Entwistle/Redding sound

[NecroticImbecil]

The Optima strings are a *lot* cheaper on eBay

This is true. I've gotten them from an Ebay storefront for much, much less than the Juststrings prices, and found more choice of gauges. They last a long, long time even though they cost more than most strings. Not as bright and zingy as new stainless steels rounds, but they don't lose their high end as fast.

I'd just start with the cheapest stainless rounds I could find though. By all menas buy the fretless, they are fun and you can do lots of things you can't on a fretted. The one thing you can't do with a fretless is sound like Entwistle. For that you need roundwounds bouncing off of frets. A tube amp turned up way too loud helps too. He didn't always use one, but then again he didn't always sound great either.

 

[Ric5]

For a good classic Rock sound try the Tech21 VT bass pedal.

 

[Eight_Stringer]

I'm sorry if I have upset you, I didn't mean to.

However you do seem to be reaching unrivalled arrogance to say everyone here and all the material they have read is wrong. And you are right because you remember it a certain way. The point remains that other than you remembering it a certain way you don't have any other info to prove it your way, but there is plenty to prove it the other.

A guy above even emailed Rotosound, I do honestly think they would know, and have little to gain from lying.

Again sorry if that sounded arsey

FWIW, have here my original bought in 1976 packets of removed RS66 Swing Bass 105,080,065,045 strings and still have same era strings on my P bass and Rick 4001 to this day ( spend my money on basses not strings...).

Stainless steel has many variants, Martenstitic and Austenitic. From completley non magnetic to weakly magnetic attraction. Lost on me how a pure Stainless steel string can work in a disturbed magnetic field PUP's like we have in our basses. Other than eddy current induced magnetic field in the SS component. Tested the 1976 strings here and the outer core seems as magnetic as the inner core. Not weakly magnetic attraction at all. This makes sense to me for PUP output signal will be proportional to disturbed magnetic field from strongly magnetic material not almost diamagnetic SS would produce little signal output comapred to the Steel ( might be nickel steel as KPAX indicates, i do not know for certain ).

So KPAX has merit in his assertions given that i have strings of the era here on hand to test. No 1960's strings here to test.

EDIT: Never has KPAX asserted the Rotosound RS66 longscale Swing Bass strings from the 1970's to be nickel plated or pure nickel metal. He states Nickel steel ( alloy of iron ) just like the soft frets on my 1975 Fender P Bass which the RS66 swing bass chew out ie steel/nickel alloy as i understand. It and the Rick 4001 are the only basses i own being effected by the RS66's to a noticable degree of hollowed out frets. Perhaps to be correct in this discussion, we need to define "Stainless Steel" as the variaty is vast as to SS alloys.

Hope that helps, John ( Played Bass since 1975 )

 

[PBass101]

FWIW, have here my original bought in 1976 packets of removed RS66 Swing Bass 105,080,065,045 strings and still have same era strings on my P bass and Rick 4001 to this day ( spend my money on basses not strings...).

Stainless steel has many variants, Martenstitic and Austenitic. From completley non magnetic to weakly magnetic attraction. Lost on me how a pure Stainless steel string can work in a disturbed magnetic field PUP's like we have in our basses. Other than eddy current induced magnetic field in the SS component. Tested the 1976 strings here and the outer core seems as magnetic as the inner core. Not weakly magnetic attraction at all. This makes sense to me for PUP output signal will be proportional to disturbed magnetic field from strongly magnetic material not almost diamagnetic SS would produce little signal output comapred to the Steel ( might be nickel steel as KPAX indicates, i do not know for certain ).

So KPAX has merit in his assertions given that i have strings of the era here on hand to test. No 1960's strings here to test.

EDIT: Never has KPAX asserted the Rotosound RS66 longscale Swing Bass strings from the 1970's to be nickel plated or pure nickel metal. He states Nickel steel ( alloy of iron ) just like the soft frets on my 1975 Fender P Bass which the RS66 swing bass chew out ie steel/nickel alloy as i understand. It and the Rick 4001 are the only basses i own being effected by the RS66's to a noticable degree of hollowed out frets. Perhaps to be correct in this discussion, we need to define "Stainless Steel" as the variaty is vast as to SS alloys.

Hope that helps, John ( Played Bass since 1975 )

tl;dr

 

[One Drop]

My Rick, bought in '79, has the original Rotos on that I bought at the shop in Montreal with my bass. They have an exposed core over the saddles, and sound as piano-like and jangly as the new sets I buy, and no corrosion over 30 years. I distinctly remember the orange pack they came in with the lion.

I'm not saying they are the identical alloy to today's, but they are close enough to be considered what we call an SS string these days. They don't look or sound like nickel rounds that I know of.

I am on vacation, but when I'm back next week I'll take some pix.

 

[RAM]

Just adding to what is already posted.
Too Bad those Gold Maxima's are gone. They were pretty cool!
http://www.thewho.net/whotabs/equipment/bass/equip-entwistlegear-misc.html

I used them for a while and they were pretty cool, though ridiculously expensive. Good thing they had a long life.

Entwistle switched back to Rotos before he died and even sat in on some endorsement photos for Rotosound that weren't released until after his demise.

 

[Eight_Stringer]

I used them for a while and they were pretty cool, though ridiculously expensive. Good thing they had a long life.

Entwistle switched back to Rotos before he died and even sat in on some endorsement photos for Rotosound that weren't released until after his demise.

So we can expect to never leave the adoring charms of Roto's...

Are there any gold bass strings out there of worth?

BTW are you sure PI is as stated, lets see 0.105 times 3.141592=0.32986" circumference of an E string...feels about right to hand and finger...regards

 

[RAM]

So we can expect to never leave the adoring charms of Roto's...

Are there any gold bass strings out there of worth?

BTW are you sure PI is as stated, lets see 0.105 times 3.141592=0.32986" circumference of an E string...feels about right to hand and finger...regards

Pi as stated? I had to truncate it due to the limitations of the signature allowances here on TB.

Gold strings worth what? I think for really bright basses they're somewhat mellowing without sounding muffled. I'd still use them if they weren't so expensive and more readily available.

 

[Luckydog]

They're both steel. Stainless steel and nickel steel. We're talking about alloys. Do you know what an alloy is? And the two types of steel are visibly different. If you don't know this there's no point in my trying to explain it.
The same goes for the sound. "Harsh" roundwound tone is meaningless unless compared to something else. When I say the RS66LD sound harsher and brittle, I'm saying compared to the old Rotos and the RN66LD (nickel steel).
The same goes for string longevity. No strings last forever but stainless steel strings keep their brightness longer than nickel steel. If you don't know or believe this then there's nothing more to say.
Hey man, believe what you want.

ancient thread, but one that will come up when ppl do searches. In order to help those who come across this thread, I am unapologetically calling BS to your statements. You have been provided legitimate reasons why your statements are false, yet you cling to your words like a kid caught doing something wrong but jabberjawing to try make everyone else believe you were absolutely correct.
Its no wonder you disappeared from this thread.

Public service message: If you are reading this ancient thread, kpax’s words are insupportable.