Okay here is something I can't understand. Rob Trujillo used to use Dean Markley strings and just mid to late last year got a deal with Dunlop. He has signature sets of steel strings that are supposed to be what he uses. But all the videos on youtube I have seen of him playing live and in practice rooms in 2009 he is always using nickel strings instead of his signature steels. So whats up with that anyway?
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Rob Trujillo and his deal with Dunlop.
- Thread starter metallibass95
- Start date
bongomania
Commercial User
"Signature" products are just a money deal. Very few artists even use their sig gear at all, and the ones that do, don't use it all the time.
Kinda dumb you'd put youre name on something you don't use, but money is money i guess
Yeah both of what you guys said really makes sense. It seems though if he is being endorsed by a certain brand though that he would be forced to not use anything else. Kinda wierd. Plus I don't think steel strings are Rob's style anyway. Hes always a bright twangy nickel string guy, lol.
This reminds me of the NAMM show in Austin 2-3 years ago. Jimmy Vaughn was doing one of the showcases. I was at a local music store the day before his gig and low and behold there he was. He was trying out replacement pickups for his guitar for the show the next day. That guitar, was the $3000 Fender hollow body Jimmy Vaughn signiture that was unveiled that year. Even he didnt like the pickups in his own over-priced guitar to play it live. I think he had to play that guitar though since it was part of the endorsement. 
Good point. A far as I can tell at least Ibanez players are happy with their sigs. As Ive never seen them live without them.
Just a thought, but could you be mistaken again (like you were with Geddy and Cliff), and they are actually steels? I'm pretty sure he would get in trouble for not using the Dunlop steels. This would also make sense why the guy mentioned above had to use his signature guitar but put new pickups in it, rather than using a different guitar.
alexclaber
Commercial User
You can tell nickel strings from SS in a youtube video? wow.
Or do they have different colour wraps or something?
Or do they have different colour wraps or something?
Naw this one I was sorta right on. On the fender he uses he actually does use nickel strings. On the recording of Death Magnetic he actually did use steel strings on the fernandes and other 5 strings he may have recorded with. Playing live on his 5 strings I honestly wouldn't know. BUt they are nickels on the fender, I still kinda thought it was funny though that all his basses didn't have his signature strings, but he could be going for a particular sound on that fender that he would need certain strings for, I dun really know.
They have VERY different appearances. They can look similar in certain lightings as I have found out. Alot of people have told me a good rule of thumb is to look at the string color and compare them to the frets on the bass. Usually nickel strings are lighter than the frets and steels are darker. That may not always work but I don't know. Nickels are very bright when you look at them.
in this video at the beginning when Rob has the Fender, it is easy to tell that they are nickel. When he gets the other bass I honestly would'nt be able to tell you.
wait my bad, that may only apply to Rotosound steels. Cause I know Rotosound steels are really really dark and I can usually tell them EASY from nickel strings. But i'm really not sure about other steel strings. Are all steel strings dark like Rotosounds?
bongomania
Commercial User
ok nvm then, I guess you gotta sit down and actually feel the strings, even though the ones on Rob's Fender do have sort of an ErnieBall nickel twang to it and the videos of Rob recording Death Magnetic were bright and sorta punchy kinda like steels i've heard before. But then again who knows.
