Is this normal for Roto Flats or a bad set?

[b4nny]

I bought a set of Roto 77's and the windings are very inconsistent between strings. The G and D are very smooth, then the A has barely more space between the windings, and the E has noticeably more space in the winding. This makes the E sound a little more like a roundwound string (especially when sliding), and I've also noticed it has lower output than the other strings, although this might be a sign that I need to adjust my pickups. Speaking of adjusting pickups, is it normal for the high strings to be much louder, even with both pickups unadjusted, or is this more of a technique issue? I tend to dig in on the strings and get a lot of fret clank, so it could just be that the G & D are much easier to pluck.

[shriekback]

Originally Posted by b4nny

I bought a set of Roto 77's and the windings are very inconsistent between strings. The G and D are very smooth, then the A has barely more space between the windings, and the E has noticeably more space in the winding. This makes the E sound a little more like a roundwound string (especially when sliding), and I've also noticed it has lower output than the other strings, although this might be a sign that I need to adjust my pickups. Speaking of adjusting pickups, is it normal for the high strings to be much louder, even with them both unadjusted, or is this more of a technique issue? I tend to dig in on the strings and get a lot of fret clank, so it could just be that the G & D are much easier to pluck.

I am not sure if it is normal or not, but I had a similar experience with Roto 77s--They were uneven in texture and were very lumpy and had a much larger gauge at the windings. They struck me as more like ground-wounds anyway, so rough was the texture, and I went back to D'Addario chromes. I won't buy them again. If others share similar experiences, I would change them out for another kind before fooling with your pickups at all. You may then just need to adjust them back. You certainly shouldn't let your strings determine your technique. Strings are much easier to change. Find some that suit your playing.

[mario222]

This is normal for Roto flats, its just the nature of the beast. The E string does sound a bit like a roundwound in the begining but this will go away once the start to mellow( id say about a month). The D ang G string loudness issue should mellow out to but I noticed a pickup adjustment was needed when I switched to Rotos the first time. There not the smoothest flats but they have great tone. Give them a chance to mellow out and you wont be sorry.