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Rotosound Broken String!


BobVbass

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Hi

I just had to vent my disappointment and frustration at the obvious lack of quality and care that occurred in 2002 when Rotosound produced the batch of RS66 strings that have been on my bass for the last 16 years. The A string broke on new year's eve!!! You can imagine how shocked I was at the obvious lack of longevity of the things these days. Its also meant I've had to clean the fret board eradicating a small but very important ecosystem that showed promising signs of world domination.

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34 minutes ago, stingrayPete1977 said:

The only good thing is that a new set should sound just as dead and lifeless as a 16 year old set within two gigs :D

I love them, but I swap them out every 2 months at most and sooner if it’s a big gig for us. I do a lot of practice/ rehearsals but I think they have a life of about 20 - 30 hours before they begin to off. But they aren’t expensive and do sound fantastic when new. I have tried a few others but can’t get that sound with anything else. I just cannot imagine what a set would sound like after 16 years.

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The problem rests with the fact we do not smoke, eat and drink on stage during the set anymore.

A fish and chip supper sat along side ya pint on top of the WEM column speakers would not only lubricate the bassist but the strings and keep the fret-board in tip top shape - lovely jubbly

 

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The only thing I have against Rotos is that when I was a kid, 'Swing Bass' were the only bass strings the local music shop sold, as this was also a time when I was breaking a lot of strings( with hindsight due to hamfisted technique rather than any fault in the strings), I've always had an unfair association in my mind with them being a bit fragile.

Obviously the OP has disproved this, but at some deep psychological level I just feel like Rotos would be a step backwards for me.

Plus I like really bright strings so all of these comments about them quickly losing their zing aren't really making me want to try them again.

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36 minutes ago, dmccombe7 said:

Is it possible you were miming and the ecosystem was actually playing the bass for you. xD

I don't think he uses echo. A bit of 'grit', perhaps, but no more than that. Maybe he was playing broken chords..? :|

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I have regularly broken strings from Alembic, Rotosound, D`Addario, etc. Entirely down to my massively over-the-top string bashing when I was younger. These days I dont even break guitar strings that much. FIngernails, yes, though.

FWIW I have been seriousl yconsidering springing for a set of those Thomastik bass strings for my USA 62 reissue P Bass instead of the rather stiff D`Addario ground wound ones on it at present. Tried a set of tape ones and didnt get on with them either.  Sounded like 30 year old strings the day I put them on. Only in a bad way.

Edited by ivansc
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Yes - pick, music stand (well iPad on my mic stand) and 16 year old strings. The perfect combination. :)

they don't even give you a Rotosound sticker in the packet anymore, and it's plastic! What the hell has happened? You turn your back for a little time and the world goes mad.

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On 20/01/2018 at 14:27, BobVbass said:

Yes - pick, music stand (well iPad on my mic stand) and 16 year old strings. The perfect combination. :)

they don't even give you a Rotosound sticker in the packet anymore, and it's plastic! What the hell has happened? You turn your back for a little time and the world goes mad.

Yep...they don't make 'em like they use to...

Do you know I remember when it was all fields around here...

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On 20/01/2018 at 15:27, BobVbass said:

Yes - pick, music stand (well iPad on my mic stand) and 16 year old strings. The perfect combination. :)

they don't even give you a Rotosound sticker in the packet anymore, and it's plastic! What the hell has happened? You turn your back for a little time and the world goes mad.

If you want a sticker, you have to buy it nowadays, mad world indeed. And maybe the strings will break after 16 days, who knows, mad world, I told you.

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1 hour ago, Hellzero said:

If you want a sticker, you have to buy it nowadays, mad world indeed. And maybe the strings will break after 16 days, who knows, mad world, I told you.

I would be complaining after 16 days but not after 16 years. I have shoes that are older but that's about it...oh, and my trusty 1972  Telebass.

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