DR Black Beauties sound much deader than I expected...

AlmightyPancake · #1 09-03-2011, 12:02 AM

I have several shows coming up this month, and I was looking for a set of strings that would hold up through the shows without losing too much life. With a 6-string, full sets of strings aren't exactly cheap, so I've generally invested in Elixirs when I need string life for multiple shows.

However, I'd heard that the DR Black Beauties had a sound similar to that of DR High Beams, which I've used on plenty of basses. I loved how much bottom the High Beams had without sacrificing the slight bit of string noise/fret rattle that I love from new strings. I also heard the BB had an ultra-long life, and they look damn cool.

After opening the pack, giving my bass a fresh setup, swapping out the strings, adjusting pickup height, etc, I'm more disappointed than I have ever been with a set of strings. The tone is... well, it's dead--even unplugged. The two-month-old set I pulled off had more life to them than these strings. My slap sounds like I'm hitting old strings on a knock-off P-bass, using a pick sounds like cardboard, and harmonics have zero sustain to them. To be fair, the fingerstyle sounds wonderfully smooth. If I were playing jazz and wanted to mimic an upright, these suckers would definitely fit the bill. But I'm playing modern alt-rock, and having to fill in a lot of sonic space with only one guitar as my competition.

The weirdest part is that the strings feel great.

So what gives? Did I get some dud pack and I'm just SOL now with a lost receipt? Is this the typical sound, and the long life is more indicative of the strings retaining the same sound for a long time rather than them having a "new" sound? This is honestly enough for me to put off buying DR strings forever, and they're the only strings I've ever really enjoyed the sound of aside from Elixirs.

kettch · #2 09-03-2011, 06:46 AM

I use black beauties on my 4-string all the time and they have always sounded great, sounds like you may have gotten a bad pack.

jebmd · #3 09-03-2011, 07:01 AM

If you love the bright tone of new set of SS or nickels, coated strings are never going to appeal to you.

Nick901 · #4 09-03-2011, 07:03 AM

What bass did you put them on? I just bought a set of Black Beauties for my 4 string Rickenbacker. Should I worry?

mmbongo · #5 09-03-2011, 09:18 AM

I've found that Black Beauties are very bass dependent. I didn't like them on my Warwick, but they were stellar on my Brubaker.

That being said, they sound NOTHING like Hi-Beams. They sound more like Sunbeams.

kettch · #6 09-03-2011, 09:49 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mmbongo

I've found that Black Beauties are very bass dependent. I didn't like them on my Warwick, but they were stellar on my Brubaker.

That being said, they sound NOTHING like Hi-Beams. They sound more like Sunbeams.

+1

Phendyr_Loon · #7 09-03-2011, 10:00 AM

Through my experience with coated strings, putting any type of coating between the bare windings of the string and the pickups is most always going to result in a "dead" Or slightly muted tone compared to uncoated strings.

I did, however, put DR BB on my Fender active deluxe with a maple FB and it did bring the "bite" in the tone down a bit. That bass was way too bright with uncoated SS strings but I wasn't ready to venture into nickel territory just yet.

Plus the BBs look BA.

AlmightyPancake · #8 09-03-2011, 10:04 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Phendyr_Loon

Through my experience with coated strings, putting any type of coating between the bare windings of the string and the pickups is most always going to result in a "dead" Or slightly muted tone compared to uncoated strings.

I understand that. This isn't "slight."

Oh well, I got a bad pack. It happens sometimes I suppose.

stiles72 · #9 09-03-2011, 10:12 AM

My experience with DR Black Beauties is exactly as you describe. However, for my ears, it's a good thing.

I was afraid to use them because they were coated and billed as staying brighter longer. To me, quite the opposite is true. They are very warm sounding out of the box and only get better with age. By the time you get a good wear pattern going on them (the silver of the strings showing through) is when they sound the best. Very mellow, and they give my Thunderbirds a very deep, woody, almost acoustic tone. In fact many sound guys think I'm actually using tapewounds. I personally dig em and won't use any other strings on my birds...

GBassNorth · #10 09-03-2011, 10:17 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kettch

+1

+ another 1
I use BB all the time to calm down overly bright basses. I love them on my Stingray 5 and used them with great success on my G&L 2500 with maple FB. They are a much more mellow string than Hi Beams. In fact about the only way you can get a darker more mellow tone is to go with tape wounds or certian flats. They are very bass dependent and in my opinion dont work well on mid heavy or bass heavy tone basses, too muddy for that. But they bring a treble heavy bass right in line for me. I don't play with a pic and I don't slap so I can't help you in that department, just fingers for me.
PS - you really have to follow the instructions on installing these things more than any other string I've used. If you don't crimp the end before you cut the string to length it will almost always go dead when you put it on. I guess the windings loosen up easier with all that coating or something.

gunlak · #11 09-03-2011, 10:22 AM

try putting them on another bass if you can,
when i put my DR's on my P, the D String is very dead, but when i put it on my jazz, it's all ok.

mmbongo · #12 09-03-2011, 11:46 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by AlmightyPancake

Oh well, I got a bad pack.

The chances of that happening is pretty much zero, unless they were not stored correctly or were submerged in water during shipping or something. Where did you buy them from?

arsie · #13 09-03-2011, 07:03 PM

The Bass Whisperer Reports: DR Strings | Bass Emporium Blog

From the comparative audio clips, I think they sound more mellow than the flatwounds with fingerstyle, but brighter with pickstyle and slap. Which is not a bad place to be for a set of strings.

I agree, with the above, unless storage was dodgy, it is more likely that one string goes bad than a whole pack. However, it does seem that coated strings have more chances of lemons than regular ones, if the anecdotal evidence from TB is anything to go by.