DR Sunbeams

[Sundogue]

I just recieved my order of DR Sunbeams from Juststrings.com.

I opened them up and they don't look or feel as smooth as others have said they feel.

Of course, I'm at work and my bass it as home. I don't have any other strings on hand to compare them to, but they don't feel super smooth like I guess I was expecting them to.

Currently I use DM Blue Steels but I wanted to try strings that feel a bit smoother, not SS, and ones that would sound bright, (but not overly bright like new SS) and even throughout.

I ordered the 45-100 as I prefer bigger D and G strings when compared to the gauge of the E and A strings. They look about what I wanted, though the feel of them is just different than I expected (though I wasn't expecting a flatwound feel).

I'm anxious to put them on my bass tonight and give them a try. I have heard because they are roundcore they are more flexible than hex core. But that's fine with me as I'm used to my TI Flats on my P-Bass. I dig in a bit, but it's more like the Entwistle "typewriter" style of playing. My action is a little on the high side and always has been, so if I get little clanking going on, that's not a bad thing.

 

[Modern Growl]

Sunbeams are a tad rough when compared to other nickels on the market.
IME though, you pretty much get used to whatever after you play em' enough.

They'll be just fine.

 

[petch]

I think that players have differences in their skin, their fingers, and their playing style that creates different perceptions of a given string choice. I have used Sunbeams for years and think they are one of the easiest roundwounds to play, and my favorite strings overall. (I use 45-65-80-100). Lots of bassists use EB Slinkies and say that they are smooth, but I find them a bit rough for me. I sometimes use D'Addario XL's and find them similar to the Sunbeams in smoothness, perhaps slightly smoother, but not as "soft" or easy to bend. But I have certainly heard different from others on this forum. These differences in perception from one player to the next is part of what makes selecting strings frustrating and, at the same time fun. Viva la difference! It would be boring if everone thought and felt the same way.

 

[bucephylus]

I've been using Fodera Nickels for a while on my 6 and every now and then mess up and break the G (bad technique). I began using Sunbeams as backups, because I can't find the single Foderas. They seem like almost the same string. Either way, I like them, but the Foderas are just a little less expensive in the set.

 

[nad]

I love Sunbeams. They aren't the smoothest in feel, but their loose tension is sweeeeeeeeeeet.

 

[Gene Leone]

Now I find the Sunbeams to feel almost as if there is a silver coating on them, and smooth to the touch.

Of course I dig the round core flexibility.

 

[Sundogue]

Well, I put them on last night and all I can say is...

Damned if I didn't just find the perfect strings for me!!!

I've experimented with so many different kinds of strings over the years, and all have lacked that certain "something". They were all good in their own way, but maybe were a little too rough, too tight, too loose, not balanced enough from one string to the next, too mid-rangey, not enough, too boomy, too bright and thin sounding, etc.

I felt like Goldilocks. This one's too... LOL.

The DR Sunbeams are just what I've been looking for. I play a tad heavy, but I also play with a John Entwistle kind of style and I prefer strings that give me a nice bounce off the frets (even though my action is relatively high (but not like a Jamerson height). Yes, they are looser than other strings (about the same playability as my TI flats on my P-Bass). But that only makes them so much easier to play for me. They don't feel like taught wires, but rather like strings that can be manipulated without a lot of effort.

These are so easy to play. And yes, they do feel a great deal smoother than my DM Blue Steels. I've got big, thick old callouses from over 25 years of playing so it's never bothered me to play with rough strings as far as how my fingers feel. But I wanted some roundwounds that didn't give me that raspy, excess "finger noise" because my bass and rig is very mid-range and bright already.

These strings are EXTREMELY bright, at least they are when brand spankin' new. It's a little over the top, but nothing a little EQ'ing can't take out until they settle down somewhat. I'd rather have bright strings I can take the edge off of, than strings that aren't as bright because you can never dial in what doesn't exist.

Despite being very bright, they are also very warm and balanced. I don't know what the right way to describe it is...perhaps they have a "mellow clarity" if that makes any sense. The lows are so well defined. Even a low E sounds as bright and clear as any note on the G string.

My set is 45-65-80-100 as I like better balance between my D&G and E&A strings (which is why I reversed my P-Bass pickups at the neck, in my custom made bass...to go along with my humbucker at the bridge).

The DR Sunbeams are very well balanced without having to EQ the heck out of my amp to compensate. If I play any note on my D&G strings, they are as solid as any on my E&A, and the notes on the E&A strings are just as clear as the ones on the D&G.

Harmonics ring out very clear, and what times I use a chorus effect just makes that effect sing. Just beautiful.

Of course time will tell about these. It remains to be seen how long they'll last. But I change my strings about every two months depending on how many gigs I play. They are only $23 at juststrings.com. so the price is certainly worth changing them as needed.

