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DR Black Beauties vs Dragon Skin

Horgh

Horgh

Aug 1, 2021
94
126
Sweet Home Alabama
#1
I'm posting this for future searches as I wasn't able to find this answer myself while searching this forum. So, I like DR K3 coated strings, but couldn't really figure out the difference between Black Beauties and Dragon Skin. On paper they appear to be the same thing (round core stainless) but you'll find numerous threads here claiming that they sound different, are coated differently, and with varying conductivity. I know at some point Black Beauties were nickel, but now they're stainless, so that further muddies search results given how long they've been in production.

With that in mind I just called up DR and asked them directly. In their own words, the strings are exactly the same, there is just black dye added to the coating for the Black Beauties.

So there you have it. I'm not saying there aren't sound differences that some fine-tuned ears can pick up (some claim Black Beauties sound "darker"), but according to DR there shouldn't be and they should sound the same.
 
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#2
Horgh said:
I like DR K3 coated strings, but couldn't really figure out the difference between Black Beauties and Dragon Skin. On paper they appear to be the same thing (round core stainless) but you'll find numerous threads here claiming that they sound different, are coated differently, and with varying conductivity. I know at some point Black Beauties were nickel, but now they're stainless, so that further muddies search results given how long they've been in production.
Click to expand...

Is it possible some of the reviews you've read on their different tonal qualities were based on the BB's when they were nickel-plated steel under the coating?
 
#3
michael_t said:
Is it possible some of the reviews you've read on their different tonal qualities were based on the BB's when they were nickel-plated steel under the coating?
Click to expand...

That's the problem and why I posted this thread, it's hard to tell what people were comparing. I don't have exact dates for when BBs were nickel and when they were stainless. In fact one person claimed they were stainless, then nickel, then stainless again, so just lots of confusion.

I think it's feasible that the black dye particles affect the wire wrap and thus the tone, so I'm not saying there isn't a difference. I don't have the trained ears of many of you, I just wanted to relay what the manufacturer told me about the current generation of these strings.
 
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#4
Horgh said:
That's the problem and why I posted this thread, it's hard to tell what people were comparing. I don't have exact dates for when BBs were nickel and when they were stainless. In fact one person claimed they were stainless, then nickel, then stainless again, so just lots of confusion.
Click to expand...

When I became an active TB member in 2013, people regularly talked about the BB's being "coated Sunbeams (nickel-plated steel on a round core)", until one day I came across with the info on the DR website indicating they were actually stainless steel.

To further complicate the issue, Black Beauties for electric guitar are nickel-plated steel on a hex core.

EDIT: I should add that, as far as I know, the DR Neons are still nickel-plated steel on a round core (= "coated Sunbeams").
 
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#5
michael_t said:
When I became an active TB member in 2013, people regularly talked about the BB's being "coated Sunbeams (nickel-plated steel on a round core)", until one day I came across with the info on the DR website indicating they were actually stainless steel.

To further complicate the issue, Black Beauties for electric guitar are nickel-plated steel on a hex core.

EDIT: I should add that, as far as I know, the DR Neons are still nickel-plated steel on a round core (= "coated Sunbeams").
Click to expand...

Yep! Exactly, I've seen that thread too, which really made me scratch my head. I would love if someone with a better ear or proper recording equipment could compare the sound of the two as they are produced today. The conductivity question is also interesting, as my Black Beauties are definitely conductive.
 
#7
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#9
Horgh said:
I'm posting this for future searches as I wasn't able to find this answer myself while searching this forum. So, I like DR K3 coated strings, but couldn't really figure out the difference between Black Beauties and Dragon Skin. On paper they appear to be the same thing (round core stainless) but you'll find numerous threads here claiming that they sound different, are coated differently, and with varying conductivity. I know at some point Black Beauties were nickel, but now they're stainless, so that further muddies search results given how long they've been in production.

With that in mind I just called up DR and asked them directly. In their own words, the strings are exactly the same, there is just black dye added to the coating for the Black Beauties.

