Discussing replacements for EBMM Cobalt Flatwounds

[JEDI BASS]

You must have a peculiar pH. Rust and corrosion? I've never experienced that and there have been times when I've had a single set on my Yamaha bass for a few years (during Covid I didn't change any strings on any instrument). But my pH is very gentle on metals. In your first thread you talked about EBCF's being rougher than you like. I dunno. But there are some things that I do to/with them that make them feel silky smooth. Perhaps you do these things already but they are worth mentioning.

1) Before they go on my bass I wipe them down with alcohol and/or Ronsonol lighter fluid to get the sticky gunk off.
2) They get treated with a wipe-down of Finger-Ease (I spray the stuff into an applicator rather than spray directly on the strings and/or fingerboard).

Smooth and slick. And for me they stay fresh for well over a year. I do re-apply the Finger-Ease ever few days or weeks, depending on how much I play that bass.

The EBCF sound is unique. And while you might find a set that feels great to you and even sounds great I don't think you're going to find that sound in any other strings. JMO

Yes, Cobalts are unique among flats. Read reviews, and about 1 out of 3 talks about how roundwound-ish they sound. Check, TB and you could easily guesstimate that half of the users experience corrosion. So, as nice as it would be to be unique, sadly I am not LOL. Either way, with everyone’s suggestions, I hope to find a replacement that I’ll be happy with.

Oh.. I have also removed the sticky gray residue from the new sets using alcohol and/or other solvents. I’ve wondered if that had not lead to the oxidation issue. But, recently a set that I didn’t clean showed the same corrosion. I haven’t tried finger ease. But, sealing the strings could be a possible solution.

 

[JEDI BASS]

The strings are rolling in :-D

Yesterday, 2 sets of 40-96 GHS Pressurewounds and a 128 B single arrived. They feel so smooth! I should have discovered these years ago!

I cut the completely dead Cobalts off my Stingray and put on a 40-95 set of Chromes. Before installing, I did an (some might say) unscientific but worthwhile flexibility comparison between the new Chrome E and a new Cobalt E. I held both strings side-by-side by the ball end, between my thumb and index finger, and then turned my hand so the strings would arc upward while the rest of the strings’ length hung toward the floor. The Cobalt curved toward the floor quicker than the Chrome, but not by much. So, the Chrome E was just a smidge stiffer. All in all, I feel the 40-95 Chromes will pass my flexibility requirement.

I put the 45-105 Elixir nanoweb coated stainless set on a mid 80s Ibanez Roadstar II P/J that I gig with occasionally.

Unplugged, the Chromes sound better to me than the Elixir steels. I will save plugged-in comparisons for later. With all my basses having different pickups and electronics, I think unplugged comparisons will tell me more.

 

[StayLow]

The strings are rolling in :-D

Yesterday, 2 sets of 40-96 GHS Pressurewounds and a 128 B single arrived. They feel so smooth! I should have discovered these years ago!

I cut the completely dead Cobalts off my Stingray and put on a 40-95 set of Chromes. Before installing, I did an (some might say) unscientific but worthwhile flexibility comparison between the new Chrome E and a new Cobalt E. I held both strings side-by-side by the ball end, between my thumb and index finger, and then turned my hand so the strings would arc upward while the rest of the strings’ length hung toward the floor. The Cobalt curved toward the floor quicker than the Chrome, but not by much. So, the Chrome E was just a smidge stiffer. All in all, I feel the 40-95 Chromes will pass my flexibility requirement.

I put the 45-105 Elixir nanoweb coated stainless set on a mid 80s Ibanez Roadstar II P/J that I gig with occasionally.

Unplugged, the Chromes sound better to me than the Elixir steels. I will save plugged-in comparisons for later. With all my basses having different pickups and electronics, I think unplugged comparisons will tell me more.

What gauges were the Cobalts? I’m curious to know how lighter gauge Chromes compare.

I feel the standard gauge Chromes a tad stiff, though I was once comfy with heavy gage Deep Talkin’ Flats which are about on par with suspension bridge cables.

