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.

As more and more players sought the use of these roundwound strings James and Ron decided to create a new brand which summed up their innovation. Highlighting the strings’ distinct full, bright sound combined with the Latin verb for round, ‘Roto’, they called the new brand Rotosound.

Not content to rest on his laurels, James How patents even more string designs including the black nylon Tru Bass strings, created to reproduce the tonal qualities of an upright double bass.

John Entwistle begins a long association with Rotosound including helping to develop the RS66 Swing Bass sets. Entwistle recounts the story:

“It was in 1966 and I was looking for that Danelectro sound again. I tried everybody’s strings but the E and the A’s just didn’t work. It was the same with Rotosound but there was something about them that was almost there but not quite. To solve the problem I got in touch with James How and told him his D and G strings were great but the E and A didn’t vibrate properly. He told me to take my bass along to Rotosound and have some strings made until they got it right.

“After a couple of hours, we realised that the problem wasn’t in the wire winding, but in the core of the string. You could see that the strings vibrated in a big circle and that was wrong; the core needed to be thicker. We also made the overall gauges a bit heavier and they sent me away with 12 sets to use.

“A couple of days later they called and asked if I objected to them putting my name to the strings and selling them commercially. I told them I didn’t mind as long as they kept me supplied with free strings! But then we had to do the same with medium and short scale strings because I had loads of different basses by then. Those strings, the RS66 sets, were the first that vibrated properly.”

A booklet for the Rotosound ‘Rhythmlite’ unit

True to the spirit of the times, The Denmark Street shop sold Image lighting (those groovy psychedelic oil wheels that were so fashionable at the time), Pro Mark drumtsicks, Jenco Vibraphones, Marimbas and Celestes, and the Rotosound Rhythm Light which worked in sync with the music!

Jimi Hendrix & Noel Redding talk strings with Alan Marcuson March 1st, 1967.

Rotosound’s reputation for quality strings that delivered a knock-out tone brought in a number of new artists around 1967 and thanks to newly appointed marketing man, Alan Marcuson, we have these fascinating photos of rock royalty using Rotosound strings.

The Who release The Who Sell Out in December of 1967, which features a spoof jingle advert for Rotosound strings.

James How Industries sets up a new factory in Upland Road, Bexleyheath, and more people are employed to cater for the increasing demand for his strings.

A visit to the Japanese Trade Fair in Tokyo found that Rotosound’s efforts to export to Japan over several years had now given fruition with 100 stores in Tokyo and a further 200 throughout the country stocking Rotosound.

Yamaha used Rotosound as the strings they use on their best instruments as well as many other famous Japanese manufacturers too numerous to list.

Slade start using Rotosound strings and soon become one of the biggest British rock groups of the 1970s

Herbie Flowers with his Walk On The Wild Side bass during a Rotosound 1990s shoot

Transformer by Lou Reed is released featuring Herbie Flowers using RS88 Tru Bass strings. As one of Britain’s best-known session bass-players, Herbie performed with T Rex, David Bowie, Al Kooper, Harry Nilsson, Cat Stevens, and George Harrison.

2018 saw Herbie playing bass guitar on the 40th Anniversary UK Arena Tour of “Jeff Wayne’s Musical Version of H.G.Wells’ War of the Worlds” – which he also played on the original 1976 recording. His blue Fender Jazz Bass is still fitted with the black nylon and yellow silk Tru Bass strings.

Martyn and James How meet with Stanley Clarke up in London at The Old Grey Whistle Test whilst he was with the band ‘Return to Forever’

Paul Gray, bassist with The Damned and Eddie and the Hot Rods, keeping it cool with a pack of Rotosound Swing Bass strings

An advert in the back of the Thin Lizzy ‘Bad Reputation’ tour brochure

The Stranglers release Rattus Norvegicus. Bassist JJ Burnel powerful basslines come courtesy of Rotosound Swing Bass strings.

Rotosound employs the services of an exclusive USA distributor called Meisel Music in New York who have success in making Rotosound the top selling bass strings in the USA. Quite an achievement for an overseas company when the majority of the competition are all American brands!

The UK factory based in Bexleyheath at this time was working night shifts most of the time to keep up with demand.

Trade shows in Chicago, Atlanta and Los Angeles all helped to spread the word along with legendary bass players like Stanley Clarke and Jaco Pastorius.

The Linea™ concept is replicated throughout the Superwound range with the 505 series proving popular with Sting from The Police who are having massive worldwide success throughout the 1980s.

Superwound release a light-top, medium-bottom gauge of steel bass strings announcing that: “Mark King, Britain’s premier funk bass player, uses and recommends the Superwound 606F Funkmaster St, which is specially designed to meet the needs of his style and playing.”

