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These are some complete quotes (the first one is a little more rarely cited) of Entwistle mentioning La Bella "tapewounds" regarding the recording take that ended up on "My Generation":
The Bass Handbook
John Entwistle Gear: 1960-1966 | John Entwistle Bass Gear | Whotabs
^ Emphasis mine. So, in the first quote, John calls the La Bella string he used both "tapewound" and "flatwound" in the space of three sentences.
Thing is, at the time "flatwound" and "tapewound" (as well as "ribbonwound") were pretty much interchangeable parlance for metal flats, at least in some corners of the English-speaking, guitar-playing world. [Also cfr. his use of "wirewound" for "roundwound".] The most recent use I've seen of this is in the product page of the La Bella made, Gold Tone flatwound set (MBLS) for the GT MicroBass, described as being "Tape wound metal" and confirmed to be normal flats by TB members who bought them.
Conversely, black nylon tapes also have a long history of being called "nylon flatwounds" for tactile reasons.
Funnily enough, Rotosound reflect this confusion and have been partly responsible for it:
- their sole guitar (metal) flatwound set is called "Top Tape", and probably has been ever since the company was called Top Strings, back in the late '50s;
- they refused to call their Tru Bass 88 black nylon sets "tapewound" until a couple years ago - before that, it was invariably "black nylon flatwounds" on the packet, website and ads. This even brought some to speculate that they were flat under the tape (which they aren't - only tapes that are made like that are the GHS 3060).
Another problem: did La Bella even make black nylons back in 1965? Rotosound claim to have invented this type of string,* a claim that is not disputed by the competition, to my knowledge, and in fact was confirmed by a La Bella representative to TBer @Linnin:
So La Bella followed suit...at some point. FWIW, CBS-Fender had bass (product no. 2200) and guitar (2100) "nylon tape wound" strings in their 1966 catalogue.
Also, TB member @fjadams recalls installing GHS tapewounds on a bass of his in either 1968 or '69 (vd. here, here, here and here).
In conclusion, those on "My Generation" *may* have been tapewounds as we presently intend them (and I concede that they can be sound very roundwoundy, as can new flats), but there is a chance that they were simply steel flats.
*
[They actually give two different dates on their website:
" TRU BASS 88
A string that was specifically designed by James How for Jim Burns’s famous Black Bison in 1962."
TRU BASS 88 | ROTOSOUND
However, on the illustrated chronology band at the top of this and every product page, it says
"1966 James How Pioneers the Tru Bass black nylon bass string "
Maybe, but it's just a WAG of mine, they were OEM for Burns of London between '62 and '66, when they started selling a tapewound set (or perhaps one for long-scale and one for short - I seem to remember Paul McCartney used them on both the Höfner and the Rick/ or was it the Höfner and the Jazz?/ on Abbey Road) to the public.]
If one day you feel like writing a book on the history of bass strings, I would be happy to buy it.
Eh, judging by whenever I've tasked the 'net with what I'd expected would be pretty simple info retrieval, and by this thread's assessment of string companies' record-keeping (or lack thereof), attempting to write such a book looks to be a pretty frustrating endeavour...If one day you feel like writing a book on the history of bass strings, I would be happy to buy it.
But thanks!
I believe you’re right: Rotosound’s abbreviation is RS66.
I’ve been abbreviating it as SB66 for Swing Bass 66.
Sorry for any confusion this may have caused.
BTW, I’m still enjoying the new set of RS66’s on my P-Bass. They sound really good.
"I always said it would take a bruised ego, to make me throw my toys out of the pram."
Any feedback on Markbass strings? They are on my list but have no idea what they sound and feel like.
So that means I did use the “original” gauges when I started using them in 1978. And that shows how much attention to detail I had when they changed gauges in 1980.
