History of bass guitar strings?

[Precisionb87]

So fender invented the bass guitar in 1951 and issued them with flatwound (nickel?) stings, then Rotosound was the first to come out with round-wound steel stings for bass, right? When did round-wound nickel stings come into the picture?, and who was the first to do it?
Just curious.

[WilliamSandoval]

Did guitars start off with rounds?

[Precisionb87]

I don't think they did, as Rotosound claims to be the first to make round-wound bass strings, but I could be wrong.

[Blues Bass Man]

Paul Tutmarc invented the first Solid Body Electric Bass Guitar about 1936.
Rotosound introduced the Roundwound Bass String in 1962.
Not sure when Nickel Plated Roundwounds came on the scene.

[WilliamSandoval]

I always figured that electric guitars first had rounds, so why didn't Fender have flats and rounds for the P bass if their guitars came with rounds?

[darkstorm]

So 2012 will be the 50th anniversary of roundwounds for bass. The best major advance ever for bass strings. Lol. Not sure who did first nickel rounds.

Flats came first for bass prob simply cause no one was thinking of bass as anything other then simple background bass rumble backing.

[FunkMetalBass]

I believe that the origin of flatwound bass strings comes from the transition of upright bass strings. According to Wikipedia, many upright bassist began converting their instruments over to steel strings in the 50's, which corresponds to the time frame of the advent of the electric bass. So the bass string tradition was probably inherited from the upright, not from the guitar.

[knuckle_head]

Prototype strings were gut upright strings with iron wire wrapped around the gut strings just over the pickups.

Fender's guitar string provider was VC Squire - after the prototypes proved successful Squire manufactured bass strings for Fender as well.

CBS bought Squire shortly after acquiring Fender.

[mcnach]

Originally Posted by knuckle_head

Prototype strings were gut upright strings with iron wire wrapped around the gut strings just over the pickups.

Fender's guitar string provider was VC Squire - after the prototypes proved successful Squire manufactured bass strings for Fender as well.

CBS bought Squire shortly after acquiring Fender.

But they misspelled it Squier and that stuck ;-)

[JLS]

Originally Posted by Precisionb87

I don't think they did, as Rotosound claims to be the first to make round-wound bass strings, but I could be wrong.

I recall some (horrible) Gibson roundwounds, back in the early-mid 60s, in St. Louis. I was entranced by Chris Hillman's sound, even before John Entwistle.

[carl h.]

Maybe someone should contact these folks - Savarez - as they have been making guitar strings for a few years, and there were bass guitars before there was an electric bass.

[iiipopes]

Originally Posted by FunkMetalBass

I believe that the origin of flatwound bass strings comes from the transition of upright bass strings. According to Wikipedia, many upright bassist began converting their instruments over to steel strings in the 50's, which corresponds to the time frame of the advent of the electric bass. So the bass string tradition was probably inherited from the upright, not from the guitar.

Originally Posted by darkstorm

So 2012 will be the 50th anniversary of roundwounds for bass. The best major advance ever for bass strings. Lol. Not sure who did first nickel rounds.

Flats came first for bass prob simply cause no one was thinking of bass as anything other then simple background bass rumble backing.

Remember that the Fender bass was the first viable electric bass, but there was no hardware. The first strings were either upright gut with wire wrapped around the section going over the pickup, or were cut-down steel upright strings.

[One Drop]

Danelectro also had roundwound strings, I believe they shipped them as OEM on their basses from at least the early '60s. I think they were quite narrow guaged.

But Rotosound's rounds only became a common and viable replacement string from the advent of the RS66 in the middle of the decade. They fudge their marketing spiel to blur this distinction a bit.

[knuckle_head]

The Tutmarc basses (both father's and son's) were roundwound and nothing more than longer guitar strings made a bit thicker - both of their basses were right about 30" scale length. The Dano strings were and extension of this.

[BigOldHarry]

Originally Posted by FunkMetalBass

I believe that the origin of flatwound bass strings comes from the transition of upright bass strings. According to Wikipedia, many upright bassist began converting their instruments over to steel strings in the 50's, which corresponds to the time frame of the advent of the electric bass. So the bass string tradition was probably inherited from the upright, not from the guitar.

yup.

My first new Fender came with flats - a '77 J bass. I played flats for year until I decided I dug the Who / Yes. I put rounds on it and never went back. It did take me a bit of time to get used to the roughness... and at that time, there was this mythology that round wounds would tear up your frets... but I've never had a issue that a simple fret-dress couldn't fix.

[JTE]

While Fender shipped their basses with flats (850s) until 1983, there were rounds out there before Rotosound. They MIGHT have the claim on stainless steel rounds, but I don't think they were the first rounds at all.

John

[Stick_Player]

Originally Posted by WilliamSandoval

I always figured that electric guitars first had rounds, so why didn't Fender have flats and rounds for the P bass if their guitars came with rounds?

Flats? Perhaps to appeal to Double Bass players?

Weren't some early electric bass players using piano wire (round wound)?

[Precisionb87]

Thanks for all of the posts so far. This has become somewhat of an interesting thread if I don't say so myself...

[WilliamSandoval]

Someone should make a timeline...

[Marty Forrer]

Originally Posted by mcnach

But they misspelled it Squier and that stuck ;-)

I dont think so. The first Fender Squires (yes, that's correct spelling) were made in Japan and were excellent instruments. The Squier spelling came later.