TI Jazz Rounds vs Rotosound SwingBass66?

[jpaulo]

How do they compare?

I like the tension and growl of the Roto66 (45/65/80/105) and I am interested in the TI Jazz Rounds (43/51/68/89) but wonder if they would be too light and floppy in comparison - what appear to be true considering their tension charts (see below).

E.g.: E String
Roto 66 - 38.6lbs
TI Rounds - 27.99lbs!
TI Flats - 34.39lbs (I have these and they are ok)

Anyone has tried both?

Tks

Rotosound Swing Bass
Swing Bass 66 Stainless Steel Strings RS66LD • Rotosound Music Strings

TI Jazz Round
Jazz Round Wound Bass Guitar | Guitar Strings | Products | Thomastik-Infeld Vienna

TI Jazz Flat
Jazz Flat Wound Bass Guitar | Guitar Strings | Products | Thomastik-Infeld Vienna

 

[Barton Lee]

They don't compare at all, in their sound, tension and overall playing experience. I've used and love both but they have little in common other than both being rounds.

 

[JRA]

Anyone has tried both?

yes, and i depend on both as my go-to strings. although they might sound very different, the "tensions" begin to compare if you bring the roto gauges in line with what the TIs are trying to do with their set, i.e., a lighter gauge roto set (e.g., the medium-light set, or the extra light set, or even the "funkmaster" set) will have less tension than the roto set you mentioned in the OP. any of the lighter gauge roto sets start to feel more compliant (like the TIs).

i use both, and i like both, but you'll have to lighten up on your roto choices to get into the same ballpark. good luck!

 

[Jeff Scott]

How do they compare?

I like the tension and growl of the Roto66 (45/65/80/105) and I am interested in the TI Jazz Rounds (43/51/68/89) but wonder if they would be too light and floppy in comparison - what appear to be true considering their tension charts (see below).

E.g.: E String
Roto 66 - 38.6lbs
TI Rounds - 27.99lbs!
TI Flats - 34.39lbs (I have these and they are ok)

Anyone has tried both?

Tks

Rotosound Swing Bass
Swing Bass 66 Stainless Steel Strings RS66LD • Rotosound Music Strings

TI Jazz Round
Jazz Round Wound Bass Guitar | Guitar Strings | Products | Thomastik-Infeld Vienna

TI Jazz Flat
Jazz Flat Wound Bass Guitar | Guitar Strings | Products | Thomastik-Infeld Vienna

I used the Rotos regularly, like, over 45 years ago. These days, i wouldn't, though. The TI JRs just suit me and my basses much better.

 

[GIBrat51]

Well, Okay...
- Roto 66s. The original owner of my '78 Fender P-Bass had a band; gigged/practiced like a fiend; and loved Roto 66s. They were on it when I bought it in 1988. Sadly, what was not on it, were most of the frets; the Roto's ate them. Since I was away from home, on construction/ other projects for about 270 days a year, that didn't bother me too much. I just put a set of Roto RS77LD Monel Flats on it; and played it as best I could, when I could, until I was able to get it re-fretted. I've played bass for 50+ years; almost always with flats. That bass (which I still own) wore those Roto 77 Flats for many years. As I recall, the 66's didn't sound all that bad - for rounds. But, compared to the few other rounds I've played over the years, they felt... kinda nasty. So, no offense to those that like them, but it would take a big pistol stuck in my ear, held by somebody who I knew would pull the trigger, to make me put those things on one of my basses...
- TI Jazz Rounds. Out of the 24 basses I own currently, 22 of them wear flats; one wears tapes; and only one - my '94 Gretsch G6119BO-LH Broadkaster - wears rounds. TI Jazz Rounds. They're the "short scale" set, which is kind of amazing; the Broadkaster usually wears long scale strings with no problems. Even though it's only 30.5" scale, it's physically a big bass. Frankly, I bought them by accident; I really wanted the Jazz Flats. They're only on that bass because I was desperate, after years of trying other rounds - and flats - to find strings that didn't make the Gretsch sound like a guitar, or a hippo fart in deep mud. I didn't think they'd even fit - but they did; perfectly. And, they make the Gretsch actually sound like a bass. Yeah, they're a little bright for my taste; and, yeah, they're a little more... flexible... than I'd prefer. But, they're incredibly smooth - for rounds; and they'd probably sound even better than they do, if they were on a bass that didn't have twangy guitar pickups - like this Gretsch does. I can't say how a set of these would feel on a 34" scale bass; but the short scale set is stiff enough to play with a pick with no problem. Which I usually do when I play the thing... And, it's hard to compare the Roto 66's to the TI's since it's been 34 years since I heard the Roto's on my P-Bass, and the TI's are on a big hollow body short scale. But, to me? They don't sound very similar at all...

