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Roscoe owners-modify your bass!
- Thread starter emjazz
- Start date
On my Roscoe LG3005 (light swamp Ash/Quilt Maple Top, Ebony Fingerboard) I could get respectable slap tones, but now what you might call 'great' slap bass tones. PS: My Roscoe had the Aguilar OPB-1 preamp. Treble and bass bost only. Very musical and huge amounts of boost. But the lack of Mid control always left me wanting. I have heard not such great things about the Aguilar OBP-3 so that didn't seem like the best option.
I found the D and G strings on the LG3005 to be a bit thin sounding. Not as fat and thick as Fender basses. I agree the B string was thunderous and *huge* sounding. More so than my Modulus Quantum 5 which is also know for having an exceptional B string.
I can't wait to hear about the preamp option tweaks and alternate pick up placement. That makes a lot of sense. It seems the most recent onboard demeter preamp is held in very high regard.
Lastly, I found it a little harder to get under the strings with my right hand near the neck than with some other basses. I am not a slap-a-holic, so my technique may not be the best in the land.
I found the D and G strings on the LG3005 to be a bit thin sounding. Not as fat and thick as Fender basses. I agree the B string was thunderous and *huge* sounding. More so than my Modulus Quantum 5 which is also know for having an exceptional B string.
I can't wait to hear about the preamp option tweaks and alternate pick up placement. That makes a lot of sense. It seems the most recent onboard demeter preamp is held in very high regard.
Lastly, I found it a little harder to get under the strings with my right hand near the neck than with some other basses. I am not a slap-a-holic, so my technique may not be the best in the land.
I can get an incredibel slap sound with my modified Roscoe. Again, it was the Demeter preamp that changed that. (Sorry about not having sound clips yet). I'm still awaiting a switch to be able to switch the pickups to single coils.
I don't think that it's possible to get the Roscoe's to have a "fender" sound the way that they're made. They just aren't created to do that, and I'm glad. There are enough basses out there to fill that niche. The F's really are the best for that. I am however very interested to see what Adrian has worked out with Keith. 34.5" scale length!!!!! Looks like a new Roscoe on my horizon.
I just had a gig last night with an electric jazz trio that I frequently play with and it was the first time that I really got to put my new Roscoe through it's paces. I played it through an Aguilar 659 preamp and two Berg 112's. I've never really enjoyed listening to the sound of my bass as much as I did last night. Everything was there that I could want. The tone was soooooo big and it was so easy to play. Truthfully, I've never played a better gig. I really believe that if your sound is all there than you can really relax and just concentrate on playing your instrument. That's all I've been searching for and I believe that I've found it. I will however have to have another Roscoe six as well as a fretless.
I don't think that it's possible to get the Roscoe's to have a "fender" sound the way that they're made. They just aren't created to do that, and I'm glad. There are enough basses out there to fill that niche. The F's really are the best for that. I am however very interested to see what Adrian has worked out with Keith. 34.5" scale length!!!!! Looks like a new Roscoe on my horizon.
I just had a gig last night with an electric jazz trio that I frequently play with and it was the first time that I really got to put my new Roscoe through it's paces. I played it through an Aguilar 659 preamp and two Berg 112's. I've never really enjoyed listening to the sound of my bass as much as I did last night. Everything was there that I could want. The tone was soooooo big and it was so easy to play. Truthfully, I've never played a better gig. I really believe that if your sound is all there than you can really relax and just concentrate on playing your instrument. That's all I've been searching for and I believe that I've found it. I will however have to have another Roscoe six as well as a fretless.
Andrew,
I finally broke down and ordered the Demeter for my fretted Roscoe. I ordered it with the concentric pot (used on the Aguilar pre). Brian spoke to James Demeter and he stated that he didn't feel that it would change the sound much at all. He did suggest using the concentric pot for the bass & mid controls to keep the preamp sounding as close to the intended design as possible. I'll post my comments after I install the pre.
I finally broke down and ordered the Demeter for my fretted Roscoe. I ordered it with the concentric pot (used on the Aguilar pre). Brian spoke to James Demeter and he stated that he didn't feel that it would change the sound much at all. He did suggest using the concentric pot for the bass & mid controls to keep the preamp sounding as close to the intended design as possible. I'll post my comments after I install the pre.
JOME77 said:
Joe, be sure to keep us posted. I want people here to realize that I'm not full of hot air!
The Demeter in a Roscoe really is all that!emjazz said:
I installed the Demeter in my fretted Roscoe this afternoon. For the most part I've got to agree with Andrew on both of these points (although I did like and use the bridge P/U soled with the Bart). The Mid's seem much more tamed now. I never really noticed it before but after hearing the Roscoe with the Demeter the Bart really colored up the sound of the bass. Also, even with the Bart trim pot (input sensitivity) turned all the way down, I over drove my amp preamp when the volume on the bass was full. The Demeter doesn't exhibit this problem and it's also quiter. The installation was very simple although I did have to change out the Bass and Mid pots to a single concentric 50K pot (to keep from installing another control on my bass). I guess that I'd have to hear a Roscoe with the separate bass/mid/treble controls (all 100K) to see if the 50K pot changed the sound much. James Demeter did say to use the concentric 50K to replace the bass/mid controls to retain the intended sound of the preamp. The preamp also come with a DPDT on/on switch wired to change the center freq of the Mid control. I really like it but haven't decided whether I like it enough to drill a hole to mount the switch. I'll play the bass on a couple of gigs this week-end and see how it goes.
