Since 2005, LittleMark II/ThunderChild 115, CMD 210 + 210H, CMD121H + 121H, or a mix of 210/121
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Roscoe Club
- Thread starter JOME77
- Start date
I kinda don’t like a pedal/amp
that has too many functions built-in, particularly if I already have a pedal to do that function. Once one or two of those built-in features go bad you lose a lot when it’s out being repaired.
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It is interesting that my experience does not match yours. Perhaps different brands that we may have used is the explanation.
I used SWR for a while when they were so well thought of and used by guys like Jimmy Haslip. My favorite SWR amps were the SM-900 and the Bass 350. I used them and they sounded good but were nowhere close to the power of the current 800 watt Mesa heads. I don't hear a difference in power or punch between the Subway heads and the older heavy designs.
I went to Eden after SWR and owned WT 400, WT 550 and a WT 800 that I bought new. The WT 800 failed on the first gig I took it to. Eden repaired it and I used it for a while before moving on to a Genz Benz Shuttle 9.0.
I have owned GB Shuttle 6.0, 9.0, 9.2, Shuttlemax 9.2 and 12.2. I currently own a Shuttle 9.2 and a Shuttlemax 12.2. I also own and use Mesa Subway heads and they are my favorites out of all I have used including most of the tube bass preamps with various power amps. I also used Aguilar for a while and liked the AG 700 the best and the GS 112/GS 212 cabinets. I still own and use 3 GS 112's and have a GS 212 in my practice room since it is heavier than I want to move these days.
Last night I played a gig on upright bass in an old auditorium that seats 2500. I used my Subway D-350 and one Subway 115 cabinet and filled the room with no PA support and the tone was outstanding.....it sounded just like my bass only louder.
As a confessed gear head, I can say that we are truly blessed to have so much wonderful equipment available to us these days. Many brands of amplification are terrific sounding and reliable. My advice is to choose what suits you rather than what someone else is using. Pacman is using the fantastic Aguilar DB751 and that is just too heavy for this old man. There are almost no "wrong" choices these days. Pick something that sounds good to you and has a history of reliability and good support should you need it.
If I had to get along with one bass head it would be the Mesa Subway WD-800. My first choice of cabinet is the Mesa Subway 115.
Chuck!
That’s the Eden head that you traded to me! You didn’t mention anything about it blowing up and getting it repaired!
Is it too late to reverse the trade?
That was my first internet deal.
And one of the loudest amps that I’ve owned.
Chuck!
That’s the Eden head that you traded to me! You didn’t mention anything about it blowing up and getting it repaired!
Is it too late to reverse the trade?
That was my first internet deal.
And one of the loudest amps that I’ve owned.
Wow! So many internet deals through the years that I had no recollection of where it went. I used it for a while after Eden had it. I don’t recall if they repaired or replaced it.
I met David Nordschow at a Summer NAMM show in Austin. He is a wonderful guy and most likable. He was showing the then new WTX 260. I was so impressed that I bought one and used it for several years. I had forgotten about that little Eden. It sounded great but needed more power for my purposes. I was playing a very small room (closed years ago) in those days. Load in/out was a nightmare so I bought a Peavey 210 cab and left it there. I would walk in with my bass in a gig bag and the WTX in its bag. I got a lot of use out of that Eden.
The Eden line was named “David by Eden”. I assume it was a reference to David the king who was a giant killer. It bothered me when players would refer to the equipment as David Eden. Picky of me I suppose.
Do you remember what you traded for the WT800?
it was a Stewart Power amp and Alembic F1-X. I remember the guy that sold it to me shortened the power cord. They may trigger a memory because you said you installed a new one.
I do remember. The Alembic F1X remains one of my two favorite bass preamps. The Demeter VTBP-201 (or 201S) and the Alembic are the ones I liked best. The Stewart power amps were liked for their size and weight but were not my favorite as far as performance goes.
I tried most every bass preamp made and a lot of power amps. My back hurts just thinking about it.
The Boogie channel in the Mesa TT-800 has a preamp similar to the Alembic F1X. So much great equipment to choose from.
I tried most every bass preamp made and a lot of power amps. My back hurts just thinking about it.
The Boogie channel in the Mesa TT-800 has a preamp similar to the Alembic F1X. So much great equipment to choose from.
Yeah. I probably had 4 each of the Alembic preamps and Demeter (HBP1 and 201S). Great tubey tone! I would just get tired of lugging around a rack and eventually down size.
I had a Mesa D800+, WD800 and a TT800. My favorite was probably the D800+ and then the WD800. Both great amps. The TT800 just never responded quite as I thought (to my tweaking). Lots of good tones but sometimes hard to dial in. My VT400 Demeter is so basic EQ wise you can’t get any bad sounds out of it. So plug and play and it has that tubey Demeter sound. Wonderful!
I had a Mesa D800+, WD800 and a TT800. My favorite was probably the D800+ and then the WD800. Both great amps. The TT800 just never responded quite as I thought (to my tweaking). Lots of good tones but sometimes hard to dial in. My VT400 Demeter is so basic EQ wise you can’t get any bad sounds out of it. So plug and play and it has that tubey Demeter sound. Wonderful!
Man, you got a nice arsenal there.
2 of my favorite bass builders, Roscoe and MTD.
How do like that MTD.
