Black Nylon Bass Strings!?

Taking a set of Rotosound RS88LD Black Nylon Tapewound bass strings for a spin! Do they sound like a double bass? Let me know!
Gear to demo is expensive! Buy me a beer! www.buymeacoff...
These strings look awesome and you can get them here: www.thomann.de...
Follow me on Instagram! @olivertobyn

[@bolt4694]

I put Labella nylon wound strings on all five of my basses. Acoustic and electric basses. Love them. Easy on the fingers. They last for years. Easy to keep clean. Solid bass sound without the rattle and trebly clang of round wounds. After playing one of my basses, every one of my bass players friends switched to tapewounds.

[@veglord_the_profane]

Thank you for showing these strings with distortion and playing riffs with a more rock-ish character. Literally the only video that actually shows that.

[@adamgordon]

They sound so vintage. Lovely review. Keep up the great work!

[@1thess523]

That was the perfect first song to play with those string, Love Cats 👌

[@OliverTobyn]

Haha thanks! I think they used an actual double bass on the record, and since these strings supposedly emulate that sound I thought I'd try it

[@1thess523]

@@OliverTobyn i believe you are correct on the double bass

[@billd.4701]

At 3:55 the bass run is from The Blues McGoos ( Ain’t Got Nothing Yet ) 1967. Thanks for that run.

[@will2741]

Summertime by Ricky Nelson was first

[@user-nq1rd8li5t]

yep. After 3 months of playing these string I can honestly say I will be playing these again for sure

[@edwincancelii2917]

I love the sound of those bass guitar strings.

[@moonchild4806]

I used to have a set on my fretless precision before I gave it a new neck, I think I preferred the flats with that bass. However, I currently have an old Teisco that I have strung up with tapes, and I gotta say I love them on that bass. I can get real vintage muted sounds and some real old school punk gritty tones if I dig in. Versatile set of strings!

[@OliverTobyn]

They definitely sound cool on some things but I don't feel I'd use them for most things. Cool vintage and warm sound though!

[@alecmullaney7957]

Funny, precision basses got their name because they were fretted, allowing bassists to play with precision. A fretless P bass makes me smile

[@kevinbrianjohnsonmusic]

I love these. Couldn't find them the day I needed them and got D'addario. Those are great too.

[@asuntos.publicos]

They work great on my Fender Precision Fretless, They really Rock and Jazz On!

[@pirateshack9315]

I've been using Labella black nylon strings since the 70's ! They're on everyone of my basses to this day

[@dubjedi3108]

I used to use rotosound flats and had no issues. I then tried these black nylon 88s. First thing I notice was how much thicker the E string was ( I guess the clue was in the packaging) and would need to adjust the slot width in my nut to properly accommodate the thicker gauge......but anyway they certainly felt very smooth and the tone was much like an upright bass (depending on your tone settings and playing style). However, the main issue I had was the tuning! They seem to produce overtones resulting in a very slight subtle chorus effect so I found ibwas forever tuning. I've since switched to LaBellas and apart from the high price I would say the LaBellas are the best flats I've used

[@clarksonbarry]

Used to play country in Liverpool during the 60's, on electric (Home made) and double bass This sounds a pretty close to my old memories. Amazing, and much easier on the fingers !

[@thomasfioriglio]

Nice Love Cats by The Cure! I use Fender 9050 flats. I know some players who use tapewounds and love them. Hmm will have to think about it. Nice demo. Thanks!

[@OliverTobyn]

Thanks for watching! They are similar to flats, maybe a notch or to mellower

[@1thess523]

I think he played Jumping Someone Else's Train in another video 👌, so far everyone of his videos is enjoyable 👍

[@OliverTobyn]

@@1thess523 yeah, I've been playing a few bits and pieces from The Cure every now and then. Definitely have been one of my biggest influences!

[@ThatImmo]

I have those on my Fender Telecaster tribute frankenbass (same set for 11 years already) and Peavey T-40 (5 years or so). They are indestructible, sound awesome and I will never switch to other strings on these two basses. They can do anything from emulating double bass to funky grooves to doom metal fuzzy gloominess. They are bad for slapping and tapping, though. But I don't care, I don't use neither of these techniques. Definitely my favorite strings next to GHS Precision Flats.

