Wolf Tyrant Posted January 23, 2008 Share Posted January 23, 2008 I love my LG3005 and I'm sure you will as well. Mine does have a bit of a neck dive but not so much that I feel that I'm holding it up. Congrats on the new fish! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Davo-London Posted January 23, 2008 Share Posted January 23, 2008 Yeah I want to know why on such a carefully made instrument the PUs are all wobbly. David this looks like a special bass for a special guy. Have fun. Davo "We will make you bob your head whether you want to or not". - David Sisk Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tom Capasso Posted January 23, 2008 Share Posted January 23, 2008 Yeah I want to know why on such a carefully made instrument the PUs are all wobbly. Davo First, Roscoe isn't the only bass to do this - some Warwicks have this PUP slant as well. If you think about it, we assume that the "best" spot for a pickup is at the same point on each string. I believe that I read somewhere (so I'll accept correction) that this isn't the case - in the same way that fanned frets try to find the optimum length for each string. The slant is being done to position the PUP at the "best" spot for each string's vibrational center. At least that's what I recall. It also explains why some P PUPs are reversed... Tom www.stoneflyrocks.com Acoustic Color Be practical as well as generous in your ideals. Keep your eyes on the stars and keep your feet on the ground. - Theodore Roosevelt Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Davo-London Posted January 24, 2008 Share Posted January 24, 2008 Er ... I was just havin' a bit 'o fun. After all the P-bass is split in a similar way. I wish PUs were on a slide so you could change the position to find your perfect tone spot. Davo "We will make you bob your head whether you want to or not". - David Sisk Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
... Posted January 24, 2008 Share Posted January 24, 2008 Er ... I was just havin' a bit 'o fun. After all the P-bass is split in a similar way. I wish PUs were on a slide so you could change the position to find your perfect tone spot. Davo There were a few basses that had a sliding pickup position.. I think Kramer and Alembic both made a system like this at some point in the late 70's or early 80's. Interesting concept for sure. Position of the pickups make a difference for sure but the overall technolgy behind the pickups and the electronics package also have a huge influence on the tone that is produced regardless of where they are (and how they are) positioned. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gruuve Posted January 24, 2008 Author Share Posted January 24, 2008 Ouch...my fingers are sore! OK, got it yesterday, and here are my initial impressions: - OMG...the pictures do not do the appearance justice. This bass is friggin' gorgeous! - Fretwork, finish, neck...all the workmanship is probably the most impeccable I'ver ever seen. - This thing is VERY lightweight. Ever so slightly neck-heavy, but does not neck-dive at all with a wide strap. The body is even smaller than the body of the Tobias...very comfortable to wear. - Loving the 35" scale. My left hand doesn't even notice, but my right sure notices the extra tension on the B and E-strings. The B-string is the easiest to play B-string I've encountered...I can four finger it without it flopping around too much...16th's sound more like 16th's. - The tone is VERY fat in the lower-mids, but still manages to be clear and articulate. Fingerstyle sounds excellent. - The highs are a bit muted (which surprised me...I don't recall this being the case with prior Roscoe's I've played...maybe they had a different preamp? There are several preamp choices, and I don't actually recall which one's I might have played.) A twist of the EQ knob fixes this for slap, but the highs sound just a little non-smooth when boosted (and I'm not sure if I like that or not yet). - With bridge pup solo'd, there's still plenty of low-end grunt for fingerstyle. This is a quite nasally tone (which I like), but it's not at all thin-sounding. - Pan centered and everything flat is very warm and round, but a little shy on the highs. - Neck pup solo'd has the typical neck sound, but without being too deep and dark. Overall I love the tone EXCEPT FOR the lack of highs. I'm adjusting the action a bit, and might try some different strings, so I'll reserve judgement since both those effect how much highs you hear. Worst case, I could drop it at the Roscoe factory an hour away and let