Good luck and have fun!

 

[JEDI BASS]

What gauges were the Cobalts? I’m curious to know how lighter gauge Chromes compare.

I feel the standard gauge Chromes a tad stiff, though I was once comfy with heavy gage Deep Talkin’ Flats which are about on par with suspension bridge cables.

Good luck and have fun!

40-95 Cobalts and the Chromes are also 40-95. I do NOT like 45-105 Chromes… WAY too stiff for me! The 40-95 set feel very nice! I will A/B them against Cobalts once I get all the basses ready for a comparison.

The GHS Pressurewounds use a hex core which adds stiffness. So, I ordered the 40-96 set, and they are definitely on the stiff side, especially for a non-flatwound.

I’ll get the 40-95 nickel Elixir set installed ASAP and then I’ll be ready to compare/contrast the different sets.

 

[poochiecheeks]

The 45-100 chromes sound and feel the best from what I've tried- comparable in tension to a regular Rotosound 66 set. It's also the only gauge that comes standard in the 5 string set (+ a 130 B) so I feel it makes transitioning between the 4 and 5 I have them on less jarring in terms of tension and playability.

I've wanted so badly to like the Cobalt flats but every set I've tried has both broken at the nut (D string mostly) after the initial installation and developed more surface rust than I'd want to deal with

 

[JEDI BASS]

I've wanted so badly to like the Cobalt flats but every set I've tried has both broken at the nut (D string mostly) after the initial installation and developed more surface rust than I'd want to deal with

I’ve never broken a string in 35 years of playing. I would look at your bass to see what’s causing this.

As for the rust…. That’s why I started this thread.

 

[poochiecheeks]

I’ve never broken a string in 35 years of playing. I would look at your bass to see what’s causing this.

As for the rust…. That’s why I started this thread.View attachment 5229022

Yup, that's exactly it. I think the nut slot had a sharp edge on it as it happened with a different brand of strings as well.

To answer the original question there's not really any strings that sound like them in my experience- brite flats, half wounds, pressurewounds all sound like flatwounds after a while. I use Chromes flatwounds with a slight bass cut/HPF which gets close enough to where I want to be. Also GHS balanced nickels are the closest you'll get in a roundwound string but the cobalts have a unique high mid thing going on similar to rotosound 66s that most flatwound strings I've tried don't have.

I'd love for another string manufacturer to jump into the "flatwound string that sounds like a roundwound string" market- if they could resolve the rust issue I'm sure it would sell very well.

 

[Eli Brockway]

Cobalt Flats start to tarnish and rust on me within the first week of installing a set.

I generally only change them once people start commenting on it, though, like when a drummer I was playing with started referring to my precision as the Tetanus Machine.

 

[JEDI BASS]

To answer the original question there's not really any strings that sound like them in my experience- brite flats, half wounds, pressurewounds all sound like flatwounds after a while. I use Chromes flatwounds with a slight bass cut/HPF which gets close enough to where I want to be. Also GHS balanced nickels are the closest you'll get in a roundwound string but the cobalts have a unique high mid thing going on similar to rotosound 66s that most flatwound strings I've tried don't have.

I'd love for another string manufacturer to jump into the "flatwound string that sounds like a roundwound string" market- if they could resolve the rust issue I'm sure it would sell very well.

I am not too picky and can find happiness on many basses with totally different pickup configurations, active/passive, etc. So, what I could settle for, as a replacement for the Cobalts, would be roundwound like sound (brightness & bite), smoother feel that stainless rounds, significantly less buzz and string noise. If I can find that, I'll be able to EQ in the rest... I hope.

 

[JEDI BASS]

Cobalt Flats start to tarnish and rust on me within the first week of installing a set.

I generally only change them once people start commenting on it, though, like when a drummer I was playing with started referring to my precision as the Tetanus Machine.

Please email EBMM, like I did.

I got the feeling, from their email reply, that they may not realize the extent of the issue, and maybe they think its just a few players that experience the rust. As I've said before in the thread, my research leads me to think that most sets rust, not just a few for certain players with weird pH.

