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What is it with me and dead rounds ?

#23
D.M.N. said:
I love the sound of fresh Roto 66s, but I've had my current set on there for nearly a year now, and I really do love the sound they make. Plenty of bite when the tone knobs up, and huge thump with it backed off. So yeah, I'm a fan of both broken in and brand new Swing 66s.
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+100

I spent hundreds on strings this year, and I wasn't satisfied with any of them. One day I strung up an old pair of Roto 66s that I saved for some reason and it just clicked.
 
#24
I love broken in rounds. for the first week or two, new rounds are always to bright and harsh for me, then they mellow out and sound perfect for about 2-4 months, then they die out and I start all over again with fresh rounds.
 
#25
In my experience, the G stays bright as the thicker strings lose highs over time. It can be compensated for, but I'd rather not. My rounds usually don't stay on longer than eight weeks. The rounds that came on my Ric stayed on longer than most. Nice strings!
 
#26
On my Hagstrom frankenbass I have the same rounds since the 70's. The sound is so fantastic with the pickup combination, etc. I am afraid to touch it. As you say - flats with edge. I get comments all the time on the great sound. If it ain't broke . . . . .
 
#27
Gio S said:
On my Hagstrom frankenbass I have the same rounds since the 70's. The sound is so fantastic with the pickup combination, etc. I am afraid to touch it. As you say - flats with edge. I get comments all the time on the great sound. If it ain't broke . . . . .
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You have a set of 40 year old rounds?

Talk about a testament to whatever brand that is. "Our rounds will last half your life time!"
 
#29
I love/use dead rounds too, but only on passive basses. Doesn't seem to work out as well with actives.

It takes a couple of weeks before a new set of Rotos sounds "right" to me

/rick
 
#31
ZING went the strings of my heart! The whole point with rounds for me is that brand new sound. I remember the first time I put new roundwounds on a bass and was stunned by that tone. If someone could make a string that kept that forever they would make millions.

If you want thump, flats do it better, imo. Dead rounds are the worst of both worlds for me. But everyone has their own likes and dislikes - if dead rounds work for you, cool. :)
 
#35
The clanky-ness of brand new rounds annoys me to the point that I find myself unable to play newly strung basses in music stores to try out other pieces of gear :p I agree that broken-in rounds aren't the best options for slapping, but in the context of what I play, I'm not really required to slap, so it works out for me.
 
#40
This may have been suggested already, but since many prefer brand new rounds and many prefer more broken-in ones, why doesn't someone set up a place of exchange here, where the latter can buy the old strings of the former for a suitably modest fee? That way everyone subsidizes everyone else to play the strings they love. Everybody wins.
 

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