Black Beauties

barricwiley · #1 10-15-2011, 12:51 PM

I just dropped a set on my 4 stringer and have been playing on them most of the afternoon. So far can't say I like them al that much - thinking about changing out to a set of Chromes. Anyone her have the Beauties on and might share on opinion? Maybe I would like them better on a different bass, might find out.
Thanks.

Toolmybass · #2 10-15-2011, 12:59 PM

You may like them on a different bass. I tried them on my p-bass and didnt like them all that much either.

However on a vintage Ovation Magnum (that has a piano type tone, with an extremely hard ebony fretboard) they sound fantastic!

mmbongo · #3 10-15-2011, 03:29 PM

If you're expecting them to sound like Chomes, you bought the wrong string.

Chromes are flats...high tension, dead sounding.

Black Beauties are coated nickel roundwounds with round cores. Very bright, very low tension, lots of character and brightness.

CamiloDíaz · #4 10-15-2011, 03:34 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mmbongo

If you're expecting them to sound like Chomes, you bought the wrong string.

Chromes are flats...high tension, dead sounding.

Black Beauties are coated nickel roundwounds with round cores. Very bright, very low tension, lots of character and brightness.

Plus One

I recently changed from La Bella Deep Talkin Bass to Black Beauties, and I love them because they are very different form them, but that's pretty obvious. The main treat I like on them is the responsiveness to very subtle EQ changes, with I could not get from flatwound (wich I love, by the way).

Mirios · #5 10-15-2011, 03:39 PM

I recently put the Black Beauties on my Carvin SB5000 and I also love them. But I have come to dislike chromes on any of my basses so my tastes are obviously different.

Berger912 · #6 10-15-2011, 03:52 PM

i have talked to DR Strings and they tell me Black Beauties are stainless steel, basically Hi-Beams with the coating.

Bibby · #7 10-15-2011, 04:42 PM

Give them some time. Initially they feel like a weird mix of rubber and plastic. As a result they sound kind of artificial.

This goes away. Trust me. After a few weeks you have a nice roundwound that feels supple, is very musical, and lacks the annoying clank of a typical round. They stay that way for a long time.

One afternoon is not enough time!

jkramer5 · #8 10-15-2011, 04:43 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bibby

Give them some time. Initially they feel like a weird mix of rubber and plastic. As a result they sound kind of artificial.

This goes away. Trust me. After a few weeks you have a nice roundwound that feels supple, is very musical, and lacks the annoying clank of a typical round. They stay that way for a long time.

One afternoon is not enough time!

+1

Uncle Snake · #9 10-15-2011, 04:55 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Toolmybass

You may like them on a different bass. I tried them on my p-bass and didnt like them all that much either.

However on a vintage Ovation Magnum (that has a piano type tone, with an extremely hard ebony fretboard) they sound fantastic!

Wayyyyyy off topic here but I'd trade my mother for that bass......

96tbird · #10 10-15-2011, 06:48 PM

Put them on my jazz last week, they just get nicer and nicer. The coating wears smoother and less sticky feeling. Have that bass in your hands as much as possible and plunk away unplugged when watching tv, listening to tunes, etc. to work them in. I am getting into them. They're smoother feeling than nickels now. I love the sound too.

mmbongo · #11 10-15-2011, 06:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Berger912

i have talked to DR Strings and they tell me Black Beauties are stainless steel, basically Hi-Beams with the coating.

I've heard both. I asked Steve at DR and he said they were coated nickel, but other folks have said that DR told them they were coated steel.

No matter, they sound great

Berger912 · #12 10-15-2011, 07:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mmbongo

I've heard both. I asked Steve at DR and he said they were coated nickel, but other folks have said that DR told them they were coated steel.

No matter, they sound great

weird that DR themselves can't tell us for sure what they are, Stainless Steel or Nickel. the Neon strings are listed on their website as nickel, but if you go to their bass string catalog page black beauties aren't even listed. Weird

Bibby · #13 10-15-2011, 07:41 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Berger912

weird that DR themselves can't tell us for sure what they are, Stainless Steel or Nickel. the Neon strings are listed on their website as nickel, but if you go to their bass string catalog page black beauties aren't even listed. Weird

I agree, that is a little weird this day and age.

But I kind of like that the BB's are a mystery!

Toolmybass · #14 10-15-2011, 07:45 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Uncle Snake

Wayyyyyy off topic here but I'd trade my mother for that bass......

Think i have an old ad on here somewhere for that bass...thinkin of doing a video demo of it....cause it just sits in its case

I have never done it...but maybe you could re-string new strings on a different bass?

TinIndian · #15 10-19-2011, 08:25 AM

How well does the coating hold up on these. I had a set of Elixirs on my Ibanez stock and the coating started peeling almost instantly. Does the DR coating hold up better? What about with a pick? I have been playing Nickle Lo-Riders and I love these. How much different is the string tension between the 2?

lavmonga · #16 10-19-2011, 08:34 AM

I didn't like them too much when I first bought them (DR BBs), but I like them quite a bit nowadays. I think I just wasn't used to the sound they produced at first, but it grew on my and I figured out how to get everything sounding great.

tonedeaf · #17 10-19-2011, 08:42 AM

I've had black beauties and red devils. I like them because they are musical and articulate without being super clanky and/or zingy like a lot of new roundwound strings sound to me. They start sounding broken in quicker than other strings but don't die as fast to my ears.

Bassamatic · #18 10-19-2011, 08:56 AM

I have a black Foundation that I modified to all black - hardware, etc. and then put the Black Beauties on it as the finishing touch. They sound GREAT on the Foundation, deep and round and punchy, but I do notice more than average finger noise.

TinIndian · #19 10-19-2011, 08:56 AM

Does the coating have a peeling problem with a pick? I don't use one often but whatever the song needs and I'd hate to have that junk coming off the strings on me.

lavmonga · #20 10-19-2011, 09:00 AM

Black Beauties aren't coated with plastic or whatever they use on the older coated strings, it's more like they're coated in paint. And yes, it wears away with a pick. It doesn't mess with the feel, just the look.