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[thrashingbass]

Love Rotosound-hard to explain, and perhaps a bit of psychoacoustics, but I find the feel of the BS66 and SM77, as well as even the short scale RS88S to work well for me.

BS66 is my favorite roundwound-I like other strings, but these are my favorite for the long-lasting mids-presence and awesome tone. Not too bright, just very present at first. Obviously perfect for Hipshot Xtenders. Great, classic sounding roundwound, and perfect in feel for my playstyle.

For the monel flatwound strings (RS77), I have used these years ago in their Steve Harris version (so, very heavy and tight), but now am enjoying them on my Vintera P bass at their lightest tension, which due to their construction and unique feel, are more akin to "medium" gauged strings. Yes some claim they sound worse than medium and higher, but the tone is beautiful and even, and not too different than the old Steve Harris (or normal high tension Roto77) set. I can set them to low action, and they still remain stiff enough to have a nice feel/rebound for fingerstyle playing-so at least in my opinion, the SM77 are a win for me.

I have never used the long scale roto tapes-only the RS88S for my shortie flying V bass, but they do sound awesome, and I love the "clacking" (really, that works for me on purpose.) The current construction is different, with way thinner yellow silks at the ball ends, so now they can work well with any old bridge. Past construction was more spotty, and I did have problems with the old Es not able to intonate well. IME, they revised the RS88S set (and probably the other RS88 options as well), modernizing them a bit, and with better QC-apparently as my last RS88S set was *perfect*, and intonated normally, despite they being short scale strings.

I did have problems with Swing Bass and the monel flatwounds for short scale, and despite my LOVE for the above strings, it is hard for me to recommend them. They are just not made as well as their larger, long scale brethren-IME. The gauges are IMHO too small, and I had recent problems (i.e. even after the new packaging revision) with dead strings on a new short scale Swing Bass set a few months back. The shortie 77s also have issues due to the smaller gauge and likely different manufacturing, as even the E feels and *looks* quite different than even the light tension, long scale version. I know some of you love them-and perhaps I was just unlucky, but *I* fear the shortie 66 & 77 are not made to the same standards as their longer scale counterparts (though as aforementioned, no bad experiences with the Roto short scale tapewounds, for whatever reason-seem better than ever now.)

(As a side note, my flatwound of choice for my flatwounds short scale bass became the Ernie Ball Group I, thick stainless steel flatwounds! Not the same as RS77, but an awesome tone and feel of its own. Great quality and tone.)

 

[Petethebassman]

Rotosound is not my first choice, but I do have one P-Bass with Swing Bass stainless steel strings on it, got to have that sound available when a song calls for it.

 

[Bass Ameg]

I like RS Swing 66 stainless steels, but the E string dies pretty quickly.

 

[SteveLo42]

Ive ordered my first set of Swing 66 strings. Purely because I read that Chris Squire used them. They should arrive in a few days and I look forward to getting them set up and playing them.

Edit: also my first set of RS strings

 

[SteveLo42]

First band practice and proper go with the Swing 66 strings. I was under the impression these would be brighter that than the Di'Adario nickel strings I've been using. However, I found them to be a bit darker, more bass-y. I will probably revert to the Di'Adario strings, as they worked great for me.

 

[trothwell]

First band practice and proper go with the Swing 66 strings. I was under the impression these would be brighter that than the Di'Adario nickel strings I've been using. However, I found them to be a bit darker, more bass-y. I will probably revert to the Di'Adario strings, as they worked great for me.

Was this the Swing 66 stainless steel or nickel?

 

[Lo-E]

When I started playing in 1985 I used Boomers for a while but then switched to Roto 66 because a lot of my bass heroes used them. I liked (and still like) the way they sound but the rough feel and high tension led me to defect after a few years to Dean Markley and, later, to an assortment of nickel rounds that I’ve used since. I also never found Rotos to last very long.

 

[SteveLo42]

Was this the Swing 66 stainless steel or nickel?

Previously Di'Adario nickel but not Swing 66 steel

 

[MrAB4003]

Ive ordered my first set of Swing 66 strings. Purely because I read that Chris Squire used them. They should arrive in a few days and I look forward to getting them set up and playing them.

Edit: also my first set of RS strings

First band practice and proper go with the Swing 66 strings. I was under the impression these would be brighter that than the Di'Adario nickel strings I've been using. However, I found them to be a bit darker, more bass-y. I will probably revert to the Di'Adario strings, as they worked great for me.

I bought my first set of 66s in 2012 and it took me 12 years to figure what you did in under 12 days!

I started my bass journey with 66s because that's what my teenage bass heroes played. Maturity and experience helped me realize that I needed to do me. That meant switching all my basses from Rotosound to D'Addario strings. I've been very happy since making the switch.

