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In the market for new stainless strings

djbass28

djbass28

Guest
Apr 15, 2014
91
26
#1
I have been using D'addario prosteels for their bright sound for about a year.
I am now ready to buy new strings and was curious about Rotosound Swing Bass (stainless steel) strings.
Could anyone give me a comparison between the two, or possibly any other suggestions for bright sounding strings? Thanks!
 
#2
No experience with Roto strings but i hear they are pretty rough on frets and fingers but otherwise sound great. My favorite steels are DR Hi-Beams because they feel really nice and have great longevity for me. Strings tend to be a very personal thing. I used to use Blue Steels but they always seemed to die so quickly. It's been 10 years since I've used them so it could have just been crazy teenager sweat that killed them ;)
 
#5
While I do like the sound of Rotosounds, I'm not a fan of their quality control. Nearly every set out of well over 20 sets I've bought over the years have had at least one dead string out of the package. I will say, however, that their customer service is top notch. They've always been quick to replace either the single string or the entire set.
 
#6
Dominic D said:
While I do like the sound of Rotosounds, I'm not a fan of their quality control. Nearly every set out of well over 20 sets I've bought over the years have had at least one dead string out of the package. I will say, however, that their customer service is top notch. They've always been quick to replace either the single string or the entire set.
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This. Although I never knew about the support aspect. Could have saved me hundreds. Anyway, I like Pro-Steels better than Rotos. It isn't a landslide though they are similar enough. Hate the living crap out of DR Hi-Beams. Ask an engineer why. They will tell you. Lately I have been digging the old Labella Hard rocking steels. But each set lately has been new brand. I use classic .45-.105 gauge stainless always but the brands change.
 
#11
catgut said:
This. Although I never knew about the support aspect. Could have saved me hundreds. Anyway, I like Pro-Steels better than Rotos. It isn't a landslide though they are similar enough. Hate the living crap out of DR Hi-Beams. Ask an engineer why. They will tell you. Lately I have been digging the old Labella Hard rocking steels. But each set lately has been new brand. I use classic .45-.105 gauge stainless always but the brands change.
Click to expand...
Do you hate hibeams or are you mandating that everyone ought to? I don't know any engineers personally. What did one tell you about why you hate hibeams?
 
#12
djbass28 said:
I have been using D'addario prosteels for their bright sound for about a year.
I am now ready to buy new strings and was curious about Rotosound Swing Bass (stainless steel) strings.
Could anyone give me a comparison between the two, or possibly any other suggestions for bright sounding strings? Thanks!
Click to expand...

I used Lo-Riders for years and wasn't getting clarity on the E string at all.

I had an old set of SS Rotos laying around, so I switched out the E srring. Bam, there was that pianolike clarity.
I tried the Prosteels and was really impressed, and for fun I just put on a set of the Nickel Roto 66's.

I wasn't expecting much, because the Prosteels say "piano tone" all over the package. Boy was I surprised. These have way more biting mids than I though a nickel string was capable of, and feel a lot like my old Sunbeams.

The Prosteels are aggressive as well, but have a bit more high and less of the very high mids these Rotos have.

I have soundclips of both.
 
#16
I was told by a couple engineers not to use them on recordings due to the set to set consistency of the Hi-Beams. I used them for over 10 years until a studio experience where the intonation was so off that we had to re-record most of the lines. Now the tuning was fine and the bass was fine up until that point (even the 1 set day prior) and was set up recently with DR Hi Beams as they were my preferred string. I asked another luthier when I took my bass in for the next set up what could have been the issue previously and why I was back, can he help my bass. what is wrong, yada yada. He asked a bunch of questions then string brand and he shook his head and said that was it. Quite a few people had taken their stuff in to him over the years and had similar stories regarding the intonation set to set. So that was it for me. This guy is a very well known chap with very famous clients. It was not a tip from Johnny's dad in the garage. Whether or not this was a fluke or what. I have since not bought a set. They cost a little more and there are plenty of other high quality manufacturers that were also easier to find on tour. DR's at the time were not in any generic music store USA. This could just be my story but it had apparently affected others and honestly with people and their brand identities, I usually don't share this because, y'know, you know best and I am a liar who hates your brand. But that is not the case. I am just hoping my small but expensive ordeal helps someone else.
 
#17
I went from Roto Swing 66s to Deak Markley Blue Steels, and recently picked up a set of nickels to try, which are on my TBird right now. The standard Blue Steels are on my Sterling. I like them both, but there's a little more bass out of the nickels and the top end is a wee bit less shimery, although they seem to be equally bright.

I haven't used most of the other strings mentioned in this thread. That's where guitar players have an advantage: its a lot easier to try everything when it's $5-$10 versus $25-$50.
 
#19
I'd say learn to do your own setup (you dont need a "luthier", its not hard), which includes intonation, and find out for yourself if the strings are bad, or what else is going on. If you recorded a bunch of tunes, then later were told you needed to re-record most of the lines and that the strings inability to properly intonate were the problem, I'd suggest finding another "engineer".
 
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#20
Luckydog said:
I'd say learn to do your own setup (you dont need a "luthier", its not hard), which includes intonation, and find out for yourself if the strings are bad, or what else is going on. If you recorded a bunch of tunes, then later were told you needed to re-record most of the lines and that the strings inability to properly intonate were the problem, I'd suggest finding another "engineer".
Click to expand...
I think you missed some context Lucky or I did a bad job explaining it.
I'm not going to attempt 'setting up' my bass after every set of strings in the studio. Do you do a full intonation check after every set of the same strings that were set up on it initially? Time was a factor. I didn't have some fat advance I could wade through slowly. This was probably my 3rd set already. Others were fine and it was so super subtle it was not noticed until mixing and even then it was like "What the hell is that?". After lots of air travel my neck gets messy and I don't want to screw up my truss rod and I have people I trust so I just have regular health checks on it which include the set up. And the engineer never mentioned the strings as the culprit only that it sounded like ass and I felt bummed cuz I thought it was laid down nice. Months later the story was told to the 'luthier' and the strings were pointed to as a possible culprit because it has happened to others who passed through. I asked what I should use and was just told any large factory hex core. D'addario or Dean Markley, doesn't matter just not DR's.
Only correcting as it might seem like you were discounting my experience due to inexperience.
 

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