them switch out the preamp. But we'll see... Overall opinion at this point: Very likely a keeper. Dave Old bass players never die, they just buy lighter rigs. - Tom Capasso, 11/9/2006 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DavidMPires Posted January 24, 2008 Share Posted January 24, 2008 Man you only just got that bad boy and you already thinking of twiking it. You are mad. www.myspace.com/davidbassportugal "And then the magical unicorn will come prancing down the rainbow and we'll all join hands for a rousing chorus of Kumbaya." - by davio Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gruuve Posted January 24, 2008 Author Share Posted January 24, 2008 I know, I'm a little crazy! I generally don't like basses with muted highs at all...but this one is quite clear even with muted highs (presumably the 35" scale and Bart electronics are a big factor here). I certainly spend more time with fingerstyle than I do with slap, and the clarity even with muted highs is quite a nice fingerstyle tone by default. The simplest thing of course is to just turn the high knob a bit when I'm going to be slapping. UPDATE: I've exchanged a few PM's with Gard at Roscoe Guitars...he says the muted highs are likely the effect of the strings being old (D'Addario Nickelwound)...he said try new strings first. They don't "feel" dead to me, but have probably been played by quite a few sweaty/greasy/whatever hands while it was in the shop for a year, eh? I'm thinking something like D'Addario ProSteels or similar (maybe Rotosound Swingbass would be a good choice for this bass?) may add the "missing" zing nicely. The only reason I mentioned switching out the preamp is that I know this is something they do fairly frequently (everyone has different tastes)...it's not very expensive to drop it off at the factory and let them stick a different preamp in it...plus they are only an hour away, and that would give me an awefully good excuse to go for a factory tour! Dave Old bass players never die, they just buy lighter rigs. - Tom Capasso, 11/9/2006 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chad Thorne Posted January 24, 2008 Share Posted January 24, 2008 You're a Roscoe. (Yes! I did it! I said it before anybody else did. W00t!) Very snazzy, Dave. Not really my taste - I'm a total Fender whore - but I'm sure it's a fine instrument. Enjoy playing it! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tom Capasso Posted January 24, 2008 Share Posted January 24, 2008 My experience with D'Addario nickels on my Kinal 5 was muted tone in general. I'd try different strings (even if the ones you have aren't that old). A visit to Roscoe would be cool. Let them show you any tricks for set-up and tell you about their favorite cleaning techniques. Your baby might like a trip home (something mine will probably never get). Tom www.stoneflyrocks.com Acoustic Color Be practical as well as generous in your ideals. Keep your eyes on the stars and keep your feet on the ground. - Theodore Roosevelt Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
slap-pop-karl Posted January 24, 2008 Share Posted January 24, 2008 Thanks for the answers, some of it kinda made sense. Just to summaries and to make sure i get it right. Some people think it looks better and stuff, and it can make the tone better due to the small body shape. Tell me if I am wrong or right with that. Thanks. Okay I got my hair cut! Its now this short *shows how short using hand* Lets get down to business gentlemen! I want that bagel now!...Don't forget the lettuce! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
... Posted January 24, 2008 Share Posted January 24, 2008 I know, I'm a little crazy! I generally don't like basses with muted highs at all...but this one is quite clear even with muted highs (presumably the 35" scale and Bart electronics are a big factor here). I certainly spend more time with fingerstyle than I do with slap, and the clarity even with muted highs is quite a nice fingerstyle tone by default. The simplest thing of course is to just turn the high knob a bit when I'm going to be slapping. UPDATE: I've exchanged a few PM's with Gard at Roscoe Guitars...he says the muted highs are likely the effect of the strings being old (D'Addario Nickelwound)...he said try new strings first. They don't "feel" dead to me, but have probably been played by quite a few sweaty/greasy/whatever hands while it was in the shop for a year, eh? I'm thinking something like D'Addario ProSteels or similar (maybe Rotosound Swingbass would be a good choice for this bass?) may add the "missing" zing nicely. The only reason I mentioned switching out the preamp is that I know this is something they do fairly frequently (everyone has different tastes)...it's not very expensive to drop it off at the factory and let them stick a different preamp in it...plus they are only an hour away, and that would give me an awefully good excuse to go for a factory tour! Dave Good luck on finding a buyer when you ultimately sell this bass as well. