Rotosound RS77 LE review

[Rob Rogers]

Hi
I've never encountered any neck damage while using Rotosounds. Do you mean fret damage?

Wear on the frets, like wearing a divot in the frets. I stopped playing Rotos due to the damage in the early 80's and started using GHS Bass Boomers. I got a close to sound and not much damage.
I starting playing with a more 80's metal band now, Van Halen, Thin Lizzy and Judas Priest and I thought try out the Roto's again . Got two sets of 66's and put the first string and that Roto sound was not there.
I put the rest on and was very disappointed to say the least. Took the other set back and wearing those out and go back to Boomers.
Any thoughts?

 

[BrentSimons]

Wear on the frets, like wearing a divot in the frets. I stopped playing Rotos due to the damage in the early 80's and started using GHS Bass Boomers. I got a close to sound and not much damage.
I starting playing with a more 80's metal band now, Van Halen, Thin Lizzy and Judas Priest and I thought try out the Roto's again . Got two sets of 66's and put the first string and that Roto sound was not there.
I put the rest on and was very disappointed to say the least. Took the other set back and wearing those out and go back to Boomers.
Any thoughts?

It's possible Rotosounds are not your cup of tea? I would imagine any stainless steel string is going to cause fret wear on nickel frets. But technique affects this as well. If you bend yours strings a lot or slap or have a percussive style, this will affect fret life.
Rotosound gained a reputation for this in the early days due to softer fret materials being used. During the late 90's I believe Rotosound had some quality control issues Dead strings etc.
GHS Boomers are known to have great mids and not a lot of zing. But it all comes down to personal choice. There are lots of great strings out there.
Good luck!

 

[Robert L Rogers]

I put on a new set of 66 STRINGS and was very disappointed. Last time I used them I loved the bright and serious sound.
When I installed them 20+ later the Roto sound was not there. I contacted the Roto company and they stated nothing has changed.
Am I just deaf or am I missing something?

 

[HaphAsSard]

Wear on the frets, like wearing a divot in the frets. I stopped playing Rotos due to the damage in the early 80's and started using GHS Bass Boomers. I got a close to sound and not much damage.
I starting playing with a more 80's metal band now, Van Halen, Thin Lizzy and Judas Priest and I thought try out the Roto's again . Got two sets of 66's and put the first string and that Roto sound was not there.
I put the rest on and was very disappointed to say the least. Took the other set back and wearing those out and go back to Boomers.
Any thoughts?

I put on a new set of 66 STRINGS and was very disappointed. Last time I used them I loved the bright and serious sound.
When I installed them 20+ later the Roto sound was not there. I contacted the Roto company and they stated nothing has changed.
Am I just deaf or am I missing something?

Uh, gotta be something to do with youz' name? Has there been a subtle tweak to the Swing Bass formula that makes it incompatible to folks named Robert Rogers?

 

[Phaidrus]

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.

I wonder how do they compare to the Fender 9050M in terms of tension and tone?

 

[Phaidrus]

I tell it every single time I've learned, in particular setting other musicians instruments, that few understand how a setup works.

guitarists putting .013 strings on their acoustics, complaining that the action raises, but not considering that you need to tighten the truss rod.
other that go to .009 and complain that the guitar buzzes.

I've seen lot of people trying heavier strings on bass, like the La Bella 52-110 flats, and they NEVER ever do setups.
strings like that, with that particular gauge, need a complete setup starting from the truss rod tightening, a lot of work on the saddles to lower the action and intonate every string (in fact, a lot of users don't intonate the saddles and complain that the strings are out of tune...), considering that the E string on that set usually goes almost full backward.
then there's the nut! coming from 45-105, and mounting a set with a 73 D string and a 95 A strings NEEDS to lower the nut slots, or the strings will sit too high (and tight, compromising the tuning stability), be impossible to play and feel stiffer.

once you do a proper setup, you can play everything.

I have a couple of basses with 55-105 Fender and GHS flats, some others with 43-110 Rotosound Sheehan, another couple with GHS 45-95 flats, and also 40-95 rounds, and guess what? I switch between basses without any problem
I did setups on every bass making it comfortable related to the strings, so I can play a super light slapping machine and switch to a heavy gauged thump Precision without any problem.



don't forget the late 70's punk, post punk and new wave sound of the bass. the first time I tried this set on a Precision, I heard the "Play for Today" sound straight out of the pick.

Very helpful review, thanks. Are the 45-105 Roto flats (RS77LD) stiffer and/or do they have more tension than the 55-105 Fender 9050M? Also, how do they compare tone-wise?

 

[Pier_]

Very helpful review, thanks. Are the 45-105 Roto flats (RS77LD) stiffer and/or do they have more tension than the 55-105 Fender 9050M? Also, how do they compare tone-wise?

I have a bunch of recordings done with the same bass with these different sets:

Rotosound (45-105)

- pick: Dropbox

- finger: Dropbox

Fender (55-105)

- pick: Dropbox

- finger: Dropbox

GHS (55-105)

- pick: Dropbox

- finger: Dropbox

speaking about tension, the Rotosound are kind of stiffer in terms of flexibility, and they have less tension compared to the different measures, but the E string is kind of similar.
comparing the actual tension of Roto and GHS, the 105 differs in this way:

Rotosound: 44.70lbs
GHS: 41.20lbs

the GHS are the most flexible of the three, the Fender have the less tension (compared considering the different truss rod regulations I had to do switching from one to another).

IMHO the Fender are the "mid way flatwound" of the three, even comparing the other gauges I've tried, in terms of sound, because they are bright/metallic but not "roundwoundish".
the GHS are the real flatwound, and Rotosound are kind of groundwound, with lot of roughness and bright highs, and they tend to last with that brightness.

