As the years went by James How invented and designed more and more strings, more machines and in 1958 James and brother Ron formed their own business in Blackfen, Kent called Orchestral & Jazz Strings. The first strings were branded ‘Top Strings’ which soon changed to ‘Rotop’.
Among the first clients were the Shadows, Beatles, Rolling Stones, London Symphony Orchestra, Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra, all strings for the Vox Organ Company, and for the Burns Guitar Company.