 

[80jazz]

So, no offense to those that like them, but it would take a big pistol stuck in my ear, held by somebody who I was knew would pull the trigger, to make me put those things on one of my basses...

I take none. They have a flavor that is not for everyone.

It is for me though, and I like it very much.

I am with @JRA though. You would have to lighten up the gauges to get into TI territory. Oddly enough, the roughness some complain about with Rotos doesn't seem to exist for me at lighter gauges (I am a 35-90 guy but occasionally go up as high as 40-100).

 

[marchone]

I’ve used Rotosound 66s on my Tele Bass since it was new. Their reputation for going flat fast is well deserved. I just ordered a set of Dogal Hellborg rounds to compare.

That said, I have TI Jazz Flats on my Jazz Bass and they ain’t coming off.

 

[LetItGrowTone]

To me, they're opposites among rounds, with Roto 66 being the king of the category "rhino farting in a trash can" (Dusty Hill) and I mean that as a compliment of course, and TIJRs challenging Dogal Hellborg rounds in the category of "purest and most beautiful".

I’ve used Rotosound 66s on my Tele Bass since it was new. Their reputation for going flat fast is well deserved.

Luckily, I like Roto 66s when broken in as I think they have a natural sounding, smooth treble rolloff (just like turning down a tone/treble knob), like other stainless steel rounds like Hi-Beams, and unlike NPS which I think retain some high frequency trash as they break in. That trash was half of my reason for disliking rounds; the other half was the rough surface, but I got used to it, even Rotos.

I guess TIJRs must also break in very gracefully, as my one set was two years old and still sounded great when I removed them to try something else.

I just ordered a set of Dogal Hellborg rounds to compare.

Fascinating. I hope you report to the Dogal Hellborg thread.

 

[JonathanPDX]

I've used nothing but TI Jazz Rounds for many years but I used to experiment with everything else, including Rotos.

TI's want a light touch. It's not just the gauge, but the tension. You can still get a great snappy attack on the G string when you're slapping away to disco tunes, but overall they feel much better when played with some finesse. If you're the type to dig in and choke the hell out of your strings, or hammer them hard with your best Flea impersonation, then you will likely be disappointed. But if you want to set up your bass like a high-end sports car I haven't found anything else that gives me the same performance as TI's.

 

[biobass]

I happily used Rotosound Swingbass 66 strings almost exclusively on my ‘65 Jazz for three decades. About 20 years ago, I started experimenting with other strings, trying out just about every string from every major supplier. I still have about 30 packs of slightly used strings in a box in my attic. Once I tried the TI Jazz Rounds and Jazz Flats I became a convert. All of my electric basses have TIs on them now. Jazz Flats on my Jazz, and my A/E Precision fretless, Jazz Rounds on my Roscoe Beck V, and Acousticores on my Turner Ren fretless V. For years, I had Spirocores on my old ‘39 Kay upright.

Although, as I wrote, I played Rotos for decades, and liked their tightness, crisp attack, and mid-focused punch, I didn’t like the sound of them when new. I would always try to have them as well broken in before a gig as possible, and would keep them on my bass for six months to a year as long as they intonated well.

The TI Jazz Rounds are about as different in feel from the Rotos as you can possibly get. They are much less stiff, and I had to adjust my playing style. I tend to play with a sharp attack for a very focused articulation on the front end. I had to ease up significantly with the TIs relative to the Rotos to get the same articulation without causing the strings to roll a bit. I still get all the punch and focus while being much easier to play.

