Sadowsky Blue Labels vs. DR Lo-Rider Nickels???

[jokerjkny]

hey all,

as much as i love the blues, the lo-riders seem really like the perfect fit for me, cause of the smoother nickel feel, tighter tension which i prefer for slap & aggro pickstyle stuff, and the fact they come in a .130 low B, which i love for that gigantic thick sound.

i was a labella slappers guy, so the sadowsky strings were a natural progression, but i do remember liking the sunbeams, even tho in my hands they died faster than cheap bodega roses. are the lo-riders that much longer lasting? tonally, what am i missing from my beloved blues by going lo-rider nickel.

[DavePlaysBass]

The Sadowsky Blues are a 130 B as I recall.

I only tried DR Nickel Low Riders once and it was on a Modulus Quantum 5. Not a great match for that bass. They seemed dull and lifeless on that bass especially compared to D'addario Nickels. And even the B was not all that remarkable. I recall thinking I got a dud because the B string on a Quantum 5 should rock your socks. DR sent me a second B and it sound just the same. In contrast, the Sadowsky Blues on my RV5 are punchy, warm, and defined. I would almost call them flat through the mids with bright treble response that is not shrill at all. Nickels with a low mid emphasis go to Superalloys. Nickels with a high mid emphasis go to Sadowksy Black. Nickels with harsher highs would go to D'Addario.

[Big String]

Jae
Try the lo-rider SS. I was never a SS guy but when I put them on my NYC VJ4 w/nordy singles ... man o man that is the right string for this bass!

So far I've not been all that excited about the Sad Blues nickels or SS although I prefer hex core strings especially on Sadowsky basses. I actually liked the previous Sadowsky Black, but you're correct they don't feel as nice as DR's in general.

My favorite flatwounds are Sadowsky though

[18eranaRic]

The Sad's just sting so much when first put on, that you think there supposed to stay like that. The DR's are super quality, they only seem to last longer because they are actually a reasonable representation of there "total life" at first installation compared to the SAD's (which blow there wad the first day). I really think they both last the same amount of time and buy these interchangeably.

[PocketGroove82]

For me, Sadowsky Blues have a tension that is "one toke over the line".
I'm a dedicated round-nickel user and I like playing finger funk at the bridge pup, but the sad blues just don't cut it like the blacks do, tension-wise.

If DR's were not so hit or miss, I might recommend them.

[DavePlaysBass]

On my second set of Blue Nickels on my RV5. These are the best nickels I have had on the RV5 (compared to Sadowsky Blacks, Superalloys, DA XLs, Elixers). They are very solid at holding the bottom down with my Gospel band. The have modern definition but are very warm on the low notes. Throw in a 1/2 cup of jazzy piano and a dash of hammond organ and these things just sit in the mix like no body's business.

[Mike Shevlin]

You also may want to try DR Hi-Beams - an extremely popular choice for slappers