Strings In The 70's

[Dust2Dust]

I have two Squire 70's Classic Vibe basses. (1-P, 1-J)

I was thinking that when it comes time to change strings, maybe I would stick with the 70's theme and use brands that were popular back then, so I started doing research.
(I have an appreciation for lots of string sounds, so the variations between various strings/companies wouldn't be an issue)

Granted, my internet searches are often "hit or miss", but this time was weird, it all went sideways on me.

I expected Ernie Ball to have been a popular string in the 70's, but can't find anything more than "they were making strings" since the 60's. Nothing to even hint that they were downright popular back then.

Based on what little I found, Rotosound ruled the Earth back then, while other brands simply existed. (Ernie Ball being the only "other" brand)

Also, I tried to get find out who/when Nickel wound strings came into being. According to search results, "they came out in the 70's".

I'm looking for more info about this.

If someone was working in a music store back in the early to mid 70's, what brand(s) of bass strings would they make sure to keep in stock.

 

[michael_t]

V.C. Squier was the OEM string manufacturer for Fender during their early years. Then in 1964, three people from that company founded their own named GHS (as in Gould, Holcomb and Solko), who continued to function as an OEM string supplier for a few companies, including Leo Fender's newly-established Music Man company.

As far as I understand it, GHS Boomers (NPS roundwound) were introduced as a response to Rotosound SB66.

A Fresh Perspective On A Stalwart American Standard

 

[Dust2Dust]

Didn't know that, thanks

 

[michael_t]

Didn't know that, thanks

If you want to try a set of stainless steel rounds with a "vintage" flavor, you can try the GHS Super Steels.

Leland Sklar was (and still is at age 75) one of the busiest session bassists in LA during the 70's and he's been a regular user of GHS Super Steels 40-102 since the mid-70s.

 

[Vinny_G]

I have two Squire 70's Classic Vibe basses.

They are probably fake. On the real ones you should read Squier on the headstock.

The Birth of the Roundwound Bass String
History of bass guitar strings?

 

[Vinny_G]

As far as I understand it, GHS Boomers (NPS roundwound) were introduced as a response to Rotosound SB66.

Hence the fire engine red silks, I guess.

 

[mike buzzetti]

Yep all I used were Rotosounds Rounds , great strings IMO , still love em.

 

[Dust2Dust]

They are probably fake. On the real ones you should read Squier on the headstock.

The Birth of the Roundwound Bass String
History of bass guitar strings?

Yeah, I misspelled Squier, and that link is one of the ones I found doing the research.

So I guess Rotos really did rule the 70's. Cool.

 

[Vinny_G]

Leland Sklar was (and still is at age 75) one of the busiest session bassists in LA during the 70's and he's been a regular user of GHS Super Steels 40-102 since the mid-70s.

Does Leland Sklar still use them? (@Jon Moody)
I ask that in all ingenuity because I saw a set called Leland Sklar from the French brand Carlos Pavicich (good custom strings btw). Is this true or is this a misuse of his name?

Invalid Link Removed
Carlos Pavicich Custom Strings Leland Sklar Signature - Eastgate Music
https://www.amazon.com/Electric-Bass-Strings-Leland-Sklar/dp/B077WK189V

 

[Isaac_James]

Labellas have been around for ages, they were quite popular with Motown players. I don't know how popular they were in the 70s specifically, but I've yet to encounter a P bass that sounds bad with Labellas on it, so if flatwounds are your jam you could try some DTFs and maintain historical accuracy.

 

[michael_t]

Does Leland Sklar still use them?

Yes, he does, except for his Dingwalls. Due to the multi-scale setup, he gets his strings from Sheldon Dingwall. Always stainless steel roundwound.

As far as I know, Sklar doesn't endorse any "signature set" by any other company.

 

[mike buzzetti]

Labellas have been around for ages, they were quite popular with Motown players. I don't know how popular they were in the 70s specifically, but I've yet to encounter a P bass that sounds bad with Labellas on it, so if flatwounds are your jam you could try some DTFs and maintain historical accuracy.

Flats had that Motown THUD sound !! perfect for that genre , Prog rock liked Rotos

 

[michael_t]

Labellas have been around for ages, they were quite popular with Motown players. I don't know how popular they were in the 70s specifically, but I've yet to encounter a P bass that sounds bad with Labellas on it, so if flatwounds are your jam you could try some DTFs and maintain historical accuracy.

While we're on the topic of flats from way back, we should point out for the OP that the closest thing to the original Fender flats from 60s and 70s are the GHS Precision Flats, which makes sense for the fact GHS was started by people from V.C. Squier.

