It looks like they come stock with the D'Adarios so I have a set, I'll get the Hi-beams to try them out , never tried them before
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Roto swing bass strings killin my fingers
- Thread starter mike buzzetti
- Start date
They're more flexible and smoother in surface texture than the Roto Swingbass. I'm sure your fingers will appreciate them.
I did back in the early '80s when I first started. Finally gave up on them about '85.
Im hoping they are brighter also the 805 bass has Bartolini off shore PU's, I added a Darkglass Pre but it could use more CUT THRU tone while slapping .They're more flexible and smoother in surface texture than the Roto Swingbass. I'm sure your fingers will appreciate them.
Roto Swing Bass are all about the aggressive midrange, while the top end wears off fairly quickly. The Hi Beams are brighter with more of the top end snap that lasts longer.
All I can recommend is if you’re liking the tone of your Rotos, keep playing them. I can’t remember which brand of roundwounds that were on my bass when I replaced them with my first set of Rotos. I think they were nickel plated roundwounds, and the Rotosounds definitely felt a bit rougher.
I bought a new set of Rotos in the summer of 2020, and put them on my P-Bass. Up to that point, I’d been playing nothing but GHS Pressurewounds, which have a smoother surface than any of the nickel plated roundwounds than I typically use.
I was expecting the Rotos to tear my fingertips up, but I was surprised when they didn’t. But I didn’t have any gigs or jam sessions going on at the time, and I kind of eased into playing them. I play harder live, so if I’d jumped right into using them, I’d probably had sore fingertips.
You were using Rotos around the same time frame as I did. If you haven’t played a set of them since, I think you’ll find their surface feeling has somehow changed. IMO they’re surface feels more uniform than the did way back then.
I distinctly remember Rotos having a bumpy surface, and they were a dull gray color. I remember people used to say their surface was “unfinished”, or they referred to them as “unfinished roundwounds”.
The set of them I’m using now, are much shinier than the Rotos I was accustomed to, and their outer surface feels more uniform.
Yes, Roto's are not the brightest sounding ss string, I found they have less of that new string zing than some strings but they have a nice grind in the upper mids
Mike,
If you are thinking Hi-Beams, consider Fat Beams. I'd say you get most of the highs from a Hi-Beam but more booty! Super string!
Already ordered the Hi-Beams , never tried them so ?? we will see.
Yes, I had some Roto stainless steel strings and they absolutely tore my fingers up. Sounded GREAT, but man... they were rough! They died pretty quick and lost that great tone... but never really felt smoother to me, lol.
My first bass is a lefty '78 P-Bass with the "A" neck, that I bought from a friend that was stationed with me in the UK in 1988. He had a band that gigged quite a bit, and he loved the Roto 66's. So, that's what it had on it when I bought it. Unfortunately, what it didn't have was much in the way of frets, anymore... Although this was the first bass I owned, I'd been playing them since 1968. And, all the ones I'd ever played wore flats, so you can imagine how much I... disliked... these strings. But, a quick trip to the music store to snag a set of Roto 77LDs, and my fingers were happy... I got it re-fretted when I got back to the States, and it wore those Monel flats for a long time. Wears GHS P-Flats, now... As I recall, the 66's didn't sound bad - for rounds... - but they felt like I was running my fingers up and down a wood rasp. At the time, my job required fingers with a very delicate touch; the 66's were just not makin' it, finger tip-wise. So, all of you that love those things? You can have all the ones I ain't gonna buy - with my best wishes...
- but they felt like I was running my fingers up and down a wood rasp. At the time, my job required fingers with a very delicate touch; the 66's were just not makin' it, finger tip-wise. So, all of you that love those things? You can have all the ones I ain't gonna buy - with my best wishes...
Just put a set of Roto Solo Bass strings on to try out and they are so "sticky" feeling. I hadn't used Rotos in maybe 10+ years and this was always my critique of the flatwound 77s too, even though they were my favorite for the bass that wore them
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I remember those days back in the '80's and early '90's when I, and apparently many others, believe Roto 66s were all the sh*t and the automatic standard for punk rock... or post punk... or whatever people want to call it.
I'll always love this sell out Roto jingle tough. My favorite period of The Who.
I'll always love this sell out Roto jingle tough. My favorite period of The Who.
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And speaking of hard on the fingers... I long ago hardened my soft young fingertips with seemingly permanent calluses by learning to play bass using stainless Rotos. I think that was the right of passage of young bass players in the '80s.
I love them. I like to play with a fairly heavy pluck and they have jus the right texture to respond to my RH technique (I’m right handed). The flexibility of the string is great too. They really connect with my hands well, and growl just right in the magnetic fields of my pickups.
I feel like the ones I played in the early 1990’s were maybe rougher than what comes in the box now. But it’s hard to really know. I’ve toughened up over the years a bit… so it may be perception!
I'm the same. Texture, tension, and sound are perfect for me. Hi Beams and Super Brights hold the high end longer but feel like spaghetti to me.
Yeah I agree. I hadn’t used them in several years and I currently have them on a few basses. My calluses must be pretty tough because they feel pretty smooth to me actually. And yes they are the stainless 66’s. Go figure.
