What kind of strings where you guys using in the 70's?

CostaBass · #1 02-15-2011, 12:41 AM

Hey guys, I never really cared about what types of strings I used. I never really gave it much thought. But then I got to thinking about the great sound that John Entwistle got from his bass, Geddy Lee, Chris Squire, ect.

So what brand where they using? what type of strings did they use? and most importantly can you still get the same brand now.

Slax · #2 02-15-2011, 01:29 AM

Rotosounds as far as I know. You can still get them.

MysticMichael · #3 02-15-2011, 01:39 AM

Is the question: "What kind of strings were John & Geddy & Chris using during the 70s?" Or is it: "What kind of strings were we using during the 70s?"

Yes, Entwistle, Lee & Squire were way into Rotosounds (probably Swing Bass 66s), to the best of my knowledge.

I, on the other hand (for what it's worth) was switching off between GHS Boomers and D'Addario Half Rounds (although I occasionally used GHS Brite Flats as well).

All these makes/models are still available to this very day...

MM

JimmyM · #4 02-15-2011, 01:40 AM

ya, rotosound swing bass stainless rounds.

delta7fred · #5 02-15-2011, 01:54 AM

I used Rotosound, but what type I do not remember, I do know that on the packaging it mentioned John Entwistle and that was good enough for me.

I don't know if they are still available as I cannot remeber exactly what they were.

I never really tried to sound like any other bass player as even in the 70s I realised that without their mountain of amps, and their technique, that I would just sound like me.

TinIndian · #6 02-15-2011, 04:29 AM

Rotosound Swing bass - played 'em well into the '80's.

Turock · #7 02-15-2011, 05:13 AM

Rotosound.

lug · #8 02-15-2011, 08:43 AM

Early 70's I'd say 80% of bassists were on flats.

Later 70's I'd say 80% of bassists were on rounds.

darkstorm · #9 02-15-2011, 10:05 PM

Rotosound swing 66. Same brand I used in the 70's and have used untill just recently as first pick for strings.

jmm55 · #10 02-15-2011, 10:10 PM

Did swing 66 come in optional nickel wind back then? If not, roughly when was nickel wound introduced? Is it fair to say that when people think of the quintessential bass string, they mean Swing 66 in stainless?

I cannot understand why they do not make a 50 70 85 110 set in nickel, since they do make such a set in stainless.

prd004 · #11 02-15-2011, 10:16 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by lug

Early 70's I'd say 80% of bassists were on flats.

Later 70's I'd say 80% of bassists were on rounds.

And they were both Rotosounds!!!!

I wasn't playing in the 70's (not quite that old) but I use Rotosound Jazz 77's for that killer vintage flat wound tone!

One Drop · #12 02-16-2011, 12:57 AM

My first bass had tapes on it, it was an EB-O. I didn't even know you could change the strings I was such a noob (before the word was invented, of course). It sounded crap through a little Musicman Practice Amp.

They were still on it when I traded it in towards a new Ric at the end of the decade. The salesman put piano sound Rotos on it (they had a different model name than now, not sure if they are identical. They had an exposed core.).

JTE · #13 02-16-2011, 08:47 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by CostaBass

Hey guys, I never really cared about what types of strings I used. I never really gave it much thought. But then I got to thinking about the great sound that John Entwistle got from his bass, Geddy Lee, Chris Squire, ect.

So what brand where they using? what type of strings did they use? and most importantly can you still get the same brand now.

Hmm, 2 questions here. The title seems to be asking what kind of strings I used in the '70s, but the text of the post limits it to Entwistle, Geddy Lee, and Chris Squire...

I was using Fender 850s, the flatwound set that was standard on Fender basses when I started gigging in '76. By '79 I was using D'Addario Half-Rounds (they only had one style, the nickle ones then).

But it's an easy matter of historical record that the three you asked about were using Rotosound RS-66 stainless rounds at the time. Entwistle essentially invented them, working with James Howe after gigs, trying different sets out. He wanted that bright piano-like tone and spent a lot of time with Howe to develop it. He admitted that he changed them every day also. Squire also frequently said he used RS-66's and changed them frequently to keep the sound.

Now what the general public was using followed these guys, but slowly. I managed a guitar store from '77-88. At the start, we didn't sell many bass strings because most people used flats (and Fender 850s were the first choice locally) and didn't change them unless one broke. We kept a bunch of LaBella Old Original singles in the store because most bass players would only change the ones broken string too.

At that time MOST roundwound players used RS-66 because they were the ones most people knew about. GHS did an extensive promotion of their Boomers by the end of the '70s so they started being used by more people because they were a good sounding string that had the twang, lasted a while, and were lot more affordable then than RS-66. The store's cost on a set of RS-66 was almost what we sold Boomers for, due to limited distribution in the US. And a lot of folks were using D'Addario Half-Rounds and GHS Brite-Flats too, trying to bridge the gap between rounds and flats. Many people were concerned with fret wear and avoided rounds because of that, but eventually sanity and sound won out.

By around '82 we had a large stock of strings, mostly rounds, from D'Addario, GHS, Dean Markley, and RotoSound. The big sellers were GHS Boomers, D'Addario nickle XL's, and Dean Markely Ground Round Wounds (their modified round wound).

John

thetaxmiser · #14 02-16-2011, 02:45 PM

Roto RS-66 from 73 up til about 1990.

Wanted to like the boomers becuase of the price but it seemed like they died quickly and just didn't have the same robust tone of the rotos.

Clanky, growly, nasty stainless steel glory...

Mikhail1 · #15 02-16-2011, 05:39 PM

Started playing the bass in 1976 and for a year or so, used the flatwounds that came on the bass, probably Fender's. Had a friend, also a bass player and we went out to see a band that he was friends with and the bass player was playing a Fender P bass through some type of tube amp and he ROCKED!! The sound he was getting was unreal and he played with his FINGERS! I remember asking my friend how this guy was getting such a good sound and he said,"Oh, he's using roundwound strings, Rotosounds." Needless to say the next week, I too was a follower of the Rotosound camp. I used them off and on (when I could get them) for years but also used Dean Markley's, nice sound and feel, and even Peavey's. Now I use either D'Addario or Ernie Ball nickels, but to be honest, I have yet to discover the Holy Grail of strings... if it exists.

MysticMichael · #16 02-16-2011, 05:47 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mikhail1

Now I use either D'Addario or Ernie Ball nickels, but to be honest, I have yet to discover the Holy Grail of strings... if it exists.

No such thing. Doesn't exist. Have a nice quest anyway...

MM

LM Bass · #17 02-16-2011, 05:47 PM

Dean Markley Ground Rounds, then Rotos.

john_martin_sai · #18 02-16-2011, 05:48 PM

Rickenbacker

MrLenny1 · #19 02-16-2011, 06:15 PM

Roto 66

tjh · #20 02-17-2011, 12:30 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by lug

Early 70's I'd say 80% of bassists were on flats.

Later 70's I'd say 80% of bassists were on rounds.

... yup, Fender green thread flats on a 65-66 Jazz up until 73 ... then I traded civies for fatigues and the bass went somewhere I never saw it again ...