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Roscoe Club

#9,601
JOME77 said:
Can't believe that I'm saying this but I'm back on the trail of trying a couple new strings on my Roscoe's. The reason is primarily because of the sound of some really broke in DR Hi Beams that were on a friends Curbow 5 (that I played last weekend). Wonderful bass and very unusual construction techniques (head stock consisted of ~.06 maple veneers glued together to form the head stock and pat of the body; parallel to the finger board in lieu of Kubicki's method which is perpendicular to the finger board). Enough of that though ....
The bass sounded so nice and organic (warm with lots of really nice lows mids and highs). The Curbow had Bart JJ pickups and I believe a Bart pre. The owner couldn't confirm if they were SC or DC Bart J's but he did confirm that the bass had DR Hi Beams installed.
I seem to remember Jon (Packman) stating that he used those (and I remember how nice the tone was on a few of his recordings). Any of you guys using the Hi Beams on your Roscoe Customs with Bart/Bart combo's?

Next question, any one playing a Roscoe fretless with the DR Sunbeams installed? DR claims that these really work well with fretless playing. I may just have to get a set of each on order.

Still loving the sound of the TI Jazz Flats on the Roscoe JB STD (totally old school and LOVE the slippery feel). Just looking for some variation in tone with the STD fretless and fretted Custom.
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NOTHING sounds like a Curbow. Unreal instruments. Between the Rockwood neck, the brass block under the bridge and the proprietary Bart pickups (I believe) you'll not find anything that plays or sounds like a Curbow.

I believe that Roscoe has a similar personal sound print of it's own with the proprietary Barts, the pickup placement and the hard finish. Both are quite different basses though (and both fabulous).
 
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#9,602
I need my Roscoe friends to do me a favor. I have the chance to purchase a set of New Roscoe Barts Soapbars and wanted to know if someone could measure the pickup for me. I want to see If they will fit a Custom Devon i have or for the one I'm having built.
 
#9,603
Bassworship1 said:
I need my Roscoe friends to do me a favor. I have the chance to purchase a set of New Roscoe Barts Soapbars and wanted to know if someone could measure the pickup for me. I want to see If they will fit a Custom Devon i have or for the one I'm having built.
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They should be the Bartolini P2 size. Just look that measurement up.
 
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#9,605
Roscoe Barts are P4 size for both 5 and 6 string, but they have different magnet apertures within as they are quad coils (the split in the 6 string model would fall right under the middle string of a 5).

They can be split/tapped as they are 4 conductor pickups.

If your line on a set falls through let me know as I also have a set I have been keeping in case I ever want to put them back in the bass they came from, but I could be convinced to part with them.
 
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#9,606
Jeff Moote said:
Roscoe Barts are P4 size for both 5 and 6 string, but they have different magnet apertures within as they are quad coils (the split in the 6 string model would fall right under the middle string of a 5).

They can be split/tapped as they are 4 conductor pickups.

If your line on a set falls through let me know as I also have a set I have been keeping in case I ever want to put them back in the bass they came from, but I could be convinced to part with them.
Click to expand...

I'm glad Jeff corrected me! I did indeed intend to write P4!
 
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#9,609
Bassworship1 said:
What' the diffrence in the Roscoe Quads and the regular Bart Quads you can get at Bestbassgear.com? Does anyone know if they are different?
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They are a different wind, but exactly how I don't know. The Roscoes seem to have a low mid emphasis and more compression, but it's been quite awhile since I've owned a bass with the regular deep tone quad coil barts.
 
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#9,611
Bassworship1 said:
What' the diffrence in the Roscoe Quads and the regular Bart Quads you can get at Bestbassgear.com? Does anyone know if they are different?
Click to expand...

Shane,
I have a set of the Bart Quad Coils in a Warmoth Gecko fretless that I built 15 years ago (yes I actually have had a bass for 15 years! LOL).
The pickups sound really nice in that bass. Hard to compare to my Roscoe fretless, primarily because the ebony board verses the Diamondwood greatly affects the overall tone. Still, the Gecko fretless has a wonderful tone with the Bart Quad coils. I still get that nice slightly compressed tone with them.

