Ernie Ball Cobalt Regular Slinky rounds

[ElectricBass72]

Has anybody here tried out the EB Cobalt round wounds? I bought a 5-string set for my new Ibanez SRMS Multiscale bass. The stock G and D strings were DOA, no zing at all....but the B, E and A strings sounded good. I usually hate the stock strings that are installed at the factory.... so the dead strings are no big deal. I end up buying new ones anyway.

I'm currently using the Cobalt Flats on my Fender Player P and Sire MM V5 Fretless and I love those strings. Hoping the roundwound version of Cobalts are just as good.

 

[Buck_BassMan94]

I’ve used Cobalt Rounds on my 4 string MM Stingray for a while now. They are very bright sounding. I also feel that they get a little more response from the pickups. Very easy to get a good rock or slap tone out of them. Once they die out they can become very “thumpy” for things like country music. One bad side, I’ve noticed they rust/get dirtier quicker than other strings. I play a lot of outdoor gigs so that might just be my experience, but it’s something to note. Overall, I really like them though!

 

[LetItGrowTone]

I liked Roto 66 a little more, as they sound a little crisper, I mean even with the tone rolled off on both, and given some time to break in.

I didn't test Cobalt Flats vs Cobalt Rounds directly, but I think those flats are the more relatively spectacular product (compared to other flats, including Chromes and TIJFs). You'll have trouble beating them!

[Of course La Bella DTFs are in a different category.]

 

[Marko 1]

I didn't test Cobalt Flats vs Cobalt Rounds directly, but I think those flats are the more relatively spectacular product (compared to other flats, including Chromes and TIJFs). You'll have trouble beating them!

 

[Yahboy]

Ibby SRMS805 sound on dark side, cobalt round still a smart choice. Or, DR Hibeam SS.

 

[ElectricBass72]

So far, so good on EB Cobalt rounds. I've had them on the SRMS805 for a few weeks now... and they are still bright. Love the low B string. One of the best I've ever heard and played.

 

[GTHintz]

So far, so good on EB Cobalt rounds. I've had them on the SRMS805 for a few weeks now... and they are still bright. Love the low B string. One of the best I've ever heard and played.

That's good to know on the b string. I've played different strings that didn't have the best low b. The test will be if it gets too muddy faster than the other strings. Sometimes they die first and it sucks.

 

[ThomasTronics]

I have the cobalts on a vintage P.
Great bass string. The community generally approves of this string also when i was searching for a good flat string that had articulation.

 

[Salem6127]

How is the life of these compared to regular Slinky's? Does it justify the higher price point?

 

[68Goldfish]

Tried them once and it was a horrible experience. Played them one gig, and they sounded fine as far as I remember but then I put the bass away for a while, in it's case, and the next time I pulled it out a few weeks later they had rusted so bad it wasn't even funny. And they had lost any type of life to the point where they were barely even audible when played acoustically. Just foul. Never again. I do really dig the cobalt flats but the rounds...no. YMMV and all that. And I don't mean to slag on EB in general. Slinkies have been my favorite round four years and years. Just put a fresh set on a bass yesterday.

 

[Salem6127]

Tried them once and it was a horrible experience. Played them one gig, and they sounded fine as far as I remember but then I put the bass away for a while, in it's case, and the next time I pulled it out a few weeks later they had rusted so bad it wasn't even funny. And they had lost any type of life to the point where they were barely even audible when played acoustically. Just foul. Never again. I do really dig the cobalt flats but the rounds...no. YMMV and all that. And I don't mean to slag on EB in general. Slinkies have been my favorite round four years and years. Just put a fresh set on a bass yesterday.

So the rounds rusted on you but not the flats? Between reports of rust or string breakage, I'm hesitant to grab a pack of either cobalts.

 

[68Goldfish]

So the rounds rusted on you but not the flats? Between reports of rust or string breakage, I'm hesitant to grab a pack of either cobalts.

Never had any rust on the flats and they stayed on and got played on for several months before I got restless and moved on to something else. I wouldn't hesitate to recommend the flats. These are a couple pics of the cobalt rounds after one gig. This was last summer just for reference.