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DRs
- Thread starter JWC
- Start date
i went through a phase a few years ago trying to find the best strings. i was playing hi-beams and thought that something else would be better. i must have wasted hundreds of dollars trying out ken smith, dean markley, d'addario, ghs, lo-riders, and many others. i always ended up going back to the hi-beams...until i tried the sunbeams. i needed a set in a pinch a few months ago and all i could find were hi-beams. i put them on and made it through the gig, but could not wait until i got sunbeams back on. they are the quietest, most responsive, flexible string out there. now when i see string ads in magazines i don't even think about trying anything else. i don't even really care if there's anything "better" because i like these so much.
Mr T, How's the brightness of Sun Beams? I've been curious about these too. Don't forget, Fat Beams are coming soon!
i suppose a good part of the brightness comes from the bass itself. i've found the sunbeams to be the perfect blend of brightness and warmth. i feel that a good string should have both (they are not necessarily mutually exclusive). they are not quite as bright as the hi-beams (i assume that the fat-beams will be very close to the hi-beams, just different proportions of wrap to core), but i don't know if that's just because i can hear the midrange frequencies so much better with the sunbeams. nickel has better magnetic properties than stainless. my pickups (passive bartolini soapbars through an active bartolini preamp) tend to pick up much more of the sound of my bass with the sunbeams compared to the hi-beams. remember the sunbeams have a stainless core, so they're still pretty bright. overall, i'd say the sunbeams give a more full, realistic sound. if you want that piano string bright sound, just dial out some of the mids (but i never do 'cause i like that growly sound). i apologize for the rambling nature of this reply, but i also hope it helps you out. (i have also found the sunbeams to sound better for a longer period of time). my three cents.
Mr T,
I play a passive Fender Jazz and play mostly fingerstyle with an occassional (gasp!) pick. The Hi-Beams give me clarity that I've never heard before in any string. Dean Markley SR2000 comes close.
As far as nickel or nickelplated strings I've used:
Fender Nickelplated (taperwound E)
D'Addario EXL
D'Addario Slowound
Ernie Ball Slinky
GHS Boomers
Soundwise, the D'Addario EXL were the best but they didn't feel right to me. For the price though, they are pretty good. I guess I'm just a stainless steel guy. Most of these nickelplated strings seemed warmer but not clearer than most stainless steel that I've tried. Sorry about rambling too, strings are very subjective. Maybe I should try Sunbeams. I think it's the round core DR uses that helps with the flexibility and the clarity.
I play a passive Fender Jazz and play mostly fingerstyle with an occassional (gasp!) pick. The Hi-Beams give me clarity that I've never heard before in any string. Dean Markley SR2000 comes close.
As far as nickel or nickelplated strings I've used:
Fender Nickelplated (taperwound E)
D'Addario EXL
D'Addario Slowound
Ernie Ball Slinky
GHS Boomers
Soundwise, the D'Addario EXL were the best but they didn't feel right to me. For the price though, they are pretty good. I guess I'm just a stainless steel guy. Most of these nickelplated strings seemed warmer but not clearer than most stainless steel that I've tried. Sorry about rambling too, strings are very subjective. Maybe I should try Sunbeams. I think it's the round core DR uses that helps with the flexibility and the clarity.
Put Hi-Beams on my Ric. I like them. I agree that they are pretty smooth for steel roundwounds (definitely smoother than Rotosounds) and nice and bright. They are more expensive than the Ken Smith strings I normally use and I'm not sure they are any better. We'll see how long they last --that will be the test for me.
rsautrey- Be prepared to wait. I have mine on order at juststrings, (only place I could find them) and they can't fulfill anyone's order yet. I just had an e-mail several minutes ago from Sandra at juststrings, saying that DR starts shipping today. All she could tell me in regard to a reason is that DR's production has been slower than expected. So I guess getting mine will be a matter of first come, first served, or like a lottery.
If you want to sit on your money and see what others think, I'll do a TB review once I get some finger oils into them.
[Edited by rickbass1 on 02-01-2001 at 10:36 AM]
I had a life-changing situation happen to me this week.
I've been using DR Hi-Beams strings for 3 years on my 6-string Yamaha TRB6JP. Compared to the original strings and to D'Addario's which were the only other strings that were ever on that bass, I thought DR's had more output, definition and note-to-note balance compared. I decided to try them out because a guy I know in Tampa called Sean Malone raved so much about them. He said that compressed wounds are so much better than regular roundwounds.
I was fairly happy other than the fact that the higher strings had lower output than the lower strings (but most basses I've tried out had that problem, so I figured that's just the way basses are). Also, the B string wasn't as tight as I hoped it would be, but I assumed that's because I had a 34" neck and not a 35 like the newer TRB6's.
Then I saw some Alembic strings on sale at Mars, they were also compressed wounds so I thought, what the hell.
Now the volume is even between the strings. The top end might not be as bright as DR's when they're new (but after a few days of hard playing they lose that brightness anyway). However they were still very clear sounding. The low end on the other hand was much improved - much tighter.
But the ultimate surprise was how tight the B string sounded. I don't think it's just the fact that it is a bit thicker (.128 instead of the DR's .125) but the tonal quality is the same as the E string. On the DR I could hear a difference in the tone compared to all other strings.
DR's might be a bit more balanced sound-wise from string to string but that's about the only thing they have going on against the Alembic, and it's not by much. On every other aspect, the Alembic proved superior. Seriously, the improvement in tone has made me pick up the bass much more often when I'm around the house watching TV or just talking to my roomate.
