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Roscoe Club

#2,181
modder5s4s said:
I never could get rid of it. It's that good of a fretless. I could see myself getting more of them but with a different setup.

I've got the one with,

Spanish cedar body
Barts pickups and preamp
Diamondwood fingerboard with maple, purpleheart, maple neck
Flamed maple top

I'm curious on what others have to say about the different setups that are offered, comparatively speaking?
Click to expand...

To me, the Roscoe fretless voice is unique. Nothing else like it. Some may be a little more subtle than others but, still unique.

In my openion, the "Roscoe fretless voice" is most pronounced when you combine:

1) Ash Body
2) Diamondwood Fingerboard
3) Wenge (some) in the neck, and
4) a thick top made of very hard wood (like a piece of Bubinga with very active grain, the more activity the better)

Some say the top has minimal affect, and it may have a smaller impact than the Ash body or the Diamondwood fingerboard, but I do believe it "flavors" the tone

Anyway, IMHO that combination will bring home the bacon
 
#2,182
JohnnyR said:
To me, the Roscoe fretless voice is unique. Nothing else like it. Some may be a little more subtle than others but, still unique.

In my openion, the "Roscoe fretless voice" is most pronounced when you combine:

1) Ash Body
2) Diamondwood Fingerboard
3) Wenge (some) in the neck, and
4) a thick top made of very hard wood (like a piece of Bubinga with very active grain, the more activity the better)

Some say the top has minimal affect, and it may have a smaller impact than the Ash body or the Diamondwood fingerboard, but I do believe it "flavors" the tone

Anyway, IMHO that combination will bring home the bacon
Click to expand...

Can't argue with this - but add the JB pickup arrangement, and then all heck breaks loose...

:cool:
 
#2,183
modder5s4s said:
I never could get rid of it. It's that good of a fretless. I could see myself getting more of them but with a different setup.

I've got the one with,

Spanish cedar body
Barts pickups and preamp
Diamondwood fingerboard with maple, purpleheart, maple neck
Flamed maple top

I'm curious on what others have to say about the different setups that are offered, comparatively speaking?
Click to expand...

"JB" pup placement is killer.
 
#2,184
After being beat down by Mrs. Crash for selling this bass as it was her favorite and since she was the one who paid for it, I have worked a deal to bring this bass back home. Once home it will be prepped for surgery. I will be removing the neck, bridge, pickups and preamp before taking her to Dr. Roscoe's office to have their skilled surgeon Dr. Tony do a Pickup Augmentation. I am having the pickup cavities routed to fit a pair of Aguilar DCB-D4s Humbuckers installed (that is humbucker and not hummer for you nasty minded Roscoeheards). At that point it will come home to have a Skin Graph. I understand from Dr. Roscoe's assistant Orderly Gard, applying the oil finish is easy so I will be taking on this part myself. Once the process starts I will post more pics.

Invalid Link Removed
 
#2,186
Hey guys. I've got a quick question for ya. Do the standard, satin finished, Roscoes sound the same as the gloss finished customs? I know that the standard line is made in the US, that they are of the same quality, etc. I've played a few of both and the customs seemed to be a bit more punchy and have more sizzle in higher frequencies than the standards. I don't mean to start a riot here or anything, but thought I'd ask more experienced Roscoe players. Thanks
 
#2,187
sharpbass said:
Hey guys. I've got a quick question for ya. Do the standard, satin finished, Roscoes sound the same as the gloss finished customs? I know that the standard line is made in the US, that they are of the same quality, etc. I've played a few of both and the customs seemed to be a bit more punchy and have more sizzle in higher frequencies than the standards. I don't mean to start a riot here or anything, but thought I'd ask more experienced Roscoe players. Thanks
Click to expand...

You also have to take into account the differences in the necks. Standards = 3-piece Maple, Customs/Signatures are usually Maple / Purple Heart / Maple.

The pickups are usually different, too. CB's in the Standards and (quite often) Roscoe Barts in the Customs/Signatures.

All in all, I'd say it's hard to say what changes lend what percentage of the tonal variation, but there are several factors involved...
 
#2,188
I am sorry it is a crappy photo... I will do better but this will have to do for a family shot for now...
797D2CC0-651A-4F08-B1AF-3E6FD11EE84D_zpscyrn46ys.jpg
 
#2,192
RocketMusic said:
You also have to take into account the differences in the necks. Standards = 3-piece Maple, Customs/Signatures are usually Maple / Purple Heart / Maple.

The pickups are usually different, too. CB's in the Standards and (quite often) Roscoe Barts in the Customs/Signatures.

All in all, I'd say it's hard to say what changes lend what percentage of the tonal variation, but there are several factors involved...
Click to expand...

Thank you for the reply. So you think there is a difference between the two. Right? Your saying that there is more than just the finish differences in play here. I can see that.
 
#2,193
sharpbass said:
Thank you for the reply. So you think there is a difference between the two. Right? Your saying that there is more than just the finish differences in play here. I can see that.
Click to expand...

My pleasure!

Well, I'd say there are differences between all of them, really. No two customs sound alike, either. But that's not a fun position to take. :D

I could definitely see the Standards on average being brighter sounding because of the all-maple necks and the pickup selection. What role, if any, the finish plays in that would be difficult to determine, I would imagine...
 
#2,195
overbybr said:
That's like the discussion of through body vs. bridge stringing
Click to expand...

can-of-worms-o.jpg


(FWIW, I have an opinion on THAT specific topic, based on some real experience/experimentation...but...not opening the can in a public forum :hiding: )

On the question that began this discussion:

Greg hit the red dot in the middle of the dart board - many different variables affect the tone, ALL of them matter to some degree or another. There are things that DON'T affect the tone, but the finish, construction, electronics, wood choices - those are all part of the pie.

So, yes, the finish affects the tone. How, and how much? Hard to say, and varies with the specific situation on top of that.
 
#2,197
overbybr said:
The answer should be framed as: is the difference in tone "discernible" in a real environment, can you actually hear it when your playing in a band. Ash vs Mahogany? Absolutely! Maple vs Rosewood? Definitely! Oil finish vs. Satin finish? Probably not
Click to expand...

Fairly accurate. :cool:

I think to really answer the question, you would need two basses with the identical specs aside from the finish, in a very controlled listening environment. Even then, there are variables that cannot be completely controlled, such as "no two pieces of ash, even consecutive cuts from the same board, will be IDENTICAL sonically.".

Again, multiple variables at work all the time...
 
#2,198
Gard said:
(FWIW, I have an opinion on THAT specific topic, based on some real experience/experimentation...but...not opening the can in a public forum :hiding: )

On the question that began this discussion:

Greg hit the red dot in the middle of the dart board - many different variables affect the tone, ALL of them matter to some degree or another. There are things that DON'T affect the tone, but the finish, construction, electronics, wood choices - those are all part of the pie.

So, yes, the finish affects the tone. How, and how much? Hard to say, and varies with the specific situation on top of that.
Click to expand...


You left out the BLACK HARDWARE...



or,
maybe not...
 
#2,200
JBFLA said:
You left out the BLACK HARDWARE...



or,
maybe not...
Click to expand...

In my opinion and I think Joe will back it up, Black hardware makes all the difference in tone. It really doesn't matter what wood combinations or electronics you have. Chrome hardware tends to give you a brighter more modern tone whereas the Black hardware gives you a darker more aggressive tone. And Gold hardware... well that's just for Pimps and Prostitutes and adds no musical value.
 

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