Can Anyone ID These Strings?

[CCtop]

I know it's not much to go on, but it's all I have. They came off a short scale bass. I love the way they sound and feel but the original owner isn't sure what they are.

 

[michael_t]

They could possibly be an older version of Rotosound Swing Bass 66 Stainless Steels.

Do you know how old they might be?

 

[CCtop]

Well, the bass was made is 2017. So it's not that old. He said they MIGHT be GHS Boomers. ?

 

[michael_t]

Well, the bass was made is 2017. So it's not that old. He said they MIGHT be GHS Boomers. ?

Short scale Boomers would have gold silk, not red.

Can you measure one of those strings from the ball end to where the silk starts at the tuner end to make sure they're in fact "short scale" strings?

 

[CCtop]

Short scale Boomers would have gold silk, not red.

Can you measure one of those strings from the ball end to where the silk starts at the tuner end to make sure they're in fact "short scale" strings?

I'm pretty sure they are, as the threading ended about an half an inch above the nut.

 

[michael_t]

I'm pretty sure they are, as the threading ended about an half an inch above the nut.

Then no cigar on the Boomers.

 

[iiipopes]

Look very carefully at the silks. They "stairstep" instead of taper. That is a Rotosound characteristic. When I played Rotosound in the mid-2000's, every one of the strings had this stairstep characteristic to the silk. I remember noticing it because it was not evenly tapered like other strings.

 

[CCtop]

At this point, i'd also guess rotosound. But i don't hear good things about short scale RS flats...

 

[iiipopes]

At this point, i'd also guess rotosound. But i don't hear good things about short scale RS flats...

Very few people play them over here on the left side of the pond. You need to check with basschat.co.uk and shortscalebass.co.uk to find out more information and reviews about them.

 

[HaphAsSard]

At this point, i'd also guess rotosound. But i don't hear good things about short scale RS flats...

I may be responsible for most of the "hate" on them here. As I pointed out on those posts, I only have experience with two single 090 low E strings (from the Jazz Bass RS77S set) that I bought from StringsDirect.co.uk some (eight?) years ago; also noted ibid., each of said strings was markedly different from everything I know about long-scale Rotosound flatwounds: not (relatively speaking) "rough" to the touch but instead glassy smooth,* and not initially bright but actually pretty tubby sounding from the get-go.
[The most significant flaw was having an exaggerated jump in pitch on all but the softest plucking, which I attributed to being very low-tension but high-stiffness at the same time.]

* To be clear, those E strings I tried looked nothing like your picture. However, I have no idea if they've always made them like mine, or instead specced them differently in different years. Finally, mine had light blue silks, not red (long-scale Roto flats do have them red).