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Low Output From DR Neons?

Thumpin6string

Thumpin6string

Supporting Member
Apr 25, 2013
7,051
12,472
Shoals Indiana
#1
I put a set of DR Neons on my 6 string about 6 months ago. At the time I thought they sounded good. Very similar to Black Beauties. Since then, I've been dealing with trying to get my amp to get a punchier tone with no luck. I was going through my old sets of strings a couple days ago and found a Carvin nickel low B string. I put it on my bass and plugged it in. Holy :poop:, it was punchy and over double the output of the DRs. The Neons sounded like they had something between them and the pickup. Very muffled. I'm currently using a mixed set of nickels and even though they are used and not all the same brand, the bass sounds incredible. Has anyone else had a similar issue with the DR coated strings?
 
#4
michael_t said:
It's the coating itself that can muffle the tone somewhat. The Neons are nickel-plated steel under the coating while the Black Beauties are stainless steel. That could be the difference you're hearing.
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Interesting. I didn't know the BBs were stainless. I expect a slight difference in volume from the coating, but we're talking less than half the volume of the non-coated nickels. I had to turn down my amp significantly. That seems a bit extreme IMHO.
 
#7
I use DR Neon strings about 90% of the time. I have never noticed any reduced output from them, or reduced tone. When new, they give me all the sparkly crisp highs I want. But as noted, they're not stainless steel, so they're not going to have the highs for as long as the Black Beauties will, for example. But the OP mentioned a lack of volume, and I have never experienced that with the dozens of sets I have used over the years.

And FYI, my former #1, my 3-pickup Warmoth jazz, previously had D'Addario rounds on it (both nickle and stainless steel) so I have a basis for comparison. Other basses had their original strings before getting the Neons. I experienced no loss of volume or tone with them.
 
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#8
I tried a set of those some years ago and took them off the same day. I have never, ever heard a string set where the volume and tone of each string was so different than the others.
 
#9
BlueTalon said:
I use DR Neon strings about 90% of the time. I have never noticed any reduced output from them, or reduced tone. When new, they give me all the sparkly crisp highs I want. But as noted, they're not stainless steel, so they're not going to have the highs for as long as the Black Beauties will, for example. But the OP mentioned a lack of volume, and I have never experienced that with the dozens of sets I have used over the years.

And FYI, my former #1, my 3-pickup Warmoth jazz, previously had D'Addario rounds on it (both nickle and stainless steel) so I have a basis for comparison. Other basses had their original strings before getting the Neons. I experienced no loss of volume or tone with them.
Click to expand...
When I put mine on, I thought they sounded great. I did some amp changes and my tone seemed to lack any punch or definition. I never would have thought that it was the strings, but after swapping a nickel B string on it, the volume loss between the 2 was significant. I don't understand how they could be so much lower. That is why I asked.
 
#10
eniac said:
I tried a set of those some years ago and took them off the same day. I have never, ever heard a string set where the volume and tone of each string was so different than the others.
Click to expand...
Thumpin6string said:
When I put mine on, I thought they sounded great. I did some amp changes and my tone seemed to lack any punch or definition. I never would have thought that it was the strings, but after swapping a nickel B string on it, the volume loss between the 2 was significant. I don't understand how they could be so much lower. That is why I asked.
Click to expand...
I don't deny your experiences, either one of you. I don't understand why you would have those experiences, but that doesn't mean I doubt what you say. And if I'd had had similar experiences with DR Neons, I'm sure my opinion of them would be different. I've just never had an equivalent experience with any of my basses equipped with DR Neons, and I've gone through a lot of sets of them. I've had nothing but uniform tone and volume from string to string in each set, otherwise I wouldn't use them.
 
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#11
Thumpin6string said:
I put a set of DR Neons on my 6 string about 6 months ago. At the time I thought they sounded good. Very similar to Black Beauties. Since then, I've been dealing with trying to get my amp to get a punchier tone with no luck. I was going through my old sets of strings a couple days ago and found a Carvin nickel low B string. I put it on my bass and plugged it in. Holy :poop:, it was punchy and over double the output of the DRs. The Neons sounded like they had something between them and the pickup. Very muffled. I'm currently using a mixed set of nickels and even though they are used and not all the same brand, the bass sounds incredible. Has anyone else had a similar issue with the DR coated strings?
Click to expand...
It's, uh... probably because they're six months old, dude
 
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#13
BlueTalon said:
I don't deny your experiences, either one of you. I don't understand why you would have those experiences, but that doesn't mean I doubt what you say. And if I'd had had similar experiences with DR Neons, I'm sure my opinion of them would be different. I've just never had an equivalent experience with any of my basses equipped with DR Neons, and I've gone through a lot of sets of them. I've had nothing but uniform tone and volume from string to string in each set, otherwise I wouldn't use them.
Click to expand...
I'm not bad-mouthing DR Neons. Just asking if anyone has had the same experience. It was shocking to me.
 
#14
I stopped using DR coated strings a few years ago after trying out the dragon skin ones (probably the worst strings I've ever bought) and then having a couple sets of Black Beauties that just sounded kind of muffled like you describe. However, that is not to say DR strings are entirely bad. I'm still using DR's, just not the coated ones.
 

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