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DR Hi-beams...Tone Heaven

#25
Recently gave DR a try. Sunbeams on my CIJ Geddy Jazz tuned 1/2 step down. Fell in love with the tone and feel.
What a difference strings can make, I had no love for this bass before. Now it's back in rotation, along with an Aria PJ and a Thunderbird, for "classic" rock and metal.
 
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#27
I just got a bass that someone put hi-beams on, I play a lot so typically breaking happens at 1 week, I'm at the 2 week mark and I finding that the tension is a bit more than I like and the steel gets really uncomfortable after hour 2 in a gig. They sound really good and you are right about the middy cut through but I feel a complete loss of dynamics. It feels like a 34" scale string on my 35 if that's makes sense. That said, if it's killikg it for you then that rocks!
 
#28
DR convert here as well! Unfortunately, the round core strings don't agree with me. I like the Lo-Riders so much I'm afraid to try anything else.
I have 2 P basses with Lo-Riders. I use an ultrasonic cleaner and have used these strings at least 4 times. They still sound great.
 
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#29
tleebassist11 said:
After many years of trying about every brand of string, I have finally decided on the Holy Grail of strings, IMHO. For the longest time I played D'Addario EXL nickel strings. Tonally they were great, but I found that they died quickly and really caused my fingers to blister up after playing multiple sets night after night.
A little over a year ago I tried my first set of DR's! I believe my first set was the Lo-riders. They were very dubby and dark sounding to my ears, but I immediately could tell the texture and feel of the string was exactly what I was after.
I play Fodera basses and I had really been attracted to the bright and full sound of Anthony Jackson and wanted to try to replicate it. Due to my touring with Nico and Vinz, and the grace of God, I was able to acquire an endorsement with DR, which since has allowed me to try every type of their string. When I strung up my ash/maple bass with Stainless steel Hi-beams immediately my life was changed. I have never heard an E string sound so full, I think it is a combination of the tension and also the Stainless steel strings project more and cut through more in a mix. I know a lot of cats prefer nickel strings but I promise these are worth the try.
So heres the secret about these strings. When you first put them on, they are incredibly brittle and live sounding. Don't be discouraged!!!! lol!!
With every set of Hi-beams I've used, after using them for about a month, comes tone heaven. When they have died down just a bit from their original brightness they acquire this amazing lo-mid evenness that is just unheard of. They allow you to really milk the subtleties out of the bass and just get an absolutely ridiculous amount of expression from the string.
I know a lot of bassists are strongly biased or one-sided when it comes to string companies, but I just wanted to post this for anyone who is on the constant search for tone nirvana. I used D'Addario for ten years before realizing that there was this string out there that literally allows me to play my bass with ease and without resistance.
Just got some of their Pure Blue strings and am really looking forward to checking those out!!
Click to expand...

Hey Mr. Lee!

Being a daddario nickel user myself, I'm always on the hunt for something different... That being said, how do the high beams compare/differ in feel. I've found that most SS strings IMHO have more of a "gritter feel" to them. Never tried High beams but curious.
 
#31
I've used Sunbeams and Fatbeams before (both on a P which I sold a while ago, now I have a J). I got an amazing deal on a few d'addario nickels so I'm using them for now. Sunbeams felt heavenly but they were ultimately too dull for what I do. The Fatbeams were amazing. Just so even from string to string, huge low end, crisp highs, and they felt almost as good as sunbeams. I really loved them! Not sure if I'll go back to them just yet due to the price but once I tried the Fatbeams I immediately understand what people meant when they say DR's are like no other string.

Favorite strings so far (no particular order):
D'addario XL
Fatbeams
Rotosound rs66
GHS Flatwound
 
#32
eriky4003 said:
Seeing as you have an endorsement, I'll recommend you also try the Fat Beams. Similar to the Hi-Beams in feel and brightness, but more booty.
Click to expand...
I've also been jamming for 20+yrs play Lakland and Warwick. Fat Beams are my go to, High Beams my second choice. Like the extra low they give me on the B for the Fat's. The above statement is real. With the D'addario's I was shocked when I was forced to use a set(had on a pair fo DR's for 1yr and D string finally broke before a show doing some jam licks with another cat backstage). Anyway he had a pair of the Xl's and they blistered up my fingers that night, and I play every day so my calluses are huge and have been there for most of my life so that fn shocked me. Also they sucked my tone out from under me. Kept trying to turn up my treble and that made it sound worse! Got those off as soon as I got home(left my spare new set of Fat Beams on my recording desk)and tossed em. Thanks again Donny for that gift you saved my ass! Good thing to do with DR's is stretch them out when you put them on. So on each string you spend 4 minutes on. Wind up the string tune it, then pick up the whole bass by said string and let it hang for a few seconds. Then grab from the bridge and stretch it all the way to the nut a few times. Repeat process 4x more. Then slam the poopie outta those strings slap pop, heavy playing. I mean totally slam them! Ahhh forgot toe tell you, after each and every time doing one of these exercises re-tune up! You'll notice that the usual month long break in will be only about 1 week, and they stay in tune almost right away! If you've got a Lakland after jamming for 30 minutes you won't have to retune your bass for 4 months...:) Sounds like BS? Try it!!!
 
