Yes it was a very pleasant suprise . I had an unopened set of the Roto 77 and thought why not . Different techniques pick to finger style and it was the wow moment , they stay on the Decade .
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Why do so many players love flats?
- Thread starter RVRSCO
- Start date
I love threads where someone who doesn’t like something wants those who do to justify it to them. Not playing the game. Don’t like flats? Don’t get them.
In addition: If you don't agree with the answer? Don't read it.
I like flats. It's like discussing about what's the best bass or guitar... Most of it is personal preference and feel. A friend of mine plays a Squier J bass and likes it. I play an American P bass and I love it. Some may not agree and I'm fine with it.
I'm currently playing Ernie Ball Cobalt Flatwound. I would like to replace them with something a bit more flexible. How are the Rotosound 77?
"Flexible" not in the sense of "versatile" but in the physical sense, as in soft-feeling, pliable? If so, the Rotosound Jazz Bass 77 are the opposite of what you want, by all accounts.
Just get the Ernie Ball Extra Slinky Flatwounds (set 2815, gauges 40-60-70-95; if you play a 5-string, add the sole low B available, a 130, buying it as a single, or re-use it if you already have it).
Failing the above, the next step in flexibility is Thomastik-Infeld Jazz Flats.
[If you did mean "versatile"... Well, one step at a time.]
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Thanks for your suggestion.
Yes, a bit more pliable is what I meant. I will try the Ernie Balls, I do like the brand as it is what I've been using on my electric guitars for years.
I've used them - and liked them - on my A-necked '78 Fender P-Bass for several years (and, no, they didn't hurt that Jazz Bass-sized neck at all). I also had them on an '18 Gibson Thunderbird for about 4 years (didn't hurt that neck, either). The Roto 77's are not very flexible - even when they aren't on a bass. When they're pulled to pitch? That will take a little more than 214 lbs. for a 4 string set. Which is a lot of tension. "Bridge cables" is an apt description. I liked them, and with how those bass's were set up they were no trouble to play. But, in my 50+ years of experience with all kinds of flats, I have to say; no, Roto 77LDs are not flexible. If you don't mind giving up the brightness of the Cobalts, there are some modern, midrange-ey sounding flats that are pretty flexible. For that, I like Fender 9050Ls; Optima RBs; Dogal R44s; and, of course - TI Jazz Flats. Those, though, are just about as flexible as flats can get...
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John Entwhistle used Rotosound tapes on a Jazz for the solo on My Generation, and Graham Maby used the same on a P-bass for the Joe Jackson album Look Sharp. They sound pretty cool!
Herbie Flowers used Rotosound tapes on the top part of Take a Walk on the Wild Side. Jazz Bass. They are good sounding strings! Pretty thick gauge though.
Variety is the spice of life. Different basses, different strings, different amps, different music. Obviously no right or wrong. I use both.
Maby did.
Now, did Entwistle use Rotosound tapes on "My Generation"?
No, he went on record saying they were La Bellas.
Were they tapes, as we now commonly intend them?
...Maby. /Uhm, maybe.
See here:
Rotosound history: their first stainless steel bass strings?
^ In short, John Entwistle once called the La Bella strings he used on the Who's "My Generation" both 'tapewound' and 'flatwound' in the space of three sentences.
The thing is, metal flats were often called 'tapewound' (or alternatively 'ribbonwound') strings back then.
By way of example, here's a scanned copy of the Jan '62 issue of BMG, the longest running music magazine in the UK - check out the adverts for Cathedral "chromespun" and Monopole "chrome steel tape wound" strings. ROTOP "Goldentape" strings are featured as well:
https://www.classic-banjo.com/index.php?article_id=11&downloadpdf=196201
(They still are, occasionally, as also mentioned in the post linked to above.)
I hear ya!Maby did.
Now, did Entwistle use Rotosound tapes on "My Generation"?
No, he went on record saying they were La Bellas.
Were they tapes, as we now commonly intend them?
...Maby. /Uhm, maybe.
See here:
Rotosound history: their first stainless steel bass strings?
^ In short, John Entwistle once called the La Bella strings he used on the Who's "My Generation" both 'tapewound' and 'flatwound' in the space of three sentences.
The thing is, metal flats were often called 'tapewound' (or alternatively 'ribbonwound') strings back then.
By way of example, here's a scanned copy of the Jan '62 issue of BMG, the longest running music magazine in the UK - check out the adverts for Cathedral "chromespun" and Monopole "chrome steel tape wound" strings. ROTOP "Goldentape" strings are featured as well:
https://www.classic-banjo.com/index.php?article_id=11&downloadpdf=196201
(They still are, occasionally, as also mentioned in the post linked to above.)
Is anybody using foam mute like Nordmute or Ninomute with rounds to approximate the sound of flats?
I've used flats, I've used rounds and I have various mutes. It's not the same, I don't think you'll be happy with the results.
I tried a sponge mute with rounds but they sounded dead. I recently switched to TI Jazz flats and they sound very nice with a mute. The reason I use a mute (sometimes) is to mute the ringing and sustain.
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