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gruuve Posted January 24, 2008 Author Share Posted January 24, 2008 Good luck on finding a buyer when you ultimately sell this bass as well. LOL. I doubt I'll flip this one, but I do like to keep my options open. Old bass players never die, they just buy lighter rigs. - Tom Capasso, 11/9/2006 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
_Sweet Willie_ Posted January 25, 2008 Share Posted January 25, 2008 Yo, I doubt it's the Bart electronics. My experience w/ Bart preamps is that they have some spankin' highs. I guess YMMV. Peace.--s-uu spreadluv Fanboy? Why, yes! Nordstrand Pickups and Guitars. Messiaen knew how to parlay the funk. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gruuve Posted January 27, 2008 Author Share Posted January 27, 2008 Yo, I doubt it's the Bart electronics. My experience w/ Bart preamps is that they have some spankin' highs. I guess YMMV. Peace. --s-uu Actually, I believe it IS the bart preamp. My Tobias is also Bart equipped and it has quite extended highs. But, Bartolini customizes frequency response of most of their OEM preamps, including the ones made for Roscoe. In fact, in the control cavity, there's a seperate block from the NTMB-918 pre that has an "RC" printed on top. A person at Roscoe Guitars told me this is the customized frequency response circuit made specifically for Roscoe basses. So, the muted highs actually are "by design". I couldn't get the action on this guy quite as low as I like initially, so the fellow at Roscoe suggested simply shimming the neck with a little rectangle of sandpaper. It actually took two pieces of sandpaper on top of each other to create the correct angle...now the action is crazy low but without any uncontrollable buzzes...sweet! The highs are penetrating with the hi-EQ boosted quite a bit, and I can live with that I believe...the highs don't get noisy like some preamps, although they do sound a little abrasive when cranked all the way. (But I might actually like that...not positive yet.) I've ordered some slightly lighter gauge stainless steel strings to put on it (it has regular gauge nickel-wound strings stock), so that ought to add a bit of zing and grit to it. Ya know, I could've sworn the neck on this guy was wider than it is. It's still quite comfortable though (and I've spread the string spacing to it's max since this is adjustable via the HipShot Type-A bridge). Overall, still liking it though. I'll know more after I've gotten some brighter strings on it, played it in church a couple times, and recorded with it. Dave Old bass players never die, they just buy lighter rigs. - Tom Capasso, 11/9/2006 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gruuve Posted February 1, 2008 Author Share Posted February 1, 2008 Hey ya'll. OK, I used this bass in worship band rehearsal last night. I've put some slightly lighter-gauge stainless steel roundwounds on it (originally had nickel-wound strings). Quite a bit brighter now, and I hope it'll last as the strings become not brand-spankin' new. Anyway, it's tone sits really nice in the mix with everything else. And the onboard EQ is flexible enough to compensate for any lack of highs. In fact, the mid control is quite useful in increasing presence. I'll be using it Sunday for worship, so I'll post any new impressions from then. That will be a bit different...I use a 112 combo amp at rehearsal, but at church we run straight into the PA from pedalboards, so the sonic results will be a little different. Dave Old bass players never die, they just buy lighter rigs. - Tom Capasso, 11/9/2006 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tom Capasso Posted February 1, 2008 Share Posted February 1, 2008 It seems like this bass will be a good fit for you, Dave. Damn - so many new instruments. I need a bonus from work so I can join in the fun... Tom www.stoneflyrocks.com Acoustic Color Be practical as well as generous in your ideals. Keep your eyes on the stars and keep your feet on the ground. - Theodore Roosevelt Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gruuve