Has anyone tried the new DR Hi-Beam flats?

[Sparkdog]

Thye're not even on DR's website yet, but I have found them in stock at some online stores.

I've been looking for flats for my 5 string and considering how good the other DR products are I would think these are going to be nice.

[bassbmx]

Very interested!!

[Sparkdog]

In the interest of sharing information on what seems to be a rare bird, I wanted to post my experience with the DR flats.

The verdict is: not so hot.

They are very "old school" sounding, which is to say lots of thump, but no real edge or articulation to them. Tension is medium and they're fairly flexible.

Surface is nice and smooth, but overall there's really nothing special about these strings to me.

I was expecting much more from DR considering how good their roundwounds are.

There's $45 down the drain, and the search goes on for the perfect 5 string set of flats. I think I'm going to get a set of Chromes, those have never let me down.

[Mastermold]

Originally Posted by Sparkdog

In the interest of sharing information on what seems to be a rare bird, I wanted to post my experience with the DR flats.

The verdict is: not so hot.

They are very "old school" sounding, which is to say lots of thump, but no real edge or articulation to them. Tension is medium and they're fairly flexible.

Surface is nice and smooth, but overall there's really nothing special about these strings to me.

I was expecting much more from DR considering how good their roundwounds are.

There's $45 down the drain, and the search goes on for the perfect 5 string set of flats. I think I'm going to get a set of Chromes, those have never let me down.

See that's actually the kind of string I'm looking for -- not too much tension but lots of THUMP!

Seems in my experimenting with flats that the strings with the best thump have so much tension as to be pretty unresponsive and harder to play, while the strings that play the easiest have too much ring and not enough thump.

If DR flats thump but aren't too high in tension, that may be exactly what I've been looking for.

[Sparkdog]

I'll send you a PM, will gladly sell you mine. They were on the bass less than an hour!

[Mastermold]

Originally Posted by Sparkdog

I'll send you a PM, will gladly sell you mine. They were on the bass less than an hour!

Hey bro, check your PMs. The trade may/may not work depending on how short your G string is cut. Let's talk.

Cheers!

[Caca de Kick]

I bought two sets and strung up two P's. I didn't like them. I found them to be very high tension, and the stiffest flats next to Labellas, and the deadest sounding flats of all I've tried.
The Highbeam flats are nothing like the the Highbeam rounds at all. I was expecting some sort of characteristic DR growl...nope.

You want medium, try the Sadowskys, more wooly sounding and can have some bite.
Funny...the Sadowskys deliver everything I was expecting out of the DR's.

[Sparkdog]

Agreed...the DR flats are mediocre in every way.

I know that flats are a completely different animal than rounds, but given DR's well known tonal characteristics I expected something that would be much more present and lively sounding, can't really understand why they would offer a string like this.

Oh well, live and learn. I would have always been curious had I not tried them.

Regarding Sadowsky, I agree that their flats in 4-string sets are nice, but the 5-string set...not so much. They have real trouble with the B string. It doesn't match the other strings tonally and it's got intonation issues, presumably because of the tapercore end.

I researched this extensively and discussed it with the guys at Sadowsky. They advised me to intonate at the 7th and 15th frets instead of the normal 12th fret.

I tried it, and it is better, but still not in tune all over the neck. I'm told that's the "nature of the beast" for a flatwound B. Maybe, but all I know for sure is that I have a set of Chromes on there now and they do not have this problem at all.

[ProfGumby]

Hmm...

I have them on one Jazz bass and have a set coming for another. I love them! Just the sound I was looking for and I love the feel.

As an aside I still have rounds on my 5 er and halfway have a set of halfrounds on another Jazz. I am going to keep some clangy punch on these basses, but overall love the mellow powerful thump from the DR Flats.

To each his own I guess.

[Mastermold]

Originally Posted by ProfGumby

Hmm...

I have them on one Jazz bass and have a set coming for another. I love them! Just the sound I was looking for and I love the feel.

As an aside I still have rounds on my 5 er and halfway have a set of halfrounds on another Jazz. I am going to keep some clangy punch on these basses, but overall love the mellow powerful thump from the DR Flats.

To each his own I guess.

How is their tone and feel compared to La Bella flats?

[ProfGumby]

Originally Posted by Mastermold

How is their tone and feel compared to La Bella flats?

I dunno..haven't got round to trying LaBella's yet....I might swap out the Rotosound 77's on my SX P for a set of them....