Rotosound RS77 LE review

Thanks for the review.

What styles of music do you play? Do you play with fingers or with a pick?

 

You say they sound dead after a few weeks, and also that you have been using them for a year and a half.

Same set for a year and a half? Or do you change every few weeks?

 

I'm surprised they are dead unless you were playing a ton? They do lose some brightness but usually retain a nice high mid clank. Out of the package they are the brightest flatwounds I've played in my limited flatwound experience i.e. Ernie Ball, D'Addario, GHS. You are completely right about the tension though. Weak necks beware!

 

I just came across this video, and this thread seemed the best place for it. Nothing in it that isn't exactly what is common knowledge, but it's good to hear proof.

Two sets of Rotosound 77 flats 50–75–95–110, one 15 months old, one fresh out the pack.



In the comments the guy says the fresh sound lasted about a week.

 

Thanks! I've been wondering about how "dead" "dead" is supposed to be, as far as Roto flats go. The new ones sound spectacular (though I guess Chromes or Ernie Ball Slinky flats are the most sensible options if one wishes to have that tone for a while), but the old aren't half bad IMO. Plenty of sustain, not really old-school thumpy. (...Yet?)

 

When, in amongst all that Maiden, he does that old fashioned blues riff (5'40–6'00") they suddenly sound much the more appropriate

People often talk about ancient LaBellas, and similarly Chromes and GHS P flats, but I can't recall reading much about really old 77s, and nothing in glowing terms.

Here's another video of fresh 77s, this time a step down in gauges: 45-65-85-105 (RS77LD) Again they sound great, but in the comments the guy says he found them too hard on his fingers.



I'm still trying to find a decent demo of the 40-60-80-100 (SM77)

 

Word. The only video sample I've found so far is this short one, where the Rotosound SM77 are compared to the Thomastik-Infeld JF344:


The segments are apparently shown in the order in which the player had the strings on the bass, so (beside the difference in gain mentioned in the description, in part due to the pureish nickel on the TIs being more magnetically active than Monel) the 40-100 Rotos are not new. They're not super-dead, either, again maintaining decent sustain and a little residual bite (as far as the lowest two at least: the G in particular seems to be tamer - even the one from the new Harris set in your first video exhibits this trait).

 

I like the sound very much, but even in that light gauge, they are wearisome on my fingers. For me, I'm with other flats. I wish Rotosound made a yet lighter set. I imagine 77s are easier to play with a pick, but i usually don't use a pick.

 

Not the cheapest course of action, but you could try getting the RS77LE or the SH77; then discarding the 110; moving the rest (050-075-095) up one slot; adding a single 035 high C, to be tuned down to G.

 

Rotosound flats are available individually, but unfortunately they don't offer all the gauges, just

30, 35, 40, 45, 50, ... 60, 65, ... 75, 80, 85, ... 95, 100, 105, 110

— so 35-55-75-95 is impossible

 

Hmmmm...

 

Another demo of the 45-105 set, a more muscular style of playing this time

 

The "dead sound" is what many of us crave in our flatwounds!

 

I usually play the standard gauge Roto flats, but just ordered some of the heavy gauge flats for playing in D standard, which I imagine will be under less tension than if they were tuned in E standard - judging by the tension chart someone on BC directed me towards. Yeah, sometimes I find playing flats for prolonged periods can be tiring but they feel so much better than rounds, which just feel harsh in comparison.

 

Roto 77 Flats...

50-110 in EADG = 253.01 lbs. in total tension.
50-110 in DGCF = 200.44 lbs.

45-105 in EADG = 214.41 lbs.
40-100 in EADG = 178.57 lbs.

 

Thanks, good to know. That likely brings the tension back towards that of the nickel rounds the bass in question came fitted with, so I know for sure I'm not going to break the neck.