HengistPod Posted August 28, 2015 Share Posted August 28, 2015 Just had to purchase new supplies of strings and my Rotosounds turned up in a plastic, not-resealable crisp-packet sort of affair. I'm all for recycling and packaging minimisation, but I've been in the habit of keeping a couple of sets of used strings in the relevant-gauge paper envelopes so I can quickly retrieve one if I break a string at some point. A new plan is evidently in order here. Also, I note from the packaging that, to ease the pain of not knowing the difference between a .105 and a .65 without the envelope to tell you, they've colour-coded the ball-ends now - red, white and blue. I foresee a drop-off of sales in one half of Glasgow there. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Norris Posted August 28, 2015 Share Posted August 28, 2015 EBs have been like that for years. I get round the problem by always having a full set of NEW strings as spares Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HengistPod Posted August 28, 2015 Author Share Posted August 28, 2015 ... which is grand, but I tend to only break one string at a time, requiring replacement at the end of a song. If I had a set of new strings and used, say, the A, to replace a broken one, then I have now got E, D and G left as spares. What am I gonna do - replace them all at the end of the gig? And if I only put on the "old" ones a week ago, what happens to them - throw them out? I have not the cash for such profligacy. So when I put a new set of string on, uness the old ones are totally shot they get saved in the packets the new ones came out of. Hence a whole bunch of spare single strings in the pocket of my gigging bag. (They also come in useful for holding bits of my car together on occasion.) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
James Nada Posted August 28, 2015 Share Posted August 28, 2015 Use an small jiffy bag (the one your strings were posted in?) and write the brand/gauge on it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EssentialTension Posted August 28, 2015 Share Posted August 28, 2015 Strings used to come in individual packets all in a box. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dudewheresmybass Posted August 29, 2015 Share Posted August 29, 2015 Surely the environmentally friendly option is to use the paper and card option rather than plastic packaging Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Merton Posted August 29, 2015 Share Posted August 29, 2015 [quote name='HengistPod' timestamp='1440773518' post='2853768'] ... which is grand, but I tend to only break one string at a time, requiring replacement at the end of a song. If I had a set of new strings and used, say, the A, to replace a broken one, then I have now got E, D and G left as spares. What am I gonna do - replace them all at the end of the gig? And if I only put on the "old" ones a week ago, what happens to them - throw them out? I have not the cash for such profligacy. So when I put a new set of string on, uness the old ones are totally shot they get saved in the packets the new ones came out of. Hence a whole bunch of spare single strings in the pocket of my gigging bag. (They also come in useful for holding bits of my car together on occasion.) [/quote] How often are you breaking strings? I haven't broken one in over ten years. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Iain Posted August 29, 2015 Share Posted August 29, 2015 I suspect it's a measure to keep the strings from oxidising so they keep longer on the shelf than purely environmental reasons. Plus cheaper than bagging individual strings. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
doctorbass Posted August 29, 2015 Share Posted August 29, 2015 Cant see a problem with it really. The "[color=#282828][font=helvetica, arial, sans-serif]environmental reasons" is a load of old tosh if you as me. Businesses have been trying to use their green credentials as a sales pitch for years, the new packaging will no doubt be cheaper and if it stops the strings tarnishing the thats all good. I like Rotos![/font][/color] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cybertect Posted August 29, 2015 Share Posted August 29, 2015 Use CD/DVD envelope sleeves to keep them in, perhaps? http://www.amazon.co.uk/CD-SLEEVES-100-DVD/dp/B000N8FIL0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ambient Posted August 29, 2015 Share Posted August 29, 2015 [quote name='HengistPod' timestamp='1440773518' post='2853768'] ... which is grand, but I tend to only break one string at a time, requiring replacement at the end of a song. If I had a set of new strings and used, say, the A, to replace a broken one, then I have now got E, D and G left as spares. What am I gonna do - replace them all at the end of the gig? And if I only put on the "old" ones a week ago, what happens to them - throw them out? I have not the cash for such profligacy. So when I put a new set of string on, uness the old ones are totally shot they get saved in the packets the new ones came out of. Hence a whole bunch of spare single strings in the pocket of my gigging bag. (They also come in useful for holding bits of my car together on occasion.) [/quote] Buy separate strings ? I'm pretty sure you can buy separate Rotosounds from Strings direct. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paul h Posted August 29, 2015 Share Posted August 29, 2015 D'Addario have been doing it for years. In fact I just bought two packs of RB40's packed in that very manner and it almost made me feel like I was using decent strings Just kidding...they're actually great strings Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ambient Posted August 29, 2015 Share Posted August 29, 2015 How often do you break a string ? I've never broken one in 20 years. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Annoying Twit Posted August 29, 2015 Share Posted August 29, 2015 [quote name='ambient' timestamp='1440880694' post='2854574'] How often do you break a string ? I've never broken one in 20 years. [/quote] [color=#000000][font=sans-serif][size=3]Erroneous[/size][/font][/color] used to break them frequently. I'd guess it depends on playing style, but when I read of Erroneous's record, I was gobsmacked. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ambient Posted August 29, 2015 Share Posted August 29, 2015 [quote name='Annoying Twit' timestamp='1440881124' post='2854577'] [color=#000000][font=sans-serif][size=3]Erroneous[/size][/font][/color] used to break them frequently. I'd guess it depends on playing style, but when I read of Erroneous's record, I was gobsmacked. [/quote] I was wondering if maybe there was a problem on the OP's bass or something, causing stress on the string ? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MacDaddy Posted August 29, 2015 Share Posted August 29, 2015 [quote name='Iain' timestamp='1440840759' post='2854220'] I suspect it's a measure to keep the strings from oxidising so they keep longer on the shelf than purely environmental reasons. Plus cheaper than bagging individual strings. [/quote] Yup. They had issues with 'tarnishing'. The new packaging is supposed to stop this. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
White Cloud Posted August 29, 2015 Share Posted August 29, 2015 New packaging....same old strings. Great for one gig. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grangur Posted August 30, 2015 Share Posted August 30, 2015 [quote name='ambient' timestamp='1440880694' post='2854574'] How often do you break a string ? I've never broken one in 20 years. [/quote] I broke a G string once when fitting it. It was a brand new Rotosound from a set of 5, funnily enough. I took it back to the shop and they sent it back to Rotosound for analysis. Only a month later they gave me a single replacement G string as a replacement. How's that for service? From then on I always use Elixirs. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MiltyG565 Posted August 31, 2015 Share Posted August 31, 2015 [quote name='HengistPod' timestamp='1440766630' post='2853669'] Just had to purchase new supplies of strings and my Rotosounds turned up in a plastic, not-resealable crisp-packet sort of affair. I'm all for recycling and packaging minimisation, but I've been in the habit of keeping a couple of sets of used strings in the relevant-gauge paper envelopes so I can quickly retrieve one if I break a string at some point. A new plan is evidently in order here. Also, I note from the packaging that, to ease the pain of not knowing the difference between a .105 and a .65 without the envelope to tell you, they've colour-coded the ball-ends now - red, white and blue. I foresee a drop-off of sales in one half of Glasgow there. [/quote] And potentially a significant drop in NI too. Now every time I change my strings, I feel compelled to chant "January, February, March! March! March!". Anyway, the new packaging is down to a problem with the old packaging, which was supposed to be water-resistant (and was water resistant for a long time), but something changed (without Rotosound's knowledge) and the packing was a dud, so strings were arriving tarnished to shops. So they've decided to put them in the plastic sleeves with a sachet of silica gel to absorb any moisture. [quote name='doctorbass' timestamp='1440848559' post='2854313'] Cant see a problem with it really. The "[color=#282828][font=helvetica, arial, sans-serif]environmental reasons" is a load of old tosh if you as me. Businesses have been trying to use their green credentials as a sales pitch for years, the new packaging will no doubt be cheaper and if it stops the strings tarnishing the thats all good. I like Rotos![/font][/color] [/quote] One thing I know is that this wasn't a "cheap option". They've had to invest in new packaging, new designs, and new machines to seal the packets shut and the like. If Rotosound were looking for a cheaper option, they'd simply have asked another paper supplier to make their boxes for them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fleabag Posted September 1, 2015 Share Posted September 1, 2015 Talk of the devil... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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