Heads: Walkabout, Peavey VB-2, GK 1001RBII
Cabs: Bergantino NV610T, Reference 210 (recently obtained, favorite cab ever)
Combos: Walkabout Scout, Rumble 500C (not a huge fan of baked-in tone, but just fine with pedalboard through effects return)
Used the Scout with SKB 5 at church today, fantastic... but grindy mids of WA plus Roscoe grunt proved too much of a good thing. Strategically cut mids on the Scout's para-eq, problem solved.
I also wish I could warm up to Class D, but my experience thusfar also shows me they just lack something ("girth", "punch", choose preferred vague buzzword) relative to my A/B or all-tube. Tried Berg Forte, Quilter BB800, Genzler MG800 (best so far). Maybe I'll finally try a Subway to see if the hype is real, or save up for a Monique M700.
Cabs: Bergantino NV610T, Reference 210 (recently obtained, favorite cab ever)
Combos: Walkabout Scout, Rumble 500C (not a huge fan of baked-in tone, but just fine with pedalboard through effects return)
Used the Scout with SKB 5 at church today, fantastic... but grindy mids of WA plus Roscoe grunt proved too much of a good thing. Strategically cut mids on the Scout's para-eq, problem solved.
I also wish I could warm up to Class D, but my experience thusfar also shows me they just lack something ("girth", "punch", choose preferred vague buzzword) relative to my A/B or all-tube. Tried Berg Forte, Quilter BB800, Genzler MG800 (best so far). Maybe I'll finally try a Subway to see if the hype is real, or save up for a Monique M700.
It is not hype. Subway heads and cabs are fantastic, however, I personally do not care for the SW 112 cab. The 210 and 115's are wonderful.
Second on the Subway amps and cabs. I use the 210 and 115 along with Genz Benz Shuttle 9.0 amps. That setup sounds amazing.
Hi all, looking for a bit of assistance with my Roscoe. It has one of those recessed input jacks (not sure why) which means that most cables won't fit and pop out. This means the bass doesn't get played because my preferred cable is one that has a built-in circuit breaker, which doesn't fit this Roscoe. I'm pretty confident in making repairs to my other instruments including rewiring and all sorts of other things, and I thought swapping the input jack on this would be straightforward as I've done it many times on other basses. But I just can't find how to dis-attach this. I have the correct wrench size, but turning it does nothing - it just goes round and round. Any advice greatly appreciated.
@JOME77 and others will chime in I'm sure, but there was a period where they (Roscoe Guitars) were supergluing the jack, often referred to as the "superman" era
You'll just have to replace the whole thing.@JOME77 and others will chime in I'm sure, but there was a period where they (Roscoe Guitars) were supergluing the jack, often referred to as the "superman" era
The nut for the output Jack should be 1/2” (US) wrench but you'll need to grind it down to fit between the electro-socket and output jack housing.
I've had about 6-7 with this issue. All that is required to correct the problem is to remove the extra nut behind the electro-socket. Sounds so simple but .... it isn't! It was tightened by Superman! I've found that the easiest solution is to destroy the output jack and replace it. In most cases I simply ordered a new electro-socket from Bestbassgear.com and installed a new switchcraft output jack. With no extra nut installed between the elecro-socket and output jack all right angle cords work with the bass (because the jack sticks out further once the extra spacing nut is removed). I put the electro-socket output jack installation and Roscoe's proprietary Hipshot bridge on top of my naughty list for Roscoe's.
Black ElectroSocket - Best Bass Gear
Here's a link to the electro-socket
Jack - Switchcraft Stereo Output Jack - Best Bass Gear
And here's the link to the Switchcraft stereo output jack
Even if you can get the electro-socket removed from the jack the electro-socket is usually damaged by whatever tool you use to hold it in place.
And while we're at it, if your bridge saddles are bottomed out and you'd prefer lower action, order this version of the Hipshot and replace your Roscoe proprietary Hipshot bridge.
Hipshot 5-String A Aluminum Bass Bridge, .708" String Spacing - BLACK | Reverb
Here's a link to the electro-socket
Jack - Switchcraft Stereo Output Jack - Best Bass Gear
And here's the link to the Switchcraft stereo output jack
Even if you can get the electro-socket removed from the jack the electro-socket is usually damaged by whatever tool you use to hold it in place.
And while we're at it, if your bridge saddles are bottomed out and you'd prefer lower action, order this version of the Hipshot and replace your Roscoe proprietary Hipshot bridge.
Hipshot 5-String A Aluminum Bass Bridge, .708" String Spacing - BLACK | Reverb
Bergantion B|Amp here as well along with some Reference 12's and a reference 2X10
I also have a GK 700RB and yes the class AB style heads with the heavy transformers that put out a lot of heat seem to have a different delivery, more punch and heft on the notes.
For live bass use:
#1 setup: Noble tube DI & various pedals (usually bypassed unless specifically needed)
#2 setup: Genz Benz 3.0, 6.0, 9.0 head with fEarful 15/6/1, 15 sub, or Genz 210, 112, 110 depending on venue
Enjoyed reading about everyone's collections and rigs! I haven't posted much lately, but I'll lurk here once or twice a week. I've recently decided to pull back on playing gigs to spend more time with family, but I'm still attempting to write and record new content. I'm aiming for 12 gigs and 12 compositions a year now (not counting church gigs, I guess).
Just gently grip the the output jack with pliers, twist (counterclockwise) and unscrew the the electrostatic socket.
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