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Ernie Ball cobalt bright flats vs Chromes, thoughts?
- Thread starter WaldoNova
- Start date
No, the sets were of various age.
- Year-old Ernie Ball Cobalt Flats
- Year-old D'addario Chromes
- Two year-old but barely used LaBella 760FS-B
- Brand new Thomastik Infeld Jazz Flats JF345
Over the holidays I ordered two sets of EB Cobalts to try on my Sago 6 (fretted) with Chromes. Chromes are ~2 months old and have been played quite a bit.
Initially the Chromes had a zing on the strings (that I liked) and a mid focused tone, which I also like. It took about two weeks of intermittent playing for the zing to die. Another 6 weeks or so and the initial brightness has worn off and they sound great - but I wish that I had that initial zing back.
The EB Cobalt strings I ordered were the standard 4 string set and the standard 5 string set. I put a mixed set of .040, .060, .080, .100 and .130, with a stainless piano .029 plain. I thought about putting on the standard 5 set, but they are a standard top and light bottom set. The strings I installed are more tension balanced the way I like them.
The .029 plain is bright - but the .024, .026 and .028 I tried were worse. I don't have a .030 string (or at least I couldn't find it). I will buy the .030 and probably larger to try out.
I currently have the treble control between 25% and 50% and the Q control on the Sago dialed to tame the highs and match string volume better. With that setup, tone is nice and balanced across all strings and up/down the fingerboard. Set flat and Q off the high C is way too bright and is much louder than the other strings.
On the Cobalt strings, the zing wasn't there initially, but they are a bit brighter than the 2 month old Chromes. They also are much more growly (if that's a word). The Chromes are much stiffer and there's minimal articulation available - just strong and solid tone, but they're definitely not growly.
In some ways the Cobalts do remind me of worn in rounds in tone and feel. I cannot clearly say that they will stay growly, but I suspect the flexibility contributes significantly to that tone aspect and will remain for the life of the strings.
So the verdict is that it's TBD. I'll know more after playing them for a month or two. They're not zingy bright, but are brighter than worn Chromes. Now I need to see if that tone stays or if it's fleeting.
John
Initially the Chromes had a zing on the strings (that I liked) and a mid focused tone, which I also like. It took about two weeks of intermittent playing for the zing to die. Another 6 weeks or so and the initial brightness has worn off and they sound great - but I wish that I had that initial zing back.
The EB Cobalt strings I ordered were the standard 4 string set and the standard 5 string set. I put a mixed set of .040, .060, .080, .100 and .130, with a stainless piano .029 plain. I thought about putting on the standard 5 set, but they are a standard top and light bottom set. The strings I installed are more tension balanced the way I like them.
The .029 plain is bright - but the .024, .026 and .028 I tried were worse. I don't have a .030 string (or at least I couldn't find it). I will buy the .030 and probably larger to try out.
I currently have the treble control between 25% and 50% and the Q control on the Sago dialed to tame the highs and match string volume better. With that setup, tone is nice and balanced across all strings and up/down the fingerboard. Set flat and Q off the high C is way too bright and is much louder than the other strings.
On the Cobalt strings, the zing wasn't there initially, but they are a bit brighter than the 2 month old Chromes. They also are much more growly (if that's a word). The Chromes are much stiffer and there's minimal articulation available - just strong and solid tone, but they're definitely not growly.
In some ways the Cobalts do remind me of worn in rounds in tone and feel. I cannot clearly say that they will stay growly, but I suspect the flexibility contributes significantly to that tone aspect and will remain for the life of the strings.
So the verdict is that it's TBD. I'll know more after playing them for a month or two. They're not zingy bright, but are brighter than worn Chromes. Now I need to see if that tone stays or if it's fleeting.
John
Last edited:
Interesting, using a plain .029 on top.
Off topic - any pix of the Sago? I am a Japanese bass junkie (I have a Momose '70s style J, Ibanez Prestige, and have loved the Xotic, Dragonfly, Atelier Z & Moon basses I've tried).
Back on topic, I just ordered some single Chromes to make a light-gauge balanced tension set (40-55-75, and I'm trying both 95 and 100 for E).
I realized that I always loved the lower strings on Chrome sets but the high tension of the D/G doesn't work for me in the typical 45-65-80-100 sets).
I've never used Cobalts ,but I love Ernie Ball Group IV light steel flatwounds, I find them bright enough for slapping.
Winston,
I DM'd you photos.
Originally I bought the Sago for some jazz trio/quartet gigs that I had planned. I wanted something that would blend well in that setting.
The Sago with Chromes does great, but I missed the initial zing after the Chromes broke in. I have more dates lined up and the growly tone will be a sweet addition.
John
I DM'd you photos.
Originally I bought the Sago for some jazz trio/quartet gigs that I had planned. I wanted something that would blend well in that setting.
The Sago with Chromes does great, but I missed the initial zing after the Chromes broke in. I have more dates lined up and the growly tone will be a sweet addition.
John
Well, it didn't take me a month or two, but instead a couple of days to put the ~2 month old Chromes back on.
Cobalts are a good flat wound, but IMHO they're not bright as they wear in. I played last night and most of today and the initial brightness is gone on the Cobalts. Not thuddy like La Bellas, but not bright like new or old Chromes either.
