Vintage strings

[Twincam]

A very random thought. Can vintage strings be bought? Can they even be used? Would there be a point in even trying?

[leschirons]

I've got some you can buy. In the trade, we call them "rusty"

[RhysP]

Do you mean like NOS strings, or just used ones?

[Twincam]

[quote name='RhysP' timestamp='1459032301' post='3013093']
Do you mean like NOS strings, or just used ones?
[/quote]

NOS from whatever era. I know they probably won't be as good as they were or as good as modern strings but just for the curiosity.

[Twincam]

[quote name='Meddle' timestamp='1459034827' post='3013110']
Personally I WANT MORE string tech and development. I'm not sure HOW LONG I CAN contend with horribly unbalanced-sounding flats, rough loose-tolerance Rotosounds and other dead, high-tension strings sets at exorbitant prices. The more I think about it the more I can only HOPE that strings WILL GET better over time, with computer technology and finer machining, tolerances and material quality.
[/quote]

Altered for my amusement haha.

But I agree with your original post.

[discreet]

[quote name='Twincam' timestamp='1459036537' post='3013118']
Altered for my amusement haha.
[/quote]

Oh that was you, was it? I thought I was going nuts for a minute.

[chriswareham]

Check out the eBay Weird and Wonderful forum on Basschat, as someone has posted about a Gumtree advert for several sets of unused late 1960s Fender strings. They'll be as dull as watching golf[*] since they will be well oxidised by now, and the seller wants £250 for them!

[*] sorry, personal prejudice

[Beer of the Bass]

There are a couple of companies who suggest that their strings haven't changed much over the years; Rotosound and certain LaBella sets spring to mind. I remember buying some old-stock Sound City rounds in the 90s that would have been 20 years old at the time, and didn't think much of them.
In the double bass world, Lycon brand strings have almost mythical status - they were a popular string from some time in the 60s onwards, and guys from that era always seem to remember them as the best thing ever. I'm sure they were a revelation at the time, but whenever someone has posted about finding an NOS set, they're often a bit underwhelmed by them in comparison to their expectations.

Edited March 27, 2016 by Beer of the Bass