Honorable mention goes to La Bella for their tapewounds. I experimented with the white, gold, and black tapes last year. They're great for standard tuning, but nothing lower than that. I would get the regular white tapes if they made a set for D Standard.

 

[retslock]

This one's for fans of Rotosounds - or not if it's valid and worth adding!

What Rotosound strings have you tried and compared, and what do you prefer and why?

Used a few different strings throughout my bassplaying. Started with Roto Swing 66's and went through many. Last few years started trying other brands but recently got a bass out I had in storage to compare to my main bass and was finding I liked the the strings the previous owner had put on a lot. Red silks but to be sure I checked the ball ends to find they were certainly none other than rotos : but in a very light gauge. I think they might be funkmasters...

So this made me decide to go back to Rotos as the Ernie Ball half-flats I had on my main bass weren't quite working there anyway. So I took them off and put them on my P bass and replaced them with some lighter gauge Rotos - ended up intrigued by the Solo 55 hybrids. The solos sound great, my new favourite, and luckily enough the Ernie balls came to life on my p bass, so win/win!
As I wanted something between the half-flats and swing bass 66's the solo hybrids hit the nail on the head. Smooth feel and bright tone. And lovely green silks!
I get why people love or hate swing 66's, and I probably wouldn't get them again but the solo 55's are the answer to what I was sick off with the 66's.

Also awhile back I repaired a bass for a friend and got some cheaper new strings for it to return it to him set up. Roto heavy gauge nickels were about £15 so I went with them and remember not being a fan. But now I can't remember how much it was the tone or the heavy gauge I was put off by.

Also have some Roto trubass nylons on the way for my new fretless acoustic as they were £20 cheaper than d'addarios and market themself as having a double bass sound which is what I was after. So will be seeing how they are soon too.

So anyone else who has tried different Rotosound strings please share your thoughts and experiences.
And tell me what brand to explore options of next whose ranges you liked. Think D'addarios or Ernie Balls will be next.

Recently I tried a 5 string set of flat 77s - I prefer stiffer strings - and they sound great. They have a more treble 'stringy' character than other flats and more friction from their rougher texture but it's the best sounding B string among the fivers that I have.

 

[johnh89]

I have just put a set of 77s back on my BEAD yamaha BB734 . Oh yes a thing of beauty ! Can't imagine why I ever took them off .

 

[MrAB4003]

I've played Rotosound strings primarily for over 10 years, but I find myself switching away from them. Here's a short summary of my experience with the strings I've tried:

66 Swing Bass - I started playing these in my teens because that's what my heroes played. I played the stainless steel and nickel versions of this set and they both are some of the roughest strings I've ever played. They made my fingers bleed on multiple occasions! The tone is bright, hard hitting, and clanky as you would expect from 66s. But it's not worth my fingers bleeding.

55 Solo Bass - I switched from the 66s to these strings in 2021 because I wanted to retain the brightness of the 66s with less wear on my fingers. They certainly have a similar tone, but it's more refined than that of the 66s. However, these strings are very expensive and hard to find in local music stores. They're also a sore spot in Rotosound's QC. I recently ordered a set of 55s in 45-105 gauge. When I put them on my bass, everything was OK except that my action was really high to compensate for looser tension. I brought my bass for setup and my guitar tech told me that the E string was 100 gauge! Now I have this bass in D Standard and 40-100 gauge strings are too loose for that tuning. So I returned that set today and put a set of D'Addarios in the correct gauge (50-105) on that bass.

77 Jazz Bass - I've had these on my Jazz Bass in the past because I wanted to try something different. The 77s are very nice strings to the touch. But they sounded dull after 7 years of use. Usually, you can leave flats on your bass forever and they will age like a fine wine. Not the 77s! They didn't age very well. Plus, they were way too tense for me. I was able to retain a good amount of tension tuning down to C Standard! Plus, they were very expensive. At least I only had to buy one set.

88 Tru Bass - I had these on an acoustic bass and then took them off. They were WAY too tubby for my liking. There was no definition to my tone, just a large vat of mud! No thank you! Just as expensive as the 55s and 77s.

In essence, I'm switching to D'Addario as well. Thank goodness for my guitar tech putting D'Addario nickels on my bass today! I also like the D'Addario piccolo bass strings, which I've been using for over a year now.

Update about the 77s - I put a set of them on my P Bass last spring to give them a second chance. Sometimes, a fresh perspective is what's needed. The 77s are great strings when they're fresh and after a few months of use. I can NAIL the Steve Harris tone, which is awesome as a fan of his! I have also since switched to D Standard tuning and the 77s feel very nice there - not too loose and not too taut. They are too taut for standard tuning and they can hold their own in C Standard. When I initially tested the 77s in D Standard a few years ago, I didn't really know that much about string tension.

