Strings

[rmshaw37]

i'm currently doing a bit of a search! i live in the same town as where newtone strings are, so trying those now (plus they did me a custom spec set - gigged ith them last night and am impressed so far - even going through trace stuff)

for my money its ghs boomers till now - yes they do die, but much like the elites comment, they're still much more life in them than a wek old set of rotos

never tried d'addarios or DR but they are on my list! also never tried flats, but i'm not convinced i want to go down that road anyway.

the only strings i've tried and took off before i heard them were slinkys 40's! the string wasn't where i thought it would be cause all it was doing was flapping around!!

so strings really are so much about personal choice!

[JTUK]

[quote name='Musicman20' post='898045' date='Jul 18 2010, 01:45 PM']Basically a +1 there.

The problem is with moving on from a Fender, is that nothing looks quite as cool, and thats it.[/quote]


Tis true, which is why I run the super J5's that I do... I am REALLY getting to grips with the sounds now.

Really well constructed all wood design, decent electrics and great signal and it doesn't get any better

Amp chain shouldn't be dismissed of course, but it needs to embellish the task, not have to rescue it

New strings on last night but I don't know what make... really groovy sound though, IMHO..

[cytania]

Just changed my strings after breaking the A. Restrung with D'Addario Nickels again but I'd forgotten how taut and overbright they start out. Can't wait for them to get slack and properly dull.

With my acoustic guitar strings lasted 2-4 months and cost £6-9ish. Clearly a bass player is going to take alot longer to try out even the limited range of makes with strings lasting a year plus and costing £20-£30.

One reason I like the D'Addarios is no silk windings. I found these a weak point on Thomastiks which I managed to break after only a few months.

Must go play in the new strings now...

[BigRedX]

[quote name='Musicman20' post='898045' date='Jul 18 2010, 01:45 PM']Basically a +1 there.

The problem is with moving on from a Fender, is that nothing looks quite as cool, and thats it.[/quote]
Really?

Just goes to show how tastes differ. To me the two main Fender Basses just look like over-sized Strats and I don't think it's a very good look. Plus there's so many things wrong with them from a design PoV that probably made sense when you're looking at 50's construction techniques and trying to keep costs down, but in this day and age have no place on a serious musical instrument.

Edited July 19, 2010 by BigRedX

[casapete]

I always avoided Rotos UNTIL I was recommended a set of RB40's (as the shop was out of my usual D'Addarios.)
These are nickel on steel roundwounds with no silk windings. Sound and feel great, and excellent value too (around the £14 mark)
Lasted well on my Ray, certainly worth a try - dont feel like usual Rotos at all.

[EssentialTension]

[quote name='BigRedX' post='898617' date='Jul 19 2010, 08:50 AM']Really?

Just goes to show how tastes differ. To me the two main Fender Basses just look like over-sized Strats and I don't think it's a very good look. Plus there's so many things wrong with them from a design PoV that probably made sense when you're looking at 50's construction techniques and trying to keep costs down, but in this day and age have no place on a serious musical instrument.[/quote]
I won't respond here, I'll wait for your forthcoming 'Fenders are rubbish' megathread.

[urb]

I used Elites for years but I switched to D'Addarios about 18 months ago and really love them I use the EXL 180s - the Nickel ones have the perfect balance of tones and feel good under the fingers - plus they seem to last a fair while as well - I have tried other brands but these are by far my favourite - I have tried Labella and DRs and they are good but don't quite 'fit' my needs.

[JTUK]

I second D'Addarios lasting quite a while.

IME, DR's need changing around 3-4 weeks for me.
I am nowhere near as picky about NEW strings as I probably was but I like them to 'speak' well and D'Addarios
seem to last me at least double that.
Allround, they are a good string, IMO.

I can't for the life of me see why you spend all the money on their signal chain to get a dull old thunk, tho'...??

What is that all about..?

[4 Strings]

Yeah, Roto-freak here, Swing Bass 35s for many, many years.

Always had a satisfactory sound and life, tried some others (find it an expensive exercise!) but gone back to Swing Bass every time.

I would like to try out different strings but end up chickening out due to the cost. However, I am very happy with Swing Bass and feel no great need to change.

[stingrayPete1977]

1 in 34 posts in favour of the Rotosounds then!

[EssentialTension]

[quote name='stingrayPete1977' post='899150' date='Jul 19 2010, 05:20 PM']1 in 34 posts in favour of the Rotosounds then![/quote]
1 in [s]35[/s] 36 now.

[4000]

[quote name='Pete Academy' post='897557' date='Jul 17 2010, 08:19 PM']Don't diss the strings. They can make all the difference.[/quote]

One of the truest and most accurate things ever said here. Well done that man.

