Steel roundwound recommendations

bigcatJC · #1 05-02-2008, 02:41 AM

About 3 years ago, I stopped using the various nickel-plated strings I had been using and returned to my first love: Rotosound steel. Bright, cutting, clear, sustain - I was hooked all over again. Plus, they were cheaper than I remembered

. Now, the reason I quit using them has reared it's ugly head again: Inconsistency. The last two packs I've bought have had 1 then 2 dead strings, right out of the pack. I love Rotos, but I don't want to go through this again.

Can anybody recommend other brands of steel rounds for someone who loves the Rotosound tone? I'm already considering D'Addario Pro Steels and DR Low Riders. Thanks in advance.

rockern · #2 05-02-2008, 02:53 AM

+1 on the Lo-Riders

fullrangebass · #3 05-02-2008, 03:10 AM

MTD strings

beyondthe48 · #4 05-02-2008, 03:19 AM

i really dig ernie ball super slinky hybrid steel roundys - 105 85 65 45, only 16$ from MF LOVE LOVE LOVE EM. you wipe em down after each session and they stay bright for awhile.

4-string · #5 05-02-2008, 10:44 AM

Elites. Sound just as good as Rotos, but last much, much longer.

Mongo Slade · #6 05-02-2008, 11:05 AM

+1 on the MTD, but since they are hard to find, check out the Markley SR200 which are pretty much the same string.
Elites are great too, but also hard to find.
Of the easy to find strings I love the ProSteels. The DR strings can be wildly inconsistant.

Peace

DavePlaysBass · #7 05-02-2008, 07:43 PM

I have had good luck with Labella Hard Rockin' Steel. I would really like to try out the Sadowsky Blues. If you want raw in your face steel that lasts a while, I would recommend Sadowsky Blacks as well. They were too in your face for me and the HRS were a better compromise that can go a lot of places.

ryco · #8 05-02-2008, 08:35 PM

Here's a vote for LaBella SuperSteps. Keep their zing a long time!
Had mine on over a year and still bright.

I use RotoSounds as well.

EagleMoon · #9 05-02-2008, 09:46 PM

I like DR Highbeams, Lo-Riders, and MTD strings as well. They seem to be very consistent.

EASonBass · #10 05-02-2008, 09:52 PM

+1 on the DR High Beams. I've only had one bad string in so many years. A quick email had a replacement in my mailbox in a few days.

lug · #11 05-03-2008, 12:46 AM

I've had 3 sets of Pro Steels, all fresh, no problems. Very aggressive sounding strings.

Hoover · #12 05-03-2008, 05:00 AM

ABout 20+ years ago I worked in a music store and so had the luxury of being able to try as many different brands of strings as I could get my mitts on. I too wanted the RotoSound zing, and I too was disappointed in their consistancy from set to set, as well as the fact that they seemed to lose most of that zing within a couple weeks of playing.

After going through a dozen different brands, I settled on the Ken Smith Rockmasters stainless steel roundwounds. They were very consistent from string to string and set to set, they had about 90% of the zing of new RotoSounds but (more importantly) they maintained their tone for much longer...I've had 6 month old Smith's sound brighter & newer than six week old RotoSounds. They just don't seem nearly as prone to "dying" as any other roundwound string I tried.

To this day I still use 'em on all my fretted basses.