Rotosound RS88LD eval = B-
Well, the stings I ordered came in today. Here is my initial evaluation:
I bought Rotosound RS88LD strings, $29.99USD from Musician's Friend:
I put them on a Takamine EG512CGAMQ Acoustic Bass Guitar.
My initial impression of the sound is that it is pretty good. Definitely more upright bass sounding than the brassy stock strings that I replaced. The volume is less when played unplugged, but I think that is to be expected. Plugged in they sound great. I did notice a little of the squeaking Steve mentioned above, but the on-board EQ on the bass was able to eliminate the majority of it with a little adjustment to the settings.
I think the quality control at Rotosound is not quite up to snuff. The A string had some slight imperfections in the nylon tape that I noticed once I had the strings under tension. A few small separations between the wraps and a spot that feels rough compared to the otherwise very smooth surface. It is pretty high on the fret board, where my left hand is not likely to go very often, but still I predict this where the string will wear out first.
The E string @ 115 just barely fit through the bridge of the guitar. In fact, the winding around the end, near the eyelet that keeps the string from pulling through the bridge, was much thicker in diameter and would not fit. So, I had to unwrap and remove some of the fibers and, with a touch of Vaseline for good measure, it finally went through and seated properly. Similar issues occurred at the top end of the fret board. The nut grooves were too narrow to accommodate the large diameter string, so a few passes with a small round file were needed.
Overall, my initial grade would be "B-". They seem good enough. I'll use them, but I now wish I had been a little more patient and not ordered these prior to Steve's LaBella recommendation. I think I will try those next time as opposed to purchasing the Rotosound again.
I'll use this bass in a song/video soon and update this thread so you can hear how they sound.