You could stabilize it with epoxy. You’d have to be careful when you apply it though (obviously with the neck off and make sure to remove excess because it would be hard to sand with the frets installed). You must be really physically slapping.
Enjoy the benefits of a premium membership!
Upgrade Account
-
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
- Thread starter JOME77
- Start date
You could stabilize it with epoxy. You’d have to be careful when you apply it though (obviously with the neck off and make sure to remove excess because it would be hard to sand with the frets installed). You must be really physically slapping.
Well, its not the Slamm one might assume. Hard to describe, but early on in ownership(coming from a Fender geometry world) my right hand was positioned such that when my index finger would 'fall' down to the deck in the slapping motion my Index fingernail would juuuust 'slice' at the edge of that fret board edge if that makes sense (Post Mortem analysis here). Anyway, I've since found that things open up in the lows a bit more for me with my palm centered about an inch back from what was then my default position, and the side benefit is that it fortunately eliminates the FB threat so to speak.
I'll probably find a local Pro with some touch to apply that Epoxy. VERY minor nicks in person and glad I discovered how it happened. Would like to seal it up there though. Thanks!
Last edited:
I’ve been eyeballing this SKB since I sold my LG 2 weeks ago. I’m just surprised that it’s not gone yet.
Seems like a nice one.
For Sale - Roscoe SKB Custom 5 2017
Seems like a nice one.
For Sale - Roscoe SKB Custom 5 2017
Yep, it does seems like a nice SKB. Buy it and tell us what you think about it. 
Daaang, Donovan
Chambered Mahogany, Waterfall Bubinga, and Ebony for the win, weighing in at less than 9 lbs
Chambered Mahogany, Waterfall Bubinga, and Ebony for the win, weighing in at less than 9 lbs
Last edited:
I have not found any other fretless that comes close to my Century 6 fretless. The Pedulla Buzz basses are really nice and the Ibanez Gary Willis are quite good but the Roscoe is so much more versatile in the tone with the Bartolini electronics.
If I could have only one electric bass it would be my Century 6 FL.
I had that thought a while back, before I got back into gigging in a cover band. I suppose I could have done/do it with a fretless as I don’t slap much at all (and you can kind of slap on a fretless) but went with fretted mostly for ease of playing in the cover setting. I’m lazy.
There is something to be said about the connection you have to the instrument without frets. And yeah, a Roscoe fretless is beyond reproach. You could do MUCH WORSE than a fretless Roscoe as your only bass.
So I guess that I'm confused
..... I just saw your Roscoe LG-3004 for sale in the classified ads.Did you sell the LG 3004 and shipped it out or are you just conceding to stick to your guns and sell it?
Daaang, Donovan
View attachment 4933601
Chambered Mahogany, Waterfall Bubinga, and Ebony for the win, weighing in at less than 9 lbs
Dang!!!! Congratulations
I’m glad to hear that. I’ve wondered how my Roscoe fretless compares to a Pedulla, I keep hearing about how great the Pedullas are.
I’d be reluctant to play my fretless live since I can’t hear myself much of the time (due to bad sound). I’d be way out of tune and not realize it!
Yeah, I get that. IEM's can be a bit unpredictable. I've had great rehearsal mixes and 15 minutes later (during the service) not be able to clearly hear the bass. Not desirable even on a fretted bass but a total nightmare on a fretless!
The Pedulla Buzz basses are very good as is the Ibanez Gary Willis bass. The last Ibanez GWB that I owned was one of the ones with the natural finish and it was made in Indonesia. It was a fine instrument and very easy to play with the small neck. I briefly owned a Muckleroy 5 string fretless that was Brady's take on a Fender style instrument. It played very well but had a very snarly and in your face tone that could not be tamed. It did not have the tone that I like when played through my amplification so I sold it.
However, my Century FL 6 does everything better IMO. The Roscoe Bartolini electronics seem perfectly suited for this bass and the Diamondwood FB lets me play round wound strings with no worry about fingerboard wear. The neck is simply wonderful and there is NO place on the neck that sounds different or produces more or excessive buzz. That was one of the problems I had with the Gary Willis bass. It had a spot near the nut where the D string had more buzz and it was something I had to be careful of when I played it.
I now have an SKB 6 that was brighter sounding than the other Roscoe basses I have owned. It has a figured Mahogany body, Maple top and an Ebony fingerboard. I was considering selling or trading it for another Roscoe 6 with different woods but finally decided to put a set of TI flats on it and now it is the most wonderful sounding bass as it has a sort of "Jaco" tone but with a very full sounding bottom to it. It sounds very much like a fretless and, incidentally, was built as a fretless and later converted at the factory to fretted.
Keith and company simply make some of the very best basses and I am privileged to own 3 Roscoe basses.
By todays prices that is a good deal. Check out how wide that stringer of PH is in the neck!
Excelling at fretless playing to me is like riding an Arabian stallion without a bridle through an obstacle course bareback. 
Excelling at fretless playing to me is like riding an Arabian stallion without a bridle through an obstacle course bareback.
There are a few things that will quickly humble a bassist. One is fretless bass and the other is amplification that reproduces all the detail in your tone.
I remember buying an SWR SM-400 and a pair of their 210 cabinets when they were all the rage. Suddenly I could hear all kinds of things in my playing that needed to be cleaned up. At first I hated it but quickly learned that it was helping me to hear what I needed to work on. The fretless bass will very quickly show you if you need to work on your technique. It is a great tool and a great teacher.
Here is a video of my bass teacher playing one of the Dotzauer etudes written for cello. He plays one finger per fret and uses the least amount of shifts.
It’s boxed and ready to ship. I believe I have a buyer who is getting funds organized. I posted it as “pending?” for now. Regress, I’m committed to selling it and going with just a couple basses so it’s ready to ship as soon as it sells.So I guess that I'm confused
Did you sell the LG 3004 and shipped it out or are you just conceding to stick to your guns and sell it?
Unless I cave and get a fretless again.
