Roscoe Club

[staccatogrowl]

(re exisiting rough-cut bodies) That's also a really good way to speed things up in the queue!

Except that I am a more glacial thinker and decision maker, and speeding up the process is actually something that makes me a bit uncomfortable. Plus, I would prefer unhurried artistry, not unnecessary haste in a project like this.

 

[JOME77]

Except that I am a more glacial thinker and decision maker, and speeding up the process is actually something that makes me a bit uncomfortable. Plus, I would prefer unhurried artistry, not unnecessary haste in a project like this.

Fully understand. Bask in the event and process for "we may never go this way again"!

 

[fretno]

Guys, guys, guys! How many times have I heard that the more things change the more they stay the same?
So I purchased a set of La Bella 760FS Deep Talking Flats from Greg @ Rocket last week and installed them on a beater bass last week. Originally I thought that I loved them, then a couple days later I thought that I hated them, then a couple days later I loved them again.... Then ....... I played a jam with them! Wow! We jammed on a lots of old Allman Brothers, blues, R&B, Doobies and man I've got to say that I had one of those "Blues Brothers" moments when the entire room lit up and a spot light shinned down from the heavens on me!
How could I have totally forgotten how great that sound was? I feel like I went full circle and returned back to the crossroads and took the right road.
I've been getting back into flat wound strings over the last year or so (and I've been enjoying them) but the more modern flats (Chromes, Cobalts ....) don't sound anything like these La Bella's.

Thud, thud, thud-thump, thud, thud, thud-thump, thud, thud, thud-thump, thud, thud, thud-thump, ........


That's all. Just had to get it out!

I go through the love hate exactly like this but I have decided the flats are amazing sounding except for some live jams as it can sometimes get lost in the mix but that's not the flats fault so I lean more towards the love & understanding

 

[herndonbassist]

I'm a little late, but all the talk about Pink Ivory made me want to show off my Century Standard Plus again Granted, it's just the top, but I have to say I LOVE the look of Pink Ivory, especially w/ the Wenge fingerboard.

 

[mmbongo]

I'm a little late, but all the talk about Pink Ivory made me want to show off my Century Standard Plus again Granted, it's just the top, but I have to say I LOVE the look of Pink Ivory, especially w/ the Wenge fingerboard.

View attachment 3377130

Yes. I'd rock that. Thoroughly and completely.

 

[JOME77]

I'm a little late, but all the talk about Pink Ivory made me want to show off my Century Standard Plus again Granted, it's just the top, but I have to say I LOVE the look of Pink Ivory, especially w/ the Wenge fingerboard.

View attachment 3377130

Absolutely! I love the look too!
You were definitely in the right place at the right time Bro! All the ingredients of a killer bass> Mahogany body, wenge finger board and Bart p/u's and electronics. What's there not to love? Classy looking top with just enough going on.

 

[fretno]

Beast in Pink

 

[herndonbassist]

There's a lot of depth in that top too that's hard to photograph.

 

[Nightman]

Guys, guys, guys! How many times have I heard that the more things change the more they stay the same?
So I purchased a set of La Bella 760FS Deep Talking Flats from Greg @ Rocket last week and installed them on a beater bass last week. Originally I thought that I loved them, then a couple days later I thought that I hated them, then a couple days later I loved them again.... Then ....... I played a jam with them! Wow! We jammed on a lots of old Allman Brothers, blues, R&B, Doobies and man I've got to say that I had one of those "Blues Brothers" moments when the entire room lit up and a spot light shinned down from the heavens on me!
How could I have totally forgotten how great that sound was? I feel like I went full circle and returned back to the crossroads and took the right road.
I've been getting back into flat wound strings over the last year or so (and I've been enjoying them) but the more modern flats (Chromes, Cobalts ....) don't sound anything like these La Bella's.

Thud, thud, thud-thump, thud, thud, thud-thump, thud, thud, thud-thump, thud, thud, thud-thump, ........


That's all. Just had to get it out!

I'm a big fan of the La Bella 760 strings! I like the feel and sound of the 760N (Nylon coated) strings. Would love to put a set on my fretless Roscoe, but I'm waiting for the TI Flats on it to need replacing....and so I wait.

 

[ArtechnikA]

...I'm waiting for the TI Flats on it to need replacing....and so I wait.

Conventional wisdom is - you should live so long...

 

[Skip Chucker]

Except that I am a more glacial thinker and decision maker, and speeding up the process is actually something that makes me a bit uncomfortable. Plus, I would prefer unhurried artistry, not unnecessary haste in a project like this.

I didn't think of it as skipping the line, more like- here's some stuff already cut- do you like it?

Though to be fair, I didn't have any specific ideas for particular body/top woods. I just knew I wanted a fretted LG 5 string Bart/Bart PJ. So I gave him a budget and said what do you have/ what can you do?

I'm always afraid of telling a professional artist exactly what I want, because I think it can stifle their creativity. Instead I'd rather set left and right lateral limits and let them do the work that makes them happy.

 

[JOME77]

I have had many wedge neck and wenge fingerboards. The tonal qualities are wonderful (especially with the maple in the middle like these wedge necks). The open grain under my fingers bugs me ever so slightly which is why this one will have a PINK IVORY FINGERBOARD. My other Roscoes have Macassar Ebony boards which is also luxurious to play. This Box Elder bass in the works was originally speced with Black Ebony board until Keith mentioned his stash of pink ivory and I started researching its qualities. While researching I also became interested in pale moon, bloodwood and snakewood for fingerboards but opted for the pink ivory.

