JASON HOW OF ROTOSOUND STRINGS

Rotosound, a British guitar and bass string manufacturer, was founded in 1958 by James How, a musician and engineer based in Kent, England. Inspired by his frustration with sourcing strings for his zither, How began crafting his own, initially using nylon sewing yarn and electrical fuse wire. This led to the creation of Orchestral & Jazz Strings, later rebranded as Top Strings, Rotop, and finally Rotosound by 1963, a name derived from the Latin "Roto" (round) and the strings’ full, bright sound.

In the early 1960s, Rotosound gained traction in London’s rock scene, supplying strings to iconic acts like The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, The Shadows, and orchestras such as the London Symphony Orchestra. They also produced strings for the Vox Organ and Burns Guitar Company. The company’s breakthrough came with the development of the roundwound bass string, pioneered in 1962 and refined in 1966 with The Who’s John Entwistle. Entwistle collaborated with How to create the RS66 Swing Bass strings, seeking a balanced, heavy-gauge, stainless steel set with a bright, piano-like tone. This innovation, featured on The Who’s 1967 album The Who Sell Out with a spoof jingle, became a cornerstone of the “British Tone” and was adopted by bassists like Chris Squire of Yes and Jaco Pastorius.

More about Rotosound at www.rotosound.com