I'll let you guys know if I still love them as much once they get old (the ultimate test, because I prefer the smooth sound and controlled feel of old strings).
I've been using DR Hi-Beams strings for 3 years on my 6-string Yamaha TRB6JP. Compared to the original strings and to D'Addario's which were the only other strings that were ever on that bass, I thought DR's had more output, definition and note-to-note balance compared. I decided to try them out because a guy I know in Tampa called Sean Malone raved so much about them. He said that compressed wounds are so much better than regular roundwounds.
I was fairly happy other than the fact that the higher strings had lower output than the lower strings (but most basses I've tried out had that problem, so I figured that's just the way basses are). Also, the B string wasn't as tight as I hoped it would be, but I assumed that's because I had a 34" neck and not a 35 like the newer TRB6's.
Then I saw some Alembic strings on sale at Mars, they were also compressed wounds so I thought, what the hell.
Now the volume is even between the strings. The top end might not be as bright as DR's when they're new (but after a few days of hard playing they lose that brightness anyway). However they were still very clear sounding. The low end on the other hand was much improved - much tighter.
But the ultimate surprise was how tight the B string sounded. I don't think it's just the fact that it is a bit thicker (.128 instead of the DR's .125) but the tonal quality is the same as the E string. On the DR I could hear a difference in the tone compared to all other strings.
DR's might be a bit more balanced sound-wise from string to string but that's about the only thing they have going on against the Alembic, and it's not by much. On every other aspect, the Alembic proved superior. Seriously, the improvement in tone has made me pick up the bass much more often when I'm around the house watching TV or just talking to my roomate.
I'll let you guys know if I still love them as much once they get old (the ultimate test, because I prefer the smooth sound and controlled feel of old strings).
rickbass 1,
Sandra at juststrings.com e-mailed me saying that the shipment of Fatbeams was supposed to be there by the 3rd of Feb. She said demand was extremely high for these and urged me to go ahead and order. I think I'm gonna wait. My local music store is a DR dealer (as in gets strings directly from them) and might be able to hook me up. Let me know when you get them rickbass1. I'll post if I get them before you. Later!!
Sandra at juststrings.com e-mailed me saying that the shipment of Fatbeams was supposed to be there by the 3rd of Feb. She said demand was extremely high for these and urged me to go ahead and order. I think I'm gonna wait. My local music store is a DR dealer (as in gets strings directly from them) and might be able to hook me up. Let me know when you get them rickbass1. I'll post if I get them before you. Later!!
Yeah, there are a couple of local DR dealers, but in a town this small, (less than 700,000), I'm afraid they'll wait until they have a larger order put together than just my set. Plus, I don't think they'd get them any sooner than a high volume dealer like JustStrings, who will deliver directly to my door.
[Edited by rickbass1 on 02-02-2001 at 11:50 AM]
[Edited by rickbass1 on 02-02-2001 at 11:50 AM]
rs- I've had time to get some body oils/salts and general crud into them at some gigs and at home. I submitted a TB review today of the Fats. The auto reply said the review would be posted within 7 days. I neglected to mention which gauge I bought, but only 2 different were in the catalog anyway. So, it's really a non-issue. Roger Wilco.
Sorry it was confusing. I was using "TalkBass" ("TB") jargon. I submitted a review for posting on the TalkBass Review section where TalkBassers can review gear/music. The "Reviews" link shows up on the home page and at the top of TalkBass pages. Just scroll up from where you're reading now.
Once the draft of the review was submitted, I got a message that said it would be posted within 7 days. From what I've found, Talkbass will be first with a review of them, whatever that's worth,($0). But I got tired of looking for a review so I just bought them and like them so much I thought some others might like to be turned on to them.
Once the draft of the review was submitted, I got a message that said it would be posted within 7 days. From what I've found, Talkbass will be first with a review of them, whatever that's worth,($0). But I got tired of looking for a review so I just bought them and like them so much I thought some others might like to be turned on to them.
I don't mean to rag on bass-string makers, but my "Mulambo" style of playing was breaking my Earnie Balls (ha! ha! ha!) left and right. I hooked myself up with DR highbeams. I've had the same ones for a month now! They have a better sound, too.
As a guitar player, I've tried just about every brand and style of string availible, and I've settled on DR's Pure Blues. They are a pure nickle string that sounds better and lasts far longer than any other brand or type of string I've used. I live in a Southern New Jersey seashore town, high humidity and salty air plays hell on instrument strings, (even stainless ones) and the DR's hold up the best in this enviroment.
As soon as I get my Geddy Lee J-Bass out of hock, I'll probibly change the strings to DR's SunBeam's.
As soon as I get my Geddy Lee J-Bass out of hock, I'll probibly change the strings to DR's SunBeam's.
first off my very first post on this website so congrats, but anyway, i put lo riders on my bass and i almost choked on my vomit, they were so great, they sound so great, i wanna try to hi beams, but i liek my lo riders so much , im afraind to spend 50 bucks on something else
DR's rule!! I use the hi-beams. I have used the black beauties, and loved them. Great srtings if you wanna spend the extra $. The best coated strings i've used. The only downside is the black coating chips away after a bit of use. I think i'll try the sunbeams out. I have to say I've never used another brand since I tried them. I used to play d'addarios, which i now think are the worst strings.
