Roscoe Beck V

#61
meursault42 said:
From the original Bass Player Magazine review:

"Another important element of the instrument's fat-and-round sound is the pickups' alnico "Tri-Pole" magnet configuration. Although the pickups appear to have 12 polepieces each, there are actually 22, as each string has two dedicated magnets directly below it, located underneath the pickups' covers. Fender says this arrangement reduces the "double-beating effect" for better intonation past the 12th fret, because the magnets have a softer magnetic pull, especially on the B and E strings. It works, as the bass has a very clean and stable sound in the upper positions, even along the B."
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EDIT: On second reading, this doesn't really make sense to me... If each pup has 2 magnets per coil per string, and it's 5 strings, wouldn't each dual coil pup have 20 magnets (2x2x5)?
 
#62
meursault42 said:
My only other gripe is that the asymmetrical neck profile along with the 9.5" radius and 1.875" nut width make it a bit of a chunker. I think Roscoe Beck has some pretty big hands!
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There are a whole lot of guys pining for P basses with J width necks, because they have small hands. For those of us with big hands, a nice, wide neck (that actually fits us) actually plays faster than a skinny one, as your fingers aren't all smashed together. There is also that fact that, within reason, you can get used to anything - having played nothing but 1 7/8's width 5's for a while, any time I pick up even a P width 4 now, it feels so skinny.
 
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#63
micguy said:
There are a whole lot of guys pining for P basses with J width necks, because they have small hands. For those of us with big hands, a nice, wide neck (that actually fits us) actually plays faster than a skinny one, as your fingers aren't all smashed together. There is also that fact that, within reason, you can get used to anything - having played nothing but 1 7/8's width 5's for a while, any time I pick up even a P width 4 now, it feels so skinny.
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Totally. I'm not one of those guys that wants a p-bass with a skinny neck. Once you add the extra string though, for me, it starts to become a literal handful. My main workhorse bass for years was a Fender Marcus Miller V (I'll never forgive myself for selling it), which I believe has similar dimensions and an even more drastic fingerboard radius. I'm hopeful I'll get used to it...
 
#64
meursault42 said:
Totally. I'm not one of those guys that wants a p-bass with a skinny neck. Once you add the extra string though, for me, it starts to become a literal handful. My main workhorse bass for years was a Fender Marcus Miller V (I'll never forgive myself for selling it), which I believe has similar dimensions and an even more drastic fingerboard radius. I'm hopeful I'll get used to it...
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The best way to get used to something is to only play that for a while. Then everything else will feel weird.
 
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#65
dylanjohnson said:
It is a little low output but I love having a passive bass with just enough versatility.
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I don't really understand why instrument output matters as long as it's within an acceptable range. Can't you just turn up the gain knob on the amp? I suppose that raises the noise floor a little, but probably not enough to make a noticeable difference.
 
#66
The Roscoe Beck model is underrated? Not on the TB I read. What was the builder that made a Roscoe Beck custom bass? It was considerably more than a Fender, but they looked good. Can't remember the name.
 
#70
micguy said:
The best way to get used to something is to only play that for a while. Then everything else will feel weird.
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Good advice.

The next advice I would offer after one has done that is to practice going back and forth, as I did with my Fenders at first, then Lulls ag 18.5 (?) spacing and the Stingrays. I played one for a while, then the other. Did this for a while, still doing it pretty easily.
 
#71
Another Roscoe Beck (IV) reporting in!

Here it's hanging out with my other Fender Signatures (The Tony Franklin fretted P. Bass has since found a new home)

IMG_0947.jpeg
 
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#74
meursault42 said:
Just scored this near-mint '99 RBV after a little while searching for one. Stoked to get one in Shoreline Gold as well. It's a beast of an instrument and definitely versatile. Still very much a Jazz Bass, though. I thought perhaps the neck pickup in humbucking mode might do a decent P-bass impersonation, but not really. My only other gripe is that the asymmetrical neck profile along with the 9.5" radius and 1.875" nut width make it a bit of a chunker. I think Roscoe Beck has some pretty big hands! Still a very cool instrument though. Perhaps underrated?
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Don't these have a cool feature whereby when you pull on the volume knob it cuts the neck pickup output or something like that? supposedly better for slapping. I seem to remember a video from back in the day where Roscoe talks about this.
 
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#76
Smooth_bass88 said:
Don't these have a cool feature whereby when you pull on the volume knob it cuts the neck pickup output or something like that? supposedly better for slapping. I seem to remember a video from back in the day where Roscoe talks about this.
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It does indeed, although I wouldn't say it's better for slapping per se. Maybe more like a solo switch to give it a little bit more cut in a live mix.
 
#77
I have a 2005 RB5 in sunburst, with a Silver sharpie autograph from Roscoe on the back of the headstock, it say Thanks! Roscoe Beck.
I met him years ago and I had my bass with me..I also have an Autographed solo album from Roscoe and a Spare RB5 Bridge which are non existent now. I am considering selling all as a package.
 
#78
grocker said:
I have a 2005 RB5 in sunburst, with a Silver sharpie autograph from Roscoe on the back of the headstock, it say Thanks! Roscoe Beck.
I met him years ago and I had my bass with me..I also have an Autographed solo album from Roscoe and a Spare RB5 Bridge which are non existent now. I am considering selling all as a package.
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Unless you really need the cash, I’d say hang onto it.
 
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#80
I had a green RB 5 back in the day. I sold it because I couldn't deal with the sticky wide neck as it made my wrist sore after a couple of sets. It had a ton of different tones with the cool split coil switching. If they were to reissue that bass with an Ultra V neck I would probably be standing in line to buy one.
 
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