So, if everyone emailed them, maybe EBMM would try coating the Cobalts like they do some other strings.

 

[Moondog]

As I've said before in the thread, my research leads me to think that most sets rust, not just a few for certain players with weird pH

FWIW, I have Cobalts on three different basses that I sweat on regularly and they have zero rust.
I'm not saying that It's not a problem for you or anyone else, but there are those of us (at least me!) that have had zero problems with this.

 

[Eli Brockway]

Please email EBMM, like I did.

I got the feeling, from their email reply, that they may not realize the extent of the issue, and maybe they think its just a few players that experience the rust. As I've said before in the thread, my research leads me to think that most sets rust, not just a few for certain players with weird pH.

So, if everyone emailed them, maybe EBMM would try coating the Cobalts like they do some other strings.

We could just be getting unlucky and getting older sets of strings. I don't know what the likelihood or possibility is, but I won't discount it entirely.

At the same time, I know that my sweat kills strings fast, and that's coming from the upright playing side of things—I'm amazed my guts have held up like they have, honestly. I've got fairly acidic sweat and I leave a weird residue on top of that (talked about it on the double bass side before, if you scroll through my profile you'll find it). Combining how hard I play with all of that has led to me breaking multiple strings even on a bass that was perfectly set up, and I've done the same on bass guitar.

Other than how quickly they start to show signs of it, the cobalt flats have held up very nicely for me compared to a lot of other string sets. Haven't broken a single one. That rusting has been a non-issue for me.

And, lastly: I don't like coated strings.

 

[Yahboy]

Please email EBMM, like I did.

I got the feeling, from their email reply, that they may not realize the extent of the issue, and maybe they think its just a few players that experience the rust. As I've said before in the thread, my research leads me to think that most sets rust, not just a few for certain players with weird pH.

So, if everyone emailed them, maybe EBMM would try coating the Cobalts like they do some other strings.

Actually EBMM knew those corrosion issue and string break while tuning issue many yearsago, it is trade mark of cobalt flat, but they will tell you it is not common issue, right ?

I been share here couple months ago that new cobalt flat G string break on tuning post while intonation setup. After a week heavy email, they make me a replacement.

I have no ph problems, but the cobalt flat still appear brownish on string surface, even on area I seldom play.

So, GHS fastfret and nail sanding block do help.

 

[smatanovic]

G string break on tuning post while intonation setup...

I had this happen to me yesterday.

 

[JEDI BASS]

We could just be getting unlucky and getting older sets of strings. I don't know what the likelihood or possibility is, but I won't discount it entirely.

At the same time, I know that my sweat kills strings fast, and that's coming from the upright playing side of things—I'm amazed my guts have held up like they have, honestly. I've got fairly acidic sweat and I leave a weird residue on top of that (talked about it on the double bass side before, if you scroll through my profile you'll find it). Combining how hard I play with all of that has led to me breaking multiple strings even on a bass that was perfectly set up, and I've done the same on bass guitar.

Other than how quickly they start to show signs of it, the cobalt flats have held up very nicely for me compared to a lot of other string sets. Haven't broken a single one. That rusting has been a non-issue for me.

And, lastly: I don't like coated strings.

Have you tried Elixirs? I was not a fan of coated strings either until I built a bass for a friend and installed Elixir nickels. What a set of strings!!! So good!

 

[Yahboy]

I had this happen to me yesterday.

Take action ~ Email EBMM.

 

[JEDI BASS]

I've created a poll, https://www.talkbass.com/threads/ebmm-cobalt-slinky-flatwounds-rust-or-not.1627155/ which I'll email to EBMM eventually, in the hopes they will look into a solution. Coated strings aren't all bad, and I'd like to see them at least try coating their flats since they already coat some of their strings. They are a very profitable company that can spend some $$ on R&D, especially since the set I use has went up in price from $27 to $49.99 in 2 years!

 

[Moondog]

Have you tried cleaning them with rust remover or metal or jewelry cleaner?
Seems like that could be an easy fix.