Rotosound Solo 55 pressure wound strings.

[fretmeister]

I used to like pressure wound strings and would always use the GHS ones. Then for some basses I went to flats and rounds for others for many years.

Then I developed an intolerance / allergy to nickel so now I have to use stainless steel strings and there aren't many pressure wounds that are steels.

 

I gave up looking for ages and then youtube recommended a string demo of the Roto Solo 55. I investigated further and discovered they are steel rounds that are then squashed to reduce finger noise but keeping all the mass of the metal. They are not groundwounds.

 

I had Dunlop Superbrights on my Sandberg Lionel and I like them a great deal, but even though they are very low noise for a round I wanted smoother and even less noise.

 

So I tried out the Solo 55 set.

 

Result: Far higher finger noise than the Dunlops. The Solo 55 are advertised as having lower string noise, presumably compared to normal Roto rounds. I hate to think how rough and noisy they are.

 

In short - I found them to be bloody awful. Horrible feeling under the fingers and more noise than Dunlop rounds (they do not make a pressure wound). I have no views as to sound quality as I tuned up and was just playing through a little practice combo. The feel of the strings just made my skin crawl.

 

Disappointing really.