I sure don’t hear anything wrong with the tone on that video. Lots of bottom but still very defined and clear. And nice playing, too!
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Roscoe Club
- Thread starter JOME77
- Start date
I sure don’t hear anything wrong with the tone on that video. Lots of bottom but still very defined and clear. And nice playing, too!
I had a set of RC Boomers on my Jazz for a little bit. I really liked the sound when new, but it wasn’t very long before they lost the sheen and I didn’t find the sound after that to have what I was looking for. YMMV, of course!
I had the same reaction with them on my Hanewinckel Jazz (it's wearing GHS Med Balanced Nickels now after a good stint with XLs, Fender and Dunlop flats), but I moved that used set to the Roscoe and I am liking it a lot. With my setup and touch, I wanted a little less high-mid-forward sound than XL's.
Got the new Hipshot bridge today and it's the right one. 2 for 2 with Hipshot's customer service trying to find a specific bridge, the other being my Fender P5. The string spacing is slightly off looks like Roscoe might be right with the 18.3mm spacing because the new one is 18. Dropped right in and only took a few minutes to get the action and intonation set. Tone unplugged seems fine and it balances better with a little more weight on the body.
Also took the time to address my biggest annoyance with my particular Roscoe which was the sharp fret edges. It might have been a result of the Plek process or was just like that from the get go but all the fret edges stuck out enough to be an issue. Just seems to me that a bass that originally cost over $3000 shouldn't have such an oversight in the initial setup. Took a little while but with a small file and a steady hand the edges are smooth now.
Also took the time to address my biggest annoyance with my particular Roscoe which was the sharp fret edges. It might have been a result of the Plek process or was just like that from the get go but all the fret edges stuck out enough to be an issue. Just seems to me that a bass that originally cost over $3000 shouldn't have such an oversight in the initial setup. Took a little while but with a small file and a steady hand the edges are smooth now.
Not a Roscoe thing on the sharp edges. Unfortunately it's a maple thing. Maple changes more than any other finger board wood (due to hot/cold/humidity changes).
I've owned over 30 Roscoe's and lord knows how many other basses and the the only ones that I've ever had issues with sharp edges on the frets were 2 with maple finger boards. Only one of those were a Roscoe and it didn't come that way. I just woke up one winter morning and it had sharp edges. I had the edges filed and never had the problem again.
I just about promise you that yours didn't leave the factory with sharp edges on the frets.
That's possible. First time I've had to deal with it though. Having said that the Stingrays I've had with maple necks need more attention on the truss rods than other basses I've owned.
It is a good player and now that I've got it tweaked out it's gonna see a lot of playing time. As nice as my Fender P5 is it's been relegated to backup status and the Roscoe and my Musicman Sterling 5 are the main workhorses.
Not sure what's going on with the Hipshot bridges on Roscoe's now days.
I thought that my older Roscoe 5's had the 18.3 string spacing at the bridge and I thought that my 6'ers did too (although I never really remember measuring them; it was just always communicated as 18.3 string spacing).
However, as I previously stated, before ordering my Hipshot Type A's for my STD's I measured both my STD's and Custom bridges and both the STD fretless and my Custom (both 2013 I believe) measured exactly .7 center to center on all saddles. And the special STD, with the 19mm spacing did measure .75 center to center on all saddle's.
I could certainly get 18.3mm spacing on my STD fretless (buy adjusting the notch saddle shafts) but it feels just fine at 18mm.
I was also able to adjust the new Hipshot 19mm bridge to 18mm (.708) by centering the D string notched saddle shaft and adjusting the others toward the center. The only on that's slightly more is between the E and B (due to the diameter of the B string it wouldn't quite move as much). It feels much more comfortable to my hands at 18mm.
Finally got the Roscoe Demeter preamp installed, thanks to @JOME77 for having some much needed pots that fits the preamp and will mount properly in my Roscoe! After my initial hurdles with grounding issues I was able to fire it up to see what's up. I need to go back in and tailor the wiring to this bass's cavity. James made sure I have enough wiring! The pups aren't balanced as they should be, hoping is just a wiring issue. (Fingers crossed!)
My initial test drive was positive! It's not as aggressive as the LG Mahogany with the Koa top, but I think it's going to sound great and not like either of the other two LG's.
My initial test drive was positive! It's not as aggressive as the LG Mahogany with the Koa top, but I think it's going to sound great and not like either of the other two LG's.
I haven’t Mark. I spoke to him last week and didn’t think to ask. I’ll ask next time I call the shop.
I curious as well, It looks like both my signatures are 18mm, one built in 2009 and the other built 2014.
Mark
Ray,
Make sure that the wht and red wire from the Bart p/u's (wired together to complete the series circuit) didn't come loose (or aren't grounded out to anything) when you rewired the pickups to the Demeter blend control. Also make sure that the bottom terminals to all pot's aren't touching the shielding in the cavity. On Demeter's I always install a small piece of electrical tape between the bottom of each pot terminal board and the shielding of the control compartment.
Yep, I had to add electrical tape to pot ends and center poles and board to prevent them from grounding out. Terrible crack snapple pop!!!
Demeter has two wires from the preamp for the pups and the Demeter blend (Alpha Control B100K) pot was prewired. I didn't solder any additional wires to the JM (Alpha Control B100k) pot (JM used an identifier for the replacement pots). The white and red wires on each pup are wired together and taped. The ground wires from both pups are wired together and grounded to a pot.
The issue is the bridge pup volume is lower when soloed than the neck. It almost seems like the blend pot is an additional volume control, to some degree. If the main volume is low the bridge pup doesn't put out very much!
I did nothing to the pups height in relations to the strings, which I wouldn't think I would need to do.
I did test the ohms resistance in the JM pot and the Demeter pot and found the JM pot had a lower reading, but I used it any way and hoping it is the source of the blend issue.
James has shipped the correct thread height blend, mid and volume pots to me and I will replace the Joe pot with the new Demeter pot and hope that resolves the issue.
Ray,
If I remember correctly the blend pots were the same as the pots used for the EQ (100K 3-terminal with center detent. The pickup blending is being done in the pre-module. I think that I still have a pic of the pre with the identifiers for each wire and pot .....
If you want to see if it's the pot used form the blend you could swap out the mid and balance pot (or use the 3rd 100k center detent that I sent).
Yep. And I found the drawing too. I'm sure that these have been posted earlier on this thread but .... here they are again
@JOME77, Thanks for the info and the drawing, of course, no instructions/drawing came with the preamp. I had to call to find out which color wire for pup went to which pup, but the guy I talked to didn't know.
Yeah, I've used up those JM pots and one was bad. I going to wait until those Demeter pots get here and try it out. The bass will play and I have been playing it, so it's not a total wash at this time, plus
IT"S NBD and I'm too busy playing it than to fool around with the Demeter preamp right now!
Yeah, I've used up those JM pots and one was bad. I going to wait until those Demeter pots get here and try it out. The bass will play and I have been playing it, so it's not a total wash at this time, plus
IT"S NBD and I'm too busy playing it than to fool around with the Demeter preamp right now!
