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Rotosound 77 on a P-Bass... mistake?

#23
DaleyKD said:
I just put a new set on my P Bass. I don't remember what were on them before (they were round). I noticed my action seemed considerably higher, and when running up the fretboard, I noticed that the E string goes DEAD at fret 12 and up. Looks like the string is touching the fret on 13 and so it has no sustain.

I also noticed that delicately hammering from open to a high fret on the D or G strings gives an unwanted tone.

Should I just revert to rounds, or does my bass need to be re-set up?
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Needs to be setup again. Rotosound flats are beyond high in tension! They will make your neck bow forward like you wouldn't believe but they settle in nicely after a while.
 
#24
The higher tension allows for much lower action. which in turn makes for easier fretting which actually ends up feeling like less tension. The new Setup should allow for an awesome experience. Especially in a live Jam situation. >OP, How's the bass now? Have you done the setup?
 
#29
I just did the first gig last night with Roto 77son my fretless (the Linc in my Avatar),and they were the first flats that gave me what I needed. I am doing a lot of improv/free jazz and that stuff can get quite busy/noisy, where the bass easily drowns in everyone else, while the point of that music (IMO) is that all the voices incl. bass are present at all times and dynamic levels. After trying all kinds of flats that sounded great by them selves but disappeared in the mix too much for my purposes, (TIs, Chromes, Labellas) I had on great rounds for a while (Foderas) but mwah or Jaco-ishness is not what i want to hear in my own playing. So on Jason's basstringsonline recommendation I tried the Rotos. First I had the same reaction as most on the forum - too stiff, felt roughish, also not that deep bottom of the other brands. However a bit of bottoming out through the amp, and a pickup closer to the neck (such as a pbass) helped a lot, and I liked them better already. Last night was the first time where with flats on my bass, I could hear and feel my notes without being drowned out or have to hit really hard. I have a 40-100 set, with the added bonus of being able to have a really low setup. They are an acquired taste, but if you look for flats with great definition that don't back down inbetween all the othersonic onslaughts, then these are the flats for you. If you want more of a traditional idea of bass sits in the background, thumping away with deep bottom, then go with something else.
 
#30
I used Roto 77 several times previously on different basses. My conclusion for my purposes was that I dislike them. Too tense, and they lacked the big bottom that Labellas have. In some contexts they work OK, but IMO they are certainly not a versatile string, and my belief (although I certainly dont know you), is that you will tire of them soon and go back to a more articulate string, perhaps rounds, unless this bass will be a "part timer". As much as I love the sound of Good flats on a P-bass, I pretty much use nickel rounds on them, which is a compromise in some respects, but adds so much more flexibility and versatility.
 
#31
Luckydog said:
I used Roto 77 several times previously on different basses. My conclusion for my purposes was that I dislike them. Too tense, and they lacked the big bottom that Labellas have. In some contexts they work OK, but IMO they are certainly not a versatile string, and my belief (although I certainly dont know you), is that you will tire of them soon and go back to a more articulate string, perhaps rounds, unless this bass will be a "part timer". As much as I love the sound of Good flats on a P-bass, I pretty much use nickel rounds on them, which is a compromise in some respects, but adds so much more flexibility and versatility.
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The funny thing, the classic flats (TIS, Labella, Chromes) were the ones that I got tired of (that is, after using them in gigs) after the initial honeymoon period. The Rotos really started to grow on me after the initial "meh" phase, and last night's gig was a joy with them. The lack of boominess in that somewhat barren, concrete space (ABC NoRio on Rivington St, LES, NYC) was rather refreshing too. So i'll just get used to the tension and unpleasant feel. But to each his own...anyway, there are supposedly some pics and maybe some video/soundclips of the show avalable later today. I'll share if they come through.

Of course my experiences refer to the fretless. Fretted bass is a different beast, always roundwounds for me......
 
#37
4andnomore said:
+1 to learning to do your own setups - especially with a Pbass.
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With the right setup on a p bass with flats in general, it can sound unstoppable. From James Jameson (insane high action) to Steve Harris(insane low action). I've taught myself to do setups and it's not that hard if you understand the anatomy of the body and what to adjust correctly.
 
#38
skimming the OP, I saw the word DEAD, and thought it was some poorly conceived tuning. Happy this was not the case!

Unfortunately, I have nothing to add to this thread, but it was fun to read.
 
#40
Precision101 said:
With the right setup on a p bass with flats in general, it can sound unstoppable. From James Jameson (insane high action) to Steve Harris(insane low action). I've taught myself to do setups and it's not that hard if you understand the anatomy of the body and what to adjust correctly.
Click to expand...

Agree wholeheartedly. Learning how all the components interact has - to a certain degree - contributed to my growth as a player.
 
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