Posted February 1, 2008 Author Share Posted February 1, 2008 It seems like this bass will be a good fit for you, Dave... Tom Maybe! So far, so good...we'll see for sure after I've recorded with it, that seems to be the defining test for me. One other note that's pretty nice...the bridge pup is pretty darned nasally (which I really like), but because of the basses strong lo-mid focus it doesn't sound tinny or too thin to use solo'd (on the Warwick for instance, the bridge pup was unuseable by itself without cranking the bass EQ all the way...IMHO, of course). The neck tone solo'd is pretty nice too, as well as the centered mix of the two. Isn't it interesting how some frequencies from the pickups seem to cancel each other out as you vary the pan? I really wouldn't mind at all if the neck was just a little wider, but at least with the strings spread a bit via the bridge's adjustments it makes it *seem* a little wider to my right hand. OH! I still owe you guys a sound clip or two...I'll try to get that done now that I have different strings on it! (Still got to adjust the intonation and action just a bit since I changed the gauge slightly though.) Dave Old bass players never die, they just buy lighter rigs. - Tom Capasso, 11/9/2006 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gruuve Posted February 3, 2008 Author Share Posted February 3, 2008 Okey dokey...as promised, here's a soundclip. Part A is slapped, part B is fingerstyle. The first pass of the riff is with the pan centered, 2nd pass is bridge pup solo'ed, 3rd pass is neck pup solo'ed. All EQ flat, no effects, direct in, yadda yadda yadda. http://www.ipass.net/davesisk/music/soundclips/Roscoe_CenterBridgeNeck.mp3 I used this guy in church this morning, and I was quite happy with it's tone. I think switching to stainless steel strings and setting the action really low on this guy was the right combination to satisfy my lust for grittiness. With these two steps, the highs sound much less muted...I'm loving the tone of this guy now! Enjoy the clip, Dave Old bass players never die, they just buy lighter rigs. - Tom Capasso, 11/9/2006 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
saxofunk Posted February 3, 2008 Share Posted February 3, 2008 Sweetness. - Matt W. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
... Posted February 4, 2008 Share Posted February 4, 2008 I think I just downloaded a virus. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Davo-London Posted February 4, 2008 Share Posted February 4, 2008 Hmm, is it a Roscoe virus? Dave: fascinating quest of yours. I'm doing the exact same thing with my new bass. I played it last night in church and, as ever, only the drummer and the leader noticed the swap from fretless to fretted. Whatever, folk seem more interested in the sexy shape of my new bass than what I do with it ... so to speak. S'pose there's nothing new there! Davo "We will make you bob your head whether you want to or not". - David Sisk Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DavidMPires Posted February 4, 2008 Share Posted February 4, 2008 That only shows that you are doing a great job as a bassist. www.myspace.com/davidbassportugal "And then the magical unicorn will come prancing down the rainbow and we'll all join hands for a rousing chorus of Kumbaya." - by davio Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gruuve Posted February 4, 2008 Author Share Posted February 4, 2008 ...only the drummer and the leader noticed the swap from fretless to fretted. Davo Heh heh...well, Davo I'd say that speaks to your skill as a fretless player. The folks with a really good ear for pitch (mainly the worship leader and one of the keyboard players) definitely notice when I switch from fretted to fretless! The worship leader did comment that he really likes the tone of the Roscoe though. Everyone else pretty much commented stuff like "that sure is purty!" Eye candy for the church members, I suppose. In the clip, the solo bridge tone is a just a little low-shy for slap IMO, but I wanted to keep the EQ flat for reference purposes. In practice, I would likely boost the lower-mids (mid knob pulled out, 250Hz) just a tad. But, it's a quite nice cutting fingerstyle tone (not quite as nasally as the Tobias, but very close) without any boost. Dave Old bass players never die, they just buy lighter rigs. - Tom Capasso, 11/9/2006 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LLroomtempJ Posted February 4, 2008 Share Posted February 4, 2008 sounds good, ds 2cor5:21 Soli Deo Gloria "it's the