Roscoe Club

[SteveC]

I've been dying for a Roscoe Fretless since I sold mine years ago. I am truly grateful to him for sure.

Yeah, a Roscoe fretless is something one should have in their "quiver" for sure. I was glad to get one of my old ones back. I don't use mine all the time, but when I want/need that fretless vibe, I've got it in spades. And sometimes I take it just because it's an awesome bass and I want to play it. My only wish is that it was maybe a pound lighter, like my fretted. But it is mahogany (the fretted is ash) which adds to the sound for sure.

 

[armybass]

Yeah, a Roscoe fretless is something one should have in their "quiver" for sure. I was glad to get one of my old ones back. I don't use mine all the time, but when I want/need that fretless vibe, I've got it in spades. And sometimes I take it just because it's an awesome bass and I want to play it. My only wish is that it was maybe a pound lighter, like my fretted. But it is mahogany (the fretted is ash) which adds to the sound for sure.

Absolutely... I have had many nice fretless basses over the years but none have been as articulate and easy to play as my Roscoe.

 

[staccatogrowl]

@Joe BassPlayer Will you be buying (all of) your former Roscoes back anytime soon?

 

[Nightman]

That would be interesting! He'd have to come out of retirement and work two jobs to do that!

 

[JOME77]

@Joe BassPlayer Will you be buying (all of) your former Roscoes back anytime soon?

Lol
Man! I'd love to Fritz but don't see any way to make that happen!

 

[Nightman]

Lol
Man! I'd love to Fritz but don't see any way to make that happen!

Regale us, Joe. If you could, which basses would you want to buy back?

 

[JOME77]

Regale us, Joe. If you could, which basses would you want to buy back?

Ray, I guess that there are 5 Roscoe's that I regret having sold or traded. I miss these not so much for how well they looked but for how well they played and sounded (although they aren't exactly ugly basses!).
In no particular order, here they are:

LG-3005 Fretless bubinga/ash, Birds eye maple Diamondwood finger board, Bart/Bart electronics. This bass was really heavy but man did it sing!

LG-3005 with straight pickups Myrtle burl/mahogany, cocobolo finger board, Demeter/Bart electronics. Keith did the fret job on this one. easily the best playing Roscoe that I've owned.

SKB-3006 Figured walnut/mahogany, sapwood cocobolo finger board, wenge wedge neck, Bart/Bart electonics
It was bit heavy but man did it have a wonderful tone!
LG-3005 Flamed Koa/mahogany, wenge finger board, Demeter/Bart electronics.
Light weight bass with a very sweet sounding tone (you know this one well Ray).

SKB-3006 ziricote/Spainish cedar, maple finger board, Bart/Bart electronics.
This bass was light weight and had a beautiful sweet tone. Played like a dream!

 

[staccatogrowl]

Interesting that your favorite 5'ers are LGs, and 6'ers SKBs. My (tied for) favorite 5'er fretless is also an LG, purchased used from Atlanta Bass Gallery in August 2016.

 

[JOME77]

Interesting that your favorite 5'ers are LGs, and 6'ers SKBs. My (tied for) favorite 5'er fretless is also an LG purchased used from Atlanta Bass Gallery.
View attachment 4113844

Beautiful bass Fritz!
I love that Roscoe finish!
I guess that I love all Roscoe models. Although SKB and LG's are by far my favorite. Not really a 6 string kind of guy these days but I do still miss having a Roscoe 6.

 

[Bassworship1]

My favorite thing about a Roscoe besides the amazing B string, neck and build is their Gloss finish. That may sound crazy but I can't stand a high gloss finish that always shows fingerprints and smudges. Keith's finish is the beat I've seen for n doing that.

 

[staccatogrowl]

Beautiful bass Fritz!

Thanks, Joe and Shane. It is a sweet, sweet bass. The gloss finish was described as Cordovan red by ABG. The pickup positions are ideal for my idea of fretless tone, being a bit more bridge oriented than other LGs I've had.

That positioning, along with the unlined Birdseye Dymondwood fingerboard, fat, fat Purpleheart center neck lamination, and Swamp Ash/Quilt Maple body, results in a bass that growls and mwahs with the best of them.

The bass was reportedly Plek'd by Mr. Roscoe before I received it, as confirmed by Mr. Lewis. I recently replaced the 2-module NTMB 3-band Bart preamp with a new NTMB from Mr. Roscoe.

It's a definitely a legacy bass due to its quality, playability, tone and condition!

 

[Nightman]

My (tied for) favorite 5'er fretless is also an LG, purchased used from Atlanta Bass Gallery in August 2016.

A stunning Roscoe, @staccatogrowl! I think I remember seeing that Roscoe in AGC. Did you buy it from their new/last brick location?

@Joe BassPlayer, I do know that Roscoe. It would be one of two Roscoe's that I would welcome back. A well liked bass, too!

The only other Roscoe I'd like to have back is my first Roscoe. A SKB with a beautiful finish!!
I placed in the TB classifieds and it sold the next day! I didn't have time to change my mind.

 

[armybass]

All 5 of these but particularly the fretless SKB 3006 to my right. It was the greatest Fretless I ever owned.

 

[JOME77]

I'd also have to add this SKB-3006 fretless (bass on the right) to the "what was I thinking list". This was by far the best sound fretless I ever owned from a standpoint of Mwah. Man did it growl! Thick Bubinga top, ash body, Bart/Bart electronics, Diamondwood board.
I actually got it twice and let it go twice.

I guess Forrest was right when he said "stupid is as stupid does"!

 

[JOME77]

View attachment 4114665
All 5 of these but particularly the fretless SKB 3006 to my right. It was the greatest Fretless I ever owned.

Awesome looking stable of Roscoe's!
I guess quite a few of us have "Been there, done that, all we've got left is the T-shirt"!

 

[Nightman]

I guess quite a few of us have "Been there, done that, all we've got left is the T-shirt"!

.... Right! A plain white T-shirt at that!

 

[armybass]

@Joe BassPlayer I have the short and long sleeve in black but they both have holes in the armpits now lol.

 

[Laklandfan]

Well I don't have them yet but the pics I have are from the seller JLY, a TB Roscoe Club member. I hope he doesn't mind.
View attachment 4112150 View attachment 4112151 View attachment 4112152 View attachment 4112153

Love that maple neck JJ top wood.

 

[armybass]

Love that maple neck JJ top wood.

Pommele Sapele according to the Rocket Music archive page

I purchased it new and is the most I've ever paid for a bass LOL.

 

[MattLplaysBass]

Well I would like to get back the bass I sent to Keith in April to get a new neck, but we'll see how many "2 more weeks" i get

But while we're playing the Roscoe regret game, here's a few I regret not pulling the trigger on:

I need a 6er like I need a hole in the head, but every now and then I get a hankering for one. This one was in the TB classifieds for quite awhile last time before it sold, that makes 3 times I missed it.

This one has bounced around a bit, it was at GC for a bit, and FretSpot sold it last. Last time I saw it on here, I couldn't convince myself to have 2 ash body/maple 'board basses, now I have 3 (4 if you count the Century at Roscoe right now).

I remember drooling over this one at Rocket Music when he posted it. Has switched owners a few times, looks like Steve sold it last on here. When I get my Century back with the wenge 'board, it should scratch my itch for this bass (except the j pickups, but I'm not hurting for basses with jazz pickups).