Flexibility is very nice (better than Chromes) and they are a very good string, but I'll stick with the devil I know. I also realized that on my fretted Sago 6 (34" scale), string balance is great out of the pack - without resorting to multiple string packages to buy and add a plain string for the C like I had to do for a 6 string bass with Cobalts.
Chromes tone (through my clean rack) on the fretted is definitely "clean", lots of fundamental, awesome mids that punch, and a little bit of upper mids to round out the tone (and some trebly gunk if I turn up the treble knob). They sound great to my ears with my onboard controls in the detents. Tension on the Chromes seems more than the Cobalts, but that could be because the EB's are so flexible - they're definitely not TI tension either (Cobalts have more tension).
I may end up changing Chromes more often than the La Bellas that are on my Precision (that are 3+ years old), but I know exactly what I'm getting and how long to break in the Chromes. FWIW, the last set of Chromes that I had on my 6 lasted well over a year until the strings were close to La Bellas - and even then they still had pretty good tone, just not my taste on this bass.
As I mentioned before, Cobalts were a bit growly when I used my Genzler Kinitex. What I didn't expect was how un-growly the Cobalts were on my clean rack versus on the Genzler. I tried the Cobalts on my "motown" rack (Fender TBP-1 and Carvin DCM 1500) and they were growly there too.
FWIW, the Chromes are still cleaner on all three amps than the Cobalts. Chromes don't have the growly tone near as much as the Cobalts did through three of the four amps I own.
Lastly, on the clean rack (BMAX-T/Crown), the Cobalts seemed like they were about the same or maybe a bit darker than new La Bellas (760FLs) after a day and a half, but definitely not as dark as worn in La Bellas. If the tone would stay there, the Cobalts might be a great option for my Precision when the La Bellas die - but I'll wait to figure that out later.
For me, the Chromes will remain my string of choice on my Sago, for what I am going for in terms of tone and feel.
John
Cobalts are a good flat wound, but IMHO they're not bright as they wear in. I played last night and most of today and the initial brightness is gone on the Cobalts. Not thuddy like La Bellas, but not bright like new or old Chromes either.
Flexibility is very nice (better than Chromes) and they are a very good string, but I'll stick with the devil I know. I also realized that on my fretted Sago 6 (34" scale), string balance is great out of the pack - without resorting to multiple string packages to buy and add a plain string for the C like I had to do for a 6 string bass with Cobalts.
Chromes tone (through my clean rack) on the fretted is definitely "clean", lots of fundamental, awesome mids that punch, and a little bit of upper mids to round out the tone (and some trebly gunk if I turn up the treble knob). They sound great to my ears with my onboard controls in the detents. Tension on the Chromes seems more than the Cobalts, but that could be because the EB's are so flexible - they're definitely not TI tension either (Cobalts have more tension).
I may end up changing Chromes more often than the La Bellas that are on my Precision (that are 3+ years old), but I know exactly what I'm getting and how long to break in the Chromes. FWIW, the last set of Chromes that I had on my 6 lasted well over a year until the strings were close to La Bellas - and even then they still had pretty good tone, just not my taste on this bass.
As I mentioned before, Cobalts were a bit growly when I used my Genzler Kinitex. What I didn't expect was how un-growly the Cobalts were on my clean rack versus on the Genzler. I tried the Cobalts on my "motown" rack (Fender TBP-1 and Carvin DCM 1500) and they were growly there too.
FWIW, the Chromes are still cleaner on all three amps than the Cobalts. Chromes don't have the growly tone near as much as the Cobalts did through three of the four amps I own.
Lastly, on the clean rack (BMAX-T/Crown), the Cobalts seemed like they were about the same or maybe a bit darker than new La Bellas (760FLs) after a day and a half, but definitely not as dark as worn in La Bellas. If the tone would stay there, the Cobalts might be a great option for my Precision when the La Bellas die - but I'll wait to figure that out later.
For me, the Chromes will remain my string of choice on my Sago, for what I am going for in terms of tone and feel.
John
Strange how strings can behave so differently to people. The Cobalts I use sound almost like new after a couple of months of daily playing. And "new" means like fairly fresh nickel roundwounds.
LaBella DTF's are like the Cobalts with tone on 0%, right out of the pack.
I love them too, but they never changed one bit from new to well used. Sounds like old flats from the start.
LaBella DTF's are like the Cobalts with tone on 0%, right out of the pack.
I love them too, but they never changed one bit from new to well used. Sounds like old flats from the start.
I also find Chromes to be completely uninspiring. They were my last attempt at getting a roundwoundish sound out of a flat and all I got was meh.
I bought 2 sets of Chromes and that was enough for me. I thought after the first try that maybe it was that particular set so I tried them again and again, it was nothing but meh.
At least that how they've been on Fenders both P & J. Idk, maybe I should give them a try on the Stingray.
It's good to see the positive reviews that the Slinky/Cobalts are getting. I just got a set to try out and I still have a question about them but I don't want to hijack this thread so I'll start a new thread regarding that.
The range of feelings towards Chromes is interesting. Some love the brightness. I could never stand the metallic "clang".
I was given an ancient completely and utterly 100% dead set that are marvellous. Like broken in Labellas but with way more clarity.
I was given an ancient completely and utterly 100% dead set that are marvellous. Like broken in Labellas but with way more clarity.
