String Recomendations - Piano like tone from P bass

[Paul New]

piano,, i guess you mean taut, so thinnest gauge you can find.

Backwards.

 

[Deleted member 271037]

The most piano-like tone I've ever gotten from an electric bass was with the now discontinued Rotosound 99 PSD (Piano String Design). These strings really delivered what they promised, at least tonally. What they DIDN'T deliver was an easy way to install them. The only time I tried them I broke one string before I got the hang of it, and had to buy another full set to be able to test them. Once they were installed they sounded fantastic, if you were looking for that bright, ultra-clear, piano-like tone. They were like an extremely "hi-fi", cleaner version of Roto 66s. In the end this wasn't really the tone I was personally looking for, but they certainly delivered what they promised.

As far as I know (I might be wrong...) the only difference between Roto 66s and the discontinued Roto 99s were the exposed cores on the Roto 99s.

Maybe you should look into exposed core stainless steels? Be aware that you will need to raise your saddles considerably higher with exposed cores, so make sure the saddles on your bass have enough adjustment range for this.

 

[Pier_]

I've always used Roto 66 for that kind of tone, BUT I once tried the D'Addario Prosteel, brighter strings I've ever used in my life.

45-100 gauge (eps170) to have a good balance in tone. they are also flexible and don't pull much. compared to the same gauge, but nickel, I had to release the truss rod of a quarter turn.

they also stay bright for a long time. the Jazz bass was so bright I had to go back to nickel on that bass.

 

[Bob_Ross]

The most piano-like tone I've ever gotten from an electric bass was with the now discontinued Rotosound 99 PSD (Piano String Design). ...[snip]... exposed cores on the Roto 99s.

Maybe you should look into exposed core stainless steels? Be aware that you will need to raise your saddles considerably higher with exposed cores, so make sure the saddles on your bass have enough adjustment range for this.

That reminds me: Is the Superwound string company still in business?
iirc they had some affiliation with Rotosound...maybe they shared the patent on exposed core strings? I'm just guessing, maybe there was no connection.
I used Superwound exposed core roundwounds on my Steinberger L-2 for a couple of years in the 1980s (until I discovered Ken Smith's which were cheaper and easier to find).

 

[HaphAsSard]

That reminds me: Is the Superwound string company still in business?
iirc they had some affiliation with Rotosound...maybe they shared the patent on exposed core strings? I'm just guessing, maybe there was no connection.
I used Superwound exposed core roundwounds on my Steinberger L-2 for a couple of years in the 1980s (until I discovered Ken Smith's which were cheaper and easier to find).

Both Rotosound and Superwound were James How &Co. brands, but the former is the sole survivor.

 

[skycruiser]

The closest I have heard to Piano tone was from D'Addario NYXL.

 

[ajkula66]

That reminds me: Is the Superwound string company still in business?
iirc they had some affiliation with Rotosound...maybe they shared the patent on exposed core strings? I'm just guessing, maybe there was no connection.
I used Superwound exposed core roundwounds on my Steinberger L-2 for a couple of years in the 1980s (until I discovered Ken Smith's which were cheaper and easier to find).

These followed the way of the dodo bird decades ago. My main strings back in the '80s, and yes they were made by RotoSound.

My first thought regarding the OP would be GHS Super Steels. I prefer the "contact core" variety, but the standard ones are piano-like enough for most purposes.