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DR string advise

#21
Silky Johnson said:
I like all of DR strings so you can't go terribly wrong, but I prefer Fatbeams and Pureblues
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Me too! Sunbeams were my entry drug, and have been mainlining Pure Blues in a big way - but now also digging some fatbeams to get some more growl and shine from a great bass with a native voice trending toward darkness. Love, love, love the flex and expression of round-core strings.
 
#24
I loved Hi Beams initially, but had issues with some sets having buzzy D strings. Probably low tension, but they were too inconsistent. Moved to Fat Beams and never looked back. I don't feel that they are lacking brightness.
 
#25
Fat Beams are the best for a bright, aggressive tone IMO. They are rough on the fingers and frets though (I think that's just the nature of stainless). If I had stainless steel frets on my bass, they'd be my main strings.
Of the ones I've tried, Sunbeams are the brightest nickel DRs. They're not as aggressive and powerful sounding as Fat Beams, but I get a good slap tone without too much work.
 
#26
The only rounds I use are Nickel Lo-Riders. I find them supremely versatile. You can thump, you can clank with a pick, you can slap. The only fiver I've used them on is an L2500 but they killed on that bass. But I do prefer a stiffer, solid feel, and more "vintage round" vibe. YMMV.
 
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#28
DR lover here, too. They seem to have developed a pretty broad menu - something for most of us.

I don't know what's best among their offerings, but I've used Sunbeams for long enough that I think my hands expect to feel them all the time. I drop them into pretty much anything I bring home.

Maybe I'd feel the same way about Lo-Riders, Hi Beams, or something else if I'd gotten into them years ago like I did with the Sunbeams. I actually like mine after they age a little bit and don't have that zingy freshness that I usually want to attenuate with a tone control or eq.

I don't slap much, but even my older Sunbeams are up for that if I open the tone or dial up a decent eq profile. Unless they're so old that they're borderline "flubby" and maybe a little corroded, they just seem to do whatever I need.
 
#29
I like Hi-Beams, used them for like 25 years on my 4-string basses. On my 5-string basses, the B string was a bit too low tension for my liking, so I tried SS Low-Riders on my Yamaha TRBX-505 and it's the perfect fit according to my opinion :D
Would like to try a set of 4-string Hi-Beams with a Low-Rider B string.

DR Pure Blues on 4 electric guitars and DDT on another.
 
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#30
Another DR fan here. Lo-Riders for sure to start (nickels for me and I'll use SS on occasion on a couple basses), but I am really coming around to using Pure Blues 45-125 on my 35 scale" 5 string basses and I just installed a set on my 34" fretless that really made it sound amazing. GREAT strings!
 
#31
If you get round core DR's the 45 will be as supple or even suppler that most 40's. I have to admit I never had Lo-Riders and did not really bond with Sunbeams. I mostly use Hi-Beans and Pure Blues but discovered FatBeams and they are really nice and probably the sound I had been looking for all along. Because of the slow wound, I think that they accumulate less grime and they stay brighter longer than any DR or round wounds for that matter. They also have the most mids and mix nicely even if you cut the tone to 0% on passive basses

Jazz Bass With Fat Beams 1
Jazz Bass With Fat Beams 2
 
#32
LowendG said:
The only rounds I use are Nickel Lo-Riders. I find them supremely versatile. You can thump, you can clank with a pick, you can slap. The only fiver I've used them on is an L2500 but they killed on that bass. But I do prefer a stiffer, solid feel, and more "vintage round" vibe. YMMV.
Click to expand...

+1 for Nickel Lo-Riders. It's my new favorite string, love them on my 6-string Ken Smith (better than the Smith Burners they ship with), and my 5-string Roscoe (better than the D'Addarios they ship with).
 
#37
Love DR strings, used Hi Beams for many years, then I tried the Fat Beams and was an immediate convert. These days though I have moved away from SS, and have basses with Sun Beams, Pure Blues, Lo-Rider nickel (for when a bass needs free higher tension), and when a bass needs even more tension, I have been using Sadowaky Blue Label nickel rounds.
 
#39
^^. This also. I used to use SS Lo- Riders exclusively but switched to another brand endorsed by a VERY famous player. Recently that brand has had some QC and inconsistency in the last several sets I have used.

I have a new set of SS Lo-Riders going back on my main bass. Anxious to see if they are like I remember.
 
#40
Here’s a Tier List of DR strings. Maybe that will save you some money

IMG_3269.png
 

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