Fat Beams?.. how do they compare to Low Riders?

[quadrogong]

i use lo riders 99% of the time,I like a fairly dark sound,but with a little growl..the loriders work well for me.
I've used Sadowsky steels,Lakland nickles,DR sunbeam nickles,they all seemed fine..

i have a box of DR fat beams,are they any brighter?
how do they compare?

[Tony G]

Fat Beams are closer to Hi-Beams in sound and feel. They are wound on a round core like the Hi-Beams are, but I think are even slower wound for a more precise wrap. Lo-Riders are would on a hex core, and have a stiffer tension than Hi- Beams and Fat Beams. I'd say that the Fat Beams might sound somewhere in between Hi-Beams and Lo-Riders.

[ergodynebass]

Well I have FatBeams on my stingray and LoRiders on my 5 string Ibanez and I think the Fatbeams are brighter. They are wound really nice for that quick feel across the neck. I've never tried Hi-beams before but I heard they are even brighter. I think the FatBeams are better for me they have that perfect slap tone I have been looking for without the need for any bass or treble boost.

[waytoodeep03]

Fat Beams are brighter and are some slap monsters. I love the bounce they have when slapping.

[HELLonWheels187]

I feel like Fat Beams are stretchier(easy to slap, but maintain strength during fingerstyle play.). I have them on my P bass right now and Low Riders on my bongo. Both sound killer.

[seansbrew]

I have experience with both types of types of strings. I used them on my Modulus Q5 for many years.

Low Riders:
These strings had a much grittier sound, they really made my Modulus growl. Especially when I would dig into it and pluck the strings hard. Pretty even across the board with a nice midrange voicing. These strings always seemed stiffer. Also, they don't ring out as long as round core strings. They seem to be a little more forgiving as far as string noise goes. Great for slap

Fat Beams:
These strings had a prominent midrange voicing with more highs than the Low Riders. Really round and buttery for a SS string (at least on my bass). The tension was considerably less than the low riders. As someone posted earlier, they are a little more stretchier. Also they keep their sound for a long time. I would go several months before changing a set because the sound didn't fade out as fast as compared to Low Riders.

One more thing. Whenever I mention the midrange voicing of the Fat Beams, someone is always so quick to point out Marcus Millers piano like tone. Believe me, his bass would sound way to harsh and trebly with a set of hi beams on.

[Modern Growl]

I just got done doing an A/B comparisons of these two, so hopefully my reflections will help those trying to decide.

Both are a mid-emphasis style string. Low Riders being a bit more mid -to- upper-mid punchy, while Fat Beams are more low mid fatness.
Low Riders are more 'grindy' and more aggressive sounding giving a slightly brighter sound, while Fat Beams are much smoother sounding, thicker and warmer.
Low Riders are definitely more 'touch sensitive', a very 'tight' articulate string, communicates nuances very well, while Fat Beams IMO sounded a little more 'slugginsh'.
If you can't tell, I liked Low Riders better, but my goal and bass was an aggressive 70's Jazz Bass with good 'grind' to the tone.

[fatim]

I always find these reviews interesting

waytodeep3 says the fat beams are brighter

modern growl says the lo riders are brighter

completely opposite conclusion on the same strings!

[BigOldHarry]

Originally Posted by fatim

I always find these reviews interesting

waytodeep3 says the fat beams are brighter

modern growl says the lo riders are brighter

completely opposite conclusion on the same strings!

yeah... funny how that works.

I have yet to try the "fatbeams" - I'll do so next time I need strings... I've been playing Lo Rides for years and every time I put them on a bass it's like I'm in love again. I tried the hi-beams and found them to be a bit too twangy for my tastes. I *like* the feel of lo-rides, the sounds - and the fact they seem to last forever. Of course, until I discovered DR strings, I'd played rotosounds for about 15 years, so I like me some grind...

[seansbrew]

One thing to point out is that Strings by themselves do not have their own sound. When installed on an instrument they become one of the many variables that give an instrument it's sound.
Opinions about strings start to become more consistent if you are also factoring in a specific instrument.
I actually went away from using DR strings when my Modulus Q5 went away.
I now use D'Adarrio's. DR strings did not sound good installed on my Zon. DAD's really bring my Zon to life and have a very even sound. Something they did not do for my Modulus.

[fatim]

Well, everything else equal I would say strings have
their specific characteristics. This means if you try
different strings on the same bass you´ll notice
differences - like comparing Fat Beams and Lo Riders
on the same bass.