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Roscoe Club
- Thread starter JOME77
- Start date
I don’t like the Aguilar pickups either o have Nordstrands in mine . I have Ulyate pickups in my US Lakland and like those the best . Don’t give up on a bass just because it’s got crappy pickups! . I would at least try putting in something else if it still doesn’t do I it for ya you can sell the bass to me and the Gagguilars on the Aggie fan site
The Aggie p/u’s and OBP-3 preamp sound fine in my Custom Century PJ but I really have no clear baseline to compare the sound to (since it’s the only PJ configured Roscoe I’ve heard).
My concern would be what to replace them with. This is one of the first basses that I’ve liked the OBP-3 in and I believe it’s because it’s paired with the Aguilar p/u’s. I’ve done many Nordstrand Jazz p/u installs for several local players (with mixed results) but those were mostly in passive instruments. I’ve heard Nord DC p/u’s paired with the OBP-3 preamp and it was ok but not sure how the Nordstrand PJ p/u’s would pair with the OBP-3 preamp.
I always remember really loving the sound of my Pedulla MVP basses with the Bart preamp and Bart PJ p/u’s but but that was over 20’s and not sure how I’d like them now (or how they’d sound in my Roscoe).
I've heard great things about the EMG active PJ p/u's paired with a Pope Flex Core preamp but that's an expensive thing to try not knowing if I'd like it (and that's also proprietary versions installed in a Fodera YY bass).
I guess that’s why I’ve left well enough alone for now ….
I know people like to mix and match, but maybe this is a case where "matched" parts just work better together. I have never cared for Aggie stuff. I tried it in a bass long ago and it just didn't do it for me.
Not in a Roscoe, but I swapped out stock Fender pickups in a passive PJ for an Aguilar HC set, and I’m pretty happy with the sound. I would’ve preferred Honey Badgers or maybe Fralins, but the Aggie set showed up in the classifieds at a good price. Used that bass on a old school R&B a gig last week and they sounded really good. I made a before/after video when I swapped.
I have a Honey Badger in my Roscoe P. It's pretty nice.
LGs in the house ! Those look awesome!
Great family portrait, especially these two!
Am liking the juxtaposition of the LG (Little Girl) with its big sib Classic (BG?). Your Classic appears to be a Precision-style body. If so, would the Classic Jazz-style body be even larger?
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Yes lovely Roscoe family! Can’t wait to take my family photo soon. But according to these recent pics we are getting closer to my first personal build coming home.
I love how he brings out the Grain in his Ash Bodies. By far my favorite body wood. Beautiful bass.
I’m a total sucker for matching head stocks! The Classics must be really awesome since I very rarely see them come up in the used market. I’d love to try a 5 string P.
I have a Classic P in Fiesta Red (no matching headstock though) I call my "Pino" bass. I doubt it'll ever see the used market. It was also a gift from my wife so...
I'm going to ask a question here, because I don't really want to bother Keith just yet 
Keith gave me a quote on a Classic P/J bass, and I just haven't been able to pull the trigger yet. This may well be the last bass I buy so I want to get it right. It's not so much that I want a 'precision bass' and in fact I don't like the general looks of a P bass but the body fits me good and that passive P/J sound is what works for the band I'm in.
I guess at this point I should state that I have the following Roscoes so you know where I'm coming from:
Century 5 String w/Bart soapbars
Century 5 String w/Aguilar P/J
Century 4 String w/Nordy Big Splits
Classic J4 w/Honey Badger P/J
I also have 4 Fenders, but I want my main players to be Roscoes.
Of all of those, the Classic J4 and the Fenders are what delivers the sound I need. The others sound phenomenal but are a completely different sound. I picked up the Century 5 string with P/J's hoping that it would sound like the J4 since it had P/J's but it does not.
So anyway while I do love the Classic Jazz 4, I do prefer the larger Precision neck and the Precision body fits me better, so that is what is leading me to get a Classic P/J.
But here's my question...finally....while the Precision body does fit me better than the Jazz, the one that fits me PERFECT is the Century. But like I said, none of mine sound like a passive P/J. I'm wondering, would a regular Century 4 string made from regular woods like basic ash with a maple neck, and with passive P/J pickups....would that sound like a Precision P/J? Or is the pickup placement/bass design just all wrong for that?
Thank you for letting me think out loud!
Keith gave me a quote on a Classic P/J bass, and I just haven't been able to pull the trigger yet. This may well be the last bass I buy so I want to get it right. It's not so much that I want a 'precision bass' and in fact I don't like the general looks of a P bass but the body fits me good and that passive P/J sound is what works for the band I'm in.
I guess at this point I should state that I have the following Roscoes so you know where I'm coming from:
Century 5 String w/Bart soapbars
Century 5 String w/Aguilar P/J
Century 4 String w/Nordy Big Splits
Classic J4 w/Honey Badger P/J
I also have 4 Fenders, but I want my main players to be Roscoes.