 

[CaseyVancouver]

Rotosound ruled the Earth back then, while other brands simply existed.

Not in Vancouver Canada. Nope. They were an oddity, never seen in stores and only on Rics. Not many stores here even carried Rics in the 70’s. Too exotic and pricey way back then.

Fender flats were common. And high powered tube amps with fridge sized speaker boxes.
I also have a ‘50s reissue Squier Pre, it will suit TI flats when I get around to it.

 

[pbass2]

I used Roto Swing Bass 66s in the 70's when I was a teenager, because that's what Squire and The Ox used. Most other budding bassists I knew at the time used them too, just sort of by default--I think the older cats had flats. If memory serves, the first strings I bought when it was time to try something new, late 70's, were GHS Boomers, then Ernie Ball flats(the only flats I could find in a shop at the time), and these copper-colored "red" roundwounds that I can't recall the manufacturer of (anybody remember those? I think they used to turn my fingers slightly green--that may have been early 80's though--kinda blurry....).

 

[GIBrat51]

V.C. Squier was the OEM string manufacturer for Fender during their early years. Then in 1964, three people from that company founded their own named GHS (as in Gould, Holcomb and Solko), who continued to function as an OEM string supplier for a few companies, including Leo Fender's newly-established Music Man company.

As far as I understand it, GHS Boomers (NPS roundwound) were introduced as a response to Rotosound SB66.

A Fresh Perspective On A Stalwart American Standard

While we're on the topic of flats from way back, we should point out for the OP that the closest thing to the original Fender flats from 60s and 70s are the GHS Precision Flats, which makes sense for the fact GHS was started by people from V.C. Squier.

Exactly so. which is why I have the GHS Precision Flats on my '78 Fender P-Bass. Which would have come from the factory with Squier Flats - along with a foam mute in the bridge cover. Which mine also has. And, gotta tell ya; if you're thinking "that's a muddy, thumpy waste of a P-Bass"? Guess again. Yeah, it's a thump monster - if you want it to be - but, muddy it is not. If you're anywhere near my age? This is exactly the bass you heard on 90% of the songs on your albums, and on the radio...
And, if you want to hear what a fresh-from-the-factory Rick 4001 sounded like, with it's German Maxima Flats? Put a set of Optima R4440 RB (Rickenbacker Bass) Flats on your 4003 - and cut the capacitor into the treble circuit. That's the sound of the Bass I learned to play bass on, in 1968 - a left handed, blue '68 Rick 4001. Which is most likely the reason I've played basses with flats ever since. And, the reason why, out of 26 basses I currently own, only 3 have rounds on them. Also why 2 of them will have those rounds removed as soon as some necessary setup work is done... As for the other one with rounds? If there were a set of flats that made it sound like I want, it would be wearing them...
GHS Boomers? I had hex core Boomers on my '13 Gibson T-Bird for years. I don't know how analogous to Roto SB66's they are (I loathe Roto's round wounds); I do know that they're pretty much dead ringers for the factory Gibson rounds that my 'Bird came with - and which I couldn't get replacements for. I also know that Boomers are pretty much de rigueur on a T-Bird. Try some; you'll hear why...
So... while round wound bass strings did become popular in the '70s, and while Roto SwingBass 66's were likely the most popular of them to start with (and were for quite a while afterwards), they weren't the Alpha and Omega of strings. Lots of basses came new with flats in the '70s; and lots of people were perfectly happy with them. And still are, in fact...

 

[Chickenwheels]

Rotosound Swing Bass was a big deal. A lot of players still used flats, like Fender, Pyramid, LaBella.
I’ll add that MusicMan fitted GHS to their basses in the 70s.
Jimmie Johnson commissioned GHS to make a 5 string set for his Alembic in the mid seventies.
I’m not sure when they started making them, but Dean Markley Super Rounds were a US made Roto copy. They were pretty popular. Will Lee used them.

 

[LBS-bass]

The only strings I recall playing back then were Rotosounds and GHS.

 

[michael_t]

Jimmie Johnson commissioned GHS to make a 5 string set for his Alembic in the mid seventies.

GHS Boomers 5M-DYB, 45-65-85-105-130, to be specific.

 

[mikewalker]

I started buying strings in the mid-70s, and LaBella / E&O Mari were ubiquitous, as were Fender and Rotosound. Gibson strings were readily available as were Ernie Ball and D'Addario. The 'big new deal' I remember most were those black-coated roundwounds from Kaman (sadly, the coating seemed to wear off the first day...)