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DR Red Devils

jd56hawk

jd56hawk

Sep 12, 2011
18,717
42,163
The Garden State
#1
I put a set on my Goth Thunderbird...they look great...and even though I only tested them out for about an hour they felt good and sounded much better than I expected and certainly better than whatever strings were on it.
I've read several negative posts about DR coated strings but can only imagine they'll sound better in a week or two.
Just in case they don't last as long as I hope, does anyone here have any experience with Aurora coated strings?
 
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#3
2014-01-18000012_zps761991cc.jpg
[/URL][/IMG] Love my DR Red Devils on my Fender Jazz
 

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#5
Read a post on it here a couple of years back, was just called " Colored Flatwounds ". Sounded promising
the sales team from DR had replied to some TB'ers requests saying summer 2012 they'd be available then
it was dropped,no reason given.

Crazy that you can get black and LaBella do white nylons. Maybe I could stain the LB ones.
 
#6
Just got my Red Devil's on and so far I am really turned off by them. They look amazing, very deep red, but tone is all over the place.

When I put them on, acustically I could hear the D and G strings sounded dead. The E and A sounded pretty zingy and fresh, and the low B sounded somewhere in the middle between fresh and dead. After plugging in the bass I could hear the differences as well. Dead high end, dead-ish B, while the E and A sound good. From string to string it seems like they are all from different sets, the tone varies that much string to string.

Also a strange occurance, is that the A string is MUCH lower volume than the others. I do my own setups, and trust me I've checked. Everything is as it should be action wise, string height wise, and pickup height. For whatever reason the A just puts out way less volume.

I've heard nothing but great things from people about these strings, so I am convinced this set is a major dud. I really want to like them, but hopefully this is just a rare defect.

Edit: Just sent an email to DR, never had to deal with them before as I have always used Elixirs. Hopefully their CS is up to par!
 
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#7
Good that you sent an email to DR. If you do not get a response right away, message me with the address you emailed and I will get on it.

Did you follow the installation instructions that are specific for Round Core strings? What you are describing sounds like strings that were not installed properly unfortunately.
 
#8
SLaPiNFuNK said:
Good that you sent an email to DR. If you do not get a response right away, message me with the address you emailed and I will get on it.

Did you follow the installation instructions that are specific for Round Core strings? What you are describing sounds like strings that were not installed properly unfortunately.
Click to expand...

Thanks for the reply! I used their web form located here: http://www.drstrings.com/#!contact/c3kh
I am not sure which email it directs to, but I'll keep this thread updated for you.

Which specific instructions are you referring to? Hopefully I didn't put them on in some wrong way that I am unaware about. I've been putting on strings for years and years (15-16?) and never had this type of issue. Only issues I've had ever was Elixir's new coating switch, I had 2 dead B strings, but the replacements they sent work fine, not sure I installed them much differently....
 
#10
SLaPiNFuNK said:
When you open the flaps it says "Avoid dead strings" and there is an arrow pointing inside. When you open up the box you see the instructions.
Click to expand...

Well well. I saw the "Avoid Dead Strings" thing on one end and looked inside and saw a picture of them cutting a string, but I didn't want to destrpy my string box to see what was in it. They should definitely use a paper insert or something!

Any way, I ripped it open, checked out what it said, re read it a couple times to make sure I understood it properly. I checked all my clippings and none have a flat spot, so they should be on the string still, thus still making the string OK, right? On the bass itself I can see where they crimped the B, its right between the nut and tuning peg, I honestly can't tell anything on the others. Its a 3/2 5 string, 3 tuners on top, 2 on bottom. I cut strings about 3-4 inches past the tuner, almost always get 3 full wraps around the peg.

Nothing feels slippery, or loose, etc about them like what I am reading. Other than what I stated before they feel fine and look fine.
 
#11
adamaarts said:
Well well. I saw the "Avoid Dead Strings" thing on one end and looked inside and saw a picture of them cutting a string, but I didn't want to destrpy my string box to see what was in it. They should definitely use a paper insert or something!

