Oops.

[cassius987]

After all of the raving about DR Sunbeams on fretless, I decided I had to try some on my numero uno--my fretless 4003. Currently it's got Circle K rounds which I believe are hex core nickel-steel, whereas the Sunbeams should be round core with a pure nickel wrap.

The problem is, I just got some clips from my band's last rehearsal this morning. Wow! The tone of my Ric is sounding even better than usual with the Circle Ks. If I'm this happy with the sound coming off of a crummy digital recorder then I'd think I'd like it even better if it had been professionally recorded.

The Sunbeams are already en route. When they get here, what do I do? String them up? Save them for a rainy day? Surely other people have gotten into this "buyer's remorse" scenario before.

[JTE]

Me, I'd put 'em on and see if I like them. If not, put the CK's back on. But play them for a while. Or, hang on to them until the CK's go dead, and then try them. You've already spent the money and you won't know if they're better for you until you try them. Either way, try them out before you decide.

John

[FunkMetalBass]

Based on feel alone, I could never go back from Circle K's.

Wait until the CK's go dead, and clean them. String the bass up with the Sun Beams and try them out for a week or so. If you don't like them, the CK's will be clean and ready for you again.

[cassius987]

What do you clean your CKs with? Denatured alcohol?

[mdogs]

Here you go, this is what I use!

http://www.tunemybass.com/strings/ba...ning_tube.html

[cassius987]

Originally Posted by mdogs

Here you go, this is what I use!

http://www.tunemybass.com/strings/ba...ning_tube.html

That's how I do it too. Just wanted to check how someone else using Circle Ks preferred to do it as well.

The tube of denat. alcohol definitely works better than boiling and stuff like that, in my experience.

[cassius987]

Well "Oops" was right. That was a huge waste of time. The Sunbeams felt about as good as the Circle Ks but the tone was less "precise". Especially the low notes--they tended towards a "thuddy" kind of sound compared to the CirKs. Here was what really got me though, the extra string excursion from the round cores (apparently) made me have to raise the action--on a fretless!--just to keep them from snarling on the fingerboard. The opposite of what I wanted. So the Circle K's went back on and I'm happy again. Still, that was a dumb waste of money on my part. At least I know how I feel about the Sunbeams now.