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Roscoe Club

#19,801
SteveC said:
I know my Classic P is the full 1-3/4” nut. 8 pounds.
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That’s pretty standard for P4’s, though some are 1.625 (1-5/8”)… I usually see other brand 5ers either 1-7/8” or 1-3/4”...

Just wondered why the comments made it seem like this one is unusually wide. Maybe I misread, or didn’t understand the width part of the complaint. :) Curious if it was wider than 1-7/8”?
 
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#19,802
I’m gonna drop in real quick and offer my .02…

I had a Classic 5, and while the neck was slightly wider than any of my customs, it wasn’t any thicker front to back. To me, the Classics are easiest playing Fender-style instruments I can remember playing (maybe with the exception of my Nash JB-5 and its 18mm spacing). To be honest, I really don’t think it’s possible to go any thinner without exposing the carbon rods in the neck.

To compare a Classic neck to the girth of what you get on a Devon is laughable. I’m not being biased here, either. I’ve owned two Devons, and am currently having one built. I ADORE those basses, but those necks are fat compared to any Roscoe I’ve ever played, and I’ve owned almost as many as Shane has.

TLDR: Maybe the problem lies with the player, not the bass?
 
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#19,803
I had a great night playing my Roscoe with my St. Vincent de Paul Lifeteen Band. I recently made some tweaks to pickup height, action and EQ, but I really hadn’t played it “live” yet to hear how they worked. The verdict? I couldn’t be more pleased! I guess I need to put in the time to adapt to the 35” scale neck, ‘cause this bass sounds too good to sell.
10FC9981-B34A-40E6-8227-81CF9F426525.jpeg
 
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#19,804
*you’re

This isn’t a contest about who has owned the most basses, and I’m happy to let you win that one. The bottom line here is, there are tons of people here who have been gently nudging you in the direction of common sense, and you continue to ignore their advice. Maybe figure out what works for you before buying a bass and immediately trying to flip it. I know you’ve probably never even considered this, but your actions harm the reputation of these builders you keep pushing to do favors for you. It may be partially their fault for continuing to humor you, but at some point, enough is enough.

Bassworship1 said:
@RTL

I’ve owned as many Devon’s as anyone on here and I can assure you the neck is thinner than this Classic. All my Roscoe moderns have a thinner neck profile also. Of course the problem is with the player as I said it was hurting my hand. If your going to drop in just to be a jerk then kindly drop back out.
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#19,805
gregbackstrom said:
I had a great night playing my Roscoe with my St. Vincent de Paul Lifeteen Band. I recently made some tweaks to pickup height, action and EQ, but I really hadn’t played it “live” yet to hear how they worked. The verdict? I couldn’t be more pleased! I guess I need to put in the time to adapt to the 35” scale neck, ‘cause this bass sounds too good to sell.
View attachment 4418449
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That’s a great old amp. I loved mine.
 
#19,810
The Roscoe basses I've had in the past - SKB and Century fives - made me realize just how much neck dimensions make a difference for me. The ones I've had, save one that had 19mm string spacing at the bridge - were among some of the slimmest front to back and always seemed to have a nut width of ~1.75". The 19mm spacing bass I had was more of the traditional 1.875" five string nut width and while I loved the tone of that bass (it was a J/MM), I just never got along with the wider neck. String spacing at the bridge doesn't seem to matter as much to me as long as it's somewhere between 17.5-19mm, but the nut width and overall taper from heel to nut, makes a BIG difference for me. I could see how the classics could be a very different feeling bass than what a lot are accustomed to in this thread.

I didn't realize that the classics had a 9.5" radius either. I've found I strongly prefer 12" or flatter, especially for a five string. With Roscoe being a custom shop, I'd think they might make it however you want it though. A 34" scale classic five string with a 1.75" nut and 18-19 mm string spacing at the bridge would be pretty nice I bet!
 
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#19,811
RTL said:
I’m gonna drop in real quick and offer my .02…

I had a Classic 5, and while the neck was slightly wider than any of my customs, it wasn’t any thicker front to back. To me, the Classics are easiest playing Fender-style instruments I can remember playing (maybe with the exception of my Nash JB-5 and its 18mm spacing). To be honest, I really don’t think it’s possible to go any thinner without exposing the carbon rods in the neck.

To compare a Classic neck to the girth of what you get on a Devon is laughable. I’m not being biased here, either. I’ve owned two Devons, and am currently having one built. I ADORE those basses, but those necks are fat compared to any Roscoe I’ve ever played, and I’ve owned almost as many as Shane has.

TLDR: Maybe the problem lies with the player, not the bass?
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I uh...

Come on bro. Maybe he has longer digits. Maybe he has grisly john henry wrists.

You could put your $ where your mouth is (fingers are? it's a keyboard) and buy it from him, and find out for yourself.

This post was pretty douchey. We don't need that kind of negativity around here.

AND WHO THE HELL CARES HOW MANY BASSES HE COMMISSIONS AND THEN SELLS? IT'S HIS DAMN MONEY THAT HE EARNED AND CAN DO WHATEVER HE WANTS WITH IT.

I love me some Roscoe basses, but you don't see me poopie on someone when they say they don't like the LG body style (which I love, and fits me well). They're not for everyone, but they're for me.
 
