What is so bad about Rotosound strings?

[kimokeo]

Rotosound usually has two complaints on TB:

1. They do not last as long as other strings.
2. The feel rough compared to DR, Labella, so on and so on.

I have found (this is for me only) Roto's last just as long as other strings I have used. They also give me better tone than other strings. I use EB on my MMSR5. They feel just as rough as the Roto's. I guess I do not understand what all the negative comments are about. I currently have 6 basses strung with Roto's and love them. Best string on the market, IMO.

 

[Mr_Sore_Fingerz]

I had a pair and they did die on me pretty quick...other than that, they were great strings. Now mine were nickel-plated steel so their short life could be attributed to that. They felt fine to me however, while they lasted.

 

[4001]

There is no string quite like Rotosound.
My favorite.

 

[Sparkdog]

Which strings are you talking about?

The ones I have experience with and hear complaints about are the RS66 Swing Bass strings. They are indeed pretty rough. These strings are famous for eating frets and gouging fretboards, if you play aggressively (something these strings are particularly well suited for) you will probably see substantial neck wear within a couple of years.

They are really bright and cutting when you first put them on, but mine were always dead as doornails within 5-6 gigs.

 

[JTE]

My experience with Rotosound RS-66 is that they do die faster than other strings. It's likely that some folks like how they sound when they're aged quite a bit, but I didn't. I sold strings (managed a guitar store for 11 years) and tried about three sets over a span of time and had the same issues. One gig the guitarist asked why my sound changed with every song on the first set. John Entwistle (how seemingly helped design them) said they didn't last long, Anthony Jackson used to change them every TAKE in the studio, and Chris Squire said he changed them every day.

BUT- they have a very characteristic sound that I've not found in any other string. It's not one I want for myself, but it's a great sound. My take is that if the strings that give you the sound you need don't last long, then you just resign yourself to changing strings a lot.

As for the feel, I don't know because it's been decades since I used a set. But the alloy they use combined with the coarseness of the outer wrap wire combines for their deserved reputation as a fret chewer. If your fretting hand is gentle, and you don't bend strings at all that's probably not an issue but I've seen enough chewed up frets from RS-66L to know it's a common issue. Of course, most stainless strings will do that to some extent.

John

 

[Rocky]

I haven't used them in awhile, but my major complaint was consistency or rather the lack of it plus they are expensive. I actually bought a set once and every string was dead! I much prefer d'Addarios if I was to use a roundwound as they are cheaper which allows more frequent changes, and they are much more consistent in quality. I am only using Fender 9050ML's at this point. I am mostly playing Blues these days and in my opinion flats sound better as well as last for much longer.

 

[Meatrus]

I wouldnt say theres enough hate for them on here to get bothered about, a lot of people here love them, some hate them, thats the same with most strings.

I personally dont mind that they are rough, as I think the fret eating thing is only for vintage basses. Frets arent as soft as they used to be, as they used to have more Nickel in them. I have used them for a good few years playing aggressively, bending etc with no fret ware, same with anyone I have spoke to who isnt more advanced in age.

And the dying thing is over exaggerated to say the least, they dont DIE, they lose a bit of their edge, then still sound as good as anything else. You know when they die (4 months or more), they sound like someone farting.

IMO and IME and all that.

 

[Deep]

My experience with Rotosound RS-66 is that they do die faster than other strings. It's likely that some folks like how they sound when they're aged quite a bit, but I didn't. I sold strings (managed a guitar store for 11 years) and tried about three sets over a span of time and had the same issues. One gig the guitarist asked why my sound changed with every song on the first set. John Entwistle (how seemingly helped design them) said they didn't last long, Anthony Jackson used to change them every TAKE in the studio, and Chris Squire said he changed them every day.

BUT- they have a very characteristic sound that I've not found in any other string. It's not one I want for myself, but it's a great sound. My take is that if the strings that give you the sound you need don't last long, then you just resign yourself to changing strings a lot.

As for the feel, I don't know because it's been decades since I used a set. But the alloy they use combined with the coarseness of the outer wrap wire combines for their deserved reputation as a fret chewer. If your fretting hand is gentle, and you don't bend strings at all that's probably not an issue but I've seen enough chewed up frets from RS-66L to know it's a common issue. Of course, most stainless strings will do that to some extent.

