First Time DR, what type?

[spencer]

Since Im getting my new P bass in soon Im gonna put some DR's since they have good revies and seem to last long. Problem is.... What kind? I like my strings bright and no thicker than 105 I never tried 100 but I might like em. Anyone care to help me??

[jimbob]

Originally Posted by spencer

Since Im getting my new P bass in soon Im gonna put some DR's since they have good revies and seem to last long. Problem is.... What kind? I like my strings bright and no thicker than 105 I never tried 100 but I might like em. Anyone care to help me??

The Colored strings are great...all I hasve used for the last few years. Long life and very consistant. They come 105

[pickles]

Hi-beams 45-105.

[spencer]

For a punk pick tone Hi beams or low beams?

[BassGod]

I'm gonna go ahead and make this even more confusing: I love DR FatBeams. I've never had a set of strings that felt nicer, sounded better, or lasted nearly as long as FatBeams. Ridiculously good strings.

Graeme

[PICK]

I string my Roscoe with Lowriders. I like the feel and the tension and i have never had a problem with them. Apart from the fact they are brutally expensive in this neck of the woods. It works out cheaper to buy them from the US and get em sent over. Also they do last a rather long time.
PICK

[Dan Molina]

Hi Beams.

They sound really crisp and still maintain a fat low end.

[gkbass13]

i love high beems on my jazz basses! especialy if you want crisp and fat tones.

[KJung]

Originally Posted by spencer

For a punk pick tone Hi beams or low beams?

While I love the somewhat loose tension, smooth feel, and extreme treble clarity of Hi Beams for my J basses to achieve a grindy, funky, Marcus Miller type tone, I would think that the Low Riders might be better for your bass, tone and playing style... tighter tension... not quite as bright to my ear, with a little more 'rotosound' grind and balls to them (IMO).

[Magneto]

Personally, I LOVE HI-Beams.. (unless they're shining right in my eyes), for your P-bass, I'd second going with the 45-105 set for starters. There is also a 45-100 set if you want a bit thinner low E, and I've also tried the 40-60-85-100 set on my 35" scale to keep the tension a bit lower.

They sound bright and full out of the package, and some how they actually manage to stay that way for quite some time. As with all roundwounds (and most other strings), if you'll bother to wipe them down good after playing, they'll sound new even longer.

Anyway.. most definately some of the best strings I've ever had the pleasure to play..

Mag...

[4Mal]

I used Black Beauties for about a year. Nice long lived string. A slightly reduced high end due to the coating - but that's OK in my book. I play bass not banjo or paino ...

[Ampeg SVT]

i need to try the hi-beams again because i did not really like them but I think Lo-Riders would better. They are just awesome strings

[Ole Man Blues]

I used to be a D'addario Chromes diehard man, but after purchasing 2 sets with a bad string in each set I swore at them, then swore them off.

I now use DR Hi Beams. Clear crisp tone with plenty of bottom end. They make my Fender P Bass sound great. I don't have to worry about my tone turning to mud. They EQ great and last for months. Like the one poster said, just wipe em down for extended life.

You'll love these strings, they won't gives you the Blues..

OMB

[bradjonesbass]

I'm going to second what KJung said. I love High Beams, but for your bass and what you're playing, I might go with Lo-Riders. Try both and see which you like better - or if you get the sound you want with the first set you try, just stick with it.

[Lowner]

Thanks for the info, I have been thinking of trying DR's too.

[mike phillips]

black beauties.

[Orco87]

Originally Posted by BassGod

I'm gonna go ahead and make this even more confusing: I love DR FatBeams. I've never had a set of strings that felt nicer, sounded better, or lasted nearly as long as FatBeams. Ridiculously good strings.

Graeme

x2

Just so you don't think Fatbeams are completely out the mix cuz no one else said anything about em'.... I vote for the fatbeams as well.

I did a crapload of searching when I finally narrowed it down to DR. The concensus from what I found and my conclusion on the matter was this:

high beams - great highs if not possibly too bright at times (depends on bass of course), good mids, decent low-end

low-riders - not too bright highs, decent mids, great low-end

sunbeams - same as high beams except a tad more scooped and not as great low-end but just decent.

fatbeams - great highs, good mids, good low-end, thick sound

*Now again, let me reiterate that was my conclusion of the matter from what I found when I searched, I have not played all of these strings individually for myself except for the fatbeams.*

Fatbeams (once they mellow out from that metallically "I'm a new set of strings!" sound) are greatness. They play finger style very well, lows are good (not as low as I'd like em' to be, but that could be more my bass) and the mids and high's are excellent, very melodic. They really do live up to their name... they have a fata** in your face sound that's hard to ignore. I've found it really good for slap. I dunno how it would sound w/ pick style as I don't play it, but depending on your style of music, the fatbeams may work out for ya.

hope that helps.... (probably just confuses more)

If I'm wrong about my conclusion of the different sets of strings, someone will most undoubtedly correct me.

[Ole Man Blues]

We all have that "TONE" in our heads that we believe we want to sound like. I was born in '51 and my musical influences were 50's, 60's and 70's based. P Bass tone is what I hear. It's the Tone that's gets it done for me. My Fender American Standard P Bass has a hugh low end, not real bright sounding either. I tried many string brands and EQ settings trying to tame the overly FAT low end beast or the nature of "MY" P Bass, not all P Basses are created equal due to the woods, pickups, and overall construction.

That being said, I love the feel of Flatwounds, they are by nature themselves a warm sounding string, which did nothing for taming the beast. I started trying different strings which were brighter sounding until I settled on the DR Hi Beams. They have a rougher feel than I like for I played Flats for quite a while, no wonder. I love the sustain of the Beams and they have a thundering low end on "MY" P Bass which has tamed the overly FAT low end beast.

String selection can be everything when dealing with a strong natured beast.............thanks for listening.....

OMB

[KJung]

Originally Posted by Ole Man Blues

String selection can be everything when dealing with a strong natured beast.............thanks for listening.....

+1 to that... I find the string brand (i.e., even within ss roundwounds) to have a much stronger impact on an instruments sound than almost any other single component (board, body wood, etc.). It's amazing how different an instrument sounds when using, for example, Hi Beams vs. Rotosounds vs. Ken Smith SS vs. Lakland SS vs. Sadowsky SS... totally different feel, upper treble response, upper mid response and deep bass response.

Those Hi Beams would have been the last strings I would have guessed you would have liked given your tone preferrence... but it seems they work together with everything else on your instrument and rig to tighten up the tone a bit, probably revoice the instrument a little higher, etc. Very cool!

[Phyrexian]

People tell me that Hi-Beams are a little less stiff than 'regular' roundwound nickel strings. Is that true? And how do Fat-Beams compare on this issue?