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Finally tried Ernie Ball Cobalt Flats

#41
I do not like flats. I've tried a bunch of different sets over the years and I just don't like anything about them.
I love the EB Cobalt Flats! I can't say enough good about them. As others have said they really have the brightness of rounds and are punchy as heck. What amazed me is that after having them on my p bass for close to two years they STILL have nearly all the brightness they had when I put them on. And I can't typically get more than 3 months out of a set of strings. I will add that I've tried them on a couple of other basses and not all of them respond the same but that can be said about most other strings as well.
 
#43
F5veByF5ve said:
I actually have 2 sets of those on order. I’m going to string my SG Std with them. So the gauge is slightly different than RIC strings. Any tension issues (truss rod adjustment needed) or nut issues?
Click to expand...
I had to widen the nut slots for the A and D strings a bit on my 2015 Ric 4003. Ric stock string gauges are 45-55-75-105 I believe. 60 and 80 fit snugly in the A / D slots, but 65 and 85 do not fit. And I did have to tighten the truss rod a bit. The strings I took off were a hybrid gauge of Roto 66 Steels (45-60-80-105). The Cobalts had a bit more tension than those.

I used needle files (link below) to file the slots if you are comfortable doing it yourself. Super cheap ($5) at Lowes, and worked fine if you do not have proper nut files.

Invalid Link Removed
 
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#47
My first time trying them (I’ve just started using flats, etc. after 40yrs of Roto SS 66 rounds)... I like ‘em!! :bassist:

5627F262-5901-4E53-A4D4-C6015EEB664A.jpeg
 
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#48
Gyver said:
I had to widen the nut slots for the A and D strings a bit on my 2015 Ric 4003. Ric stock string gauges are 45-55-75-105 I believe. 60 and 80 fit snugly in the A / D slots, but 65 and 85 do not fit. And I did have to tighten the truss rod a bit. The strings I took off were a hybrid gauge of Roto 66 Steels (45-60-80-105). The Cobalts had a bit more tension than those.

I used needle files (link below) to file the slots if you are comfortable doing it yourself. Super cheap ($5) at Lowes, and worked fine if you do not have proper nut files.

Invalid Link Removed
Click to expand...
Thank you for the info. I’ve been trying to find a 45-65-85-105 nut online that has the same dimensions as my 4003s. So I can just remove and replace. And keep my RIC nut stock original. It’s proving to be a task though with no luck so far. I think I can have one made (haven’t researched it yet). I am looking forward to stringing the 2813’s on my SG Std. At the moment it has D’Addario chrome flats. Only been on two weeks. Going to play them for awhile before the 2813’s get strung.
 
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#51
F5veByF5ve said:
Thank you for the info. I’ve been trying to find a 45-65-85-105 nut online that has the same dimensions as my 4003s. So I can just remove and replace. And keep my RIC nut stock original. It’s proving to be a task though with no luck so far. I think I can have one made (haven’t researched it yet). I am looking forward to stringing the 2813’s on my SG Std. At the moment it has D’Addario chrome flats. Only been on two weeks. Going to play them for awhile before the 2813’s get strung.
Click to expand...

Here:
03301-NUT 3/16 BASS BAKELITE BLACK
 
#54
I was listening to Jamerson's bass tone on "What's going on" and was thinking about trying flat wounds. I've never tried them. I've got a stock 50's reissue P-Bass (Tele style headstock) and a SS Franken-bass. The "Frank.." has a set of P-bass pickups and a Stingray knockoff pup mounted below (passive). The P-Bass is my main player, but with COVID I'm not doing any gigs. The Cobalt sounds interesting, I'm leaning towards the SS as a test vehicle. I'm thinking about trying some foam under the bridge as a test on my P. What would y'all recommend as an entry point with flat wounds.
 
#55
I recently put a set of the 40-95 EBCFs on my Squier VM Jazz and my impressions are mixed so far. Caveats:
- I've only had them on for a few days and I don't know how they'll settle over time.
- I've only tried them on one bass, which may not be a perfect match
- I had some problems installing the G string and eventually had to use the EB recommended winding method to be able to get it up to pitch without slipping. Given these difficulties, I double- and triple-checked each string for twisting or other installation issues and I'm confident they're OK, but you never know.

Basically, I find these strings ... confusing.

First of all, the G string is louder than the others and the D string is quieter (I haven't noticed this with other strings). I fiddled around with pickup and string height and maybe made things a little better, but not much, since both strings are on the same end of the pickups. Secondly, the G string has an unusual timbre compared to the other strings, not thin exactly, but bright certainly, and very ringy -- maybe lots of high frequency harmonics? Thirdly, the E string has a fairly thin bottom end, certainly compared to most other flats and I think some rounds as well. The E string tone is interesting and maybe even kinda unique -- again, maybe some interesting harmonics -- but is on the thin side.

And yet, there are moments when I'm playing these strings when I think, "Oh, yeah, that's really nice". I think this is mostly because the strings have a pretty sweet midrange. And in some cases the E and G strings that I have reservations about really serve certain bass lines very well. So I can see the potential. I guess the main thing I'm wondering about is whether what I'm hearing is typical and to what extent the strings mellow and balance over time (and if so, how long?).
 
#59
Where does anybody buy these?


I've been ACTIVELY looking to buy a set since they first came out, I've yet to find any. Not in Asia, not in Canada.

I've been duped several times — "Sure, our south-side location has them...", when in fact the sales staff invariably are WRONG and they're not Cobalt Flats, but some other type of flats or Guitar-Cobalts — wasted trip to south-side or any other location; and the inter-store shipping never works "the other store didn't ship the right ones" or "they don't have them after all"; Oohoohooo here's a good one — "We can get them in, special order, but it'll be 3-to-6 months", but I'm not going to be here nor there in 3–6 months — etc etc ... ;
OR the computer is wrong and indeed despite the computer saying they're "in stock" ... the staff are unable to find any in this dimension of 3D-reality.


Obviously I prefer brick-&-mortar shopping frustrations to buying online and having them in a matter of days instead of years of still not having them...
 
#60
KevinDBassist said:
I love them on my Stingray ! I am a flat wound user and I have Labellas on my Precision , but the Cobalt flats are a beast on the Ray (45-105) . They feel and sound like they are made for that bass .
Click to expand...

I can confirm. I've used them on my Stingray 5HH for about six years now and I've only changed to a new set once. That first set kept its zing much longer than I expected.

I also use them on my Caprice. I had them on one of my Jazzes, but found that I really like the Chrome .50s on it. That mostly comes down to what I use the bass for though. I tend to use my Jazzes and Ps for either Soul/R&B or anything where a less "modern" sound is needed, so I like higher tension and heavier gauge flats on those (the Ernie Ball Custom Gauge Flats Group I with a .55 G!).

My Stingray and Caprice are used more often for "modern" stuff (pop, church, etc.), so that's why I prefer the Cobalts on those.
 
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