Great to hear that you like it! I'm continuously impressed with my Roscoe the more that I play it. I'm sure that I would've grown tired of it by now if I had kept the Bart pre in. I hope to hear more when you have your gigs. I'm sure you'll find that the bass responds better to dynamics with the Demeter.
Andrew,
Did your Demeter BEQ-1 come with the pre-wired Mid switch? The instructions doesn't reference the sw. but it really adds a nice sound to the mid controls. Not as drastic as the mid switch on the Bart pre but very useful tones. I want the sounds that the sw adds but I debating whether to drill another hole to mount the sw. Unfortunately, I would need a 100K with a DPDT push-pull pot to avoid installing the sw. and all I can find is a 50K. I've already compromised the 50K concentric replacing the bass/mid 100K pots (Demeter did approve that change) and don't want to risk varying anything else. Also, did the individual that installed your Demeter shorten the wiring harness as received from Demeter? Once I decide it's a keeper I may shorten all of the wire runs. It's a little messy packing in all of the wiring in the control cavity.
Anyway, thanks for the tip on the Demeter pre. First impressions is that it really improved the sound of my Roscoe (and that's saying something).
Did your Demeter BEQ-1 come with the pre-wired Mid switch? The instructions doesn't reference the sw. but it really adds a nice sound to the mid controls. Not as drastic as the mid switch on the Bart pre but very useful tones. I want the sounds that the sw adds but I debating whether to drill another hole to mount the sw. Unfortunately, I would need a 100K with a DPDT push-pull pot to avoid installing the sw. and all I can find is a 50K. I've already compromised the 50K concentric replacing the bass/mid 100K pots (Demeter did approve that change) and don't want to risk varying anything else. Also, did the individual that installed your Demeter shorten the wiring harness as received from Demeter? Once I decide it's a keeper I may shorten all of the wire runs. It's a little messy packing in all of the wiring in the control cavity.
Anyway, thanks for the tip on the Demeter pre. First impressions is that it really improved the sound of my Roscoe (and that's saying something).
JOME77 said:Andrew,
Did your Demeter BEQ-1 come with the pre-wired Mid switch? The instructions doesn't reference the sw. but it really adds a nice sound to the mid controls. Not as drastic as the mid switch on the Bart pre but very useful tones. I want the sounds that the sw adds but I debating whether to drill another hole to mount the sw. Unfortunately, I would need a 100K with a DPDT push-pull pot to avoid installing the sw. and all I can find is a 50K. I've already compromised the 50K concentric replacing the bass/mid 100K pots (Demeter did approve that change) and don't want to risk varying anything else. Also, did the individual that installed your Demeter shorten the wiring harness as received from Demeter? Once I decide it's a keeper I may shorten all of the wire runs. It's a little messy packing in all of the wiring in the control cavity.
Anyway, thanks for the tip on the Demeter pre. First impressions is that it really improved the sound of my Roscoe (and that's saying something).
Yup, I love the Demeter combined with the Roscoe. Now the bass growls with clarity.
I didn't get the mid switch option. I really like the mid frequency where it is and Brian Ristola hadn't tried one yet so he could't say if it was worth it or not. I also didn't want to find a space for another hole in my bass. I'm already making a hole for a coil tap switch between the volume and pickup pan. Brian installed the preamp and we decided to not shorten the wires from the module. I never have to open the back plate to get to anything so I don't really care about it. There is the extra cavity for the batteries so I never have to see the wires. I don't believe that shortening the wires will make a difference in the sound at all. If it did I'm sure that noone would be able to hear it.
I'm really glad to hear that you like the Demeter as well. I wanted people to know that the Roscoe basses don't have to be limited to just a fingerstyle bass and also that they can sound even better than they do already.
I called Keith Roscoe last week about building a 4-string SKB Slapper. He told me that his primary emphasis would be in the choice of woods: Ash, maple, etc. However, the preamp/pickup configuration could be key. I've discoverd that dual/quad coil pup wiring configurations (e.g. series, parallel, or coil selectable) make a HUGE difference in the tone. One may be better for fingerstle and the other for slapping.
Per bartolini.net:
- Series: Highest output level-best midrange
- Parallel: 1/2 the output of series wiring with 50% more treble but less mids
FWIW: Modulus wires the Bart pups in series.
How are the Bart pickups normally wired in a Roscoe?
Were they wired differently during the Demeter installation?
Per bartolini.net:
- Series: Highest output level-best midrange
- Parallel: 1/2 the output of series wiring with 50% more treble but less mids
FWIW: Modulus wires the Bart pups in series.
How are the Bart pickups normally wired in a Roscoe?
