Rotosound has been a mainstay of bassists since the earliest days of rock. Now they’re powering guitar players as well
(Image credit: Rotosound)
When it comes to tone, players can never spend enough time examining every last aspect of their gear – from guitars to amps to pedals – in search of the perfect sound.
But one essential determining aspect of tone that often gets overlooked? Your strings.
This goes well beyond string quality and string lifespan (nobody wants to play on a set of old, dead strings, right?) to the nuances of what you want to achieve in your sound, whether you desire something bright or round, mellow or cutting, soft or loud.
As a rule, bassists seem to be more conscientious than guitarists in their string material, construction, and gauge. But all of these qualities, and more, are relevant to guitar strings as well.
Rotosound strings are a mainstay of bass guitarists today, and it’s no wonder – the brand’s history and influence on rock ‘n’ roll stretches back to the music’s earliest days. For just a sampling of iconic records powered by Rotosound, look no further than the Who’s Who’s Next, the Beatles’ Abbey Road, Led Zeppelin’s Led Zeppelin III and Jimi Hendrix’s Electric Ladyland.
But Rotosound strings are not just for bass. Whatever your guitar tone needs, one thing’s for sure: Rotosound's guitar strings has you covered, from roundwound to flatwound, nickel to monel to steel. Rotosound has the string for you.
(Image credit: rotosound)
Rotosound was founded in 1958 by James How, an engineer and violinist, and continues to be run by Jason How, an engineer and guitarist.
If you’re desiring for that classic sound, a la the Who, the Beatles, Jimi Hendrix and Jeff Beck, Rotosound stainless steel strings, which offer a bright, cutting tone with a lot of pick attack and strong magnetic output due to the large ratio of iron in the alloy, are the best place to start.
Pure nickel strings, meanwhile, offer another traditional string making material popular with blues guitarists, with a soft, warm tone, low magnetic output and a very smooth feel.
Want a “best-of-both worlds” option? Try nickel-coated strings, which provide protection against corrosion and create a smoother feel, with balanced tone and a magnetic output that is less than stainless steel strings but more than pure nickel strings.
From there, Rotosound also offers monel – an alloy of nickel and copper with a high tensile strength and a warm to medium tone – options, as well as Type 52 alloy, a high-tech alloy used in the aerospace industry that brings more pronounced midrange and strong output.
And that’s just the beginning: You can also choose from Rotosound’s pioneering Roundwound construction, developed alongside Who bassist John Entwhistle in 1966 for a punchier, brighter tone; Flatwound construction, a traditional method utilizing flat “tape” wire for longer, more consistent tone; or Contact-core, another Rotosound innovation first seen in the company’s Piano String Design (PSD 99) and then Superwound strings. This construction leaves the core wire exposed on the instrument’s saddle, producing a brighter tone and stronger physical output.
To be sure, Rotosound’s offerings will address the needs of even the most particular guitarist or bassist.
Not sure where to start?
For a Standard/vanilla nickel-coated string, try Roundwound Roto guitar strings and Roto Bass strings.
A good stainless steel suggestion, meanwhile is Roundwound British Steel guitar strings and Swing Bass 66 bass strings.
Looking for a monel Flatwound? Try Top Tape guitar strings or Jazz Bass 77 bass strings.
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