[@classicalthrasher]

For some reason, I still dig these strings a *lot*. They are not as dead as some may think, though the tone pot doesn't do too much vs, say a Roto Swing Bass 66 set. Like your samples prove, you can really play anything with them with the proper playing and gear adaptation. I personally love flatwounds, but can use roundwounds and tapewounds no problem! Have been using my "roundwounds bass" more than any other as of late, but absolutely *love* the RS88 set on my short scale (RS88S). Also have the Tech21SH-1, but haven't tried it yet with tapewounds, as my shortie will get a bridge and string change soon. Hoping for a great fit. But ultimately it is in our hands and personal style (perhaps sadly, I more or less sound like myself with these three types of strings, and on different basses, despite the obvious sonic differences.) The feel of the tapewounds is special-amazing once you get used to it-IMHO. 👍

[@michaelparsons5352]

Thanks. Great video, great tones. I have been hunting for this style string since coming across a bass strung with them about a month ago. I found your video very informative 👍

[@charleskleesattel6477]

Good review thanks. And thanks for making the post about the strings and not about your chops.

[@mickavoidant4780]

I swapped out years-old nylon wounds for new. There was no difference at all in tone.

[@Pavel_Franta]

because the nylon strings sound like the most worn round wounded :D ( like any dead strings :D )

[@bolt4694]

Same here. They never wear out. Even after ten years of play.

[@erichouser7756]

Same story here. Clean with damp cloth, continue

[@darthcalculusmusic]

Thank you for this. I saw 0.135 and thought these were really heavy, high-tension strings. Dodged a bullet there.

[@OliverTobyn]

Yeah I thought the same as well, but it's actually to compensate the different tension nylon has. I'd say the set I try here is comparable to a 45-105 set in tension. Though of course the strings do feel thicker

[@Hic_Rhodus]

Just wanted to say that that is one of the nicest sounding tones I've heard from any P-Bass. 👍 Is that an "off-the-shelf" fender? Or have you changed in your own pickups?

[@OliverTobyn]

Hi there, thanks! The body is from Warmoth, it's a swamp ash P bass body in a candy purple finish, the neck is from a MIM Steve Harris P Bass and the pickups are from a Duff McKagan signature bass. It's a frankenbass, haha

[@Hic_Rhodus]

@@OliverTobyn Ha... Thanks. You've stumbled on a magical cocktail of ingredients (especially with those strings). Did you actually use those strings much... or did you quickly move on after this review test?

[@OliverTobyn]

@@Hic_Rhodus I did have fun with them for a few months, but then took them off. I really prefer the nice sound of stainless steel strings

[@jakechavez1322]

@@OliverTobyn yooo i have my own duff mckagan signature so this’ll help a lot finding strings

[@M_EvoBass]

Excellent demo. Thats the most double bass tone Ive heard from any other string type. ...and this is why we end up with a dozen different instruments 😖

[@M_EvoBass]

Nice bass btw 😉

[@aaroncrain5892]

Leading in with "The Cure - Love Cats" at the 2:30 minute mark def. earned a subscribe,

[@Wintermute0168]

Anyone play Salsa with these?

[@FlamesAt1000ft]

I feel that they really suit a Precision Bass!! I use them on my Gregg Benett Fretless Acoustic Bass Guitar and they feel good & sound great!! 😁👌🏾

[@ac81017]

Graham Maybe i believe used these kind of strings back in the late 70's. Check out the Joe Jackson I'm a man album. I just love the bass playing and sound on that album.

[@Damage_Kase_99]

2:43 “unchain the colooooooooors. Before my eeeeeeeeyes”

[@funkypunk1001]

I super appreciate the demo. I was curious as to what they sounded like. This is not a knock on you or your gear or playing AT ALL but I hate those strings. I can tell you had to CRANK the treble and tone nob just to get any definition out of them to the point where all I could hear was clickety clack of you fretting the neck. Same issue I have with flatwounds on a fretted instrument. In a band setting you'll have to roll back the tone nob and kill your sound or keep the tone and treble cranked while the audience listens to fret clanking.

