Longevity - Dunlop Super Bright VS. DR Dragon Skin

[Big Benner]

Hey All,

I've been using Dunlop Super Bright strings for 3x to 4x years now and generally change them every 3x months or so, but recently I had an extremely hot gig where I had a brand new set of Dunlop Super Bright that died on my during the third set (it was really, really hot & my hands were dripping).

With that being said, how long should I expect a set of DR Dragon Skin strings to last roughly?

If I'm going from Dunlop Super Brights every 3x months or so, could I expect the DR Dragon Skins to last roughly 6x months or more?

I play in a top 40 cover bar band - everything from Michael Jackson to The Rolling Stones to Foster the People to Taylor Swift to Lizzo's new song "About Damn Time" (super fun).

Gear is a Ned Steinberger NS CR5 bass into a BOSS BC-1X Bass Compressor & TU-3 Tuner into a Markbass CMD 102P combo with a 102HF extension cab (when needed). I'm going for flat (neutral), clean & clear. PA support 10% to 25% of the time.

Thoughts appreciated.

 

[Big Benner]

Hey All,

I've order the DR Dragon Skin strings so I'll report back in a bit.

Any thoughts / experience would be greatly appreciated.

 

[Killing Floor]

Following.

 

[JimmyM]

Since they’re coated, they probably do last longer.

 

[subdude67]

Hey All,

I've order the DR Dragon Skin strings so I'll report back in a bit.

Any thoughts / experience would be greatly appreciated.

Caveat, i live in a high humidity tropical environment on the coast so my experience might differ from yours.
I have tried the Dunlop Super Brights 40 - 100 once and while they sounded good I was not happy with how suddenly they went from bright to dull.
Being a fan of the DR fat beams I tried the Dragon Skins and they lasted me 1 year mellowing out very gradually.
If the texture concerns you, I remember them to be a bit rougher than uncoated strings.

 

[Big Benner]

Hi All,

So sorry for the delay, ....... these DR Dragon Skin are awesome!!! They are now my new favourite strings!

When compared to my old favourite, the Dunlop Super Bright (45-125 Nickel Wound, DBSBN45125), the new to me DR Dragon Skin (45-125 Clear-coated Stainless Steel, DSB5-45) are:

- a touch more rigid. I was able to set the action lower because I believe they are a tad more rigid - not night & day, just a wee bit.

- a touch more rougher (because of the steel). I can tell that they are "coated", but it's not a huge difference - they do seem fairly "uncoated" to the touch as their advertising states.

- they are beautifully balanced, meaning a D note all around the fingerboard has the same clarity & girth - this was fairly noticeable and truly enjoyable from the first time I played.

Beautifully balanced!!! Think of it this way, my set up:

= NS CR5 Radius Bass (carbon fiber core in the neck).

= BOSS BC-1X Bass Compressor (I own the newer Empress Bass Compressor, older orange Aphex Punch Factory 1404 Optical Compressor, Alesis 3630 Compressor and used to own the Diamond Original Bass Comp - BCP1). The BC-1x is still my absolute favourite for "beautifully balanced" notes across the fretboard.

= Markbass CMD 102P or GK MB212-II 2x12 combo amps run 99% flat EQ

= DI to PA with subwoofers

These DR Dragon Skin strings simply add to that!!! During rehearsals, I took away the compressor and was truly amazed how even everything was!!!

Two gigs and over 10x rehearsals in the roughly 3months that I have had them on and I'm still loving the brightness, tone & feel. I estimate I will change them every 6 months or so.

I bought 3x more sets and had a set put on my new to me G&L L2500 Tribute bass, professionally set up, and am super happy with it and the strings on it.

These are the first DR strings that I have ever tried – not sure how much of my experience is DR vs. Dragon Skin Coated,….. but I don’t care – I love these.

DR Dragon Skin (45-125 Clear-coated Stainless Steel, DSB5-45) - highly recommended!

 

[Jett Litt]

I've been on a journey trying out different coated strings lately.
My sweat must be very acidic because any uncoated strings I've tried over the years sound dull within 2 weeks or less.
I've always wiped down my strings after use and store my bass in a case.

After trying many coated strings, the Bootzillas were okay and at the top of my list but become dull faster than I would like (1 month). The Dragon Skins on the other hand are almost like new after 6 weeks already. It's certainly a record for me. I can finally forget about paying the price for Elixirs, which I never really liked the sound of.

Dragon Skins sound like a killer set of Steel strings and last for a long time. The best part is Sweetwater offers them in a 2-pack buy 1 get 1 for a very reasonable price. 4 string only though.

DR Strings DSB-2/45 Dragon Skin Coated Bass Guitar Strings - .045-.105 Medium (2-pack)