RotoSound
Industry | Music |
---|---|
Founded | 1958 |
Headquarters | Sevenoaks, Kent, England, United Kingdom |
Key people |
James How (Founder) Jason How (Chairman) |
Products | Guitar strings |
Website | http://www.rotosound.com/ |
RotoSound is a British guitar and bass string manufacturing company based in England.
History of Rotosound
Started in the late 1950s by James How - a musician and engineer by trade. How started manufacturing music strings for many famous artists across the world. It is still a family run business. All Rotosound strings are made in England.
Rotosound's trademark Swing Bass string set was first produced in 1966. John Entwistle of The Who came to the Rotosound string factory looking for an even-sounding, heavy roundwound bass string. Entwistle spent the afternoon there, trying string after string before settling on a set that would become known as Swing Bass 66. A fake jingle for RotoSound can be heard on The Who's 1967 album The Who Sell Out, immediately preceding "I Can See For Miles". This jingle would later be covered by the American band Shellac on their album Excellent Italian Greyhound.
Jaco Pastorius was also a dedicated user of Swing 66 bass strings.
Notable Rotosound users
- Michael Amott (Arch Enemy)
- Zeta Bosio (Soda Stereo)
- Jean-Jacques Burnel (The Stranglers)
- Cliff Burton (Metallica)
- Stanley Clarke
- John Deacon (Queen)
- John Entwistle (The Who)
- Herbie Flowers
- Guthrie Govan
- Julian Neville (Turrentine Jones)
- Colin Greenwood (Radiohead)
- Fernando Guillen (INK) (SwingBass66)
- Steve Harris (Signature Set)
- Jimi Hendrix (Medium Strings)
- Alex Hutchings
- Ryan Jarman (The Cribs, Exclamation Pony)
- James Cashman (Altamonte, Brooklyn Electric Co.)
- John Paul Jones (Led Zeppelin)
- Greg Lake (Emerson, Lake & Palmer)
- Geddy Lee (Rush)
- Phil Lynott
- Paul McCartney (The Beatles)
- Duff McKagan
- Brian May (Queen)
- Michael Paget (Bullet For My Valentine)
- Jaco Pastorius
- Louis Johnson (The Brothers Johnson)
- Mick Ronson
- Dave Sharman
- Billy Sheehan (SwingBass66)
- Chris Squire (Yes)
- Roger Waters
- Snowy White
- Doug Wimbish
- Eva Gardner [1]
- Jason Decay (Cauldron)
References
External links
- Official Homepage
- Jason How Interview - NAMM Oral History Library (2008)
- Martyn How Interview - NAMM Oral History Library (2008)