ernie ball slinky question

infamusblkdeath · #1 03-21-2009, 01:58 PM

is it true these strings die out quick or no? i hear all these mixed rumors about them,that they last long,and yet i still hear other people saying they don't last long at all.im just wondering cause i'm thinking about getting a set,mainly cause i hear they have nice tone,but i'd rather not waste the money if they are going to die within a few weeks

Slax · #2 03-21-2009, 02:04 PM

I haven't used EB Slinkys in a long time. From what I remember though, they didn't die any quicker than any other roundwound string I've used.

Buster666 · #3 03-22-2009, 07:39 AM

Compared to what? A GHS? For very little extra money you could be playing a premium set of strings (DR, Ken Smith, even D'Addario). Earnie Ball has a string that has a superficially nice ring to it. But it's like make-up on the girl-next-door. Not supermodel material. Premium strings last just as long as cheap strings, also. Stings wear out more from abuse and acidic oils from your fingers more than anything else,

QuelOround · #4 03-22-2009, 11:23 AM

Mine go dead in two three days.... Probably from my oily fingers.

Bassgrinder77 · #5 03-22-2009, 11:29 AM

I use them. They hold up well. I like a bright sound and I can get 2 months out of them in the Fall and Winter. In the summer I reluctantly switch to the (Dean Markley? D'Addario?) cryogenic stainless steel because the nickel steel Ernie Ball's (like ALL nickel steel) go dead quickly in the midwestern humidity.
A LOT of players use the Orange package EB Slinky's. Look at all the players listed on the package. They're very good sounding strings. I like them because there's no 'weirdness' in their tone. No brassy mids or harsh trebles, just a good, balanced pure bright tone.
I've tried EVERYTHING and I like the EBs which is fine because they're relatively cheap.

Quote:

Originally Posted by infamusblkdeath

is it true these strings die out quick or no? i hear all these mixed rumors about them,that they last long,and yet i still hear other people saying they don't last long at all.im just wondering cause i'm thinking about getting a set,mainly cause i hear they have nice tone,but i'd rather not waste the money if they are going to die within a few weeks

bassistgook · #6 03-22-2009, 11:31 AM

I have use them and they seem to sound dead after about a week. DR's tend to last me about a month before they sound dead. Earnie ball's are also the only strings I have ever snapped.

rockinrayduke · #7 03-22-2009, 11:33 AM

Quote:

Premium strings last just as long as cheap strings, also.

Then why should the OP spend the extra $$$ if EB Slinkys last just as long?

Also, the comment that Slinkys are "cheap"....since when did spending $40+ on strings become normal? Especially when they don't last any longer?

Steve Bennett · #8 03-22-2009, 12:34 PM

It depends on what your definition of "dead" is. For some, it's when the initial zing is gone. For others, it's when you can get better tone out of a bratwurst.

My experience with EBs is that they sound good and last a reasonable amount of time, and feel kind of rough. My biggest problem with them is string-to-string balance. The strings in a set sound too different from each other for my taste. IMO, DRs and D'Addarios are excellent in this respect.

Icarus26 · #9 03-22-2009, 12:39 PM

I have em on my fender jazz right now. I've only had two sets of strings, the stock fender and these. It was a lot brighter at the beginning, but the E string sounded dead from the get go. I plan on switching them out, but for practicing purposes, anything works.

the blast · #10 03-22-2009, 01:33 PM

I agree with Bassgrinder77. No weird highs or mids with these. In fact, I don't think they finally start to settle in to a good sound until after a few weeks of constant use. My last 12 sets of strings have been these. They were the florescent yellow packaging. The current set on my P Bass have been on for about a year. They are just now getting to the point where I need to replace them. I play in a few different bands & record all the time for what it's worth. They are fine strings.

