My next set of strings: What do you say?

[soundmeds_bass]

Oh dear Tb-forum,

I have a set of Rotosound Swing 66, and I will probably string my Fender P-bass with them.

Now, I know it's a classic brand, and I kinda bought them because I want to try them out. And I've heard a lot about them. I'm currently using EBS strings FYI (same gauge, also stainless steel roundwound).

Ï now want some honest feedback on these strings.
What do you have to say about them??

 

[the harp unstrung]

Permit me to suggest a set of Dean Markley Blue Steels. I've been playing them forever. They are just what bass playing sounds like to me...

 

[Pier_]

Ï now want some honest feedback on these strings.

they are my favourite stainless steel by far, and if you search in this forum, there's a thread I opened months ago with some samples. the title was something like "Rotosound Swing and Fender - perfect match" or similar.

now, let's talk about them:

they are growly mid-rangey strings after they lose their scooped brand-new sound. they are clanky but full of mids, and they cut through any mix with ease. they are a bit rough on the fingers, but since the last years they are far from the sandpaperish roughness they are known for.

I love their broken-in sound because you can hear the metallic nuances of the stainless steel strings, but they are also full of mids, and with the right amount of bass frequencies to never sound too dark. this sound, to me, lasts for months.

the tension is a bit high, comparing same gauge from other brands, and it helps keeping the action low (however, they are fantastic when smashed on the frets! I like to keep them with the action really low), and they are well balanced string-to-string in both tension and sound.

compared to other stainless, they have more mids, non scooped sound and that vintage vibe many looks for (Entwistle/Squire/John Paul Jones/Paul Simonon, to name a few).

I've tried them in differen gauges, from 50-110 to 30-90, and the first thing you will notice after they break in is that the mids are very powerful. for example, a Funkmaster (30-90) set compared to a 45-105 set of DR Hi Beam has more output and a "bigger" sound, because of that.

You'll like them if you are after this kind of sound. if you are looking for a fancy modern scooped sound for modern slapping (marcus miller style) or something, they are not good.

 

[iiipopes]

You can hear Roto 66 Swingbass in 45-60-80-105 on my custom half-fanned P/J here:

The only reason I don't play them now is that I am enjoying the feel of tape wound strings better. If I had a gig that needed them, I'd have them back on in a minute. At the time the TV show was recorded, I had several gigs, and I've used this set of strings for just about everything but slap: blues, classic rock, country, Sunday morning, etc.

 

[Nephilymbass]

For recording and shows through good PA systems i use DR high beams. To save money any other time i use daddario XLs which are about half the price

 

[Gorn]

Labella hard rockin steels are great.

 

[IconBasser]

they are my favourite stainless steel by far, and if you search in this forum, there's a thread I opened months ago with some samples. the title was something like "Rotosound Swing and Fender - perfect match" or similar.

now, let's talk about them:

they are growly mid-rangey strings after they lose their scooped brand-new sound. they are clanky but full of mids, and they cut through any mix with ease. they are a bit rough on the fingers, but since the last years they are far from the sandpaperish roughness they are known for.

I love their broken-in sound because you can hear the metallic nuances of the stainless steel strings, but they are also full of mids, and with the right amount of bass frequencies to never sound too dark. this sound, to me, lasts for months.

the tension is a bit high, comparing same gauge from other brands, and it helps keeping the action low (however, they are fantastic when smashed on the frets! I like to keep them with the action really low), and they are well balanced string-to-string in both tension and sound.

compared to other stainless, they have more mids, non scooped sound and that vintage vibe many looks for (Entwistle/Squire/John Paul Jones/Paul Simonon, to name a few).

I've tried them in differen gauges, from 50-110 to 30-90, and the first thing you will notice after they break in is that the mids are very powerful. for example, a Funkmaster (30-90) set compared to a 45-105 set of DR Hi Beam has more output and a "bigger" sound, because of that.

You'll like them if you are after this kind of sound. if you are looking for a fancy modern scooped sound for modern slapping (marcus miller style) or something, they are not good.

Regarding the tone characteristics, this is pretty spot on. The one problem that I (and many others on here) have with the Roto's are longetivity. They go dead for me in half the time that other strings do. I'm talking like a week, tops, before they're borderline un-usable. If it weren't for that, I'd use them all the time; their tone and tension are exactly what I look for.

 

[Pier_]

before they're borderline un-usable.

it all depends in what you are looking for in terms of sound. I love the tone of the Rotos after a week or two, for me that's the real tone of those strings. they go really dead after months, when they start loosing intonation and don't vibrate good

 

[IconBasser]

^ I should clarify, my hands are string killers (very sweaty and naturally acidic). I can make strings tarnish after a few hours of playing.

 

[iiipopes]

^ I should clarify, my hands are string killers (very sweaty and naturally acidic). I can make strings tarnish after a few hours of playing.

I understand and agree. Roto 66's, as well as all nickel-plated rounds, used to die prematurely on me as well for the same reason.

I used GHS Progressives to solve that issue.