Rotosound Swing Bass 66 problems

[Meatrus]

Originally Posted by ironrat

false, I have bought nickel & ss rounds and chromes and all were packaged in an airtight bag.

Chromes are D'addario also...

[tigerbass]

Goodness, I have probably used at least 50 sets of Rotsounds in my life. ONE time I got a dead string, emailed the man at Rotosound explaining what happened, and he mailed me a replacement string, and whole new set of strings and a bunch of stickers in like 3 days. Also a formal written apology.
I will NEVER bash Rotosound!~

[rodl2005]

Man I'll TRY & find it & post a link- BUT.....
alky-hole method:-
1 - Grab a sealable container- big enough for a set of strings-wound up(like when U buy 'em new) to lie flat in.
2 - Fill it with enough Metho/denatured alcohol (I use methylated spirits & all's well) to COVER the used set of bass strings U R gonna put in there.
3 - after removing a set of strings-as/usual(usually replacing a set ON the bass as U go) INSTEAD of throwing OUT the USED set of strings, tie the whole set(4/5/6 etc) together with a wire tie or similar( I color code 'em & write down what I'm doing to WHICH set of strings- when U got 5 basses- this helps keep track of GUAGES etc)
4 - Then place the tied set of used strings in the container of Metho/alkyhole so they're totally covered in the liquid.
5 - place the lid on the container so no passing loonie comes in & drinks it, or it doesn't spill if knocked.
6 - LEAVE FOR about 24 hrs I tried a week & hed breakage probs- so U COULD TRY a cuppla days & report back
7 - Open container, get soaked strings out & hang them up to dry.
( U CAN undo 'em at this stage & run a cloth over each if they're still 'gunky' looking- I get 'acid hands' & don't usually need to tho)
They probly dry pretty quickly- as the evaporation of that sh*t is fast!!! But I leave 'em hanging for a day or so at least. Or until I need 'em again.
8 - U can then take down & store in clip-lok bags(air-tite) for "D'addario" like sealing!!

NOW- I've had great results using this method & have probly soaked a set of strings 5x. Each time they seem pretty darn good.
I HAVE tried the boiling for various times & thats what I USED to do YEARS ago- when playing orig. music in the post punk era <:-() EEEK!!!! - but I found that this would weaken the string & would sometimes get breakages & the alcohol methods just simply WORKS & IS simple too.
I've been using the same container & same alcohol for year... tho it's staring to get pretty dirty now- so I think I'll change the alcohol.
- ummmmm I'm just tring to think of ALL the things about this-BY all means copy this & post it in a new thread if anyone feels like it-
- This works OK for COATED strings too.
=- haven't tried it on flats/tapewounds etc as they seem to sound better old. But works for ALL rounds where finger 'gunk' gets trapped between the windings & creates corrosion. It obviously wont REPAIR the corrosion, but it seems to remove all the gunk allowing the string to vibrate cleanly & gives a "NEW" sound to the strings again.
As I said B4- I reckon I've cut down my string buying by around 75% & I KNOW I can play each gig-heck - even rehearsal- with NEW sounding strings.
Hope it works for y'all.
Rod

[My name is Mudd]

Thanks for that.

Originally Posted by rodl2005

...place the lid on the container so no passing loonie comes in & drinks it...

Like our idiot cat...

[Jazz Ad]

I stopped using Rotos maybe 10 years ago because of this issue. It's kinda sad that they didn't fix it after so much time.
Once in a while I got dead strings in the pack.
When you pay so much for a set of strings you expect them to be perfect.
I switched to Ernie Ball and never again had this kind of problem.

[BassLife77]

Originally Posted by Bassman18

How long do u soak the strings in the Alcohol for?

I only soak them for a few hours in 91%. you could soak overnight but I think its overkill. before I pull them from the alcohol I swirl them around.

[Hellbastard]

This thread is quite old and nobody has pointed out that Rotosound nowadays uses machinesto make their strings. I have been a rotosound user for all of my bass playing life and have never had a problem or a dead string. I love the bright sound I get from the swing 66

[Meatrus]

Originally Posted by Jazz Ad

I stopped using Rotos maybe 10 years ago because of this issue. It's kinda sad that they didn't fix it after so much time.
Once in a while I got dead strings in the pack.
When you pay so much for a set of strings you expect them to be perfect.
I switched to Ernie Ball and never again had this kind of problem.

What a coincidence, this thread isnt far off 10 years old . I dont think its common at all anymore, or no more common than with any other brand.

[gnr_her]

Originally Posted by rodl2005

Man I'll TRY & find it & post a link- BUT.....
alky-hole method:-
1 - Grab a sealable container- big enough for a set of strings-wound up(like when U buy 'em new) to lie flat in.
2 - Fill it with enough Metho/denatured alcohol (I use methylated spirits & all's well) to COVER the used set of bass strings U R gonna put in there.
3 - after removing a set of strings-as/usual(usually replacing a set ON the bass as U go) INSTEAD of throwing OUT the USED set of strings, tie the whole set(4/5/6 etc) together with a wire tie or similar( I color code 'em & write down what I'm doing to WHICH set of strings- when U got 5 basses- this helps keep track of GUAGES etc)
4 - Then place the tied set of used strings in the container of Metho/alkyhole so they're totally covered in the liquid.
5 - place the lid on the container so no passing loonie comes in & drinks it, or it doesn't spill if knocked.
6 - LEAVE FOR about 24 hrs I tried a week & hed breakage probs- so U COULD TRY a cuppla days & report back
7 - Open container, get soaked strings out & hang them up to dry.
( U CAN undo 'em at this stage & run a cloth over each if they're still 'gunky' looking- I get 'acid hands' & don't usually need to tho)
They probly dry pretty quickly- as the evaporation of that sh*t is fast!!! But I leave 'em hanging for a day or so at least. Or until I need 'em again.
8 - U can then take down & store in clip-lok bags(air-tite) for "D'addario" like sealing!!

