Solo Bass 55

The original pressure wound stainless steel bass string designed in the mid-1970s. Similar to Rotosound Swing Bass 66 strings but with a smoother feel. Due to rolling, mass is retained and therefore its brightness. Our half wound Solo Bass 55 strings eliminate finger noise, reduce fret wear, work well on fretless basses and excel in the studio.

Rolled, not ground

The search for a smooth finish led string makers to polish and grind their products. This process of creating ground wound strings negatively affects their tone by removing natural harmonics.

In 1977, James How patented his Linea™ finish which pressurised the crown of the string, thereby avoiding the removal of material. Result: a smooth string with a controlled coefficient of friction, maximum brilliance, and minimal fretwear.

For the players

Inspired by the penetrating tone of legends such as John Entwistle and Chris Squire, players worldwide have strung up their bass guitars with Rotosound strings.

The distinctive sound of our pressure wound Solo Bass 55 strings have been used by the bass-world’s biggest hitters such as Sting, Jack Bruce, Stanley Clarke, and Steve Kilbey. The green silk ends are hard to miss!

Great British quality

Manufactured in the UK to precise tolerances and using only the finest materials, you can rely on Solo Bass strings for consistent tone and performance in every packet.

Every Solo Bass 55 string is still hand made by highly skilled engineers on James How’s original machinery.

Iconic music strings

This innovation continues Rotosound’s proud legacy of cutting-edge string design that started with our roundwound strings in the sixties.

Developed in conjunction with some of the world's top artists, Rotosound strings are synonymous with timeless tone, longevity and rock history.

Started in 1958 by James How, an engineer who made strings for his own instruments, Rotosound became known around the world for its superior quality products and famous endorsees such as Jimi Hendrix, Pink Floyd, and Queen to name just a few. The Who’s John Entwistle started a long partnership with James and helped develop the Swing Bass roundwound strings which have become the industry standard.

Gathering the most prominent artists over the following decades from Jaco Pastorius to The Edge, Oasis to Guthrie Govan, Rotosound has been the go-to string for every music generation.

• 5-string bass strings
• Rolled strings reduce finger noise
• Smooth feel
• Bright sound
• Hard hitting tone
• Handmade in Britain
• Factory-fresh foil packaging