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Do Stainless rotosounds stay sticky?

C

cigi

Aug 22, 2006
538
16
#1
So here's the deal.

I'm playing d'addario roundwound nickels, medium gauge for about 8 years now. After reading on tb about other brand of strings and buying a second hand bass with different strings that felt and sounded totally different, I started experimenting with strings.

Yesterday I bought a set of rotosound swingbass 66 standard gauge string, because they are classics and I read a lot of good things bout them. Yesterday-evening I put them on my bass. I like the sound of them. They are rather dark and bassy for stainless steel strings.

The problem I have with them is the stickyness. I've read a few threads that stainless steels are sticky. Does this stickyness stay? And it seems to get worse when your hands get sweetier...
 
#2
I hate sticky strings. I posted about that a couple of weeks ago and, while I was talking about sticky strings as in feeling like they had adhesive on them, the other folks responding to the thread seemed to be talking about strings that weren't as smooth.

I had heard from a guy that round core strings sometimes used adhesive to hold the wind and that hex core strings didn't need that. I asked about that on here and one guy said that that was nonsense. I bought a set of Ernie Ball's to try (hex core) and they were sticky, too.

I guess it's not important to know why they're sticky, I just want to find a good string that isn't or else find out how to get rid of it on the strings I already have.
 
#4
Stingray_EB said:
Long story short. If you dont like sticky or abbrasive strings. Use Nickel.
Click to expand...

Respectfully of course, I disagree. If you think they sound best, stick it out.
I started using Swing Bass 66 strings about 9 years ago. At first they felt a little rough, but my hands got used to it. I had tried a ton of strings and the rotosounds sounded much better so I stuck with them and I'm happy I did. They are a huge part of my sound.
 
#5
What's strange is that when I received my Douglas six-string back in the summer, I almost immediately put a set of D'Addario ProSteel Stainless on it, and I really didn't get the sticky, abbrasive feel from them. I've since changed to nickel wound, but I never had the "stickiness". Then I'm at GC with my buddy up in Raleigh (killing time for the parking lot to open at Walnut Creek for the Phil Lesh/Allman Brothers show) and pick up a set of Rotosound Swingbass 66's... threw them on my SX P-bass the next day, and I'm telling you, those are officially the most sticky-feeling strings I've ever played. I'm definitely going back to nickel...
 
#6
IME, stainless strings don't so much feel sticky as they feel abrasive. I suppose the harsher feel could slow down your hand causing some kind of sticky sensation, but it never really struck me to describe it that way. Rotosounds are generally considered one of the roughest/most abrasive of the SS strings out there, though they're also generally considered the only ones that give that particular tone. I like that sound, but I'm not a huge fan of how quickly they die or how they feel... I've found DR Lo-Riders to be a good compromise... easier on the hands, last a bit longer, similar (but not quite the same) tone.

A lot of people on here like LaBella Hard Rockin Steels too, though I can't say precisely how they compare.

EDIT: i should mention that Lo-riders are still rougher than most nickel strings, and they will give you some mean calluses, they're just a bit easier on the fingers than rotos.
 
#7
I don't know if the "stickyness" went away or I just got used to it, but after using Rotosound lights on my fiver for a month, I don't notice the sensation anymore.
 
#9
I have been a long time D'Addario nickel fan. I tried Rotosound SwingBass 66's once and the "stickyness" never went away. I did like the tone, though. I still use D'Addario nickels on my P-bass (for now), but on my Jazz I'm using Pro Steels. They aren't as "sticky" feeling, but still grab my fingers. I could get used to them, I think. I like them pretty much, but I'm not completely sold on them yet.

You want slick feeling strings? I have Elixir's on the Stingray 5. They're nice and slippery. They sound great too.
 

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