[4000]

[quote name='BigRedX' post='897948' date='Jul 18 2010, 12:00 PM']Just goes to prove that there is no definitive string choice. Only the one that's right for your playing style on a particular bass.[/quote]

Ditto this.....

[4000]

[quote name='BigRedX' post='898015' date='Jul 18 2010, 01:15 PM']Rotosound Bass Strings are like Fender Bass Guitars. Superior when there wasn't much competition, but technology has moved on since the 60s and they haven't really kept up.[/quote]

But not this...I find that Rotos are the best strings for my Rics, far better than anything else I've tried. It's abut matching the strings to the bass. I really like that hollow, grinding din.

Tried some TI flats on an old Thumb bass at weekend; the only flats I've ever tried that I liked. A revelation. Sounded and played great.

[4000]

[quote name='stingrayPete1977' post='898073' date='Jul 18 2010, 02:23 PM']Im a cheapskate and use Elites which appear alot better than Roto's for not much more money, £30 for 2 sets from Mark at Bass Direct.I only change them once a year anyway!!! A year old set of Elites still have more twang left than a week old set of old Roto's to my ears,Are there any lovers of Rotosounds out there?[/quote]

Yes, as above. Elites are some of my least favourite strings, I really don't get on with them. The years where they were all I could find were hell.

[BigRedX]

Actually on reflection I would say that Rotosound since the mid 60s make perfectly good round-wound strings for 34" scale 4-string fretted basses tuned EADG. However very few of the instruments I play fit that description.

The other thing that I've experienced with Rotosound strings is that they seem to have a fairly poor shelf life, so I've learnt the hard way not to buy them from musical instrument shops. In fact for me the only way to get a really good set of Rotosound strings is to buy them from the manufacturer at something like Music Live or LGS.

[hillbilly deluxe]

Im a Rotosoundaholic,same set on my Jazz for 9 years.

[Lozz196]

[quote name='hillbilly deluxe' post='899256' date='Jul 19 2010, 06:48 PM']Im a Rotosoundaholic,same set on my Jazz for 9 years.[/quote]
Rotos for me too.

Swing Bass roundwounds, stainless steel, heavy gauge 50 - 110 on all my Precisions.

[Telebass]

[quote name='Musicman20' post='898045' date='Jul 18 2010, 01:45 PM']Basically a +1 there.

The problem is with moving on from a Fender, is that nothing looks quite as cool, and thats it.[/quote]


Exactly. Nail on head.


I used RS66s for decades, then lately Rotobass nickel-plated, a bit warmer. Don't like EBs or GHS Boomers, oe Elites. Not tried DR yet. Currently have TI Jazz flats on the split-coil. Wondrous!

A p-bass just looks like a Strat? A bit reversed there, that is...

[charic]

[quote name='Lozz196' post='899702' date='Jul 20 2010, 08:40 AM']Rotos for me too.

Swing Bass roundwounds, stainless steel, heavy gauge 50 - 110 on all my Precisions.[/quote]

Same here, also on the ACG.

Just changed the ACG to roto's and omfg the sound difference is fantastic, before it was a 'little' polite for my usual playing so I was tending to play more fiddley stuff on there. Now it sounds more aggressive than my P bass! A slight change on the ol' EQ onboard the bass and it sings, change again and its almost piano like. I never got that variation from any other string at all.

Also using 50-110

[stingrayPete1977]

OK lets put it another way then,Does anyone use Rotos on anything designed in the last 50 years!?

[danbowskill]

[quote name='EBS_freak' post='897941' date='Jul 18 2010, 11:54 AM']Rotos have never been my fave either...[/quote]
+ they certainly suck ass!!

tried a fair few brands,but to my suprise im now using dirt cheap made in tiwan rosetti strings 45-105s £8 a pack.............
.........and are ace!!!

[charic]

[quote name='stingrayPete1977' post='900472' date='Jul 20 2010, 08:59 PM']OK lets put it another way then,Does anyone use Rotos on anything designed in the last 50 years!?[/quote]

er... My acg?

[Davo-London]

I've been playing for 32 years and have found MY STRING. I'm not suggesting that anyone else should use them - no I'm just glad that after 30 years of trying different strings I have found the string that totally suits me and gets the tone and feel I'm after. I love them so much they are on my fretted and fretless electric basses. Yum Yum.

Davo

[4 Strings]

[quote name='stingrayPete1977' post='900472' date='Jul 20 2010, 08:59 PM']OK lets put it another way then,Does anyone use Rotos on anything designed in the last 50 years!?[/quote]


Yup, my Jaydee sings with them, hifi tones abound. Also use them on he Stingray.