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Black nylon strings


ead
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I thought I might try a set out. Do any of you fine people have good/bad experiences that are noteworthy?

The ones that immediately spring to mind are the Rotos, D'Addriao and Picato offerings, but I presume there are others out there.

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[quote name='ead' timestamp='1363041508' post='2007604']
I thought I might try a set out. Do any of you fine people have good/bad experiences that are noteworthy?

The ones that immediately spring to mind are the Rotos, D'Addriao and Picato offerings, but I presume there are others out there.
[/quote]
La Bella, Fender, Status, Pyramid and GHS too, and probably others. As usual, they are all a bit different and there's no substitute for trying them.

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[quote name='ead' timestamp='1363090775' post='2008166']
Does the fact that by and large these strings are pretty heavy gauge that the tension is correspondingly high or is that just the effect of the wrapping?
[/quote]

I haven't tried all of them but they certainly do vary. For example the D'Addario black nylons are lighter gauge and lower tension.

I've never been too worried or fussed by the gauge differences.

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[quote name='redstriper' timestamp='1363092456' post='2008222']
I have a nearly new set of Rotos for sale if you are interested - heavy gauge but not high tension, they sound similar to GHS Precision flats to me.
[/quote]

Thanks for the offer, but still on the fence atm...

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I've tried the Rotosound Trubass 88. A LOT more compliant than the regular Roto 77 flats (which are like overhead cables in their recalcitrance), feel nice when you're playing them/sliding around and have a nice rounded sound. Using them on a Yamaha BB350F. They're pretty fat though, had to get a wee bit of work done on the nut (slots widened) for them to fit properly (thanks Rich!).

Edited by neepheid
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A while ago I bought an old Precision, it had been used for an old fashioned dance band and was fitted with flats. I tried to use them but they sounded rather stodgy and indistinct. So I bought a set of Trubass (as I was playing some American Song Book type jazz and wanted to sound like an upright) and a vast improvement in distinction of note and the tone was also a great improvement. They also look fab, especially with the gold silk, for what that matters. Recommended.

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  • 1 month later...

i just bought a set of rotosounds

the guage is much thicker but strangley not that noticeable under your fingers as the tension is lower - the guage being thicker you might have to attack your nut with a file to make sure the strings sit right down in the nut properly as it was most likely factory cut to fit snugly to 40-100 or 45-105 ish set

i have also found there is quite a bit of setting up to do - which to all intents and purposes is not easily or quickly reversible - saddle heights, truss rod, nut slots pup height etc etc - i thought after ten days of faffing about with it that i had mine set up nicely so i took it out and gigged it last night without trying it at volume at rehearsal - big mistake - the biggest thing i forgot to compensate for was the output level - i am assuming this is much lower because of less metal and more nylon

the sound from them is very dsitinctive and is worth perservering with - im still deciding whether i have the pickup heights set correctly and fiddling with them and also wondering if the thin sound is anything to do with the duncan designed pups on the vmJ

[quote name='ead' timestamp='1363041508' post='2007604']
I thought I might try a set out. Do any of you fine people have good/bad experiences that are noteworthy?

The ones that immediately spring to mind are the Rotos, D'Addriao and Picato offerings, but I presume there are others out there.
[/quote]

are you planning on putting them on a fretless or fretted? ive not used them on a fretted but have seen them used on fretteds - im guessing that the frets will win out over time and knacker the strings?

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Made no adjustments to my bass to accommodate the Trubass strings, just put them on and away I went.

I've tried them with foam under them at the bridge, I thought it sounded great but a couple of audience members thought strongly enough otherwise to tell me I sounded stodgy. Took out the foam and all was apparently restored.

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[quote name='steve-bbb' timestamp='1366356396' post='2051301']
....ive not used them on a fretted but have seen them used on fretteds - im guessing that the frets will win out over time and knacker the strings?
[/quote]

No sign of wear so far, been on 18 months or more (funnily enough I was noticing wear on sound round wounds last night, bit of rubbing from frets).

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  • 2 months later...

[quote name='njr911' timestamp='1373467378' post='2137962']
I have a st of the LaBellas with minimal use is anyone wants to try them. Swapsies for a set of metal flats (as in stainless not Slayer)
[/quote]
I'd like them, don't have any spare flats though, they're all on basses!

Edited by alstocko
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