NOW- I've had great results using this method & have probly soaked a set of strings 5x. Each time they seem pretty darn good.
I HAVE tried the boiling for various times & thats what I USED to do YEARS ago- when playing orig. music in the post punk era <:-() EEEK!!!! - but I found that this would weaken the string & would sometimes get breakages & the alcohol methods just simply WORKS & IS simple too.
I've been using the same container & same alcohol for year... tho it's staring to get pretty dirty now- so I think I'll change the alcohol.
- ummmmm I'm just tring to think of ALL the things about this-BY all means copy this & post it in a new thread if anyone feels like it-
- This works OK for COATED strings too.
=- haven't tried it on flats/tapewounds etc as they seem to sound better old. But works for ALL rounds where finger 'gunk' gets trapped between the windings & creates corrosion. It obviously wont REPAIR the corrosion, but it seems to remove all the gunk allowing the string to vibrate cleanly & gives a "NEW" sound to the strings again.
As I said B4- I reckon I've cut down my string buying by around 75% & I KNOW I can play each gig-heck - even rehearsal- with NEW sounding strings.
Hope it works for y'all.
Rod

this is an old thread, but that was really useful!
I used to boild the old strings, but now i'm gonna try the alcohol method

[darkstorm]

Strings made in 93 arent gonna be anything but mostly dead even sitting unused in the packaging. The airsealed foil packaging that a couple companies use to extend shelf life can add a couple years maybe of shelf life. But even those from 93 would still be dead now in 2010.

[Barrowford Blue]

I use Rotosound on my acoustic guitars and generally buy about 6 or 9 packs at a time. I'm only really a hobbyist but do play most days.

I recently had a low E string that rattled. I could have just binned it and pulled out another, but in the end I sent it back. They have a contact name (mythical or not) on the packet.

I got a new string back and an additional set of strings. I'd have been happy if they'd just replaced the one.

My feeling is, it's easy to moan and bicker into the proverbial beer glass, but if you really feel something is wrong, send the string back.

I work in manufacturing and our customers are our greatest "testers". Whilst we have a miniscule failure rate, a customer will often find something that we may have missed, purely because they use things in a "random" kind of way - if that makes sense.

Enjoying the forum!

[countrybassist]

Try Blue Steel

[dj150888]

Originally Posted by Barrowford Blue

My feeling is, it's easy to moan and bicker into the proverbial beer glass, but if you really feel something is wrong, send the string back.

I work in manufacturing and our customers are our greatest "testers". Whilst we have a miniscule failure rate, a customer will often find something that we may have missed, purely because they use things in a "random" kind of way - if that makes sense.

Enjoying the forum!

I shouldn't HAVE to send strings back, I paid for them, I should get what I paid for....which is a set of new, fresh strings. Likewise, testing their products isn't my business, unless they want to pay me for it. Why should I hand over my hard earned cash for an unsatisfactory product and then be told I've just actually paid for the priviledge of testing it for them?

[One Drop]

Originally Posted by dj150888

I shouldn't HAVE to send strings back, I paid for them, I should get what I paid for....which is a set of new, fresh strings. Likewise, testing their products isn't my business, unless they want to pay me for it. Why should I hand over my hard earned cash for an unsatisfactory product and then be told I've just actually paid for the priviledge of testing it for them?

Because life isn't perfect all the time and stuff happens.

I think Roto did go through a period where QC suffered but I'm pretty sure the problems have been sorted for a good while, now.

I use Dunlop nickels and DR and Roto rounds, depending on the bass and gig. Rotos have their own thing going, that's for sure.

[Rocksoff]

I love the Roto Nickels. Never had a problem with them. I just can't get that sound with any other brand.

[WarrenD]

I've used Rotosound '66 for most of my 18 years of playing. I've had three or four 'bad' strings, meaning one in a set didn't sound as crystal clear as the others, more of a thumpy sound. I think it would have been similar with any other brand.

[Jaco Taco]

I used to play Rotos in the 1980's and they were a great sounding string. But something happened in the 90's. Don't know what it was but they just didn't sound the same to me anymore. Every 5 years or so, I've tried out Rotos to see if they had gotten good again, but nope. Don't know what they changed but it wasn't for the best.

[ShowLow]

So it's not just me, huh?

I bought a used set of Roto flats from another TBer, set them aside for a few weeks and then put them on a newly acquired and very resonant jazz bass. Dead as a doornail. Now, I'm using La Bella rounds on my jazzers but still want to try flats there.

For P basses, it's La Bella 760 FS or FL for me. D'Addario Chromes are decent. TI flats came with my P Lyte; they are silky yet trebly. Maybe those are the right strings for the jazz.

Done with Roto I think.

IMHO, YMMV of course!

[Danno1985]

I played Rotosound Swing 66s for a long time as well. I never noticed dead strings; they always sounded like they were supposed to for me. I have, however, had a couple recent successive sets where I was playing a gig, practice, whatever, and suddenly felt a sharp pain in one of my fingertips, which turned out to be a miniscule metal splinter/shaving from the strings. Not a pleasant experience to say the least. I've heard of this happening to other people with other brands, so I'm sure it was bad luck, but I've since moved on to other strings.

[atomicdog]

Whoa, 20 year old strings are going to sound like crap. ROTO 66s are great. But, jeesh, buy a fresh set. Those are way past their sell-by date!