DR Neon appreciation thread?

[Wulfensteiner]

Aight. I can admit it. From my hair to my strings to my attire to my cables all the way down to my boot laces, I'm pretty much Buzz freakin' Lightyear. Haha.
On a serious note, I don't see too much love for my string of choice - either at gigs or from fellow TB folk. I'd love to see you guys come out of the woodwork..

I know they're flashy as aw geddout, but I have always been a DR guy. I was using Hi-Beams before the Neons turned up (I am not 100% sure, but I think they are Hi's with a K3).

I genuinely adore their punchy brightness, how well they communicate with my alreary bright, punchy gear and how great they sound on my go-to bass. The kryptonite glow under blacklight is just the icing on the cake for me. Please tell me I'm not the only Neon guy in these parts..

 

[michael_t]

Two whole days with no response... No appreciation for Neons?

 

[Wulfensteiner]

Two whole days with no response... No appreciation for Neons?

I guess that I will just have to appreciate them for everyone.

 

[michael_t]

I guess that I will just have to appreciate them for everyone.

I would never use them for myself, but looking at the photos, that bright neon green does fit your style of music quite well.

By the way, the Neons are coated Sunbeams, which are the nickel-plated steel version of the Hi Beams.

 

[Old Blastard]

I e thought about getting some as I sort of follow your theory of gig dress, just the opposite. Shirt and tie match the bass and the blue would look good on my combat Jag Deluxe.

Do they last and what's the sound like?

 

[Wulfensteiner]

I e thought about getting some as I sort of follow your theory of gig dress, just the opposite. Shirt and tie match the bass and the blue would look good on my combat Jag Deluxe.

Do they last and what's the sound like?

Haha. But that's the bass player equivalent of an office job..

On the real, the Neons sound BRIGHT. Jarring, in a REALLY good way. And they retain that BRIGHTness and new string 'zing' for quite a long time (not everyone likes that). They're pretty articulate (again, not everyone likes that). They feel really nice too. Deceptively nice.

That said, I play finger style primarily and I hear nothing but bad things about them from pick guys (harsh, flaking coating early on, quickly fading, overrated, all the good stuff).

 

[Old Blastard]

I mix it between pick and finger although I'm 75 percent finger. The Jag (how auto correct got combat out of Cobalt I do t know) needs new strings anyway......

 

[Wulfensteiner]

I mix it between pick and finger although I'm 75 percent finger. The Jag (how auto correct got combat out of Cobalt I do t know) needs new strings anyway......

Dang, for a second I thought that your bass LITERALLY kicked ass!! Haha. Yeah, I have a feeling you will at the very least get quite a kick from the Neons, if you don't decide you actually LOVE them. They're just too ridiculous for some. And that's fine. The string underneath is just dandy too

 

[Old Blastard]

I dig ridiculous. Wild ties, loud shirts, bad hats to get the other dad's to think like they're playing.

 

[Wulfensteiner]

Haha. I love it. I love cheese and whimsicality and general ridiculousness. My friend, they'll fit right in!

That said though, if you are more into the Rotosound kind of thing (I'm definitely not), they also do a range of neon strings. I'm yet to try them and haven't heard a damn thing, so can't +1 or -1 them.

 

[Mekana]

Reviving an old thread- seemed like the most appropriate place to post:

 

[Jeff Roller]

Very old picture, but I liked the look of Neons on my Ritter!

 

[rutrho]

I switch between DR Neons and DR Blacks on my fretless 4str. I like them a bit. Nice and bright and punchy.

 

[Mekana]

I switch between DR Neons and DR Blacks on my fretless 4str. I like them a bit. Nice and bright and punchy.

They are bright and punchy! I’ve used Sunbeams before, but this is my first go with the Neons. When I first put them on, there were uneven tone issues, but after playing a bit, they’re evening out. They feel nice. I’m hoping the coating helps with outdoor gigs... my previous (uncoated) strings would get grabby with outdoor humidity, and I really hope the coated strings will do better outside. The pink is fun! They match my drummer’s bass drum head.

 

[Mekana]

Very old picture, but I liked the look of Neons on my Ritter!
View attachment 3443822

Omg, I love that!

 

[hbarcat]

I've used them occasionally, when the mood hit me. I normally keep DR hi beams on all 3 of my basses and the Neons are just the nickel plated and color coated version of those. I play fingerstyle and very aggressively.

I'm very happy with the tonal character and the longevity. In my experience the color seems to wear off after about 6 weeks (70-80 hours) of use. This is right about when the strings have become noticeably dull sounding - about the same life span as the hi beams.

On stage, I get mixed reviews. Mostly compliments. A few jeers.

I like them. At least sometimes. My favorites are the green, blue, and white.

 

[BlueTalon]

I bought a set 9 or 10 years ago as an experiment, and it turned out I liked the sound. They do everything -- brights, lows, sustain, and looks. I have never had a disparaging comment from anybody about them, but I've had a whole lot of compliments and wows. My friend thought they were gimmicks until he heard them, then he begrudgingly changed his mind. Now, nobody questions them. I don't use them on everything, just my black basses. The black makes the strings pop. For many gigs, I'll put UV lights in front of me, and that really makes the strings pop.

 

[GwenOnBass]

You mean these?

​

Oh yes, truly enjoy the Neons. They last a long time for me, too.

 

[JRA]

 

[BlueTalon]

Here's a better photo of my bass.

By the way, did anyone else have the experience of losing the ability to see their fret markers when they put the strings on? If yes, what did you do about it?