Need help from DR experts!

[mmbongo]

Allright guys, I need some help. I'm familar with many DR Strings, but not all.

What I'm looking for is a bright, snappy string. I've got a darker sounding bass here.

Nickel LoRiders were not quite doing it. They sounded fine with the treble control on my preamp dimed, and I don't want to do that.

So, if you had to rank Sunbeams, Fatbeams, and Black Beauties in order of brightness, which order would you put them in?

All I know is I replaced the Nickel LoRiders with an old set of Black Beauties, and the BB's are a good bit brighter.

[madbassplaya]

It's been forever since i've played Fatbeams but I believe they were brighter than Sunbeams. If that's true I'd say:

Fats
Suns
Coated

[madbassplaya]

Which bass is this for? The Brute?

[mmbongo]

Yeah, for the Brute. It needs round core strings. I'm leaning towards FatBeams right now!

[madbassplaya]

I think those or high beams (also round core) will be your answer. Here's what KJung had to say about Fatbeams:

Originally Posted by KJung

I use both Sadowsky Blue Label SS and DR Hi Beams.

First, to the OP, the Hi Beams (with that round core... unusual design) have a very smooth feel and relatively low tension that brings to mind the 'feel' of nickel wounds. So, those (or the Fat Beams, which are a variant of the Hi Beams, a little more exended low end and smoother top end to my ear) are probably the smoothest feeling stainless steel rounds on the market.

IMO and IME.

[JasonKain]

If you're looking round core, I'd say go Fat Beams. I used them for a while, and they gave excellent highs. Too much, for my tastes.

Ed Friedland did a very in depth review on DR strings, you can find a link here. He's got sound clips to go with it, I really do suggest decent headphones. If you like the tension on the Low Riders, I'd suggest finding the stainless steel version of them.

[mmbongo]

FatBeams are on the way. It only made sense, really. I should have figured it out before even posting.

I've got Black Beauties on the bass now (although older, but with a brand new .125).
I've got a new set of Sunbeams ready to go on my Spector, which I can hijack if need be.
So when the FatBeams arrive on Friday, I'll have all three right here.

Part of my problem is that I want to like Black Beauties the most. Partly because I have that brand new B string and would just have to buy a 4 string set...but mostly because they look SO DARN GOOD on my Brubaker Brute. I'll at least get some good pictures of it with the BB's on it

[lowendgenerator]

Pardon the ignorance, but why does it "need" roundcore strings?

[SLaPiNFuNK]

Bright and snappy string I think of Stainless Steel lighter gauges...

.035/.040 .055/.050 .075/.070 .095 ??

[jgroh]

Originally Posted by SLaPiNFuNK

Bright and snappy string I think of Stainless Steel lighter gauges...

.035/.040 .055/.050 .075/.070 .095 ??

Yeah me too...and HiBeams are it. They have become "my string", and I never thought I would say that.

[mmbongo]

Originally Posted by lowendgenerator

Pardon the ignorance, but why does it "need" roundcore strings?

Technically it doesn't NEED them

I just prefer the feel of round cores on this bass. I've tried every hex core string out there (except CircleK) on this bass over the last year, and Sunbeams or Black Beauties have always been the best for it. It's like a switch goes off. Hex core strings make it sound tight and restricted, round cores sound huge, snappy, and thunderous. Probably because this bass really benefits from the extended vibration from round cores.

[lowendgenerator]

Originally Posted by mmbongo

Technically it doesn't NEED them

I just prefer the feel of round cores on this bass. I've tried every hex core string out there (except CircleK) on this bass over the last year, and Sunbeams or Black Beauties have always been the best for it. It's like a switch goes off. Hex core strings make it sound tight and restricted, round cores sound huge, snappy, and thunderous. Probably because this bass really benefits from the extended vibration from round cores.

Mmm, yes. I see. I was gonna suggest a light gauge SS Lo-Rider set, but given the reasons you've presented, I think you were right to go with the Fat Beams.

[madbassplaya]

Originally Posted by mmbongo

Technically it doesn't NEED them

I just prefer the feel of round cores on this bass. I've tried every hex core string out there (except CircleK) on this bass over the last year, and Sunbeams or Black Beauties have always been the best for it. It's like a switch goes off. Hex core strings make it sound tight and restricted, round cores sound huge, snappy, and thunderous. Probably because this bass really benefits from the extended vibration from round cores.

Yep. Some basses do better with a little extra excursion!

[mmbongo]

Originally Posted by madbassplaya

Yep. Some basses do better with a little extra excursion!

Must be the Nato wood...whatever the heck that is

[darkstorm]

Havnet tried fatbeams but neons are brighter then sunbeams. Hibeams would be brighter still.

[tylerwylie]

[TheNightLife]

I've used the fat beams before on a bass I wanted a light feel to and I found the hibeams to work much better then the fat beams. The fat beams have a little thicker of a core wire then the hibeams which generates more tension and a stiffer feel over the hibeams. So if your looking for a low tension the hibeams would be a better choice

[mmbongo]

Originally Posted by TheNightLife

I've used the fat beams before on a bass I wanted a light feel to and I found the hibeams to work much better then the fat beams. The fat beams have a little thicker of a core wire then the hibeams which generates more tension and a stiffer feel over the hibeams. So if your looking for a low tension the hibeams would be a better choice

I was under the impression that FatBeams and HiBeams were identical, with FatBeams just being wound at a slower speed?

[a2zbassman]

Originally Posted by mmbongo

I was under the impression that FatBeams and HiBeams were identical, with FatBeams just being wound at a slower speed?

This is what I've heard to be the correct description of the difference between the two. I think you'll like the FatBeams. I just switched from Hi's to Fat's on my KXB and noticed no difference in the feel, but they have a thicker/fuller sound in the lower end while still having the hi end sparkle. I've always used BB's on my Brutes, so I don't have a direct comparison on that bass, but the BB's always felt just a bit stiffer then the Hi's. Maybe the coating adds a little extra stiffness (if I remember right they're round core also)?

[knuckle_head]

Originally Posted by mmbongo

It needs round core strings.

Why's that?