Of all of those, the Classic J4 and the Fenders are what delivers the sound I need. The others sound phenomenal but are a completely different sound. I picked up the Century 5 string with P/J's hoping that it would sound like the J4 since it had P/J's but it does not.
So anyway while I do love the Classic Jazz 4, I do prefer the larger Precision neck and the Precision body fits me better, so that is what is leading me to get a Classic P/J.
But here's my question...finally....while the Precision body does fit me better than the Jazz, the one that fits me PERFECT is the Century. But like I said, none of mine sound like a passive P/J. I'm wondering, would a regular Century 4 string made from regular woods like basic ash with a maple neck, and with passive P/J pickups....would that sound like a Precision P/J? Or is the pickup placement/bass design just all wrong for that?
Thank you for letting me think out loud!
I'm going to ask a question here, because I don't really want to bother Keith just yet
Keith gave me a quote on a Classic P/J bass, and I just haven't been able to pull the trigger yet. This may well be the last bass I buy so I want to get it right. It's not so much that I want a 'precision bass' and in fact I don't like the general looks of a P bass but the body fits me good and that passive P/J sound is what works for the band I'm in.
I guess at this point I should state that I have the following Roscoes so you know where I'm coming from:
Century 5 String w/Bart soapbars
Century 5 String w/Aguilar P/J
Century 4 String w/Nordy Big Splits
Classic J4 w/Honey Badger P/J
I also have 4 Fenders, but I want my main players to be Roscoes.
Of all of those, the Classic J4 and the Fenders are what delivers the sound I need. The others sound phenomenal but are a completely different sound. I picked up the Century 5 string with P/J's hoping that it would sound like the J4 since it had P/J's but it does not.
So anyway while I do love the Classic Jazz 4, I do prefer the larger Precision neck and the Precision body fits me better, so that is what is leading me to get a Classic P/J.
But here's my question...finally....while the Precision body does fit me better than the Jazz, the one that fits me PERFECT is the Century. But like I said, none of mine sound like a passive P/J. I'm wondering, would a regular Century 4 string made from regular woods like basic ash with a maple neck, and with passive P/J pickups....would that sound like a Precision P/J? Or is the pickup placement/bass design just all wrong for that?
Thank you for letting me think out loud!
I have a Custom Century 5 PJ, but IMO 35” scale 5 string P or PJ basses just don’t totally nail the P Bass sound. It sounds really close, depending on pickup placement and body/neck woods, but the fact that it’s a 5 string and a 35” scale changes the sound a bit.
I think maybe Adam @steelin4u can answer that one better than me because he has a 4 string 34" scale Roscoe STD PJ (not sure if it's Century or SKB or LG).
I suspect that as long as the P Bass p/u is placed in the same position as a Fender and the Jazz is in either the 60's or 70' position it should nail it nicely. And maybe go with an alder body if you want the more traditional P tone.
I used to have a Century Standard Plus 34 scale 5 string with Aguilar PJ pickups and Bartolini preamp no passive option. I really really liked that bass. I would think a 4 string passive version would do greatI'm going to ask a question here, because I don't really want to bother Keith just yet
Keith gave me a quote on a Classic P/J bass, and I just haven't been able to pull the trigger yet. This may well be the last bass I buy so I want to get it right. It's not so much that I want a 'precision bass' and in fact I don't like the general looks of a P bass but the body fits me good and that passive P/J sound is what works for the band I'm in.
I guess at this point I should state that I have the following Roscoes so you know where I'm coming from:
Century 5 String w/Bart soapbars
Century 5 String w/Aguilar P/J
Century 4 String w/Nordy Big Splits
Classic J4 w/Honey Badger P/J
I also have 4 Fenders, but I want my main players to be Roscoes.
Of all of those, the Classic J4 and the Fenders are what delivers the sound I need. The others sound phenomenal but are a completely different sound. I picked up the Century 5 string with P/J's hoping that it would sound like the J4 since it had P/J's but it does not.
So anyway while I do love the Classic Jazz 4, I do prefer the larger Precision neck and the Precision body fits me better, so that is what is leading me to get a Classic P/J.
But here's my question...finally....while the Precision body does fit me better than the Jazz, the one that fits me PERFECT is the Century. But like I said, none of mine sound like a passive P/J. I'm wondering, would a regular Century 4 string made from regular woods like basic ash with a maple neck, and with passive P/J pickups....would that sound like a Precision P/J? Or is the pickup placement/bass design just all wrong for that?
Thank you for letting me think out loud!
Yeah I hadn't thought about the scale length maybe being the reason my 5 doesn't quite have that throaty P/J sound. My 4 string Century has all kinds of crazy woods so I think that's why it might not get there. Or heck it could be the pickups (Big Splits) but it doesn't sound like a Jazz bass either.
When played acoustically, how does it compare to the Classic J?
