Identifying some strings - Mike Watson

[Bortron]

I'm trying to achieve as ABBA-like a tone as I can from my Squier Jazz bass, and as well as new pickups that's probably going to involve some flatwounds, based on the tone on their songs - always very mellow and rounded. They used two bass players - Rutger Gunnarsson and Mike Watson.

Unfortunately Rutger passed away some years ago, and I can't find any specific info on what strings he used. Mike Watson is still with us, and still touring. I can't find any info either, but did find a couple of brief clips of him playing. Can anyone hazard a guess at what strings he might be using? They look like flats with pink or maybe red tapers.

 

[CrimsonGhost]

I'm trying to achieve as ABBA-like a tone as I can from my Squier Jazz bass, and as well as new pickups that's probably going to involve some flatwounds, based on the tone on their songs - always very mellow and rounded. They used two bass players - Rutger Gunnarsson and Mike Watson.

Unfortunately Rutger passed away some years ago, and I can't find any specific info on what strings he used. Mike Watson is still with us, and still touring. I can't find any info either, but did find a couple of brief clips of him playing. Can anyone hazard a guess at what strings he might be using? They look like flats with pink or maybe red tapers.

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Red silks, and location I would put my money on rotosound Flatwounds as I would think they would be more accessable at the time. Not sure what else was readily available there at the time possibly pyramid,optima,tis or labella.

He preferred old, worn-in strings (dead or nearly dead flats). Gunnarsson mentioned in a Bass Player magazine interview (around 2000) that he liked old strings and wasn't picky about amps—he often recorded direct.

Hope this helps!

 

[Bortron]

Red silks, and location I would put my money on rotosound Flatwounds as I would think they would be more accessable at the time. Not sure what else was readily available there at the time possibly pyramid,optima,tis or labella.

He preferred old, worn-in strings (dead or nearly dead flats). Gunnarsson mentioned in a Bass Player magazine interview (around 2000) that he liked old strings and wasn't picky about amps—he often recorded direct.

Hope this helps!

Thanks! It makes sense that he recorded direct, his tone (and Mike's too) sounds very pure and full. Rotosounds would make sense, I doubt he used anything too niche back in the day and probably carried on using the same ones. Mike's been using the same bass since 1970, after all.

I know Carl Magnus Palm has an updated version of his book about their recording sessions coming soon, so that might provide some recording details, although supposedly it didn't go too deeply into bass stuff.

 

[Ricky Rioli]

Good news about Roto flats — they get old fast!

 

[Bortron]

I found a couple of decent images of Mike's Jazz bass on his Facebook page, with a good view of the ball ends of the strings - definitely Rotosounds! And to my eye I think they're flats - can anyone else confirm?