I really like the look of box elder burl. Such a classy look IMO.
Here's a box elder top on a Roscoe that I had built. It was actually my first custom build.

 

[JOME77]

That's why my LG-5 is. It's the spalted sienna burst one that he put up on his Facebook page a couple days ago. He's got quite a few of those rough cut bodies lying around, and sent me a bunch of photos. They all look really good.

You mean the one the right?

Awesome!

 

[Hughforik]

I really like the look of box elder burl. Such a classy look IMO.
Here's a box elder top on a Roscoe that I had built. It was actually my first custom build.

View attachment 3377451

Gorgeous. Box Elder is highly under-rated. Keith has a couple in his gallery if ever they came up for sale I would be interested. Especially either of these

:

 

[Skip Chucker]

You mean the one the right?


Awesome!

That's the one!

I was going to originally have him stain it blue. But Keith said, " I mean, I'll do it, but, are you sure that's what you want me to do? I can do something called sienna burst..."

I took that as a, "Nah dude, this piece of wood screams sienna burst to me"

 

[JOME77]

That's the one!

I was going to originally have him stain it blue. But Keith said, " I mean, I'll do it, but, are you sure that's what you want me to do? I can do something called sienna burst..."

I took that as a, "Nah dude, this piece of wood screams sienna burst to me"

Oh yeah. I remember when you showed us that beautiful spalted top and said you were going to stain it blue.
It looks awesome with the Sienna burst finish!!!

 

[staccatogrowl]

. . to be fair, I didn't have any specific ideas for particular body/top woods. I just knew I wanted a fretted LG 5 string Bart/Bart PJ. .

I had some specific ideas, but my first choice didn't fully meet what I was looking for. So I suggested my next favorite combination and was presented with the rough-cut choices, one of which I really liked.

There’s an interesting element of mystery and surprise when viewing wood samples in varying stages of carving and shaping. It seems that wood figuring is subject to revealing change as it moves from raw blank to rough cut body to shaped body. All the while, test "wetting," staining, and/or body sealing potentially reveals figuring previously not known/seen/observed.

This same dynamic of cosmetic change continues in the finishing process: how finish is absorbed and reflected, followed by effects of sanding, finish reapplication, clear coating, more sanding, and buffing. It’s ironic how important appearance is for a musical instrument that is treasured for it’s sonic signature, and how much time it takes for the wood finishing cosmetics. However, great, enduring quality is worth the wait!

 

[JOME77]

Gorgeous. Box Elder is highly under-rated. Keith has a couple in his gallery if ever they came up for sale I would be interested. Especially either of theseView attachment 3377482 : View attachment 3377481

Back in the pre-Gard days you never saw the actual top until it arrive (unless you visited the shop). I just told Keith to pick me out a nice one!
Quite a rush when you opened up the case and saw the top (and finished bass) for the first time. Same with Alembic (1979) and Pedulla (1990). There just weren’t any pics to choose your top from.
Things are so different now!

 

[Skip Chucker]

There’s an interesting element of mystery and surprise when viewing wood samples in varying stages of carving and shaping.

you never saw the actual top until it arrive (unless you visited the shop). I just told Keith to pick me out a nice one!
Quite a rush when you opened up the case and saw the top (and finished bass) for the first time.

I wonder if everyone would be more happy if we went back to where the customer was much more more hands off?! It's cool to see it being built, but at the same time- just as @staccatogrowl is saying- so much can change as the bass starts to take shape and form and color. It's not like a house where you see the blueprints, and you can see how everything will turn out when you look at the framing. This is much more subjective- you have to trust the in the vision, talent and process of the guy who is creating something beautiful.

That's the difference between the mass produced basses and these. Art.

 

[JOME77]

I had some specific ideas, but my first choice didn't fully meet what I was looking for. So I suggested my next favorite combination and was presented with the rough-cut choices, one of which I really liked.

There’s an interesting element of mystery and surprise when viewing wood samples in varying stages of carving and shaping. It seems that wood figuring is subject to revealing change as it moves from raw blank to rough cut body to shaped body. All the while, test "wetting," staining, and/or body sealing potentially reveals figuring previously not known/seen/observed.

This same dynamic of cosmetic change continues in the finishing process: how finish is absorbed and reflected, followed by effects of sanding, finish reapplication, clear coating, more sanding, and buffing. It’s ironic how important appearance is for a musical instrument that is treasured for it’s sonic signature, and how much time it takes for the wood finishing cosmetics. However, great, enduring quality is worth the wait!

I wonder if everyone would be more happy if we went back to where the customer was much more more hands off?! It's cool to see it being built, but at the same time- just as @staccatogrowl is saying- so much can change as the bass starts to take shape and form and color. It's not like a house where you see the blueprints, and you can see how everything will turn out when you look at the framing. This is much more subjective- you have to trust the in the vision, talent and process of the guy who is creating something beautiful.

That's the difference between the mass produced basses and these. Art.

Well stated guys!
It’s probably not as exciting but I quite enjoy buying used these days. The final product is much easier to see!