Nickel plated 303 sets are also released shortly afterwards.

Brian May flashing a Gauge Selection pack at a tradeshow (Brian used the .009 for a B with a .008 used as the high E).

James How’s innovations continue with the development of black Spacer strings. The inventive use of anodised wraps on these strings prevent corrosion but it won’t be until 1989 when these are brought to market.

One of Rock’s most iconic bands, Guns N’ Roses, drop their acclaimed album Appetite For Destruction with bassist Duff McKagen using Swing Bass strings and joining the Rotosound family of artists.

Hard rock sweeps the guitar-world by storm and Rotosound gets picked up by the likes of many top bands of the genre. The Starfire Xtra-wrap electric guitar strings are made with a reinforced ball-end to handle the big bends, whammy bar dive bombs, and heavier playing style of the time.

Working closely with Rotosound, Billy Sheehan helps to develop the BS66 set, which uses a 0.043″ G string and a heavy E string.

The Spacer strings are also launched as the RS6006 range: “A Patented Black finish is integrated into the surface of our Special Stainless Steel and combined with high output undercovers to produce a brilliant string with enhanced fingertip response and feel.”

Krist Novoselic with Nirvana in 1991

The new decade is shaken up with the emergence of grunge and alternative rock bands from the States. The most prominent bands on the scene including Nirvana, Pearl Jam, The Screaming Trees, and Kyuss choose Rotosound strings.

Along with the new Roto electric guitar strings, the Roto Bass line is introduced offering the most popular bass gauges in a nickel wound construction.

Britpop bursts into the world and once again Rotosound is at the heart of an era-defining music scene. Bands are drawing inspiration from the sixties and groups such as Oasis, Suede, Pulp, Kula Shaker, Dodgy, Cast, Supergrass, Gene, and the Lightning Seeds naturally choose Rotosound strings to create their unmistakeable guitar tones.

Robert Smith and The Cure use Rotosound strings

An advert featuring Oasis’s Paul ‘Guigsy’ McGuigan. By this time Oasis are one of the biggest bands on the planet and Noel, Bonehead and Guigsy are all using Rotosound strings.

Picking up where his father left off, Jason How begins around 8 years’ of work designing, upgrading and building a completely new set of machines that now produce around 90% of the company’s output. These machines incorporate all the latest technology and ensure the company’s competitiveness continues along with unsurpassed consistency.

The introduction of new string making machines means that the company’s in a position to step up its exports, so takes on Zach Frederick to run Rotosound’s export business. This has proved very successful with the export turnover tripling since Zach and his team first came on board.

Productivity is now at its highest point in the history of the company. A more efficient production means that we can hold on to and control the manufacturing. All machinery is maintained to our highest standards and to our specifications. Many of which go back a long way in the companies history.

Guitar bands are back in the charts with indie acts such as Franz Ferdinand, The Cribs, Kasabian, Zutons, The Ordinary Boys, and Kaiser Chiefs continuing Britain’s rock legacy. Rotosound strings are once again contributing to the top groups of their era.

Even more new string sets are added into the product range, including British Steels, Tru Bronze and Pure Nickels. This is mainly due to demand and the capabilities now to produce a wider range of strings.

More accessories including guitar picks, guitar straps, guitar leads, tuners and capos are also added to the comprehensive string range.

Life-long Rotosound player Roger Waters commences the record-breaking world tour of his epic show, The Wall Live. Employing pyrotechnics, enormous puppets, dazzling visuals, and a phenomenal musical performance, the tour continued into 2013. Rotosound Jazz Bass 77 strings were on Roger’s bass on all 219 nights.

Signature electric guitar sets are released for some of Rotosound’s heaviest artists; Michael Amott (Arch Enemy, Carcass), Paul Allender (Cradle Of Filth) and Mikey Demus (Skindred). With their hybrid gauges, these strings lend themselves to drop tuning and aggressive playing.

Having invested in the tooling to make the Fuzz pedal it only seemed natural to bring out a complete range of other pedals. The plan was to replicate the ‘vibe’ of the late sixties and make the pedals very retro looking and sounding. John Oram (who was an apprentice electrical engineer at Vox in the late sixties) helps design six brand new circuits that are unique to Rotosound and the pedals are be manufactured at the factory in Sevenoaks.

Guitarist Rob Ackroyd and bassist Mark Saunders take to the Pyramid Stage at Glastonbury with headliners Florence and the Machine

Rotosound Diamond Anniversary advert featuring Living Colour’s Doug Wimbish