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Roscoe Club
- Thread starter JOME77
- Start date
Matt, I love that grain on the finger board! Just killer! Look s great with the exhibition top.
Yeah, Keith picked that Pau Ferro out and sent me a pic with the question "Would this be OK?"....Ummmm, YES!
The top isn't an "Exhibition" piece. It was one of their "in stock" bodies that was already built and sitting in the shop. I just got lucky and managed to get it.
Wow- I’ve never seen pau ferro like that. Some excellent choices were made with those basses- well done!
What is your favorite wood/electronics combo for a Roscoe? Years ago I had one that was a one piece (!) Myrtlewood body with the standard maple/purpleheart neck and I think a two tone purpleheart board. Roscoe Barts and a Demeter preamp. Just incredible.
I have no issues with my swamp ash body (super light) and Bart/Bart electronics.
The best Tone Woods I've found in the Roscoes I own or have owned is Mahogany, Wenge Fretboard with Bart and Bart/ Aguilar Electronics.
My Century 6 was ash with a Wenge board and Bart jazz pups and Bart pre. That as a great bass. My mahogany fretless with “JB” places Bart’s was also killer. I’ve never played a bad one really.
My favorite combo is an ash body, maple top, maple/wenge/maple neck with a wenge FB. Bart CB pickups and a Bart preamp.
I have not. I had some Bart quads in my old Streamer LX, but my favorites are the CB's.
The Roscoe Bart’s are custom pickups only offered in a Roscoe basses and are quite different with my experience. The CB’s are really nice too.
I've only had three Roscoes, each with different woods for the fretboard and body, but all three with the standard maple/purpleheart neck:
SKB 5 - Spanish Cedar body, Cocobolo fretboard, Roscoe Barts, Bart pre
SKB 5 - Ash body, sapwood Wenge fretboard, originally with Roscoe Barts and Aguilar OBP-3 pre, but I swapped the pickups to Nordstrand Big Singles
Century 5 (current) - Mahogany body, Pau Ferro fretboard, Aguilar 5J-HC pickups (60s position) and an Aguilar OBP-1 preamp
So far, I'd take any of the wood combos I've had, but I don't seem to get along with the Roscoe Bart pickups. I like pickups that are more open sounding. The Roscoe Barts and other Barts I have played are too dark, wooly, and compressed sounding (though I've never had or tried a bass with Bart CB pickups). When I changed to Big Singles in one of the SKBs, it was like lifting a blanket off the tone of that bass. I prefer the Aguilar preamps that I've had to the Bart, but could live with either I think.
If I were going to spec a build, I'd likely go with either an ash or mahogany body, the Wenge/maple neck (just because I like the look of it), and a Wenge fretboard. If going with the typical Roscoe soapbar pickup placement, I'd probably try Aguilar DCB pickups (never had them, but like all of the audio and video I've found of them) and an Aguilar OBP 1 or 3.
Hey all, I'm going to be the proud owner of an LG3005, but it's currently loaded with single coil bartolinis. Does anyone know the size of the pickup so I can start looking for suitable replacements? Thanks.
Having played a bunch of Roscoes of various configurations my favorite has always been my first. Alder body, quilted maple top, Roscoe Barts, Demeter preamp. Sold it and regret it every day since. You guys new to the fold owe it to yourselves to try a Demeter preamp with Roscoe barts.
I also prefer an Alder body with a maple top. But with Pau Ferro board. I’ve played 2 with that combo and both were GREAT. But I also prefer the wenge in the back of the neck as opposed to the Purple Heart. I’ve had my LG5 with alder/maple/Pau Ferro/Bart single coils/Aguilar obp1 for 5 years and it’s never leaving me.
I also owned a mahogany body, cocobolo top, and birds eye board. By far the most beautiful bass I’ll ever own. But sound wise... it was lacking to my preferences and I sold it.
Jome77 had one of the best roscoes I’ve played. I believe it was a walnut top? Cocobolo board? Mahogany body? You remember that six string Joe? That thing was awesome.
Every bass is different. Even with the same woods. But I’d say it’s safe to stick with what one likes.
I also love the obp 1. But I’ve never liked the obp3. To each their own.
I also owned a mahogany body, cocobolo top, and birds eye board. By far the most beautiful bass I’ll ever own. But sound wise... it was lacking to my preferences and I sold it.
Jome77 had one of the best roscoes I’ve played. I believe it was a walnut top? Cocobolo board? Mahogany body? You remember that six string Joe? That thing was awesome.
Every bass is different. Even with the same woods. But I’d say it’s safe to stick with what one likes.
I also love the obp 1. But I’ve never liked the obp3. To each their own.
I also had had three Roscoes...all in a row. I remember one had a mahogany body with the bart/bart setup and one had spanish cedar with bart/bart. The spanish cedar was atrocious.....couldn't be heard in a mix at all...super compressed and soft sounding. Total drag. Every other Roscoe that I've played has been amazing though.
Interesting. The SKB 5 I had with a Spanish Cedar body was definitely the most mild-mannered Roscoe of my three. I had always thought it was more of the Bart/Bart combo, but maybe not.
Does it have the X5 or typical Jazz pickups?
Here's a pic of the X5 Bart:
Most have the typical Jazz shape. I would suspect that it would be one of the Standard models. Just measure the basic dims the pickups on yours and match them up (with one in the pic).
