Dunlop Marcus Miller strings another fail

[robert_stuart]

We should somehow compile a list of strings and how many bad experiences have been reported with them.

"Reviews" online never add in the reliability factor. Labella DTFs are highly rated, but just as highly likely to have bad strings in a set.

I haven't been able to get a good set of Labella, after ordering two, so I'm giving up. I've ordered these from Sweetwater, and they've been fantastic.

 

[GTHintz]

We should somehow compile a list of strings and how many bad experiences have been reported with them.

"Reviews" online never add in the reliability factor. Labella DTFs are highly rated, but just as highly likely to have bad strings in a set.

I haven't been able to get a good set of Labella, after ordering two, so I'm giving up. I've ordered these from Sweetwater, and they've been fantastic.

I’ve never tried the flats but the old hard rocking steels were awesome strings! The rx is good too but I did get a bad string the first time I tried them. However after multiple sets I haven’t had another bad one. So overall I’d say labella is good. SIT however has been a different story. I’ve always had either bad single strings or whole sets that just sounded lifeless. I don’t know why but that’s been a company I steer away from. Tried super brights and power steel. Both weren’t very good. In fact I’d prefer to play on super brights than sit and I think super brights are weak and dull.

 

[mikeswals]

Marcus used DR Hibeams for a couple of decades before they made the the Fatbeams for him.
If you want "even more Marcus", that to me was probably his hottest period, go with the DR's.

I've been using HiBeams since '96 on the majority of my basses. 12 years ago I got a dud B, but DR replaced the whole pack, no issues since.

 

[GTHintz]

Marcus used DR Hibeams for a couple of decades before they made the the Fatbeams for him.
If you want "even more Marcus", that to me was probably his hottest period, go with the DR's.

I've been using HiBeams since '96 on the majority of my basses. 12 years ago I got a dud B, but DR replaced the whole pack, no issues since.

Fat beams are definitely a different animal to the hi beams. I like both but either of them are going to be more consistent than the super brights.

 

[gimmeagig]

If it was Temu I would probably worry about fake strings. especially if they are unusually cheap. But I have never even thought about Amazon selling fake strings. I buy D'Addario Prosteels from them all the time. And I just bought a set of Elixir Nickel coated Nanowebs from Amazon. No way those are fakes. I bought them as an experiment for one of my P Basses but I liked the prosteels better. I just replaced the preamp and the pickups in my 74 Fender jazz. I had the Nanos sitting around and I figured I could just try them out. Long shot. I want that Marcus sound, especially on my Jazz. My hopes were not high. Was I ever surprized. Zing for days.And that from a nickel string, which I never use.
I am taking that bass to my 4 of July gig tomorrow. 11 piece horn band. EWF TOP etc. Should be fun. I think I'll be able to play everything on a 4 string. It's been a while so I'm bringing my stingray 5 too just in case.

 

[mikeswals]

Fat beams are definitely a different animal to the hi beams. I like both but either of them are going to be more consistent than the super brights.

I've grabbed many-many sets of Fatbeams, I cant tell any difference.
They are the exact same string as Hibeams, just wound at a much slower speed. And having several multiple same basses, one will get FB's the others will get HB's and can't tell anything different between em.

I have only tried Super Brights for a short time, I once bought three sets, and yeah, they went super dead very quickly!

 

[GTHintz]

I've grabbed many-many sets of Fatbeams, I cant tell any difference.
They are the exact same string as Hibeams, just wound at a much slower speed. And having several multiple same basses, one will get FB's the others will get HB's and can't tell7 m anything different between em.

I have only tried Super Brights for a short time, I once bought three sets, and yeah, they went super dead very quickly!

Interesting. I find fat beams to feel different. They growl differently. They aren’t as bright. They settle in differently. Both are great and last a long time but sonically and feel wise they are definitely not the same. I will say that broken in hi beams sound closer to fat beams especially fresh fat beams.

 

[TomB]

I have only tried Super Brights for a short time, I once bought three sets, and yeah, they went super dead very quickly!

Late thread side note: I broke an almost new XL E-string, it’s own story, but I needed a quick replacement. I had some new Super Brights on hand (thanks to Dunlop CS generosity) and swapped one in. I could barely tell any difference, and none at all in a mix. It was a pleasant surprise. I decided just to leave it there. Now I get to do an A/B test of XL lifetime vs. Super Bright!

 

[GTHintz]

If it was Temu I would probably worry about fake strings. especially if they are unusually cheap. But I have never even thought about Amazon selling fake strings. I buy D'Addario Prosteels from them all the time. And I just bought a set of Elixir Nickel coated Nanowebs from Amazon. No way those are fakes. I bought them as an experiment for one of my P Basses but I liked the prosteels better. I just replaced the preamp and the pickups in my 74 Fender jazz. I had the Nanos sitting around and I figured I could just try them out. Long shot. I want that Marcus sound, especially on my Jazz. My hopes were not high. Was I ever surprized. Zing for days.And that from a nickel string, which I never use.
I am taking that bass to my 4 of July gig tomorrow. 11 piece horn band. EWF TOP etc. Should be fun. I think I'll be able to play everything on a 4 string. It's been a while so I'm bringing my stingray 5 too just in case.

The only thing that you want to be advised about is that Amazon will return anything. You could probably put an old dog turd in a box and send it back for a refund. Some packs of strings will be opened and missing one or possibly all strings or they will be someone’s used strings they carefully stuffed back in there and returned. It’s not always the case but it does happen. I generally stay away from anything that’s not listed brand new unopened. Or buy from the company I.e Dunlop on Amazon.

 

[Toptube]

When the Dunlops first came out I bought a few sets. All the sets that had dead strings in them. Dunlop sent me a whole box to make up for my troubles. I thought that was nice of them.But even in the box they sent me were dead ones. But I went back to my D'Addario Pro steels.
Then when the Marcus Miller strings came out I bought another set and sure enough I had a dead string in the set. Last week I installed a different preamp in my 1974 Fender Jazz Bass. I wanted to make it even more "Marcus" that it already is. so when I saw they had a good price on the Dunlop Marcus Miller strings on Amazon I bought another set. What was I thinking?
Three of the Dunlops sound crystal clear and the A sounds like a flatwound. How is that even possible?
I've been a bass player for over 45 years and I do know how to install strings and there is nothing wrong with my bass. I put the D'addario set back on and even though the set was not brand new, all the strings ring equally clear and zingy. I'm so glad I bought my strings through Amazon. I can return them them for a refund. This was it, as much as I love Marcus, I'm going back to D'Addario. I must have bought hundreds of sets over the years and I have never had a bad Prosteel string ever.

DR Fat Beams were Marcus' strings, before his Dunlop set.

So, I would say you should try Fat Beams!

 

[invalidprotocol]

The difference in sound profile between the Dunlop MM and DR Fat Beams is rather striking. I believe someone mentioned already but they sound so different fresh out of the pack that Marcus must have been searching for a different sound. Fat Beams are a little zingy with lots of overtones and a little grabbier feel. The Dunlops seem newly broken in with stronger fundamental but still have a musical brightness that really comes out when played more aggressively. They are also a little smoother feel. I like both sets but definitely prefer the Dunlop's on my current jazz bass setup.

I have not encountered any issues from the Dunlop MM and they seem to last me quite a bit of time. Sorry to hear about the OPs bum sets.