I picked up a set of these bc they were on clearance, and haven't actually found a project to use em on. Are there any follies on em like low output, odd feel? And what's the best application? Active, passive, pstyle, jstyle
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Rotosound Tru bass
- Thread starter ghiggin1079
- Start date
They're kind of rare: nylon over flatwound. The darkest out there. Best applicatioN? IMO they work well with semi acoustic basses, with piezo and magnetic, you get close to an upright
Tru Bass 88 are actually stainless steel roundwound under the nylon cover.
GHS Taperwounds are the only ones I know of that are actually flatwound under the nylon cover.
That is strange since they sound very muddy. Maybe the alloy sounds so scooped
It could be something to do with the thickness of the nylon cover. According to Rotosound, the Tru Bass 88 were specifically designed to emulate an upright bass.
I played these once on a SBMM. It was RIDICULOUS.
They aren't a string I would use regularly, but on that bass it was incredible.
My nit with Tru-Bass is that the G string is wayyyyyy to taut. When I play a set, I change the Roto G string to a La Bella black tape regular gauge G string.
I've used them on different basses, they just sound good in any context if it's what you like in terms of sound.
think about Herbie Flowers, on a Jazz Bass, or Graham Maby on a PJ.
however, they are extremely scooped, when new they are bright (light steel rounds under thick tape), they feel stiff but with low tension, which is so strange.
they are "firm" when plucking, but easy to fret, and the big overall gauge makes it a lot stranger, because you "see" enormous strings, but they are so soft
however, keep in mind that they don't conduct, so touching them doesn't stop the static noises, and if the bass it's not perfectly shielded (or has EMG pickups or something similar that doesn't buzz), you'll always hear some bzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz in the background.
I have them on most of my basses . Those that don't have them , did at some point in the past . I love 'em .
Got mine in a closing down sale.
Year was 1983 and they cost me £4
Seemed like everyone had switched to roundwound which made me and my TruBass strung P-bass stand out from the pack, my pretty hamfisted playing might also had some bearing there 
Great strings though be advised you'll likely need to widen the nut slots a wee bit