So far, they are the ideal string. I have two gigs this weekend so we'll see how they sound in a gig situation.

 

[nad]

I agree with all of that. Just wait until they get about a week to settle in, that's when they get perfect to me.

Also one thing I've noticed, and it could just be me, but Sunbeams force you to clean up your technique a little since they move around so much. After 15 years of playing I consider that a positive thing.

 

[Bob Moulton]

I have used DR Sunbeams exclusively four about four years after using almost everything under the sun. Sunbeams are by far my favorite. I have used 45-100 one time and it really threw me. I felt like Popeye the way I was manhandling the E string. It took some getting used to and I eventually did, but I went back to 45-105 and it's much better for my feel and sound. The only other sting I want to try is the Thomastik-Infeld "Infeld Bass" superalloy at some point, just out of curiosity rather than boredom with the Sunbeams. Speaking of DR though, I really want to try the new DR Flatwounds at too!

 

[UBU]

I think that sunbeams are pretty soft. I like them when they've had a chance to break in, after they lose their edge a little bit.

 

[Sundogue]

I agree with all of that. Just wait until they get about a week to settle in, that's when they get perfect to me.

Also one thing I've noticed, and it could just be me, but Sunbeams force you to clean up your technique a little since they move around so much. After 15 years of playing I consider that a positive thing.

I agree completely. I know that zingy roundwounds will settle down a bit, and I know that is the case right now. But, I can EQ that out a bit, without changing my tone. You can't EQ that in if the string doesn't have that to begin with.

I also agree about it forcing me to clean up my technique. It's amazing how taught and/or dull strings allow a person to be sloppy and still play alright.

Now that I have new custom made 115 cabs that are very mid-voiced and super bright, along with these new DR Sunbeams I can see where I've gotten very lax with my technique.

But as you said, that's a good thing! I really don't like settling into too much of a comfort zone that lets me become complacent. I like being on edge a bit, whether it's a new difficult song, playing with musicians far better than me, or just some new strings that show me how bad I'm playing ...I dig it. It keeps me focused.

 

[Sundogue]

The DR's have settled a bit over the last four days (lots of playing on them) and they now still sound bright, but the nasty, "new" edge is gone.

I had the opportunity to play them at practice through this old Peavey Mark IV head and an 1820 cab I use at practice. That old 18" is just about the muddiest, boomiest cab I've ever played through (at least it sounds that way at rehearsal). It's not my cab or amp, but it was left there by the previous bass player who didn't want it anymore. So I don't have to haul anything to practice.

Anyway, these DR Sunbeams even gave that tired old beast some new life. There was actually some clarity in that rig I could never hear before.

I'm digging these new strings more and more every day. Very warm, yet bright tone that is very even from string to string.

 

[Joebone]

Congrats on the Sunbeams. To describe them in one word: "flexible." And I mean that not only with respect to to their bendability, but also in the way they sit in a very nice place on the warm-to-bright tonal spectrum, and seem very responsive to right-hand nuance (attack, hand placement, etc.). I love 'em!

Enjoy.

 

[Sundogue]

Congrats on the Sunbeams. To describe them in one word: "flexible." And I mean that not only with respect to to their bendability, but also in the way they sit in a very nice place on the warm-to-bright tonal spectrum, and seem very responsive to right-hand nuance (attack, hand placement, etc.). I love 'em!

Enjoy.

Yeah, I agree with "flexible". They are more physically flexible, as in ease of movement, but they also are flexible in that I'm not limited to one type of sound or tone.

I play in a cover band, where we do a wide variety of music to do straight up rock gigs in bars to weddings and corporate events. We also play every kind of style...hard rock, country, blues, polkas, classic top 40 standards, reggae, Motown, etc. I also use a Zoom B2 with a wide variety of programmed sounds and effects for a given song or style. These strings allow me to alter my tone as needed and no matter what musical flavor I need, they accommodate.

Depending on how I play them (hard, soft, slap, pop, pick, etc.), where I play them (neck, middle, bridge position) or how I alter my tone shaping with my pedal, they deliver a wide variety of sounds without really lacking anything. Very versatile, and as you say, they do sit in the right place on the tonal spectrum.

I think anyone that plays a wide variety of music and doesn't bring a lot of different sounding basses with them to gigs would benefit from trying these out.

 

[Orco87]

I haven't read through everything cuz I'm feeling a bit lazy tonight, but I purchased some sunbeams and put em' on my jazz, they really gave it a massive amount of sound, spunk, and enhanced the personality. They sound great, if only I played as good as the freakin' bass sounds. The brightness does go down a lil' after it wears off, and now that bass has a particular sound that's just fantastic!