Coated-string review

[themickster]

I posted last year, asking about coated strings. I bought black Auroras. 14 months later, the coating was chipped and worn. They sounded the same as the 15 year old strings on my other bass, even after cleaning them after every play. I won't get any more.

 

[gigetto]

I don't know. I have installed on my gig bass after the Covid stop DR REd Devils 105 and the decay for dust and use is very different from non -coated strings. I think to use covered strings on all my basses...

Plus :long Lasting
Minus: price but last twice or more, not too differences between new and used.

 

[jeffb28451]

No real gain or loss, but I haven't found coated strings that I like.

 

[gigetto]

Elixir? Black Beauty? The alternative to covered If don't like are more expensive Nylon tapewound but different tones.

 

[FunkHead]

Many people like coated strings but I have tried and always had the coating coming off. Especially where I pick/pluck.
I have found that Slinky Cobalt Flats can cover 99% of my Song list and they feel fantastic under the fingers.

 

[two fingers]

I posted last year, asking about coated strings. I bought black Auroras. 14 months later, the coating was chipped and worn. They sounded the same as the 15 year old strings on my other bass, even after cleaning them after every play. I won't get any more.

14 MONTHS???? And that's NOT long enough for you? When I was playing for a living I was lucky to get 14 DAYS out of a set of strings. Even now, my main player gets a swap out every 6 weeks at most.... usually less than that.

A set of flats might last somebody years and years. But 14 months with any rounds.... coated or not.... is a LONG time. No coating is bullet proof. If you play regularly they will flake and chip. I would say you got your money's worth and then some.

 

[gigetto]

My stings round last me two month If I play only one bass ever....then died not only dust....

 

[themickster]

I don't know when the coated strings started to deaden. The overdrive adds higher harmonics, hiding the deadness, and I shared my playing over two basses.

 

[gigetto]

Before degrading some covered still loose the plastic covers....

 

[Lackey]

I've had Elixir rounds on two of my basses for many years... Like a decade old. Meanwhile my other basses go through strings about every year, depending on how much I play each of them.

For me, Elixirs are most impressive. I do enjoy a variety of string brands however, and they don't make medium scale length either unfortunately.

 

[GlassToMouth]

I've had Elixir rounds on two of my basses for many years... Like a decade old. Meanwhile my other basses go through strings about every year, depending on how much I play each of them.

For me, Elixirs are most impressive. I do enjoy a variety of string brands however, and they don't make medium scale length either unfortunately.

I second the appreciation for Elixirs. I do love new string zing and I'd rather have brightness and top end that I need to roll off as opposed to squeezing harmonics and sparkles out of dead rounds with drastic EQ boosts. I am one of those that are cursed with chemistry that kills rounds quickly. Fresh out of the box, I do like the sound of Ernie Ball Cobalts, Dunlop Super Brights, DR Sunbeams and a few others. But I was changing these every 2-3 weeks on whatever bass was 1st in my rotation. I've happily switched over to Elixirs and now get 3-6 months with a consistent tone and top end I like. Currently I alternate between a couple Kiesels. One with Elixir stainless, the other with Elixir nickels. I love the feel, tone and longevity. However, I'm not skilled with a pick and tend to not use one. Therefore I don't deal with any flaking of coating like some have mentioned.

I do wish there were more gauge offerings. The extra long nickels I use are only available in 45-105. I do like them a lot, but it would be nice to tinker with a lighter gauge to see the difference for my tastes. The stainless aren't offered in extra long scale length or extra light gauges as well. I've got no complaints with my current configurations, but it would be nice to tinker further if I had the options.

 

[gigetto]

My covered Red Devil Dr now starting loose the cover....not a lot of use but not little with my gig bass. I hope for the long lasting they promise...Good tone at all for the moment.

 

[Tim Skaggs]

Coated strings vary quite a bit in my experience. Elixirs have it figured out on how to get decent brightness out of a coated string that does stay bright much longer than uncoated strings. I bought a set of DR's in orange to go with some gold trim on a T-bird. They looked good, but sounded like six month old heavily played rounds they day I put them on the bass. That wasn't what I expected for the price. I tried a set of D'Adderio's coated string (EXL's) and they sounded great, but I didn't get anywhere near the life out of them as I do Elixers.

I have some Ernie Ball Cobalt flats that are a couple years old that I've moved from one bass to another for at least four basses, and they still sound great. They are starting to get fret wear spots in a few places. They aren't coated, and they aren't as bright as rounds, but they are bright for flats, a lot brighter than dead rounds, and stay about the same for a long time. I'll be buying another set or two. Swapping the set I have between basses was to see if they sound good on different basses. They do, and were most impressive on my jazz parts bass.

 

[gigetto]

My only experience with the Coated is with Red Devil.They became red for a long time than the coated degradate but the sound remain good for a long time. Not too bright, not toodark is in the middle but for long lasting and aestetic good.

 

[mmbongo]

14 months? That's 13 months longer than rounds normally last, what were you expecting?

 

[scuzzy]

I've had Elixir rounds on two of my basses for many years... Like a decade old. Meanwhile my other basses go through strings about every year, depending on how much I play each of them.

For me, Elixirs are most impressive. I do enjoy a variety of string brands however, and they don't make medium scale length either unfortunately.

me too, had elixir's on an Am. Del. Jazz bass for about 12 years. still had to roll down the treble a bit, they had bite and growl. great strings on the right bass.

 

[gigetto]

Covered red devils are not in eternity but much more than normal nickel one that i prefer from the sound

 

[JRA]

A set of flats might last somebody years and years. But 14 months with any rounds.... coated or not.... is a LONG time. No coating is bullet proof. If you play regularly they will flake and chip. I would say you got your money's worth and then some.

14 months? That's 13 months longer than rounds normally last, what were you expecting?

 

[gigetto]

I've estimate about 100hrs of long lasting playing for non covered strings, but the decay is not always similar brand to brand....

 

[Aidil]

My longest running coated strings are Elixir NPS Nanoweb from 2015. They are still on right now with now.

I purchased another set about a couple of years later, which meant for the replacement, but ended up being put on another bass since the first set had never failed me. The two sets sounded similar, despite a couple of years different.

I've taken off the 2nd set, only because I had wanted to try another strings on the bass. And I still keep the 2nd set for future use.