[@hpk4917]

Hello, very nice Video. The Strings lie realy well over the board. May i ask what distance you have approximately???

[@user-nq1rd8li5t]

Just grabbed myself a pack, will be fitting them on over the nxt few days, will let you know what I think, currently playing Fender super 7250s and before those I had D'addario XLs on

[@vitalepitts]

thank you for showcasing with overdrive

[@DavidHab]

What do you thing about this strings? Are they good for playing iron maiden ? And how long they will stay fresh ? Thank you ! Great video.

[@tristanstephens3322]

These sound amazing 🤩

[@All-In-All-The-World]

I use nylon on my acoustic guitar now. I prefer em much more. Gotta try on bass

[@mikez1975]

Do I hear Edge of the World at 3:28? just yesterday i put a set of black tapewound Labella 50-65-85-105. I put them on a 70s Jazz Bass. I had to much upbow in my neck and didnt feel like taking off the neck to adjust the truss rod and put these on. They have less pull on the neck so made relief perfect. They sound really good on the Jazz bass and the labella D and G strings are also much brighter than the E and A. I saw how much tension your strings have so you can imagine how much these 50 to 105s flop around. But I love them. Very percussive sound with the right hand.

[@OliverTobyn]

Haha you hear correctly! I don't feel they have that much tension, I'd say it's even less than their 50-110 flatwound set!

[@peterb1543]

Great sound

[@Nick_garcia-bs4]

Sounds pretty much in between a normal bass and a fretless... right ?

[@paulsummerside]

I’m sold….!!! Might have to invest in some for one of my basses.

[@user-fx8zt8qh1o]

Hi Oliver! How do these feel in comparison with Labellas 60-115? I mean on fingers, the fretting, the plucking? I've read rotos are really stiff and make it hard to play fast licks. Any ideas?

[@OliverTobyn]

I actually have a set I yet have to try. I'll let you know when I do!

[@nunoharris]

Hi. Do you prefer more this Rotosound Tapewounds or the Labella Tapewounds? Thanks

[@LucaTheStar]

It's probably a bit early to ask but how's the longevity? Do they last as long as normal strings or do they need to be changed more often? Great review btw :) I really enjoyed your playing too.

[@OliverTobyn]

Thank you! I've had them for about three months now, and they lost a bit of that initial brightness, but they still sound fine, I'm assuming most people who would choose these prefer that darker, duller sound

[@LucaTheStar]

@@OliverTobyn Thank you for the fast answer, keep being awesome

[@OliverTobyn]

@@LucaTheStar thank you so much for the support! Unfortunately I have been without pc for three weeks now and my laptop is unable to render videos, so I'll have to wait until I get it back 😔

[@alecmullaney7957]

@@OliverTobyn try editing off of an SSD. This can drastically lower render and save times if you buy a solid state external hard drive, and you can buy them for ~$100 or less.

[@OliverTobyn]

@@alecmullaney7957 haha in the meantime I built myself a desktop and went totally crazy with it. PCIe 4.0 SSD, AMD Ryzen 9 CPU. I might even venture in the PC branch on youtube now hah

[@JesusChrist5000]

makes the bass look better if your fretboard is maple

[@JesusH.Tap-Dancingchrist7328]

Awesome sounding strings. Gonna order a set now. What song is the third little riff from please? Starts just after the 3 minute mark.

[@OliverTobyn]

Thanks for watching! It's London Calling by The Clash

[@lesperke]

Hell yea I’m putting these on my fretless bass

[@mikechecka292]

Might have to grab a set of these. I have GHS Precision Flats on a couple of my basses and they sound great. I threw a set on a Schecter Stiletto and they sound like roundwounds on that bass but the bass could make rubber bands sound bright. I definitely noticed increased tension with the flats and actually busted the E tuning machine before I could get it in tune (previous owner was really hard on the bass). I have some passive basses that sound great with flats so am gonna have to try a set of these. Thanks ffor the review.

