Electronic Music 411 - Working With Trees - roscoe, bass, wood, benjamin dauer

This is a blog in 2 parts so sit back, relax, and enjoy (I hope).

*Part I*

So my version of 'hardware' are my basses.

I exclusively play Roscoe electric basses. I have played nearly every high end bass out there over these past many years and have settled into these like my second skin. I own a burgandy 6 string w/maple fingerboard - SKB3006 1 | SKB3006 2 - which has been my main bass for the last 4 years. Gigged nearly 4-5 nights a week on that bass while I lived in Chicago.

I recently picked up a black stained, quilted maple top 7 string w/ebony fingerboard - SKB3007 1 | SKB3007 2 - which was funded by the massive gear sale I had about a month ago. This bass will help push my chordal/comping skills as I branch out more with this improvisational modern dance group I work with - Immediate Theatre.

These basses are each hand made here in Greensboro, NC. Since I live in Raleigh, and since my 6 string hadn't had a proper tuneup since I've owned it, I thought this would be the perfect time to take them both back to their 'home' for some loving. Which leads me to the second part of this blog.

*Part II*

I arrived yesterday at the woodshop and was immediately taken down memory lane...I used to do a lot of high end woodworking when I lived in Boulder, CO., at a company called Avalon Acoustics. Over the years while there I learned everything there was to know about how to hand craft some of the finest loudspeakers on the planet. From milling, glueing, sanding, and shaping the mdf (medium density fiberboard) cabinets to form; to laying out veneers of all types (myrtle, burled walnut, maple, redwood, purpleheart, cherry...); sanding them to spec; building the electronic crossovers (the guts); installing the drivers and connecting them to the electronics; testing them; packing them; shipping them.

Walking through the door at the Roscoe shop felt so comforting to me. Seeing so much amazing wood - in various stages of creation into these fine basses - bodies, necks and fingerboards. Seeing the World War II era machinery used to mill the bodies - pin routers and presses. Smelling the sawdust, finish and glue. Seeing the 3 other employees lovingly sanding various necks into shape. Meeting Keith Roscoe himself and talking with him about the work that needed to be done on my 2 basses.

All of this was very calming and zen-like. Made me wish I was doing that again. Working with trees.