• 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

#21,541
JOME77 said:
There are exceptions to the rule though ....... Les Claypool certainly pulls it off nicely.
Click to expand...

Yes indeed, he does. I just never got into the slap thing. I have friends who do it very well but my bent was in other directions. I will say that one of my absolute favorite musicians is Marcus Miller. He does everything well with electric bass and his fretless playing is fantastic. Another fretless player that is amazing is Jimmy Johnson. Oh, by the way, Marcus does the slap thing quite well. :)
 
Last edited:
  • Like
Reactions: armybass, Joshua, Fred312b and 1 other person
#21,543
Chuck M said:
This is arriving tomorrow according to FedEx tracking: Roscoe Century 5 2012 | Reverb

In anticipation I spent some time playing my Century 6 FL that has not been played out recently due to lack of gigs on electric bass and I must say I was just blown away exactly as I was when I first played this bass. I was a dedicated Pedulla Buzz player for many years but after receiving this bass I sold the Pentabuzz I had at the time. There is absolutely no comparison. The Pedulla was a great bass and my Roscoe is only about 10X better.

I am also getting a Century 5 this week. This one: SOLD - New Price drop!! Roscoe SKB 6

I'll shoot a few family photos when I have time. Here is my Century 6 FL:

IMG-3429.jpg


IMG-3430.jpg


IMG-3433.jpg


My bass teacher tried to buy it after I let him play it for a set on one of his gigs. Armybass also tried to buy it and I am so happy I said no, thanks.
Click to expand...
Wow! brave man a fretless 6. Looks killer. I love that burl
 
  • Like
Reactions: staccatogrowl
#21,545
  • Like
Reactions: steelin4u and staccatogrowl
#21,546
JOME77 said:
It does indeed look familiar.
First thing I’d do if I owned that bass is fix those string ball ends!
No way it would sound good in a mix with those ball ends turned every which way!:banghead: :D
Click to expand...

I think the ball ends are trying to follow the radius of the fingerboard...:roflmao:

This bass could be the best ever played by it's current owner.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Fred312b, Nightman, staccatogrowl and 1 other person
#21,547
steelin4u said:
I think the ball ends are trying to follow the radius of the fingerboard...:roflmao:

This bass could be the best ever played by it's current owner.
Click to expand...
THat looks like a custom body, not a standard. It also looks like it has a Mahogany body or a red back, he who remains unameless's bass has an ash body.
 
  • Like
Reactions: steelin4u, staccatogrowl, Avalon5 and 2 others
#21,548
bassmahn said:
THat looks like a custom body, not a standard. It also looks like it has a Mahogany body or a red back, he who remains unameless's bass has an ash body.
Click to expand...

Good eyes!
That is a carved top and a dark body (and maybe maple board).
Must have come from the same piece of wood.
 
  • Like
Reactions: edbutler3, steelin4u, staccatogrowl and 1 other person
#21,550
BassJuju said:
I asked the similar question in the MTD USA forum. I feel it’s fair to ask here as well.

Any Roscoe fans also own MTD 535’s? How would you compare it to a Century?
Click to expand...

I had a 535 and a 635 and IMO the necks felt a bit similar to the Roscoe 5 & 6. The MTD’s were quite a bit brighter sounding. That’s probably due to the MTD Bartolini pickups (I believe they’re closer to the Classic Barts than the Roscoe Quad coil). Roscoes have a much warmer sound to my ears. I really loved the open sound of my 635. It had a basswood body, maple top and maple neck w/rosewood board. Very sweet sounding bass. The 535 was a Norm Stockton model and sounded very Honky and nasal to my ears. Great playing and looking bass but not my cup of tea sound wise.
I find Roscoes to be a bit more predictable in sound verses MTDs (due to the varied woods the Mike tends to use).
Just IMO though.
 
  • Like
Reactions: staccatogrowl, Fred312b, BassJuju and 1 other person
#21,551
JOME77 said:
I had a 535 and a 635 and IMO the necks felt a bit similar to the Roscoe 5 & 6. The MTD’s were quite a bit brighter sounding. That’s probably due to the MTD Bartolini pickups (I believe they’re closer to the Classic Barts than the Roscoe Quad coil). Roscoes have a much warmer sound to my ears. I really loved the open sound of my 635. It had a basswood body, maple top and maple neck w/rosewood board. Very sweet sounding bass. The 535 was a Norm Stockton model and sounded very Honky and nasal to my ears. Great playing and looking bass but not my cup of tea sound wise.
I find Roscoes to be a bit more predictable in sound verses MTDs (due to the varied woods the Mike tends to use).
Just IMO though.
Click to expand...