To my ear, there is a wider and more balanced harmonic richness to the TIs relative to the Rotos, which to me always had an over-emphasis on zinginess, especially when new.

While there is no doubt that the TIs are expensive up front, the cost amortized over the life of the strings makes them some of the most economical. I get 5 -7 years out of the Jazz Rounds all the while maintaining excellent tone, feel and intonation. I change them when the wrappings show fret wear. I don’t know how long the Jazz Flats last, but for me, at least greater than 15 years.

 

[jj.833]

I'm using Roto Nickels (SM66N) on my jazz and TI Flats on my P. TI Flats want a very easy touch, with harder digging they lose their great sensitiveness. Rotos respond better to agressive right hand. Very different strings, both great.
I trust that TI Rounds might be something in between, and have a feeling that you won't be disappointed if you try them.

 

[Dragan]

89?

 

[BobKos]

I'm using Roto Nickels (SM66N) on my jazz and TI Flats on my P. TI Flats want a very easy touch, with harder digging they lose their great sensitiveness. Rotos respond better to agressive right hand. Very different strings, both great.
I trust that TI Rounds might be something in between, and have a feeling that you won't be disappointed if you try them.

IME this is spot on. As others have posted I used Roto Swing Bass for years many years ago. I moved on to what I consider better strings (including Roto 40's). I have Jazz Rounds on my Ibanez SR1200 and they are wonderful on that bass. I would use them on anything. I have to say I don't find the magic in TI FLats though. I have a set of Roto flats I like better. Go figure....

 

[jpaulo]

89?

Yes, the TJR E String gauge is 89. Quite thin, uh?

 

[Killing Floor]

Grew up on Roto 66. They need to be replaced more often in my preference. They are higher tension and tougher feel than TI. The thing about TI that makes them worth the cost and worth getting used to is the even tone of every note. The musicality of the TI is why they are so highly regarded.

There is no best string. So try them both and be patient with both and decide for yourself.

 

[franklindayala]

What about the Roto swing bass 66 nickel vs the TI jazz rounds?

 

[Gizmot]

Don't make me laugh - - the TI Jazz Flats are so far superior to anything else, there literally are no comparisons. A few people think that Jazz Flats are a bit too loose, but nearly everyone else thinks they're perfect. As a BIG plus, they last for years. Read all the reviews - - this an easy comparison

 

[Barton Lee]

What about the Roto swing bass 66 nickel vs the TI jazz rounds?

The Roto 66 nickels are slightly closer to TI Jazz rounds if only because both have nickel as a component, but the differences between them are mostly similar to those with the Roto 66 steel rounds. Both Rotos are hex core and the tension is about the same for those two though the nickel 66s are not as bright and don't have as much of that classic Roto roundwound tone, i.e. they're more warm and polite.

I have a set of Roto SM66 nickels (40-100) on my Ric 4003S and prior to that, I had a set of TI Jazz rounds on it. While I really liked the TIs on the Ric (and use TI flats on three of my other basses), I still wanted to try other strings and after one month using the Rotos, I find that I prefer them on the Ric. I'm sure I'll try others at some point.

If you're looking for a compromise between Roto 66 nickels (or steels) and Thomastik-Infeld Jazz rounds, you might want to consider the Infeld Superalloys. They're much closer to Roto nickels and about half the price (US) of the TI Jazz rounds. I used a set on a Fender Jazz and found them to be excellent quality, all-around strings.

 

[Dragan]

Yes, the TJR E String gauge is 89. Quite thin, uh?

Not only thin, but these measures like 89, 43 etc always looked kinda funny ( to me )

 

[sotua]

Yes, the TJR E String gauge is 89. Quite thin, uh?

At some time (more Geddy Lee worship) I tried the rotosound funkmaster set (FM66) which is 30-50-70-90. It took some adjusting for the touch, but once I did, it was really cool that I could get the really hard "digging in" tone with much less finger effort, and more clarity for double stops (AFAIK the reason why Geddy picked those up during the late 90s). And throw in a random bend or two without feeling like I was tearing my fingers off