John

Haven't used them in years, but they feel unfinished or unpolished which makes them feel more coarse then some other SS rounds I've used. Almost like a coarse file (to me anyway), but they do have THAT sound. I would say it's THE classic roundwound sound. They do seem to mellow down rather quickly which can be a good thing for some players unless they have to have that extreme edge to them.

 

[Prodigal Son]

Different strokes for different folks. C'est la vie. I use Rotosound RS-66 and the only improvement I made was to go from the medium gauge to the heavy gauge. The extra tension really helped clean up my E string response.

As far as the complaints, after many, many years (at least 15+) my frets were a little chewed up. I just got a fret job. On not lasting as long, to me putting on a new set of Rotosounds is like getting a haircut. It looks/sounds a certain way when its new. Over a few weeks or months, it changes but still looks/sounds good. After awhile you know you need a new one and when you get it, you feel good all over again.

 

[kjpollo]

When I was single and had extra $$ most of the time, I used them a LOT. I love the sound of a brand new set.
However, I've used them once in the last 8-10 years. I shipped a set to Tom Clement when he was finishing my custom bass. They sounded great but when they crapped out after about 2 months, I replaced them with DRs and I dont plan on getting them again anytime soon.
A one-time indulgence for my brand-new bass!

 

[Deep]

Different strokes for different folks. C'est la vie. I use Rotosound RS-66 and the only improvement I made was to go from the medium gauge to the heavy gauge. The extra tension really helped clean up my E string response.

As far as the complaints, after many, many years (at least 15+) my frets were a little chewed up. I just got a fret job. On not lasting as long, to me putting on a new set of Rotosounds is like getting a haircut. It looks/sounds a certain way when its new. Over a few weeks or months, it changes but still looks/sounds good. After awhile you know you need a new one and when you get it, you feel good all over again.

Great analogy

 

[bassophil]

I don't understand why people complain about strings dying within the first couple of hours.
Every roundwound strings I tried, wether nickel, nickel-stainless or pure stainless, lost that very bright "zing" within one or two rehearsals/gigs. Important is how they sound after the "zing" is gone, at least to me because I can't afford a pack of strings a week.

And when we're talking about the time after the "zing" the Rotosounds I played didn't die earlier than others (only 66 Swing).

 

[Craig_S]

I hate the way they grab my fingertips. The Swing Bass 66 sets I bought always felt like sandpaper, to me. They died after one night's use. I can't stand 'em. I've never understood what people see in them.

The closest I've come to liking stainless strings, at all, is the DR Fat Beams that came with a used Stingray and D'Addario Pro Steel. The Fat Beams sound amazing. Truly great strings.

 

[Fletcher Lanning]

I think the issue is that there aer two completely different sets of people who play Rotosounds. Group 1 plays them for the sound they have right out of the box (bright, 'zingy', cutting, etc.); these people have a love\hate relationship because they lose that sound relatively quickly.

Group 2 (people like me) play them for the sound that they have after a few days of playing. I love these strings because they hold that sound for a long time.

 

[gidbass]

I think the issue is that there aer two completely different sets of people who play Rotosounds. Group 1 plays them for the sound they have right out of the box (bright, 'zingy', cutting, etc.); these people have a love\hate relationship because they lose that sound relatively quickly.

Group 2 (people like me) play them for the sound that they have after a few days of playing. I love these strings because they hold that sound for a long time.

Amen. I am a group 2 member....

 

[eddievanbassman]

I love ROTOSOUNDS

 

[SanDiegoHarry]

I played rotos for YEARS, until I switched to DRs - - and only because they went through a real quality problem back in the early '90s did I bother to try DRs.

And, for what it's worth, my favorite recordings were done with Rotos - when they are right, they sound *great*.

 

[MRDOOM]

I used to have rotos on my Ibanez GIO soundgear. they sounded fine and lasted a while. The only complaint I have about them is that they seemed really rough.

 

[tjclem]

"I hate the way they grab my fingertips. The Swing Bass 66 sets I bought always felt like sandpaper, to me. "

Exactly!

 

[babaseen]

Different strokes for different folks. C'est la vie. I use Rotosound RS-66 and the only improvement I made was to go from the medium gauge to the heavy gauge. The extra tension really helped clean up my E string response.

Interesting...I've also been wondering about the Swing Bass 66 E string being not the same as years back. Maybe I will go heavier than the .105 E string gauge to prove this to myself.