DR Hi Beam convertee!

[McHack]

Ok, I'd been putting off re-stringing both my basses for a while now. I've been using the Lakland brand mediums on my 55-01. I had tried some GHS boomer nickles, but didnt really care for the feel or the sound, & missed how the bass sounded when I first got it... So, I just went right back to the Lakland brand.

On my Warmoth PJ, I had been using SIT Stainless Rock Brights. This was an experiment. These were WAY too bright, & picked up a ton of finger transfer noise... But, I LOVED the feel, so I kept them on, waiting for them to "loose some zing". After a YEAR, they never did... they just stopped intonating...

So, I had the idea, I'd go w/ DR Lo-Riders on my 55-01, & Hi-Beams on my Warmoth PJ, that way I'd get a taste of both. Only problem is, GC was out of Lo-Riders... so, I just went w/ Stainless Hi-Beams for both...

I must say, I'm pleasantly surprized, & now consider myself a DR convertee... This may sound rather haphazard, but the reason I choose them, was the continual rave reviews DR Hi Beams get around here... Thx everyone!

[cheezewiz]

Yep..Hi Beams are among my favorites too. Try the nickels if you want something a bit warmer. Both are great strings.

[KJung]

+1 I was turned on to Hi Beams due to my Celinder shipping with them installed. I loved the feel and sound... plenty of bright sizzle but very smooth on the fingers and frets. The bonus for me is that they really retain a measure of brightness much longer than other strings I've used (Fodera, Lakland, Sadowsky, etc.). Of course, they lose that new string sizzle as fast as any other string, but seem to maintain a nice top end for many gigs. I used to change strings about every 4th to 5th gig... I now get twice that many out of a set of Hi Beams

[Landyachtz]

+1, Hi-beams are great, and they also hardly ever break in my experience. I have never broke a G or C string with Hi-Beams, and I slap a lot.

[Modern Growl]

I don't get it... I've tried many many DR sets..
HI Beams, L-Riders, nickle/stainless ect.... I think they are an extremely average string. Nothing special whatsoever.

On all of the sets though I did notice the E string being much less bright, and wen't dead MUCH quicker then the rest of the set.

DR's just don't do much for me. Just an average string

No rotosounds on the other hand... whoaa!!!

[pickles]

Originally Posted by Modern Growl

I don't get it... I've tried many many DR sets..
HI Beams, L-Riders, nickle/stainless ect.... I think they are an extremely average string. Nothing special whatsoever.

On all of the sets though I did notice the E string being much less bright, and wen't dead MUCH quicker then the rest of the set.

DR's just don't do much for me. Just an average string

No rotosounds on the other hand... whoaa!!!

You and me just aint hearin the same thing DR beams are where its at, whether they are "high" or "fat".

Nickel lo riders are cool too.

We've all got different ears and hands.

[KJung]

Originally Posted by Modern Growl

I don't get it... I've tried many many DR sets..
HI Beams, L-Riders, nickle/stainless ect.... I think they are an extremely average string. Nothing special whatsoever.

On all of the sets though I did notice the E string being much less bright, and wen't dead MUCH quicker then the rest of the set.

DR's just don't do much for me. Just an average string

No rotosounds on the other hand... whoaa!!!

From what I remember on your previous posts, didn't you attribute the E string going dead to your incorrect way of installing strings, and that it happened with every brand you tried? Also, a string reacts very differently depending on the bass you have it installed on and your technique. It's actually somewhat surprising that you love Rotosounds (I assume the classic steel roundwounds) and don't like DR's, since those strings are somewhat similar.

[cheezewiz]

I don't think they are anything "special", but they sound good and work for me! They are usually my string of choice, along with Thomastik Infelds.

[slap_happy]

I'm on my first set of Hi-Beams right now. They sound great but I can't help feeling like their sticky. Not sticky like adhesive but they just catch my fingers as they move around - not nearly as slick. Anyone agree with me? (doesnt sound like it.)

[DavePlaysBass]

I get the impression that Hi Beam B strings are not the best. How do they stack up? Seems you would need a 130 on a 34" scale bass given the lower tension of the Hi Beams?

I have a desire to try Hi Beams and Ken Smith Steels. Anyone compare these two or ProSteels.

Dave

[pickles]

Originally Posted by DavePlaysBass

I get the impression that Hi Beam B strings are not the best. How do they stack up? Seems you would need a 130 on a 34" scale bass given the lower tension of the Hi Beams?

