EB announced them at NAMM this year. They aren’t available for purchase yet, a rep told me sometime this summer.
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Finally tried Ernie Ball Cobalt Flats
- Thread starter Gyver
- Start date
EB announced them at NAMM this year. They aren’t available for purchase yet, a rep told me sometime this summer.
I gave these a go after following this thread. Thanks for all the reviews!
I put a set of 45-105 Cobalt Flats on my P-bass today. Very happy with how they sound and feel. Pretty impressive how much these sound like rounds. I going to keep these on to see how they do over time.
My only very minor complaint is that they are a touch sticky and feel like there is some coating, like an oily residue, on them. Again, minor. I'm sure I'll get used to it, but anybody else notice that?
I put a set of 45-105 Cobalt Flats on my P-bass today. Very happy with how they sound and feel. Pretty impressive how much these sound like rounds. I going to keep these on to see how they do over time.
My only very minor complaint is that they are a touch sticky and feel like there is some coating, like an oily residue, on them. Again, minor. I'm sure I'll get used to it, but anybody else notice that?
Yes they feel weirdly sticky at the beginning.
Anyway, it's been over a year since the last time I changed a set and I can't believe how great they sound and feel even after "wearing out". The sound is there and it's great (P bass). If I need some brightness back I twist a knob on my pedalboard and that's it. Amazing strings, really.
Anyway, it's been over a year since the last time I changed a set and I can't believe how great they sound and feel even after "wearing out". The sound is there and it's great (P bass). If I need some brightness back I twist a knob on my pedalboard and that's it. Amazing strings, really.
I got the 40-95 on my P bass and I did not notice a sticky feeling. But I really do like them.
I think they are terrific on my Dimension Deluxe 5 too. It really tames, in a very positive way, the chromey high-end the Dimension has. Now I get a nice woody-Doobie Bros Long Train Running tone. From an 18v active bass. Strange but true.
I have a question - I recently bought a new Ibby SR250 to have as a backup, budget bass. I had some Dunlop Medium Bright rounds put on, but am thinking about converting to flats to temper down the usual high end sizzle of an SR Ibby. Anyone put the Cobalt flats on an Ibby in this range? Or, other recommendations..........Pressure Wounds? I'm not really gigging anymore, more or less with friends...classic rock genre...also pedals with headphones. Thanks.
All my bass player friends can attest to this I am not at all a flats guy. Never have been, never was, thought I never would be.
A friend gifted me a set of Cobalt flats 45 to 100 I put them on my 74 Pbass. I absolutely love the strings. The only flats I’ve ever played that I like they ride that fine line of round wound clank
and flat wound feel. Don’t get me wrong. I still use round wounds on my Jazz bases and stingrays. Now everyone of my Pbass’s wear cobalt flats.
A friend gifted me a set of Cobalt flats 45 to 100 I put them on my 74 Pbass. I absolutely love the strings. The only flats I’ve ever played that I like they ride that fine line of round wound clank
and flat wound feel. Don’t get me wrong. I still use round wounds on my Jazz bases and stingrays. Now everyone of my Pbass’s wear cobalt flats.
Put a set of Regular Slinky’s (the green pack) on my wife’s Stingray 5. I’ve tried plenty of times to like flats (TIJF, Chromes, Brite Flats) and I just don’t dig em. These cobalts seem ok. I set up the bass and played about 2 hours on em. Surprisingly bright, but the G string seems to have a lot of string travel and get quite a lot of fret buzz open to 7th fret.
Trying to adjust setup but just not able to finger it out (to my liking). My wife played them at church last Sunday and said she liked them and it sounded “smoove like buttah” lol. I dig the picked tone in series with the Mids cranked, but it ain’t my bass so…
… happy wife happy life.
Trying to adjust setup but just not able to finger it out (to my liking). My wife played them at church last Sunday and said she liked them and it sounded “smoove like buttah” lol. I dig the picked tone in series with the Mids cranked, but it ain’t my bass so…
… happy wife happy life.
They had a press release about it April
NAMM 2023: Ernie Ball announces Slinky Flatwound electric guitar strings and Flatwound Short-Scale bass strings
Looking for some advice from long term Cobalt Flats users.
Put on my first set on a pbass recently. .105 - .45s. Love the feel and sound.
One thing I've noticed is the E string feels like it has less tension than the other strings, and iy lacks a little bit of body tonally compared to other steings I've used. Do you know if a .110 E string will match a little better tension-wise, and add a bit of body? There's a rare, cheap, new single available in the UK atm!
Cheers.
Put on my first set on a pbass recently. .105 - .45s. Love the feel and sound.
One thing I've noticed is the E string feels like it has less tension than the other strings, and iy lacks a little bit of body tonally compared to other steings I've used. Do you know if a .110 E string will match a little better tension-wise, and add a bit of body? There's a rare, cheap, new single available in the UK atm!
Cheers.
If it's a cheap experiment, go for it. I'd look a little more closely at your current string install first.
Riis
Cool, any tips? I followed the specific install instructions that come with the set, and have adjusted relief and saddle height to taste. String looks properly seated in the nut. I might have missed something?
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Check your break angles, adequate wraps, set your witness points, make sure the strings don't twist. I'm using a 5 string custom set...40-60-80-100-130 (I think)...but I can't buy the singles anymore! If they would sell just the 130 B, I could mate it with a 4 string 40-95 set as I have no problem with the lighter gauges.
Riis
Turned out the E was twisted a little down by the bridge. Loosened it and retuned amd all good. Cheers for the advice.
Played the first couple of shows with the Cobalts this weekend - I really liked them.
Perfect tension for me, and much clearer articulation than other flats I've tried.
The 2814 set 45.65.80.100 sound wonderful string to string tonal balance on my Jazz bass. The E string just healthy sound.
I installed some Cobalt Flats on my SBMM Ray5 on Sunday. This is my second time trying them on this bass; I can’t recall why I took off the last set. I’ve also had Cobalt Flats on 2 or 3 other basses over the years. I’m a fan.
I’m going to leave these on this bass for a while. I’ll report back!