[@OliverTobyn]

Thanks for watching! Yeah some basses do sound bright, regardless of what you do, and need a bit of compensation elsewhere. About the tension, it really depends on a few factors, in general flats tend to be quite stiffer

[@coolcataye]

Would this gauge size fit a squire classic vibes 50 bass?

[@naturalrestingface4909]

I wonder if you could use these on a Gold Tone M Bass? The rubber strings sound great but are really weird to play!

[@jmaguilarr]

For a woody sound works fine

[@Nino5i]

I put these strings in a acustic bass

[@davidgoode7416]

Awesome!

[@nunoharris]

Hi. Are these strings good for Beatles and 1960's songs? Thanks

[@OliverTobyn]

Yes, absolutely. Paul McCartney used these very ones on some Beatles albums

[@emmanuelabdonpizarro8158]

I will order this !!!

[@murphymoe753]

Yes ill give them a try don't want much tone tho looking for a deep sound

[@dianetscherne1348]

Did you have to reset up the bass coming from 105 steel strings ?

[@OliverTobyn]

Yeah, some adjustment was definitely needed

[@joachimpeiper8076]

Which song/riff is that your play after the London Calling?

[@OliverTobyn]

Metallica - Orion

[@SimonMls]

..Bel Video!!! Bravo..Le Uso da un po' di tempo anche io Su uno dei miei Bassi..mi piacciono parecchio!!!! Ah..Comunque il Suono di "Remember Tomorrow" e' identico!!!!! 🤣🤣🤣🤣

[@OliverTobyn]

Ti ringrazio molto! Sono molto fighe, nonostante siano molto diverse da ciò che uso abitualmente. Il suono è identico perché con corde flat (anche nylon) e Precision e sei già a metà dell'opera haha

[@SimonMls]

@@OliverTobyn 😁😁😁😁😁 Esatto!!!! ne sa' Zio Steve 😉😉😉 Si cmq d'accordissimo..sono davvero delle ottime corde e a confronto con altre costano pure meno..✌️✌️✌️

[@thesisters1349]

Wow, u played Edge of the World by FNM! U just scored points with me dude...

[@OliverTobyn]

Haha very underrated song! I'm glad you appreciate it 😁

[@anderstromborgbrstrup4413]

When I put them on my P bass I noticed more noise/hum than from regular roundwounds... Did you notice the same noise increase?

[@OliverTobyn]

Yes, unfortunately a drawback is that the nylon insulates the string from being properly grounded at the bridge

[@anderstromborgbrstrup4413]

Its more electric noise, like if the ground connection is worse with theese strings..?

[@Gem-Ex]

@@anderstromborgbrstrup4413 same thing. Just expose the core at the bridge ;)

[@Jesuswinsbirdofmichigan]

​@@OliverTobyn#1_Aug06_2024_SavedMeFrom_Stupid_Thanks☑️🇺🇸

[@stevebadachmusic]

other people make these strings sound good, but i never liked the sound of them when i play them.

[@OliverTobyn]

Not my favourite type of sound, but they are cool for certain things nonetheless!

[@jeffparryncc1701]

Do you know any black nylon in 6 string? Thanks.

[@jdanielcramer]

Maybe LaBella 🤔

[@1848revolt]

Iron maiden riff.

[@nmonye01]

The lovecats

[@michaelfuria4257]

close enough.

[@k_levande]

So… I can’t cut these strings right?

[@OliverTobyn]

The yellow part yeah, the rest no

[@k_levande]

@@OliverTobyn Okay. Thank you for your response

[@nicoloderossi3888]

In pratica diventano un contrabbasso finche non ci colleghi un preamp... Molto carine ma vincolatissime a certi generi

[@yoshabeethoven7980]

Nggak ada yg bener referensi bass gw skrg ajg, kyk kancut aja referensi, bikin males maen bass gw

[@gabrielesquaratti5709]

they sound so dry.

[@TedMabbatt]

The gauge is way too much. They are not seated in the nut despite what you say. You can easily see that.

[@OliverTobyn]

The nut is very low on this bass, so the strings normally sit higher than usual. What I mean is there are no gaps under the strings, as it usually happens when the string gauge is too big and the nut requires filing.