I started a topic years ago about this: the RS66LD set still has the same gauge as it was during the 60's/70's, but they just started using the labeling "45-65-80-105" on the packaging, probably because it became a "standard" with Ernie Ball and other (in fact, "vintage" sets usually have odd gauges, like La Bella, Pyramid ecc).
measuring with a caliber, the RS66LD set is 48-63-82-102, and I "discovered" it because I've always felt that the Roto G string was harder to play than other brands.
in the Sheehan set the "43" is actually a 45, but compared to the standard set, is smaller.
the Jazz 77 sets of flatwound in 45-65-85-105 gauges actually is a 50-70-85-105
a friend of mine measured the 50-110 set of flats (and so the SH77), and he remember the G being a 55 and not a 50. that's the game Rotosound plays
so you didn't notice the change because there wasn't a change
the only difference is the labeling, but the actual gauge is still the same, with a bigger G, and the strings are better balanced then "standard" 45-105 sets.I started a topic years ago about this: the RS66LD set still has the same gauge as it was during the 60's/70's, but they just started using the labeling "45-65-80-105" on the packaging, probably because it became a "standard" with Ernie Ball and other (in fact, "vintage" sets usually have odd gauges, like La Bella, Pyramid ecc).
measuring with a caliber, the RS66LD set is 48-63-82-102, and I "discovered" it because I've always felt that the Roto G string was harder to play than other brands.
in the Sheehan set the "43" is actually a 45, but compared to the standard set, is smaller.
the Jazz 77 sets of flatwound in 45-65-85-105 gauges actually is a 50-70-85-105
that's the game Rotosound plays
so you didn't notice the change because there wasn't a change
Have you ever measured the 40-95 set by any chance? I always feel like the 40 G is tighter and larger than most other brands.
hi! unfortunately not, but I can tell you that the 30-90 set and the 35 on a 6-string standard set are "precise". however, Rotosound has tight strings overall.
FE: I switched from a set of Ernie Ball 45-105 to the Rotosound BS66, and I had to lower the D and G strings. even if the outer gauge is slightly lower, Rotos are a bit stiffer probably due to a bigger core.
the A didn't need to be changed in saddle height, and the E needed lowering, but this last case it's also related to the fact that the BS66 set has a .110 E string.
And Rotosound has changed the winding formula in their Swingbass. I was using Swingbass stainless for a show in Branson in custom gauges 45-60-80-105 on my fanned fret custom P-style bass. Every other E string was dead, and the ones that weren't dead died quickly. I complained to the Rotosound rep. He sent me several 105 E strings with a different winding formula. They did last longer. This was in @2005.
as far as I know, they had a "bad batch" period, in which even Billy Sheehan dismissed his endorsement for a while.
I remember that, when they first changed the package from the "Lion" to the "bass player siluette", I had a bunch of sets with problems, and stopped using them.
then I retried them when they switched to the foil package and coloured ball-ends, and I'm still using them as my main strings (in the BS66 set).
in the last 4 years I probably bought more than 20 sets, and never had a bad string.
I remember that, when they first changed the package from the "Lion" to the "bass player siluette", I had a bunch of sets with problems, and stopped using them.
then I retried them when they switched to the foil package and coloured ball-ends, and I'm still using them as my main strings (in the BS66 set).
in the last 4 years I probably bought more than 20 sets, and never had a bad string.
There were indeed problems with dead Roto strings, but these were solved when they changed their packaging from paper envelopes in a paper box to todays sealed plastic. IMO, the problems were due to corrosion of the cores (they are made of carbon steel, not SS). The humidity in England is quite high year around, so storing these strings unprotected didn't do them well. Some time around 2010 they changed to sealed plastic and even include a small bag of silica gel desiccant. Looks like people at Rotosound recognized the problem and addressed it properly. Since then, I've used several dozens sets and never had a dead string. Other people have similar experience. It looks like, nowadays, Rotosound don't have higher DOA string rate than any other manufacturer.
Yesterday I was reading something on the GHS website, and @Jon Moody was talking about GHS still using separated envelopes for each string, and he mentioned a period of time during which their (and most brand's) envelope supplier started using paper not recommended for strings, due to rusting and pre-ageing problems.
probably it was the case with Rotosound and others, while GHS developed a personal envelope (and still separate strings in the foil package).
being a long time user and lover of GHS Boomers (on certain instruments they are the best match), I can say that I've never ever had a bad string with them.
I've had bad strings with D'Addario, Ernie Ball, that Rotosound period, and not to mention DR, for me the highest rate of dead or faulty strings (and I know how to cut them), three out of three faulty Dunlop Super Bright...
probably it was the case with Rotosound and others, while GHS developed a personal envelope (and still separate strings in the foil package).
being a long time user and lover of GHS Boomers (on certain instruments they are the best match), I can say that I've never ever had a bad string with them.
I've had bad strings with D'Addario, Ernie Ball, that Rotosound period, and not to mention DR, for me the highest rate of dead or faulty strings (and I know how to cut them), three out of three faulty Dunlop Super Bright...
