So is the concesus that Ernie Ball rounds die too quick

[Holy War]

wanna try some on my ray, but not if Im going to have to replace them every week

[Archaeobass]

If you like the new rounds sparkle, you'll be disappointed in the Balls. They mellow into that more laid back roundwound growl pretty quickly - which is cool if your axe is pretty bright already. If you want that sparkly zing, you'll be changing them every week.

Otherwise, they're affordable 'good enough' strings.

[madbassplaya]

i can usually get a month or two out of a set.

i used to not like slinkys that much, and have posted here that i didn't but i must say that they do sound really good on a Stingray.

also, i've learned that i don't like that bright edge too much, so slinkys are ok with me. i think d'addarios are good too, but they hold that "brightness" that i don't like longer than the slinkys do.

[JanusZarate]

They don't die anywhere near as quickly as people seem to claim they do, IME (they're not going to "die" in just a week or two!). However, as far as a consistently bright tone goes, they won't hold it as long as other brands I've tried. If you're truly looking for "zing," you'll want to be looking at stainless steel strings anyway... although I wouldn't put SS strings on a 'Ray.

Definitely buy a set to try out. Give them some time, and see if you like where the tone goes. There are some who don't like their initial zing and brightness but love how they mellow out. The growl stays, but the extra zing does go. And it doesn't mellow out that much, TBH.

They complement the naturally bright tone of a Stingray, and overall, they bring out what a Stingray is "supposed" to normally sound like. My current set of Hybrid Slinkys has been on my bass for almost two months now, and my previous set was installed at the beginning of the year.

[Davecg2]

ive got a sterling and used EB Reg Slinkys and they sound fine. They hold their tone as good as any other string ive tried. That said, i always try to wash my hand before i play and try to remember to wipe down my strings with string cleaner when im done playing. I also tried some DR Fat Beams, which i think sound great for slap and pop and are def brighter than the EBs, Im probably going to throw some GHS Bass Boomers on it next and see how those do. If i were you and you can afford to, id try buying a few boxes and just test them see how they do. Also, check this out Bass String Cleaning it shows how to clean your strings which supposedly can make them last for a year or two with decent brightness. Ive made a tube but havent actually used it yet, so i cant say if it works yet or not.

[jaywa]

They don't keep their zing as long as, say Rotosounds... but in my experience they last just as long as anything else out there in terms of how often they need to be replaced.

What I'm saying is that they settle into a particular state of "mellow brightness" fairly quickly (which I like, because I don't like super bright strings nor are they fitting for the styles I play), and then stay at that level for a good long time vs. dying off fast. I've used Slinkys for a long time on my P and for me at least, they're just the ticket and especially at the price.

[JanusZarate]

One thing I should add as well... the strings I've compared them to are known for long-lasting consistency (D'Addario, Rotosound, DR, etc.). But they don't sound like Slinkys.

I would caution all not to fall prey to that "just out of the box" tone, because it's unrealistic to shoot for that, IMO. Most strings will settle into their long-term tone fairly quickly, and Slinkys just happen to shift a little farther from the "brand-new" tone than a few other popular brands of strings do.

[stflbn]

The mellowing doesn't bother me near as much as the trademark EB Slinky 'clank' that seems so prevalent in them.

[Double Agent]

IME, I get about 3 weeks of use out of EB Slinkys if I'm gigging. That's about 4-6 gigs, so about 16-24 hours of playtime before they sound dead to me. Which is shorter than most other brands for me, but not WAY shorter. I might get 1 more week out of D'addarios than Slinkys. I get much longer life out of DR strings than any other brand that I've tried so far. OTOH, even after the Slinkys "die", they still OK if you like the broken in roundwound sound. I just prefer a bit more zing in my tone.

The dealbreaker with EB Slinkys for me is not the short lifespan, its the tension. They feel way too loose for me, I prefer strings with slightly higher tension.

[Chris Breese]

They sound amazing on my P bass, especially after the get a little dull. Years ago I had a P bass with some fairly old Slinkys on it, and that tone was to die for... great all-purpose tone.

[All_¥our_Bass]

Try some Rotosound swing bass strings, they're stainless steel and stay bright for a long time.

[CapnSev]

I love the mellow tone of the Slinkys after a while. I replace mine about every 2 months or so.

I like the low tension too. Since I'm playing way down by the bridge on my SR5, I like a little give in the strings.

[pringlw]

Originally Posted by Holy War

wanna try some on my ray, but not if Im going to have to replace them every week

EB Super Slinkies and Stingrays are somehow meant to go together. That doesn't mean that you need to keep them on your Ray, but it does mean that you should at least give it a try. Personally I like the combination - but bear in mind I don't "love" it until that initial "twang" settles down after a week or so.

[chjohnst]

The ernie balls are very bright and sparkly when you first put them on, really nice for slap bass when they are very new. They cut through nicely. They do mellow down overtime though and get a bit gritty/growly. I have a set on my 4 string that have been on there for about 2 months and they still sound very good.

I beat the snot out of my strings (I tend to pluck really hard, fast action). I tried other strings like GHS and D'adorrio and the Ernies seem to hold up the longest for me. I use them on my warwick corvettes, which I find a lot of people prefer SS strings over nickel. I have yet to try SS strings on my vettes though.

-Chris

[kirkm24]

Originally Posted by CapnSev

I love the mellow tone of the Slinkys after a while. I replace mine about every 2 months or so.

I like the low tension too. Since I'm playing way down by the bridge on my SR5, I like a little give in the strings.

I left the stock Slinky strings on my Stingray for almost 2 years! They sounded good to me but I changed them because I thought I should. Every time I have tried another string (including higher priced strings), I always find myself coming back to Slinkys. I guess they're just the best string for me.

If you do change them a lot, they are pretty cheap compared to other brands. I've also found that they have far fewer defects and are more consistent than other strings. I think this might be due to the fact that they are not handmade. My thought is that a machine wound string is going to be made with more precision and accuracy so the probability for defects is less. I could be dead wrong on this assumption.

[CElton]

Originally Posted by Holy War

wanna try some on my ray, but not if Im going to have to replace them every week

I've tried a lot of different brands and have come full circle back to Slinkys on my SR5. Nothing sounds as good IMO. Not even close. As for lifespan, I've used other brands that might have lasted longer, but I'm not willing to compromise the tone and feel I get with the Slinkys.

[ssbass]

The Hybrid Slinkys are all I use. I like the way they sound once the calm down. I actually don't like the clanky sound when they are brand new.

[CElton]

Word over on the EBMM forum is that the coated Slinkys for bass will be out soon. I'm very interested in those.

[megadan]

I've been going back and forth between Slinkies and Hi-beams on all my basses. To me the Slinkies just fit perfectly on the 'Ray.

I get at least two months out of them, but I have 3 basses I usually rotate through practices and shows, so it doesn't get used every day.

[manmountain8]

I think they are terrible and don't last at all. That's the reason I tried some DR Highbeams and I've used them ever since. Highbeams take awhile to break in but they last 6 months or more.