So there you have it. I'm not saying there aren't sound differences that some fine-tuned ears can pick up (some claim Black Beauties sound "darker"), but according to DR there shouldn't be and they should sound the same.
Click to expand...
Be warned: they aren't coated in real dragon skin.
 
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#11
One other thing I want to add for future searches, to my fingers the Dragon Skin feel more "slick" when plucking than Black Beauties. The Black Beauties have a more dry but tacky feel to them, almost like a rubberized plastic feel that you find on some laptops. The Dragon Skin on the other hand feel pretty close to uncoated strings. Why that is I don't know, must be the black dye particles.
 
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#12
I have played both, for me black beauties are the way to go, they are tackier but the have a nicer tone to them. The dragon skins I had had this strange percussive overtone to them that just made the L2000 they were on way too bright and clanky, and I like bright and clanky. Might work on a deeper sounding bass but they really didn’t compliment the bright G&L
 
#13
I’m weird about hearing tone differences from factors that others say they don’t- from various woods, heavier bridges (sustain), weight, etc.
I’ve used every color of DR coated bass string over the last two decades (my string of choice), and I’ve never heard a difference in one vs the other. Just my two cents.
 
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#17
I love DR and I happily used Black Beauties for 2 or 3 years. My rationale was that the coating would help make the strings last longer and I was not displeased with my decision. Most of the time, I used these on my Ric bass and it worked out okay. Then, I got a new bass - and all of a sudden the Black Beauties sounded like doggie do-do on it. I went to NAMM and spoke to one of the DR guys about my dilemma and he suggested switching to Pure Blues, which I did and was blown away by how much better they sound! Now - I'm done with Black Beauties!
 
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#18
Horgh said:
(some claim Black Beauties sound "darker")
Click to expand...
I’ve played both and in my opinion the BB does sound darker, but after having gone down that rabbit hole, I can attest that neither is my cup of tea...
Now one thing, in the interest of full disclosure, there were some factors that may cloud the issue. I had BBs on a bass that had passive electronics, VVT w/500K AT Pots, and an a 500K AT Tone Pot that included a .047 uF cap.
I think they sounded best then. I wore that set out, and went for dragon skins, and a little Audere two Band Preamp. Man that sounded bright. Like, icepick bright...
I ordered a set of BBs thinking that might tame things just a bit, and to my perception it did. but maybe just a bit. All things equal and at the risk of derailing the thread, I would say the preamp/no preamp was the bigger deciding factor in the tone of that bass. With the preamp, It was too hard dial out highs without bringing in the wrong kind of mids, and then you're on to finding bass freq that works.. It was just a tail chasing effort.
TBT, that bass that I had, with the black beauties, in passive configuration, was the best version of a bass with BB strings that I have played. I would even go as far as to say I really liked it.
Hope this helps.
 
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#19
I just placed an order from Fretnation for a set of 40-120 DR Dragon Skin rounds and a set of 40-120 Silver Stars (K3 Coated NPS rounds).

I’m really excited to play these! I’ll report my findings. They’ll be going on my SBMM Ray5; not sure yet but I’ll probably try the Silver Stars first.
 
#20
Thread bump! It’s been almost two months since I put the Dragon Skin 40-120 on my Ray5 and they are finally feeling and sounding excellent. I tried the Silver Stars first and didn’t care for them. I’m more of a SS guy, I think. That, combined with the K3 coating feeling strange at first, has relegated the Silver Stars to my gig bag in the closet bass.

The Dragon Skins, at first, felt odd. These are my first coated rounds in 15 years of playing and I wasn’t prepared for the way they felt when new. Now that they’ve broken in the feel and sound incredible. It’s not that they had the new string zing; I don’t mind that tone. I think the coating had to wear a little in order for these to be great strings.

For my next purchase I’m looking at DR Fat Beams, because I’ve never tried them. But I think I’ll buy the Dragon Skins again in the future.

Side note- the 40-120 set (keep in mind these are round core, too) really took some adjustment. When I try the Fat Beams I may do the 45-125 or even 45-130; not sure yet. I wouldn’t hate a little more solid of a B-string, and the G feels a little weak.
 
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