Were they wired differently during the Demeter installation?
JRBrown said:
The Barts are wired in series for the Roscoe's. Installing the Demeter pre doesn't change the wiring at all. In my opinion though I believe that you can get an amazing slap sound with the Demeter by just dialing back the mids and boosting the treble and bass. I'd suggest a very light swamp ash body with a maple fingerboard for a killin slap bass sond on a Roscoe. Be specific about getting light ash though. The two band Bartolini preamp will give you an amazing slap sound as well. It sounds so much better than the 3 band Bart pre. Be aware that the slap sound on a Roscoe will not get the classic Fender vibe though. The sound will be tighter and less tubby on the bottom due to the pickup placement. It's just a more modern slap sound. It's certainly not bad, just different from the norm. You can however put a swith in to get single coils from the pickups. I'm sure that this will give a more familiar slap sound.
The only bass I know of where the humbuckers are wired in parallel from the factory is the Stingray.JRBrown said:
Having a series/parallel switch on your bass can help you get a lot more versatility out of it. i.e. series for cutting fingerstyle, parallel for slap. This is of course a huge generalization, as all the other factors (fingers/strings/preamp) come into making the sound as well.
JOME77:
In your earlier post, you said you changed the bass and mid pots to a single concentric pot, and didn't want to change anything else to get the midrange switch. Did you HAVE to make the bass and mid pots concentric? Could the bass and treble pots be concentric (like the current Roscoe preamp) so that the midrange pot could have a push-pull switch?
Also, where did you get the concentric pot that you used, and what are the specs for it?
Jim D
In your earlier post, you said you changed the bass and mid pots to a single concentric pot, and didn't want to change anything else to get the midrange switch. Did you HAVE to make the bass and mid pots concentric? Could the bass and treble pots be concentric (like the current Roscoe preamp) so that the midrange pot could have a push-pull switch?
Also, where did you get the concentric pot that you used, and what are the specs for it?
Jim D
Roscoe question?
The Roscoe LG body style looks upside-down at times. How well does the Roscoe balance standing and seated?
The Roscoe LG body style looks upside-down at times. How well does the Roscoe balance standing and seated?
My LG3005 Was wonderful for standing and playing with a strap as well as seated. One of the most comfortable instruments I've played.
JRBrown said:
JR,
The LG-3005 is balanced nicely both sitting and standing. I've read where some players state that they felt that the SKB models has some neck dive but my SKB-3005 does not. Maybe the 3006 or 3007 models (with extra tuner weight) does but not the SKB 3005. I have setup a couple of local players SKB-3006 fretless basses and I don't remember balance being an issue in the sitting position.
You owe it to yourself to spend some time with a Roscoe. You definetly tried the rest. Now it's time to try the best
OK, so I finally got the Demeter preamp installed, and it's working fine, except that I get a lot of "hiss" when I turn the volume up. Any clues as to what's causing this?
Jim D
Jim D
Jim,
It assume that you purchased it with the pre-wired harness so I'd double check the bridge ground (and ground to all components since it doesn't come with ground straps) and if you re-wired for 18 VDC I'd check that wiring. Did you re-wire anything (i.e. concentric pot, mid sw, push-pull..)? The pre doesn't have a great deal of treble boost so I can't imagine it being an EQ issue.
It assume that you purchased it with the pre-wired harness so I'd double check the bridge ground (and ground to all components since it doesn't come with ground straps) and if you re-wired for 18 VDC I'd check that wiring. Did you re-wire anything (i.e. concentric pot, mid sw, push-pull..)? The pre doesn't have a great deal of treble boost so I can't imagine it being an EQ issue.
How bad is it? You might have got a bad one. I'd call Demeter and get another one. Hopefully they're not all that way.
I just did my second LG-3005 bridge replacement, put on a Hipshot "B" style bridge to get slightly lower action and more precise control over the saddle angle. It works great, it takes a little longer to set up but the results are well worth it. For some reason the bridges on a couple of my LG-3005's have been a little high, I think it's that bottom plate on the bridge, that supports the raised saddles, that's about a millimeter too thick. Whatever, the "B" style bridge resolves it, it sounds great and responds like a dream.
Edit: oh yeah, did you guys have any luck locating those stacked and concentric pots, or do we still need a source?
I just did my second LG-3005 bridge replacement, put on a Hipshot "B" style bridge to get slightly lower action and more precise control over the saddle angle. It works great, it takes a little longer to set up but the results are well worth it. For some reason the bridges on a couple of my LG-3005's have been a little high, I think it's that bottom plate on the bridge, that supports the raised saddles, that's about a millimeter too thick. Whatever, the "B" style bridge resolves it, it sounds great and responds like a dream.
Edit: oh yeah, did you guys have any luck locating those stacked and concentric pots, or do we still need a source?
nonsqtr said:
I've been thinking about putting on a stock Hipshot bridge on my SKB-3006 for a while now. I'd like the action to be a bit lower than it is now. I'm not too thrilled with the custom Roscoe bridge. Not sure why Keith didn't go with a regular A style.
