Now that I've had another couple weeks or so to live with the new DRs, I really must say I continue to be impressed with the SS Lo-Riders! Previously, I'd experimented with several makes of SS roundwounds, because I love crisp, modern tone. But I could never get past the metallic "clacky" sound, as well as the abrasive feel of steel...
These Lo-Riders are different. Not only are they smoother to the touch than most steel strings, they're also smoother in tone. The highs are present, without being harsh. And the lows and mids have a nice warm, focused, organic quality that's surprising for steels (IME). The semi-tight tension allows me to keep the action nice and low for maximum growl...without excessive fret noise..
The Fat Beams are gradually growing on me as well. The softer, more flexible feel is much more preferable for fretless, and these mids really works for fretless as well. As with the Lo-Riders, the lows sound quite rich, warm and focused for SS strings, and they would seem to last quite a long while.
Eventually I'm going to experiment with a set of Hi-Beams for the fretless...just to see if they have a bit more high mids to bring out more
mwah on my fretless. But I have a feeling that the Fat Beams are already the preferable string for this...
Crisp modern tone...with smoothness and warmth too. Who knew?
MM