I associate the Rotosound to the british sound of the 70's rock like Pink Floyd, or the punk/post-punk of the late 70's. every note sends me to "Play For Today" by The Cure

the Fender are kind of "nothing special", a bright modern flat with no particular characteristic in the long way, and I chose the GHS over them for the real vintage sound they throw out even on the first second you string the bass.

hope this helps

 

[Phaidrus]

I have a bunch of recordings done with the same bass with these different sets:

Rotosound (45-105)

- pick: Dropbox

- finger: Dropbox

Fender (55-105)

- pick: Dropbox

- finger: Dropbox

GHS (55-105)

- pick: Dropbox

- finger: Dropbox

speaking about tension, the Rotosound are kind of stiffer in terms of flexibility, and they have less tension compared to the different measures, but the E string is kind of similar.
comparing the actual tension of Roto and GHS, the 105 differs in this way:

Rotosound: 44.70lbs
GHS: 41.20lbs

the GHS are the most flexible of the three, the Fender have the less tension (compared considering the different truss rod regulations I had to do switching from one to another).

IMHO the Fender are the "mid way flatwound" of the three, even comparing the other gauges I've tried, in terms of sound, because they are bright/metallic but not "roundwoundish".
the GHS are the real flatwound, and Rotosound are kind of groundwound, with lot of roughness and bright highs, and they tend to last with that brightness.

I associate the Rotosound to the british sound of the 70's rock like Pink Floyd, or the punk/post-punk of the late 70's. every note sends me to "Play For Today" by The Cure

the Fender are kind of "nothing special", a bright modern flat with no particular characteristic in the long way, and I chose the GHS over them for the real vintage sound they throw out even on the first second you string the bass.

hope this helps

Thank you for your review as well as for the samples, which are very useful and well played. I listened to them carefully, over and over, the 9050M are the most metallic sounding of the three and do sound very similar to mine on my Pbass (with PV63 pickup). The GHS do sound old school and the Roto do sound like Simon Gallup, as you aptly describe them. Given what I'm looking for, which is a Pbass to mainly play reggae/dub with, the GHS may in theory be the best choice out of the three sets but somehow I feel that the Roto, with appropriate EQing, will produce a thicker tone, not so puffy like the GHS. What do you think? Thanks again for the sound files!

 

[Pier_]

I feel that the Roto, with appropriate EQing, will produce a thicker tone, not so puffy like the GHS. What do you think? Thanks again for the sound files!

the main difference, IMHO, is that the GHS have a lot of mid-bass attack on the notes, the Rotosound have more hi-mid attack, so you may be right, with a bit of EQ the Roto could sound thicker without being too smooth.

however, it depends on which "reggae" sound you are looking for.

FE: in "Natty Dread" Aston Barrett used a P with flats, probably the original Fender 850 (which are similar to the GHS). in the next albums he mostly switched to the Jazz Bass or the Yamaha BB2000, probably always with flats.
for a period he used the Fender flats in a custom gauge with a 110 E string (made specifically by Fender for him, as far as I have red: https://canal12web.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/astonbarrett.webp), and if you look at pictures of him in the last years, he had D'Addario Chromes.

however, as I always say, strings costs 20 to 50 bucks, can be stored and re-used and re-sold (in particular the flats), so trying them won't be a big loss

 

[Phaidrus]

the main difference, IMHO, is that the GHS have a lot of mid-bass attack on the notes, the Rotosound have more hi-mid attack, so you may be right, with a bit of EQ the Roto could sound thicker without being too smooth.

however, it depends on which "reggae" sound you are looking for.

FE: in "Natty Dread" Aston Barrett used a P with flats, probably the original Fender 850 (which are similar to the GHS). in the next albums he mostly switched to the Jazz Bass or the Yamaha BB2000, probably always with flats.
for a period he used the Fender flats in a custom gauge with a 110 E string (made specifically by Fender for him, as far as I have red: https://canal12web.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/astonbarrett.webp), and if you look at pictures of him in the last years, he had D'Addario Chromes.

however, as I always say, strings costs 20 to 50 bucks, can be stored and re-used and re-sold (in particular the flats), so trying them won't be a big loss

Yes, Family Man famously played the old Fender flats, I was not aware that he played a Pbass though, that's quite interesting!
And that he played Chromes is even more interesting, them being very bright, supposedly. Of course, Fams can play any equipment and sound fat and juicy, because he is Fams.

Here's a track with bass tone that sounds almost ideal for reggae/dub to me.

 

[Pier_]

And that he played Chromes is even more interesting, them being very bright, supposedly.

actually, Chromes and Fenders are similar in brightness, just nuances, and IMHO the Fender are way more hi-mid heavy and metallic.

Here's a track with bass tone that sounds almost ideal for reggae/dub to me.

I guess that these are rounds with the tone rolled of, probably not flats. I did a fast research on the bass players that played with Israel Vibration, and I've seen Steinbergers and 5 string modern basses probably not flats.

 

[Phaidrus]

actually, Chromes and Fenders are similar in brightness, just nuances, and IMHO the Fender are way more hi-mid heavy and metallic.




I guess that these are rounds with the tone rolled of, probably not flats. I did a fast research on the bass players that played with Israel Vibration, and I've seen Steinbergers and 5 string modern basses probably not flats.

I believe it's Flabba Holt playing with Israel Vibration, in particular in this live, where he plays a Steinberger with massive tone. I wish I could nail this tone, so thick and juicy. No idea what strings he's using. See at 2:37 for example

 

[Pier_]

No idea what strings he's using. See at 2:37 for example

I guess that he's not one who cares too much for strings, the tone is mostly from EQ, amp, fingers.