Darker DR round wounds?

[Robin Ruscio]

I've been playing D'addario nickel rounds on many of my basses for a long time. I'm thinking of trying some DR's on my MTD 535 just for fun as I've always liked DR's.

It's a pretty bright bass, and I wouldn't mind something a little fuller on the bottom end. I'm going for warmer sounds these days and even using half rounds on my other basses, though I want to keep this one w/ round wounds (and slap friendly).

So i was thinking of trying one of their Nickel string sets, though I'm not sure which one. Would the nickel Lo-Riders be a good choice or the Sun Beams? I'm not sure what to expect from a hex core on the Lo-Riders. ALso, do they come w tapered B's? I love tapered B's.

Also curious if their coated strings might be a good choice if they darken things up and last longer. Not gonna play on Neons though, not my style.

 

[Jamsterdam]

I find DR lo riders to be pretty much exactly what you are looking for. Sunbeams have a similar sound, but tend to be a bit brighter. Both are great strings. I have Sunbeams on my USA l-2500 and i find i can get rounder, warmer, darker tones simply by rolling off the treble a bit, but would definitely try out Lo riders in your situation.

 

[mmbongo]

Black Beauties may be a little darker than the LoRiders, but I'm not sure. Sounds like a good question for DR. But since they are coated I would think they would be a little darker. I love Black Beauties, BTW! They are definitely less 'clanky' than the nickel rounds I've compared them to, but I have not compared them to LoRiders.

 

[Telliot]

I have the DR RW Sunbeams on my jazz bass, and I don't really like them. Much too bright for me, and a lot of excessive fret noise.

 

[JFN]

Nickel Lo Riders all the way.

 

[Sidewinder IV]

Black Beauties may be a little darker than the LoRiders, but I'm not sure. Sounds like a good question for DR. But since they are coated I would think they would be a little darker. I love Black Beauties, BTW! They are definitely less 'clanky' than the nickel rounds I've compared them to, but I have not compared them to LoRiders.

+100

I've got Black Beauties on my Fender P/J now....oooooohhhhh BABY! I've also used them on my Dean Edge Q4 & man did that sound good too! I've recently been drawn to Flatwound strings and I'm splitting my basses between flats and DR BB's.

 

[Robin Ruscio]

Anyone know if these come with a tapered B possibly? I love the taper.

 

[Telliot]

I just bought a set of D'Addario Chrome XLs (FW 50-105), haven't put them on yet.

 

[Nedmundo]

Black Beauties may be a little darker than the LoRiders, but I'm not sure. Sounds like a good question for DR. But since they are coated I would think they would be a little darker. I love Black Beauties, BTW! They are definitely less 'clanky' than the nickel rounds I've compared them to, but I have not compared them to LoRiders.

I've used the Extra Life (Peacock Blue) and SS Lo-Riders, but not on the same bass. Even so, my impression is that the coated strings are a little darker. I installed them on my Precision a few weeks ago, and they sound phenomenal: strong, clear, and warm. I think I need a set for my new G&L JB. The nickel Lo-Riders might be similar to the Extra Life, but with a stiffer feel.

For an excellent description of the various DR models, check this out:

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[brotherbassj]

Th DR "longnecks" are what you are looking for if you want a tapered B, but I think you also get a tapered E if I recall? I used these on my 5 string warwicks and LOVED them

 

[Robin Ruscio]

I'm gonna start with the coated strings and go from there. I'm sure they won't suck and might be perfect.

 

[lowfreqman]

I play the Black Beauties on my fretless. At first, they feel a bit sticky, but once you play them for a while, they become a little more tolerable. And most importantly, like Ed mentions in his article, they sound great.