I completely agree with your “varied woods” statement. I played 2 MTD 535 with identical electronics side by side and they were wildly different.

I think the Roscoe better fits an open slot in my arsenal, but I can’t say I’m leaning that way.

Let me ask you this…

I’ve played 6’s before, but don’t have one now. I let them all go, because I never touched the C in a performance setting. I’m not sure that has changed. I’m debating on getting a 6 again. Do you like going back and forth? I play on a worship team unlike any other I’ve played on before. They feature the bass. There is a lot of gospel music going on. They want me to play fills and frills.

So… I’m thinking about a 6. Again. Not sure. Any thoughts?
 
  • Like
Reactions: staccatogrowl and Fred312b
#21,555
BassJuju said:
I asked the similar question in the MTD USA forum. I feel it’s fair to ask here as well.

Any Roscoe fans also own MTD 535’s? How would you compare it to a Century?
Click to expand...
I’ve never owned a Century (fretted) and don’t currently have the 535 or its cousin the MTD Kingston ZX5, but the MTD’s do have a more modern sound than the Roscoe, where both are running their brand of Bartolini.
I think the greater difference is going to be the neck profile of the MTD. Unlike the Roscoe neck profile, the MTD is asymmetrical and, to me, does not feel like the Roscoe neck and could potentially, based on your playing/fretting technique, be easier to play. YMMV
 
  • Like
Reactions: staccatogrowl and Fred312b
#21,556
BassJuju said:
I completely agree with your “varied woods” statement. I played 2 MTD 535 with identical electronics side by side and they were wildly different.

I think the Roscoe better fits an open slot in my arsenal, but I can’t say I’m leaning that way.

Let me ask you this…

I’ve played 6’s before, but don’t have one now. I let them all go, because I never touched the C in a performance setting. I’m not sure that has changed. I’m debating on getting a 6 again. Do you like going back and forth? I play on a worship team unlike any other I’ve played on before. They feature the bass. There is a lot of gospel music going on. They want me to play fills and frills.

So… I’m thinking about a 6. Again. Not sure. Any thoughts?
Click to expand...

Not sure if I’m the best one to reply because While I also play church I’ve migrated more recently to playing mostly 4 strings. I played 6’ers for several years and just never used the high C. I did really enjoy playing them though. The neck on a Roscoe 6 feels great. These days though I most play my 4 strings. With the sub-woofers at church (and the way they mic the drums) the 4 string sounds great and doesn’t muddy up the mix as much as the low B (although I do use it on tunes that really need it).
 
  • Like
Reactions: staccatogrowl, Fred312b and Thumper
#21,557
JOME77 said:
It does indeed look familiar.
First thing I’d do if I owned that bass is fix those string ball ends!
No way it would sound good in a mix with those ball ends turned every which way!:banghead: :D
Click to expand...
Keith and co. were looking to do some hiring recently ;). You may want to get a better job title than “ball end adjuster” though :laugh:
 
  • Like
Reactions: steelin4u, staccatogrowl, Nightman and 1 other person
#21,559
I've had 7 MTD's (all USA) and 9 Roscoes (Century, SKB, and LG).... sigh..... I'm embarrassed to say that.

MTD's definitely sound more modern, have more high end and sizzle and expose your playing ability (or lack of) much more than a Roscoe. Roscoes are inherently warmer and more P bass like to me.

MTD necks are wider (except for the one had had that was 34 inch scale and built to be 17.5mm spacing). I prefer the Roscoe neck for sure. Ironically, I love the old Tobias asymmetrical neck much better than the MTD asymmetrical neck.

The B string on MTD's (in my experience) have been more balanced with the rest of the instrument than the big B of the Roscoe. The MTD B is fantastic and tight and piano like though.
 
  • Like
Reactions: staccatogrowl, Avalon5, Joe BassPlayer and 2 others
#21,560
Nightman said:
I think the greater difference is going to be the neck profile of the MTD. Unlike the Roscoe neck profile, the MTD is asymmetrical and, to me, does not feel like the Roscoe neck and could potentially, based on your playing/fretting technique, be easier to play. YMMV
Click to expand...

while neck on the MTD is asymmetric I still feel that they have a similar feel.
Love them both and honestly don’t really notice a difference.
Of course I play a LG Roscoe and don’t notice any difference between it and the SKB and Century models that I’ve owned.
I’m just not as sensitive as some of the Roscoeheads on this thread.:)

Bunch of sissy’s!:D
 

Latest posts

Top Bottom
Back