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Roscoe Club

#13,401
Nightman said:
I’ve never had to learn a James Jamerson’s bass line before, but the new band I’m playing guitar and bass for wants to do What’s Going On and other songs by Marvin Gaye. Of course, I grew up grooving to the Motown sound, but that’s a whole different experience to actually understanding the music and playing it.
Usually, the bass and the drummer are in sync setting the groove, but what I’ve notice about Jamerson is that his groove is in sync with the Congo player with added pauses and very little repetitive phrasing which is a whole new ball game from ‘usual’ bass playing.
Just my observation. YOMV
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Sometimes what sounds to be a simple bass line can be the hardest to make groove. Placing all the subtle accents in exactly the right place (with each subtle variation) can be challenging.
Add to that the fact that Jameson played HEAVY La Bella flats! I have the mediums on my P-bass and they really work your hands!
 
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#13,404
JOME77 said:
Sometimes what sounds to be a simple bass line can be the hardest to make groove. Placing all the subtle accents in exactly the right place (with each subtle variation) can be challenging.
Add to that the fact that Jameson played HEAVY La Bella flats! I have the mediums on my P-bass and they really work your hands!
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He also had really high action, as he was an upright player converting to electric. And he was a true pioneer- didn’t have anyone to steal lines from :D
 
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#13,405
MattLplaysBass said:
He also had really high action, as he was an upright player converting to electric. And he was a true pioneer- didn’t have anyone to steal lines from :D
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He’s credited for his approach on the electric bass from Motown releases, but way too many great DB players before Jamerson to say he didn’t have anyone to steal lines from. IJS
 
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#13,406
I played my Roscoe with nickels on it yesterday in service. It sounded killer to me through the hear backs and from the stage cabinets; nice and crisp and punchy. I was quite surprised when I heard the recording from the house! It painted a different picture!!
 
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#13,408
So, the stage setting yesterday was myself (bass cabinets behind and to the left of me) and the drummer, in a cage and to my immediate right, are on the same level. The acoustic piano and Electric Keys were both in front of us, but on a lower level. Everything is either mic’d or direct to the board.
I like this layout because the organ Leslie sits within arms reach from me and it can be hard to get around its volume, but because the guy who plays it is having some physical issues he was on the EK.
I’m thinking the keys and bass were in the same frequency spectrum and just sounded like a muddy mess in the mix, which is not what I was hearing from playing a bass with flats (Chromes)! Seems the flats do sit better in the mix! Not new news!!!
Our sound engineer is not a sound engineer. His mixing is more, ‘Can I
hear you?’.
My wife’s comment was, ‘I could hear you but you need to turn up’.
 
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#13,409
Nightman said:
I played my Roscoe with nickels on it yesterday in service. It sounded killer to me through the hear backs and from the stage cabinets; nice and crisp and punchy. I was quite surprised when I heard the recording from the house! It painted a different picture!!
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I think Roscoes sound like Roscoes with the D'Addario nickels on them. I know people love other stings and stuff, but to me my Roscoe's sound best with nickel rounds. I have been curious to try flts on my fretted, but I love the mwah from the rounds on my fretless. Don't want it to be thump and uprighty.
 
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#13,410
I’ve yet to try flats on my Roscoe with Bart preamp and Roscoe custom Barts. I did change out the Curt Mangan nickel strings on the Roscoe I used yesterday to the D’Addario EXL170-5 nickel strings and will probably go with those on that bass.
I’m learning that my two basses with the Chromes work best at my church, based on that room, the two keyboards and the absence of a head-in-the-game sound engineer.
 
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#13,411
SteveC said:
I think Roscoes sound like Roscoes with the D'Addario nickels on them. I know people love other stings and stuff, but to me my Roscoe's sound best with nickel rounds. I have been curious to try flts on my fretted, but I love the mwah from the rounds on my fretless. Don't want it to be thump and uprighty.
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Yes I totally agree. I’ve tried some SS by Dr and Dunlop and they seem to be too harsh and the trademark Roscoe tone seems lost.... to me. I put the Daddario NYXL or XL on and boom! There it is
 
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#13,412
New Bass! 2019 just built, maple flame on Swamp ash with Pau Ferro board and Jescar Gold Frets Diamond Wood nut -cheers !
 

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#13,415
Happy Holidays, Roscoeheads!!
Let’s sing those familiar seasonal songs we love so much!!
The Roscoe Song
Oh Roscoe Tree, Oh Roscoe Tree
Joy to the Roscoe’s
Jingle Roscoe
The Twelve NBD's Before Roscoe (Out For Delivery)
Don't Sit Under The Roscoe Tree With Anyone Else But Me
We Wish You A Brand New Roscoe,
and the saddest of them all
No El Roscoe! No El Roscoe!


Peace!
 
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#13,416
Nightman said:
Happy Holidays, Roscoeheads!!
Let’s sing those familiar seasonal songs we love so much!!
The Roscoe Song
Oh Roscoe Tree, Oh Roscoe Tree
Joy to the Roscoe’s
Jingle Roscoe
The Twelve NBD's Before Roscoe (Out For Delivery)
Don't Sit Under The Roscoe Tree With Anyone Else But Me
We Wish You A Brand New Roscoe,
and the saddest of them all
No El Roscoe! No El Roscoe!


Peace!
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Dont forget:

All I want for Christmas is a Roscoe
Its Beginning To Look A Lot Like 2 More Weeks
Rudolph The Redwood SKB
Do You Hear What I Hear? (Roscoe Barts)
I Saw Keith Plekking A Custom Classic
 
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