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#19,812
Yeah, Shane gets a lot of grief. I used to get a lot of grief as well. Mine may have been deserved. I wish I could experiment as much as he can/does. Woods, electronics, etc. Sometimes a bass doesn't work. IDK, I sold a bass while it was in transit to me. I swapped dozens of basses. I learned a lot. I'm not speaking as a moderator as this post hasn't been reported that I know of, but it certainly is boarder line in my mind. Let's keep it civil.
 
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#19,813
SteveC said:
Yeah, Shane gets a lot of grief. I used to get a lot of grief as well. Mine may have been deserved. I wish I could experiment as much as he can/does. Woods, electronics, etc. Sometimes a bass doesn't work. IDK, I sold a bass while it was in transit to me. I swapped dozens of basses. I learned a lot. I'm not speaking as a moderator as this post hasn't been reported that I know of, but it certainly is boarder line in my mind. Let's keep it civil.
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I'm not a fan of reporting posts (unless they just completely break the meta and don't belong- IE porn, racism, sexism, stuff that everyone would agree doesn't belong.) We should be able to call each other out on stuff.


And I am jealous of the relationship a lot of folks here have with Keith and Company.

I also know that a lot of folks have found their way to Roscoe through the basses that folks here built and then released into the wild.

In the theater world, folks like that are called Angels because they ensure that the business needs are met and the magic is given an opportunity to continue on, and even grow.

But here...
 
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#19,814
ive got the custom classic 5 and a fairly new skb custom 5 from the waterfall bubinga batch... the SKB width at the nut is 1.96". The classic 5er is the same. Both basses have 19mm spacing at the bridge. the classic feels slightly thinner at the bridge but its so small a diff that it's moot. both play fantastic and never tire me out or cause me pain.
PS Shane can buy whatever he wants and Keith gets to run his business how he wants.. i'm staying out of both worm cans.
 
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#19,815
I'd like to say that both sides are true. People should spend their time and money how they like. 100%. In the end it's money that goes to a small company and supports them. That's wonderful. There is absolutely the other side of that. I have many luthier friends. There used to be a few names that floated around between luthiers to look out for (I'm sure there still are). Customers that would order custom basses and sell them immediately after getting them, over and over again. I can tell you that this doesn't help when people who don't see the journey on TB (ie, most people) see someone constantly unloading basses from a builder. I do want to mention that, because outside of this very small community, things can be perceived a certain way.

I've also mentioned this before....I was the same way for many years. I went through as many basses and custom basses as I could afford (not nearly as many as many folks here, simply because I didn't have the money). I got flack from a builder and a friend at some point. On one hand it taught me specifics of what I really wanted from an instrument. On the other hand it was an enormous waste of time (for me) that I could have been spending on practicing and playing actual music with actual humans. I wish every day that I had learned my lesson earlier than I did. So it goes. The journey is different for all of us. Every time I see someone buying bass after bass I keep my feelings to myself, because it's not my money, nor is it my life.

I've seen the greatest musicians in the world get stuck in a situation where they didn't have their own bass to play, and they still sounded and played like they do....but we all have our own things to work on, whether it be musical or personal. I know I sure do. As I began to work with better and better musicians I realized that the best thing that I can do is just practice and play as much as possible, on whatever instrument that I have on hand. I'm personally much happier as a person now because of that.

This isn't an attack on anyone. It's none of my business what people do with their time and money (as long as it doesn't effect others negatively). Just sharing my own experience in case it resonates with anyone else.
 
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#19,817
emjazz said:
here used to be a few names that floated around between luthiers to look out for (I'm sure there still are). Customers that would order custom basses and sell them immediately after getting them, over and over again.
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But why?

I work with airline pilots who don't have the same car for more than 6 months, or the same boat (or snowmobile) for more than a season.

Who cares? Their money spends the same way as someone who will keep it for 20 years. Once it changes it hands, it's in your past.
 
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#19,818
A risk of spec'ing any custom bass is that when it is delivered it doesn't meet hope or expectation, just isn't a good fit, or current life situations prevent keeping it. I don't know of any custom builder that has an approval period, where the bass can be returned for any reason within a certain time period for a full refund.

Most people know right away if a bass will work or not. If it doesn't, there are choices. 1) Keep it and let it languish. 2) Sell it right away, usually at a loss. 3) Donate to a worthy person or charity. 4) Leave it on a street corner. Other suggestions?

Otherwise, commodity trading is nothing new. Buy low. Sell high. Make money. Buy high. Sell low. Make tears. It's pure capitalism and econ at that point. Don't we all know it well?
 
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#19,819
Bassworship1 said:
Anyone know what the radius is on the 5 string Classic's?
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Brother, am I understanding that you’re already selling this beautiful base? As much money as you sent to Roscoe I would think that in the very least they could do some modifications for you. Obviously the radius of the fretboard can’t be changed All that simply but the back of the neck surely can. Not to tell you what to do with your time and money but I’ve been to the shop several times over the years. I would think a simple drive or a flight to Greensboro and a hotel stay may save you a lot of money. They typically have necks and that sort of thing already made so you can get a general idea of feel. That might be a worthwhile investment instead of continuing to throw money at these things. I see pictures all the time where people stop by to pick up their stuff so I know Keith allows it now.
 
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