Rotosounds dead in one day?!?!?

[miles'tone]

Funny old Roto's... I've been using a set of Roto 77 flats for about 3 months now, playing all the time and only now are they starting to really dull down (which I like). Shame they don't make the rounds (which I like too) to last this long and the flats to mellow like the rounds! But all said and done after trying many different types of strings, the Roto's really suit my bass/amp. They do cut through in a unique way.

[tareh]

Im using a set of Warwick EMPs - and they're sounded as fresh and as good when i installed em on my bass, 2 years ago! off course, i wash my hands and wipe em down with fast fret before and after i play.

[JTE]

Rotosound RS-66 (the stainless rounds) have a deserved reputation going back to when they first came out for short life. John Entwistle worked with them to develop the strings (remember on "The Who Sell Out" album where there's those little fake radio jingles? One says "Pull your group together with Rotosound strings!"). He and Chris Squire were big proponents of RS-66L but both frequently made no bones about changing the strings every day. Anthony Jackson has been known to change them every TAKE in a studio session.

However, string life is very much influenced by your technique, your expectations, and your hand chemistry. Some peoples' sweat will kill certain alloys faster than others. So, here's what I always tell people. Try a bunch of strings and find what works for you, then ignore everyone else. Sure, you can narrow things down a bit, but you have to filter out individual results that are anomolies.

jte

[68Goldfish]

Roto's are very rough feeling for the first couple of days. Your fingers kind of catch on them. I'll second or third, whetever number were on, the advise about washing your hands before playing your bass. LOVE EM, can't seem to find anything else thats worth the money or sound even close. Actually DR high beams sounded good to me but I eventually went back to the roto's.

[yellofury]

I had a set of RS66LDs on my Jazz bass for 10 years and yes they were dead and kinda gross but they sounded nice and thumpy
I have replaced them recently and they are rough for the first few weeks but when they "age in" they sound awesome and last forever

The black silk Fenders are pretty nice too and more forgiving on fingers
I think you just had a bad set

[dmusic148]

If you like Rotos try Hi Beams. They are closer in tension to Rotos(looser) than Lo Riders(tighter) are.

[Bassic83]

I used Roto's back in the 80s...had two sets that were good, five that had dead strings out of the box (one G, two A, two E). After shelling out $12 a set, changing them, and having them be DOA, I gave up on them.

Tried the SuperWounds, they were a little better, but they quit making the nickels after a short time. They were a cool string, with the "piano string design", which had only the core going over the saddle. Had to do a complete setup to use them, but they were great for the 3-4 sets that I bought.

Since the DOA sets of Roto66L's, I don't trust them, so I don't buy them. I now use D'Addario XL220's for the most part, and they do me pretty well. I also have Elixir's on a few basses, they last like no other that I've tried.

[air_leech]

I bought an SM66N set (the nickel plated counterpart of the RS66) with the intention of putting them on one of my flatwound equipped Precisions but after a few hours of playing I had to throw the TI flats back on that P, it's the sound I'm used to from a Precision.

however, the Rotos later replaced the stainless steels on my EBMM SR4, and after the first few days of playing they mellowed a bit and so far I'm enjoying the best tone I ever got from this bass.

I like the sound of broken in strings, it sits better in the mix and has much more controlled highs.
never cared for the zinginess and clicky-ness of fresh strings.