Any way, I ripped it open, checked out what it said, re read it a couple times to make sure I understood it properly. I checked all my clippings and none have a flat spot, so they should be on the string still, thus still making the string OK, right? On the bass itself I can see where they crimped the B, its right between the nut and tuning peg, I honestly can't tell anything on the others. Its a 3/2 5 string, 3 tuners on top, 2 on bottom. I cut strings about 3-4 inches past the tuner, almost always get 3 full wraps around the peg.

Nothing feels slippery, or loose, etc about them like what I am reading. Other than what I stated before they feel fine and look fine.
Click to expand...
 
#14
I have a set of red Aurora strings on my bass. They sound great! Great feeling, excellent tension. They take a beating, too.
I can't be happier with them.

Regarding flat wounds, I'm pretty sure that if you contact Aurora directly they can make a set of red flats for you (as long
as flat wounds are part of their catalog). There can make most anything, including custom sets for 8 strings (octave), gauges, etc, as they are the manufacturer.

I have not tried DR's so can't compare the two.

OP, I hope this helps.
 
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#16
adamaarts said:
On the bass itself I can see where they crimped the B, its right between the nut and tuning peg,
Click to expand...

I think you're seeing where the outer winding tapers off, that's not a crimp. You have to crimp it when you install it. Determine where you want to cut the string, then about a half inch past that point, put a 90 degree bend in the string. I even use wire crimpers or pliers to crimp it real good. Cut it about a half inch past the crimp. Depending on your tuner, you can probably stick the whole crimp down in the anchor hole.
 
#17
Update: DR sent me a replacement pack. They are as they should be, meaning, they are pretty nice!

I didn't really do anything different than before regarding installation. I did see the crimps on the strings I pulled off, so that was not the problem. Even while they were installed I could see some color variation between the strings, like some were really bright red, some were dull. I may have just gotten a dud pack, super old stock, or something of that nature. No worries as the new ones are sounding great, the tone is even across the strings, and they just look too cool.

In regards to feeling similar to other coated strings, I'd disagree, they feel way 'grippier' than Elixirs. It takes a bit getting adjusted to the diference (after 10 years on Elixirs!)

Thanks for the help!!
 
#18
mmbongo said:
I think you're seeing where the outer winding tapers off, that's not a crimp. You have to crimp it when you install it. Determine where you want to cut the string, then about a half inch past that point, put a 90 degree bend in the string. I even use wire crimpers or pliers to crimp it real good. Cut it about a half inch past the crimp. Depending on your tuner, you can probably stick the whole crimp down in the anchor hole.
Click to expand...

++ ^^
That's the way-
The crimps need to be done by the installer, after first measuring for enough string to wrap the post as many times as poss, and before cutting.
This applies to round-cores and most flats, tho some seem to have gotten away with not doing it this way (for years).
But then, if the same flats are on there for the last 40 yrs, that could be why.
And with hex-cored strings, you can get away with not crimping before cutting, usually, but why take the chance, then have to do it all over again?
 
#19
Updating my experience/review a bit: To clarify I did check what the package said and it states that the strings come crimped and that it should fall between the nut and tuning peg, of it doesn't then the user must crimp it at some point. What I saw was 100% NOT a taper point. The only other thing it could be is a damaged spot that should have been discarded, but I am going to say its safe to assume it was the crimp, even as all the other crimp points I saw look exactly the same.

Anyway..... DR did send me a replacement pack, they sounded great out of the box. It has now been 2 weeks and 2 days, and the strings are already almost dead. The G string sounds like a completely dead string, the D is close, and the B again is probably the next one. Overall they are sounding deader but those 3 are the worst.

As cool as these strings look I think I'll be avoiding them for a while. I am used to my strings lasting months, not days. Too expensive too be replacing every other week.
 
#20
I bought a set of DR Red Devils, since Geezer uses DR. They look awesome on my new Lakland p/j bass. However the G string is dead out of the box:( Installed my favorite strings GHS M3050 medium flats, they sound great:)
 

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