#34
Sign me up as a Fat Beams fan. We all know that every bass sounds and plays best with certain strings. Sounds like the OP found the right string for his Fodera. Congrats! My fave bass (J-Bass Warmoth) works best with Fat Beams. Wonderful bass and wonderful strings. I don't experiment with it.
 
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#35
tleebassist11 said:
After many years of trying about every brand of string, I have finally decided on the Holy Grail of strings, IMHO. For the longest time I played D'Addario EXL nickel strings. Tonally they were great, but I found that they died quickly and really caused my fingers to blister up after playing multiple sets night after night.
A little over a year ago I tried my first set of DR's! I believe my first set was the Lo-riders. They were very dubby and dark sounding to my ears, but I immediately could tell the texture and feel of the string was exactly what I was after.
I play Fodera basses and I had really been attracted to the bright and full sound of Anthony Jackson and wanted to try to replicate it. Due to my touring with Nico and Vinz, and the grace of God, I was able to acquire an endorsement with DR, which since has allowed me to try every type of their string. When I strung up my ash/maple bass with Stainless steel Hi-beams immediately my life was changed. I have never heard an E string sound so full, I think it is a combination of the tension and also the Stainless steel strings project more and cut through more in a mix. I know a lot of cats prefer nickel strings but I promise these are worth the try.
So heres the secret about these strings. When you first put them on, they are incredibly brittle and live sounding. Don't be discouraged!!!! lol!!
With every set of Hi-beams I've used, after using them for about a month, comes tone heaven. When they have died down just a bit from their original brightness they acquire this amazing lo-mid evenness that is just unheard of. They allow you to really milk the subtleties out of the bass and just get an absolutely ridiculous amount of expression from the string.
I know a lot of bassists are strongly biased or one-sided when it comes to string companies, but I just wanted to post this for anyone who is on the constant search for tone nirvana. I used D'Addario for ten years before realizing that there was this string out there that literally allows me to play my bass with ease and without resistance.
Just got some of their Pure Blue strings and am really looking forward to checking those out!!
Click to expand...

I LOVE DR Strings! I use their DDT line on my four string. On my five string I use the same, but on the low B I use a DR Hi-Beam (.130). Hi-Beam gives the low B (sometimes A) a low mid growl that I love! Glad you found tone heaven, congrats!
 
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#36
tleebassist11 said:
So heres the secret about these strings. When you first put them on, they are incredibly brittle and live sounding. Don't be discouraged!!!! lol!!
With every set of Hi-beams I've used, after using them for about a month, comes tone heaven. When they have died down just a bit from their original brightness they acquire this amazing lo-mid evenness that is just unheard of. They allow you to really milk the subtleties out of the bass and just get an absolutely ridiculous amount of expression from the string.
I know a lot of bassists are strongly biased or one-sided when it comes to string companies, but I just wanted to post this for anyone who is on the constant search for tone nirvana. I used D'Addario for ten years before realizing that there was this string out there that literally allows me to play my bass with ease and without resistance.
Click to expand...
totally agree.
 
#38
I've been using DR Hi Beams since forever in 50-110 on pretty much everything. Occasionally I'd use Lo Riders since they're a good second choice string if they're on sale or if I was in a situation where I'd want the increased tension for slapping or tapping. However after a run of busting a bunch of Hi Beams in the past few months, I'm firmly the only slightly less happy Lo Rider camp. They're still worlds better than everything else out there in terms of feel and I'm less worried about string breakage.

I've got my fingers crossed now since I've ordered a few sets of their med-lite hi beams and fat beams for my Stingray. Maybe it was just a bad run of the .50s
 
#39
Just last week I sent a bass to Boston for a finish repair, PLEK and setup with a set Hi-Beams. I can't wait to get it back to hear what it sounds like!!! I usually use D'Addario EXL strings, but that might change.
 

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