Can strings be 'faulty'??

[pburrows]

Dudes. I've fitted some new roto sound 66 swing bass to my bass tonight and it feels like my fingers are sticking to them! I'm not sure if it's my imagination but it feels like I can't play the bass properly.

Could the coating have come off them or summat? Feels like raw steel. Horrible.

Has anyone else had this experience? Might have to put the old ones back on.

FYI I got them from a highly reputable specialist bass centre so they shouldn't be dud.

[discreet]

It's very possible but I wouldn't have thought they'd [i]all[/i] be dud. In any case if you're not happy, send 'em back to Jason How at Rotosound and he will replace them for you. He's pretty hot on customer service so you shouldn't have any problems.

[Lfalex v1.1]

They might not all be dud, but sometimes sales assistants get Rotos out of box that resembles The Ark of the Covenant.
Dud? No.
Old? Well..... Possibly.

[MrTaff]

Sounds like normal stainless Roto's, to me they always feel very rough compared to nickel rounds will chew your fingers and frets.

Edited April 18, 2012 by MrTaff

[pburrows]

[quote name='MrTaff' timestamp='1334783337' post='1621353']
Sounds like normal stainless Roto's, to me they always feel very rough compared to nickel rounds will chew your fingers and frets.
[/quote]

Think I agree. They feel rough as f**k. Why would anyone use these strings? They do say stainless steel on them but I've only ever used nickel coated before. Horrible things.

Anyone else out there use 'em?

[chris_b]

You can get bad strings. I haven't had this problem but I had a set that was badly and unevenly wound and I've had dead strings. Most of my problems came with cheaper strings.

Send them back.

[deepbass5]

[quote name='pburrows' timestamp='1334786134' post='1621419']
Think I agree. They feel rough as f**k. Why would anyone use these strings? They do say stainless steel on them but I've only ever used nickel coated before. Horrible things.

Anyone else out there use 'em?
[/quote]

I'm with these guys, I used them for about fifteen years, but they have changed and I can't go back. But I have had duds usually one string they dont ring right can be "dull" or have a two tone sound like a harmonic to them which sounds odd against the others that ring true. send them back they will change them

[Hobbayne]

I always used to use rotosound steel strings but now use Ernie Ball nickels. Much easier on fingertips and frets too.

[thodrik]

After so many years of playing with them I think I am immune to the roughness of Rotos. Generally decent strings providing a solid fundamental that last a while, at least in my experience! Generally I get them though because they are a bit cheaper than D'addario Prosteels which used to be my string of choice. Any reduced quality, which is minimal to my ears, is offset by the money saved each time I buy strings.

Getting a dud set is entirely possible with any set of strings though. I've had D'addarios prosteels that went dead on me within a day. I've also had a a set of Dunlop Nickels that were pretty dead as well. Isolated cases really though. I've never had a problem with Ernie Balls, but I generally prefer a stainless steel string rather than nickel.

[Truckstop]

I hate rotos for that exact reason. They feel as rough as f*** and are just uncomfortable to use. Sure they wear in after a while and your fingers get used to it, but IMO you shouldnt have to 'get used' to a set of strings everytime you change them. One of the reasons I've settled on La Bella Stainless Steels. Great feel and sound right out of the packet. Plus, look demon with black silk at the headstock end.

Truckstop

[discreet]

Heh, heh. I've used Rotos for many years, and still rate them, but am using La Bella flats at the moment... very cool. As far as rounds are concerned, the best IMO are DRs. Particularly Fat Beams (the Marcus Miller association is irrelevant, btw!) They are thumpy, rumpy, pumpy, meaty, beaty, big and bouncy. Hurr. If you're a pick player, then get 'em.

[BigRedX]

I had to give up on Rotosound strings because they proved to be incapable of consistently making anything that was 34" standard gauge round wounds. After rejecting three dead 36" B strings in a row (which had to be ordered specially) I discovered Newtone.

[Wil]

Stainless rotos have always felt rough as a badgers chuff to me. However, I've currently got a heavy guage set on my bass and they sound great. I prefer the sound to the DRs I used for years, in fact.

[LiamPodmore]

I swapped from Roto Reds to Ernie Ball Slinkies and when i tried to go back, i found the rotos too rough, especially as i was also using Picato flats at the same time.

Liam

[charic]

Yeah they're not smooth but if you use them for a while they'll toughen your fingers right up

[AttitudeCastle]

I use Rotos because I think they sound the best and I love the rough feel, never had a problem them chewing my fingers, or that i've had to "get used to them" everytime I change them!

So personal opinions!

[electric nate]

I've had a set of rotos where the winding unraveled itself from the core on a couple of them as I tuned up, and then the bare core wouldn't grip my tuners properly so they were useless. Thankfully I got them from Stringsdirect who are absolutely lovely to deal with. I emailed over a couple photos of what had happened and I had replacements in the post the day after! Unbelievable!

I don't mind much how my strings feel, as long as they sound great. Feeling bad AND sounding bad is inexcusable though.