Cleartone Strings

Craig_S · #1 05-24-2009, 11:33 PM

Fuggin' rock. Seriously! I'm glad I tried 'em. I've had them on my Jazz for about a month or better. They sound great.

dhomer · #2 05-25-2009, 10:00 AM

I've had a set on my fiver for a couple months now. So far so good. However, I shelled out over $50 for this set on the premise these will hold their tone longer than a year. If they don't I won't buy another set, I'll go back to the Pro Steels..

73jbass · #3 05-27-2009, 08:12 AM

I tried a set on one of my Sterlings,and I took them off.I just prefer Elixirs. Sounded almost identical,but I like the tension and feel of the Elixirs better.

Craig_S · #4 05-27-2009, 12:46 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 73jbass

I tried a set on one of my Sterlings,and I took them off.I just prefer Elixirs. Sounded almost identical,but I like the tension and feel of the Elixirs better.

They don't sound like the Elixirs at all, to me. They sound a bit brighter. I prefer the feel of the Cleartones. I like Elixirs on my SR5, but I haven't tried the Cleartones on it yet. I'm a fan of both brands.

Craig_S · #5 07-08-2009, 01:23 PM

Well, the E string has gone dead and the rest aren't far behind it. They don't last, nearly, as long as Elixir. The Cleartones don't sound bad when they're dead, but to me, D'Addario strings sound better than these--dead, that is. As much as I like the sound of these when they're fresh, I think I'd sooner buy my trusty D'Addarios in the future.

I'm currently experimenting with Dunlop nickels (45-105). I have them on two basses. We'll see how they work out. So far, so good!

kirkm24 · #6 07-08-2009, 05:22 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Craig_S

Well, the E string has gone dead and the rest aren't far behind it. They don't last, nearly, as long as Elixir. The Cleartones don't sound bad when they're dead, but to me, D'Addario strings sound better than these--dead, that is. As much as I like the sound of these when they're fresh, I think I'd sooner buy my trusty D'Addarios in the future.

I'm currently experimenting with Dunlop nickels (45-105). I have them on two basses. We'll see how they work out. So far, so good!

Are those the ones I sold you?

Craig_S · #7 07-08-2009, 05:52 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kirkm24

Are those the ones I sold you?

No. The ones that are on their way out are the first set I tried (on my Jazz). I put the ones from you on my SR5. They sound great on it. Seriously, they are really nice strings. I'm only slightly disappointed in them, after having used Elixir with such exceptional results.

The Cleartones sound really good for a reasonable amount of time. I got a lot of playing out of them, and they still sound good.

VroomVroom · #8 07-08-2009, 06:00 PM

Interesting - they're touted for amazing durability. I'm really happy with them. I've been running them on my Lakland for just more than a month now...lots of playing time...and they still sound great. My only beef with them...and this is a stretch...is that they sound a little bit more like SS strings than nickel ones.

I put a set on my Lull as well. The only bummer there...the 'B' wasn't long enough to go through-the-body. Plenty of grind, and lots of brightness - yet not enough to take away from the vintage-esque vibe.

Anyway, I'm a big fan - I didn't expect to like these nearly as much as I do. Also, for anyone like me who has an acoustic guitar that sits more than it gets played - Cleartones are a GREAT choice. I've had a set on for almost a year now and they still sound terrific.

Craig_S · #9 07-08-2009, 06:11 PM

Again, they sound great. I just killed 'em. It surely had to do with one 90 degree, 90% humidity, four hour hell gig. I got just over two months out of the set on my Jazz. I can't estimate the amount of playing time I got out of them, but it was my main player for the entire two months.

kirkm24 · #10 07-08-2009, 07:12 PM

I don't know what it was with those for me. They just sounded kind of honky I guess. I could have given them more time to settle in. I might give them a second chance down the road.

Craig_S · #11 07-08-2009, 07:53 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kirkm24

I don't know what it was with those for me. They just sounded kind of honky I guess. I could have given them more time to settle in. I might give them a second chance down the road.

It's that Columbus air that does it. You should move to Toledo and try them again.

kirkm24 · #12 07-09-2009, 05:04 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Craig_S

It's that Columbus air that does it. You should move to Toledo and try them again.

That's OK. I'm loving my Lo Riders too much.

Craig_S · #13 07-10-2009, 04:18 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kirkm24

That's OK. I'm loving my Lo Riders too much.

I have, yet, to try those. You use the nickels?

I still have the Cleartones on my Jazz, BTW. I might have to change my opinion on whether they sound good dead. They're not "thump" dead, they've just lost their top end zing. I think I still like them.

I know, I know...

I'm getting a really nice Jazz tone, leaning on the bridge pickup. I have Sadowsky pickups and a BadassII on my ash Jazz. Think Tal Wilkenfeld's recorded tone.