I have a desire to try Hi Beams and Ken Smith Steels. Anyone compare these two or ProSteels.

Dave

The DR low B on a 34" bass is just OK, but MUCH better than the pro steel in my book. I tried the .135 pro steel on a 34" bass and it was utterly unusuable.

The best B string out there for a 34" scale is the Sadowsky stainless.

Ken Smiths are good too. Check out the thread "best B string".

[pickles]

Originally Posted by slap_happy

I'm on my first set of Hi-Beams right now. They sound great but I can't help feeling like their sticky. Not sticky like adhesive but they just catch my fingers as they move around - not nearly as slick. Anyone agree with me? (doesnt sound like it.)

Compared to most other stainless strings, I find them much less sticky. Compared to any nickel string, yes they'll catch your fingers a little more. Once you get used to it, it can be a good thing for your note articulation.

[nowontonsforme]

Originally Posted by DavePlaysBass

I have a desire to try Hi Beams and Ken Smith Steels. Anyone compare these two or ProSteels.

Ive played all 3 and from what i remember the ken smith strings are very similar to the high beams with maybe a touch less 'zing' at the very top. prosteels have a thinner sound than the other two (in the mids and low mids). Id recommend adding MTD's to your list of strings to try as they are steel as well, and have a nice midrange punch or burp to em that distinguishes them from other strings IME.

theyre all steel strings, so they will be similar in a most ways, but the 'voice' of each string is slightly different.

[lneal]

I just put a set of Hi Beams on my Modulus Q5 and I'm very impressed with them so far. I've only had them on for 2 weeks but I think they're winning me over. I've been using Dean Markley Blue Steels forever and when my local music store was out of them I picked up the Hi Beams. To me, they seem to be a little less bright than the Deans, which is OK with me and my Modulus. I've also noticed that they seem to have more balls than the Deans which I've always thought sounded thin and "stringy".

The guy I was doing some recording with noticed the difference immediately. Color me.......a Hi Beam convertee!

[pickles]

Originally Posted by lneal

I just put a set of Hi Beams on my Modulus Q5 and I'm very impressed with them so far. I've only had them on for 2 weeks but I think they're winning me over. I've been using Dean Markley Blue Steels forever and when my local music store was out of them I picked up the Hi Beams. To me, they seem to be a little less bright than the Deans, which is OK with me and my Modulus. I've also noticed that they seem to have more balls than the Deans which I've always thought sounded thin and "stringy".

The guy I was doing some recording with noticed the difference immediately. Color me.......a Hi Beam convertee!

I actuallly really like the sound of OLD high beams on a Q5. Once the highs mellow out, but while they still intonate and sustain correctly .... thats one of the sweetest tones there is.

On all other basses I like fresh-ish beams, but a Q5 really growls with some older ones on there.

[Magneto]

It's funny that I ran across this thread. First off, I've only been back to playing bass for a little over a year. I've only tried about 3 different brands/gauges of strings on my bass since then. For the last few months I've been using Hartke x-light strings. Yeah, they are cheapos, and now I realize that sometimes you really do get what you pay for.
I finally broke down and decided to try a set of DR hi-beams. I went with the Light set (100-40) . I figured they would be the closest to the x-light Hartkes I had been using.
I almost don't know how to describe how great they sound on my bass.
First was the overwhelming sustain. Ok, I know what new roundwounds sound like.. Heck, that's why we buy them, right? But the sustain on the DRs was so much more.
At first I thought they were too growly, but after a couple of days of playing on them, they are still sustaining better than a NEW set of Hartkes, and the overall output is very balanced. The low E really comes through.. I actually had to make a slight pickup adjustment to compensate. I had been having problems with the E being weak.
The DRs seem to feel lighter, with less tension at the same tunings. They do feel rougher, and tend to amplify noises from fingering and sliding, but they've also a presence that I cannot remember ever hearing before. Geez, it's like having a new bass..
Took them to a jam gig last night and could not get over how my sound cut through. It was punchy, bright when I wanted it to be, but fat and warm too. I didn't know I could get all of these in one package...

Ok, ok.. I'm excited. Yes, I had been using cheap strings, so I don't really know what the other brands are all about. But I do know that I don't feel like I wasted any money on these DRs...

Mag...

[cheezewiz]

Welcome back. I tried a free set of those Hartkes and they were horrible. Almost as bad as Pro Steels.