DR Low Beams to the rescue!

bassplayershane · #1 03-28-2009, 01:00 AM

I just put DR low beams on my Lakland 5501 and my god! Changed the feel and sound of my bass. I love it! I will always use hex-core strings on my basses now, and I think they'll always be DR's! Great tension, especially on the killer B!!!

Anyone else felt this way bout strings before?!!

Giggity!

JKambing · #2 03-28-2009, 01:38 AM

Hi mate. You're talking about DR Lo-Riders, right? Not trying to be sarcastic, but I got a little confused at first, having never heard about Low Beams. Think you may have gotten mixed up.

Anyway, people here say lots of great things about Lo-Riders, and I think alot of rock and metal players like it. Personally never used it, but that would be the first string I'd buy if I ever wanted a good round wound string (I always use Rotosound flats). Think they're a little hard to come by here in Singapore, though.

You using the steel strings, or the nickel ones?

Mike Shevlin · #3 03-28-2009, 01:39 AM

What the heck is a Low Beam??

JKambing · #4 03-28-2009, 01:46 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mike Shevlin

What the heck is a Low Beam??

As I said, I think he's referring to Lo-Riders. He must've gotten mixed up, since DR has another model called Hi-Beams".

bassplayershane · #5 03-28-2009, 02:17 AM

Yeh yeh!!! I meant Low Riders! Sorry! Steel strings!

dancehallclasher · #6 03-28-2009, 02:44 AM

Yes sir, I swear by the lo-rider nickels. Great feel.

steamthief · #7 03-28-2009, 11:24 PM

The nickel version is my favorite string soundwise, hexcore feel is better for me.

wingnut · #8 03-30-2009, 12:22 PM

I know I'm getting old and feeble, but, I would swear that back in the mid 80's DR did have a string called "low beams"...

BigOldHarry · #9 03-30-2009, 12:24 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by wingnut

I know I'm getting old and feeble, but, I would swear that back in the mid 80's DR did have a string called "low beams"...

i don't think they made strings in the '80s...

PSPookie · #10 03-30-2009, 12:28 PM

It always astounds me what the right set of strings can do for a bass.

The right strings can take a bass from "meh" to "Oh Baby!"

Personally, I prefer Sunbeams, but the Low Riders are nice too. Different strokes. i guess that's why they make more than 1 kind of string

giggity indeed

ErnieD · #11 04-07-2009, 12:15 AM

take a bass from Meh to Yeh, that is.

I just bought a yr old Skyline Joe Osborn 5er from a TBer, beautiful bass, 3 tone, burst, Lakland electronics. But it does have about 1 yr old Lakland SS rounds on it. And Im hoping a string change will make a difference. I played a Jobo 5er last year at local store and loved it. Since then been lookind and finally found a good deal here last month and bought one.

Again its a beautiful bass, feels great. I have a 55-02D so maybe I just need to get used to using a passive bass again. I gigged the JO 5 this past Saturday and had a bear of a time getting a good tone out of it. Turned neck pup off, tone knob up/down, bridge pup off then on, then started messing with the heads' EQ. Coulda been the Eden WT550B head too. Just got that a few weeks ago and still tweaking it to get to know it better. Just could not get a great tone like I thought I would quickly. Now I notice the pup & tone knobs really affect the JO5, not like my MIM Jazz 5 which just barely does. So I need to sit home and try some diff settings to get to know this bass better as well.

Also, I can try my other amp heads to see where that goes. Maybe my GBE750 will work better with the big jazz bass. I sure need to change strings as well, those SS rounds trashed my fingers, I usually use nickels or flats. I have a new set of Black Beauties here I got from a TBer for a good price, was gonna try those next. But I've read here the coated strings are just Hi-Beams SS but coated. I think I need to stay off SS rounds for awhile so I ordered a set of Sunbeam nickels from The Perfect Bass just now online, real good price with the TB discount.

Well, I'll try the Sunbeams on the JO5 to see if they make the bass play like I know it should sound. The feel is there I just think a good set of nickels will complete that good all around feel of this bass. May have to go to flats next. But this bass has a huge bottom already so new nickels should do it. And may just try the Black Beauties while I wait for the Sunbeams to arrive. New strings can make alot of things happen to a bass.

Just to stay OT, never tried the Lo-Rider nickels but prolly should to see what they can do.

Solarmist · #12 04-07-2009, 01:50 AM

Aren't nickel Lo-Riders the exact same thing as Sunbeams, but with hex cores instead of round cores?

I think that's what I've heard other TBers say.

NorCal Dog · #13 04-07-2009, 06:15 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Solarmist

Aren't nickel Lo-Riders the exact same thing as Sunbeams, but with hex cores instead of round cores?

I think that's what I've heard other TBers say.

ya, they're pretty much the " exact same thing " ,,, but different

htharp · #14 04-29-2009, 02:15 PM

Sunbeam - round core, lower tension, and a little smoother feeling winding to me.