finish, I'd say do it. Although I do have to say - IMO, that bass is THE best-feeling oil-finish Roscoe I've ever played/touched. The ash back (and birdseye top) just felt magical to me. That said, the most dangerous place I played that bass was a golf course clubhouse. The cool thing is that if you clearcoat it now, it will stay in pristine condish. I wonder if the tone/sustain would be audibly impacted at all...probably minimal, if any.
I came to terms with the dents and scratches on my non-gloss Roscoe 5ers real quick, using them with the wireless belt packs, multi-guitar stands with the band, etc. made it hard for me to keep that type of finish protected.
Some builders finish their basses with an epoxy sealer and sprayed with a waterborne polyurethane. Very durable finish that has the appearance of oil, which is what I like.
It would be a very interesting experiment to find out how much the gloss vs oil finish affects the tone. Not often you have the opportunity to try a specific bass both ways.
Poly v oil body finish? IMO it depends on the woods, severity of use, and beliefs and preferences of the player. In the case of woods, soft woods like Basswood really need a hard, durable finish like poly. Meanwhile some of Roscoe's Mahogany is softer, denting and scratching easily. I would choose poly for a softer wood type, assuming it was a decision in a new build.
For a Maple and Swamp Ash body like Scott's? Both are relatively harder body woods. As a reference, think of a Roscoe's Maple, neck. It doesn't have a poly finish, yet resists scratching and denting in most cases of use (excluding abuse).
Common player preference has 2 usual POVs. POV 1 is that thin finishes like nitro, oil, or wax allow wood to resonate freely, offering best tone. Natural relicing from true use becomes a "badge of honor," with those signs of use being desirable, relative to the type of chipping damage that occurs with poly. POV 2 is that poly is highly durable, maintaining it's beautiful appearance over time, and resisting dents, scratches, and wear unlike any other finish. It's also been said that KR's poly finish is a tangible contributor to signature Roscoe tone.
I think the existing finish of Scott's LG is beautiful. If it were mine, I would leave it as is, especially considering the more durable nature of the wood types, and that it already sounds awesome. At the same time, mine is an opinion that is not invested in that bass or circumstance. Scott knows best for the right answer.
For a Maple and Swamp Ash body like Scott's? Both are relatively harder body woods. As a reference, think of a Roscoe's Maple, neck. It doesn't have a poly finish, yet resists scratching and denting in most cases of use (excluding abuse).
Common player preference has 2 usual POVs. POV 1 is that thin finishes like nitro, oil, or wax allow wood to resonate freely, offering best tone. Natural relicing from true use becomes a "badge of honor," with those signs of use being desirable, relative to the type of chipping damage that occurs with poly. POV 2 is that poly is highly durable, maintaining it's beautiful appearance over time, and resisting dents, scratches, and wear unlike any other finish. It's also been said that KR's poly finish is a tangible contributor to signature Roscoe tone.
I think the existing finish of Scott's LG is beautiful. If it were mine, I would leave it as is, especially considering the more durable nature of the wood types, and that it already sounds awesome. At the same time, mine is an opinion that is not invested in that bass or circumstance. Scott knows best for the right answer.
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Wow what a great response Fritz. I’m definitely leaning towards leaving it alone. As much as I love the heavy polyester finish, I am nostalgic for the older Roscoe Std+ models with the oil finish.
Interesting note about my bass here- Keith originally wanted to do an oil or matte finish on my spalted maple LG. It seems he was confident that he could stabilize the wood and give it enough strength. I pressed the "I believe" button and said, "You're the man with the plan good sir!" and gave it the greenlight.
After Kyle carved it, Keith called me and said, "Well, what do you think about a glossy Sienna Burst?".
I really appreciate how Keith works with the woods he selects, and that he'll call an audible and change the plan when he thinks he needs to, rather than try to push a potentially bad scenario because "Well, that's what the customer wanted".
Can you post a pic or two of that bass? I’m curious to see what it looks like.Interesting note about my bass here- Keith originally wanted to do an oil or matte finish on my spalted maple LG. It seems he was confident that he could stabilize the wood and give it enough strength. I pressed the "I believe" button and said, "You're the man with the plan good sir!" and gave it the greenlight.
After Kyle carved it, Keith called me and said, "Well, what do you think about a glossy Sienna Burst?".
I really appreciate how Keith works with the woods he selects, and that he'll call an audible and change the plan when he thinks he needs to, rather than try to push a potentially bad scenario because "Well, that's what the customer wanted".
Thanking you in advance.
Can you post a pic or two of that bass? I’m curious to see what it looks like.
Thanking you in advance.
Sure.
Here's what it looked like after the carve but before the finish.
And now:
Yep, I think that finish worked out just fine! Keith knew exactly what he was doing.
No, @steelin4u, I’m not seeking to buy it.
…… but and unless..
No, @steelin4u, I’m not seeking to buy it.
…… but and unless..
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Oh yeah that’s stunning. Great call o thanks gloss finish
I'm interested in a stingray bass but not about buying something mass produced. I had a bad experienced with an Fender american strat where the neck warped badly, so would prefer to get a bass where I know I won't have problems. Wondering if a Roscoe standard with the MM pickup would be equivalent soundwise to a Stingray. Could anyone who has this configuration, chime in about its sound?