-john

infamusblkdeath · #11 03-22-2009, 05:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Buster666

Compared to what? A GHS? For very little extra money you could be playing a premium set of strings (DR, Ken Smith, even D'Addario). Earnie Ball has a string that has a superficially nice ring to it. But it's like make-up on the girl-next-door. Not supermodel material. Premium strings last just as long as cheap strings, also. Stings wear out more from abuse and acidic oils from your fingers more than anything else,

well idk what you'd want me to call the tone,it doesn't really have a name.i was thinking they'd put off a justin chancellor-ish tone,kinda bright and punchy.btw what the hell is "a GHS"??

infamusblkdeath · #12 03-22-2009, 05:24 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Steve Bennett

It depends on what your definition of "dead" is. For some, it's when the initial zing is gone. For others, it's when you can get better tone out of a bratwurst.

My experience with EBs is that they sound good and last a reasonable amount of time, and feel kind of rough. My biggest problem with them is string-to-string balance. The strings in a set sound too different from each other for my taste. IMO, DRs and D'Addarios are excellent in this respect.

dead,like they are really dull,and don't ring out anymore.

Crabby · #13 03-22-2009, 05:30 PM

I really like Slinkys. I will admit that when they die, they sound pretty boring but that is because they are not stainless strings, which I have found tend to still be useable long after they age.

I got tired of the coarse feel of stainless and the crazy intense brightness when they are new. I also really like the tension of Slinkys. Tension is a big factor that gets ignored often when comparing strings. two different brands of strings, both with the same type of wrap (stainless or nickel) and the same gage, can still have radically different tension which has a huge effect on the playability and feel of the strings, depending on what you like.

I just love the way the Slinkys feel tension wise. I find them very comfortable for slapping and popping.

infamusblkdeath · #14 03-22-2009, 09:32 PM

crazy intense brightness is fine with me

Buster666 · #15 03-23-2009, 09:12 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Steve Bennett

It depends on what your definition of "dead" is. For some, it's when the initial zing is gone. For others, it's when you can get better tone out of a bratwurst.

My experience with EBs is that they sound good and last a reasonable amount of time, and feel kind of rough. My biggest problem with them is string-to-string balance. The strings in a set sound too different from each other for my taste. IMO, DRs and D'Addarios are excellent in this respect.

I agree with Bennett, although I haven't seen string to string imbalance as bad as he describes. From the data on most of the string MFGs websites and my own experience, I still maintain that the number one killer of strings is grunge getting in between the core and the outer wrap and acid from the players fingers. Some people just have a really low body pH.

As for Cheap, only meant that you pay more for a premium string. I pay around $19 for EB or GHS strings, and about $22 for the high end strings. Exactly what they are worth.

I still don't get why a pop-n-slap player would not want a stainless steel string.

infamusblkdeath · #16 03-23-2009, 05:59 PM

well,i don't even slap and pop.thats the only thing i've never learned.

Disappear · #17 03-23-2009, 06:30 PM

Ignore all this jargon from biased players and try it yourself!

3506string · #18 03-23-2009, 09:35 PM

I wouldn't say they go dead any faster than any other string, its just when they settle in from their initial zing they have no tone or life to them. Whereas most strings dont lose tone as they settle just the shimmering highs.

Tommy Preston · #19 03-23-2009, 09:58 PM

The pink pack....45- 100 All I use....imho..possibly the best all around string on the planet and I have tried quite a few brands..... BUt when on a string quest...for anyway I still tried the GHS-Ken Smith-any other brand you want to fill in the blanks with.And it all comes down to personal taste.The more expensive ones were not my picks in the end.It is going to come down to what sounds best and for me what feels best,if you spend a lot of time playing . To me its a nickle wrap string...tone and feel and durability.
Let us know...

Bassgrinder77 · #20 03-24-2009, 08:58 AM

Yeah, I know what you're saying but it depends on whether it's GOOD crazy intense brightness or harsh, brittle, brassy, weird mids and trebles.
Justin Chancellor uses the Slinkys and although his sound has loads of top and grind, it's a good, balanced, pleasing sound.
I use them on my Spector Euros and get a similar sound. The EB's are a really good sounding set of strings.

Quote:

Originally Posted by infamusblkdeath

crazy intense brightness is fine with me