beauty of a community. it takes a village to raise a[n] [LLroomtempJ]." -robb My YouTube Channel Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tenstrum Posted February 4, 2008 Share Posted February 4, 2008 Nice funk tone! Does it bring "The Rawk" as well?? Tenstrum "Paranoid? Probably. But just because you're paranoid doesn't mean there isn't an invisible demon about to eat your face." Harry Dresden, Storm Front Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gruuve Posted May 9, 2008 Author Share Posted May 9, 2008 Hey guys...guess what? I've flipped the Roscoe. Yeah, I know...shock, shock, right? I got out of it what I had in it (and I knew I easily would since I bought it new at essentially a used price ). I love the light weight (8.4 lbs...compared to my 10 lb Stingray5, 10.5 lb Tobias Killer B, and I don't even want to weigh the G&L L-2500), love the small body (my arm fits just right on it, very comfortable), love the wide and flat neck (although still just shy of 19mm string pitch), love the balance (no thought of neck dive), love the playability (Keith Roscoe makes the most perfect neck I've found yet), love the looks, love the nasally-ness of the bridge output, love the p-bassish thump of the neck output. On this one however, the pickup and preamp combination just wasn't working for me. It's by default a bit of a mid-scooped tone. It sounds fantastic by itself, but every time I put it in the mix with anything else, I find myself reaching for the 800Hz mid-boost knob. I didn't like how the pickups sounded blended, I liked them much more solo'ed (that's a function of pickup placement as well as the pickup choices themselves). Something other than the Roscoe-specific Bartolini pups and possibly the Audere or Aguilar preamp would have made a big difference. The spanish cedar body isn't exactly the best choice for midrange punch and growl either...I should be targeting swamp ash or one of the other "punchy" woods. If I'm going to spend this much dough on a bass, it's got to be perfect in every way, ya know? So, the pickups and preamp could be easily changed, but obviously the body wood cannot. But, there's plenty of Roscoe's around with the other pickup and preamp options and better body wood choices (although I'll have to be patient in waiting for someone to sell one of those), so it simply made more sense to just re-sell this one as is to someone who likes that pup/preamp/wood combination to begin with. Funny...my tastes in bass tone have really changed over the past 5 years or so. As I've mastered more complex right hand technique, having a tone that makes that jump out at you has become much more important to me. I've realized I truly don't want warm and round anymore...I truly want clear and articulate, with substantial midrange presence and gobs of nasally growl...a tone that unstoppably slices right through even a highly dense mix. Anyway, I've had a ball with it, discovered more of what I like and dislike, and I'm on to the next one. And at this point, the Tobias Killer B5 is still the one with the tonal qualities that fits my tastes the best. (If that sucker wasn't so darned heavy...10.5 lbs...at least it balances really well.) Dave Old bass players never die, they just buy lighter rigs. - Tom Capasso, 11/9/2006 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
saxofunk Posted May 9, 2008 Share Posted May 9, 2008 Happy horse trading. - Matt W. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gruuve Posted May 9, 2008 Author Share Posted May 9, 2008 Indeed! I'm actually quite enjoying giving a variety of basses "extended auditions". If/when I ever figure out exactly what I want and how I want it, I'll probably get a custom bass built. That's an expensive option however, so I'll wait until I know exactly what I'm after and how to get it before going that route. In meantime, there's plenty more basses to audition, and as I said in another thread, I might put together an experimental bass from some Warmoth and other parts. Cheers, Dave Old bass players never die, they just buy lighter rigs. - Tom Capasso, 11/9/2006 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Davo-London Posted May 9, 2008 Share Posted May 9, 2008 Oh you fickle thing:) Dave Wendler was extolling the virtues of Spanish Cedar, so it is noteworthy that it wasn't your thing. Dave, so what's next, Alembic, Zon, Modulus ...? Davo "We will make you bob your head whether you want to or not". - David Sisk Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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