These are the ones that I have installed:

Invalid Link Removed
 
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#9,612
@JOME77

That’s good to know. I’m torn about whether to have my builder buy regular Bart quads because he gets such a massive discount or buy a new set of Roscoe Quads. If there isn’t a huge difference I may just go with regular. I know the Roscoe Bart’s are the best Bart pickups I’ve played though.
 
#9,613
Bassworship1 said:
@JOME77

That’s good to know. I’m torn about whether to have my builder buy regular Bart quads because he gets such a massive discount or buy a new set of Roscoe Quads. If there isn’t a huge difference I may just go with regular. I know the Roscoe Bart’s are the best Bart pickups I’ve played though.
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IMO

You would be ok with either choice but...

It’s a custom bass.
If the Roscoe Bart’s were the best for you...I would just put the Roscoes in- this way no regrets later. IMO
 
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#9,617
DGbass70 said:
Who has tried the following pick ups?
Aguilar DCB
Bartolini CB
What's your take on them?
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I just did a side by side with someone in this club that has a beautiful cocobolo too SKB with Aguilar DC with OBP 3 and compared them to my SKB with Bartolini quads with the MTMB 18FL. To me the Bart’s have a less aggressive sound that’s more controlled. The Bart’s are smoother and a little more richer and together in the lows. It’s the Roscoe tone I hear in my head. The Aguilar has a more favorable rock tone and the Bart’s have that Fusion Jazz sound. Both played through Bergantino Reference Cabsnad Bergantino Head
 
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#9,618
Life of Brian said:
I just did a side by side with someone in this club that has a beautiful cocobolo too SKB with Aguilar DC with OBP 3 and compared them to my SKB with Bartolini quads with the MTMB 18FL. To me the Bart’s have a less aggressive sound that’s more controlled. The Bart’s are smoother and a little more richer and together in the lows. It’s the Roscoe tone I hear in my head. The Aguilar has a more favorable rock tone and the Bart’s have that Fusion Jazz sound. Both played through Bergantino Reference Cabsnad Bergantino Head
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Not having heard the Aggie DC's, but having owned lots of Aguilar products (amps and preamps), that's what I would have expected. To my ears, Aguilar's are voiced very aggressively and produce a very "in your face" tone. Aguilar certainly makes high quality products but it's just not my thing.
 
#9,619
Life of Brian said:
I just did a side by side with someone in this club that has a beautiful cocobolo too SKB with Aguilar DC with OBP 3 and compared them to my SKB with Bartolini quads with the MTMB 18FL. To me the Bart’s have a less aggressive sound that’s more controlled. The Bart’s are smoother and a little more richer and together in the lows. It’s the Roscoe tone I hear in my head. The Aguilar has a more favorable rock tone and the Bart’s have that Fusion Jazz sound. Both played through Bergantino Reference Cabsnad Bergantino Head
Click to expand...

That's weird. I just did the same thing with a TB member that has a beautiful Boxelder Burl topped SKB...my conclusions were incredibly similar!
Wow, it's like you were there...in the same room!
Wait a second.....
 
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#9,620
Mr.2215 and I compared a Boxelder/Ash/Padauk fretboard SKB with the Bart system, my Cocobolo/Ash/Wenge fretboard SKB with the Aguilar system as well as my Mahogany/Maple/Diamondwood fretless SKB with the Bart system.

We used my Berg B/Amp and REF112 cabs set with the REF112 profile but all other settings flat.

We played the basses using a variety of different on board settings and we did note that the Cocobolo and fretless SKB had stainless steel round wounds where the Boxelder had a fresh set of nickle round wounds but our conclusions (I believe) were similar. The Bart system is very smooth and "elegant" for lack of a better expression with a little naturally richer low end. The Aguilar system is a little more open sounding, much more "in-your-face" and aggressive. Both systems could be EQed to sound similar but you could always hear the inherent "smooth" nature of the Bart system and the inherent "snarl" of the Aggie system.

There will be those that discuss the different woods and strings but overall, I think our assessment was mutually agreed upon and pretty accurate.

I had a blast doing the comparison and Mr. 2215 could not have been a nicer guy!
 
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