If I had to recommend one set of strings from Rotosounds, it would be the 77s. My negative opinions on the other sets that I've tried remain.

I still play D'Addario for rounds (NYXLs) and flats (Chromes) as my main strings. But I'm glad I gave the Rotosound 77s a second chance.

 

[etherealme]

I really don't understand why Rotosound doesn't make a set of RS666EL. They only appear to make 66 swing bass stainless steel either in a 6 string set only for 34" long scale or a 5 string set in extra long which has a 39" winding clearance.

I am wondering now if I buy both sets would the high "C" clear the 36" scale bass winding length ball end to silk. Or can Rotosound be contacted to provide the .35 high C to match that RS665EL set?

 

[trothwell]

I really don't understand why Rotosound doesn't make a set of RS666EL. They only appear to make 66 swing bass stainless steel either in a 6 string set only for 34" long scale or a 5 string set in extra long which has a 39" winding clearance.

I am wondering now if I buy both sets would the high "C" clear the 36" scale bass winding length ball end to silk. Or can Rotosound be contacted to provide the .35 high C to match that RS665EL set?

It looks like they make the string in question:

Swing Bass 66 Single String .035 Extra Long Scale

35

www.rotosound.com

So maybe just a matter of acquiring it? Through FretNation.com perhaps?

 

[etherealme]

It looks like they make the string in question:

Swing Bass 66 Single String .035 Extra Long Scale

35

www.rotosound.com

So maybe just a matter of acquiring it? Through FretNation.com perhaps?

That's good detectiving, sir but I cannot seem to find that SEL035 available anywhere. It's not on fretnation.

The Ken Smith Stainless Steel Extra Long 6-String 30-125 Extra Long Bass Strings RMML-6X which are an extra long version of the Rock Masters do not have many choices for the C, A & E strings. In other words you cannot get a .035 from them at all nor a .125 coupled with a .85 for the A.
My preference for feel is what the Rotosound would potentially offer which is a .035 .045 .065 .085 .105 and *.130 which I would prefer .125 but I can deal with the .130 better than the .030.

 

[trothwell]

That's good detectiving, sir but I cannot seem to find that SEL035 available anywhere. It's not on fretnation.

True! I should have been more clear. I agree I don't see it listed on their website, but the owner tends to be very good at sourcing such things. He could probably get this string shipped to you if you asked.

 

[etherealme]

True! I should have been more clear. I agree I don't see it listed on their website, but the owner tends to be very good at sourcing such things. He could probably get this string shipped to you if you asked.

Alright. I emailed fretnation..

 

[MrAB4003]

Update about the 77s - I put a set of them on my P Bass last spring to give them a second chance. Sometimes, a fresh perspective is what's needed. The 77s are great strings when they're fresh and after a few months of use. I can NAIL the Steve Harris tone, which is awesome as a fan of his! I have also since switched to D Standard tuning and the 77s feel very nice there - not too loose and not too taut. They are too taut for standard tuning and they can hold their own in C Standard. When I initially tested the 77s in D Standard a few years ago, I didn't really know that much about string tension.

If I had to recommend one set of strings from Rotosounds, it would be the 77s. My negative opinions on the other sets that I've tried remain.

I still play D'Addario for rounds (NYXLs) and flats (Chromes) as my main strings. But I'm glad I gave the Rotosound 77s a second chance.

Update #2 - The 77s died a few weeks after I wrote this post. They lasted for 4 months, which is a terrible value for flats. So I can't recommend them unless you like to change out your flatwounds the way most people do with rounds.

 

[Heavy Blue]

Update #2 - The 77s died a few weeks after I wrote this post. They lasted for 4 months, which is a terrible value for flats. So I can't recommend them unless you like to change out your flatwounds the way most people do with rounds.

Yeah, it makes you wonder how much Harris/IM spend on his strings. Apparently, they're changed for every gig.

Yeah, I know they can afford it lol but still, it must be quite a bit over time. Maybe they get them gratis from Rotosound, Idk.

 

[MrAB4003]

Yeah, it makes you wonder how much Harris/IM spend on his strings. Apparently, they're changed for every gig.

Yeah, I know they can afford it lol but still, it must be quite a bit over time. Maybe they get them gratis from Rotosound, Idk.

I would assume they gave him a lifetime supply for free decades ago. He has been waving the Rotosound flag (alongside the Iron Maiden, United Kingdom, and the West Ham United flags) for decades and has become one of their signature artists. They did that with John Entwistle (RIP) and the 66s in 1966.