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New EB Cobalt Flats?
- Thread starter king_biscuit
- Start date
I installed a set of these on my ESP B-4Z today and all I can say is WOW! The strings they replaced were GHS Pressurewounds that had been on for quite some time, about a year (cleaned every 3 weeks or so).
I required about an hour of playing to adjust to the smoother feel and reduced tension of these strings.
Totally unlike any flat/tape/comp string I have ever played.
Real depth on the bottom. Gorgeous crystalline ringing highs. And the mids, oh the mids!
Drilled right through any mix.
In my opinion, the EB Cobalt Flats are exactly what I have been waiting for.
YMMV.
Sidenote: Unlike many windings for 34" scale, these EBs are long enough to string through the body.
I required about an hour of playing to adjust to the smoother feel and reduced tension of these strings.
Totally unlike any flat/tape/comp string I have ever played.
Real depth on the bottom. Gorgeous crystalline ringing highs. And the mids, oh the mids!
Drilled right through any mix.
In my opinion, the EB Cobalt Flats are exactly what I have been waiting for.
YMMV.
Sidenote: Unlike many windings for 34" scale, these EBs are long enough to string through the body.
got these last week (Hybrids). Love em so far on my jazz. No string noise like flats, but with a brite but not too brite sound.
they sound really interesting! my hype on them increased after reading the last pages, and hearing some samples!
I have a question: what about smoothness? are they smooth like Chromes (a mid-way through smooth and rough flats), or are they like the terrible finger-grater Rotosound Jazz77?
do they retain the brighter tone for long, or, like Roto, they sound thin and dead after a couple of weeks? I really hated Rotosound Jazz77, the worst string I've ever tried, rough, and bright only for a couple of weeks, then just middy and dry sounding...
I have a question: what about smoothness? are they smooth like Chromes (a mid-way through smooth and rough flats), or are they like the terrible finger-grater Rotosound Jazz77?
do they retain the brighter tone for long, or, like Roto, they sound thin and dead after a couple of weeks? I really hated Rotosound Jazz77, the worst string I've ever tried, rough, and bright only for a couple of weeks, then just middy and dry sounding...
Well I just picked up two of these sets and have them strung on my EBMM Sub 5. With the active 2 band preamp I thought this would be a great string for this bass. And I was right. Midrange sits lovely in the mix while still delivering the full lows. The highs on these aren't harsh at all. I'll try to record some samples later. I do have one more set though and I'm going to let you guys tell me what bass to put them on and I will record samples accordingly. The list is....
EBMM StingRay 5 - Single H, ceramic.
EBMM StingRay 5 - HH
EBMM StingRay 5 - HS
Fernandes APB-100 - fretted
Fernandes APB-100 - fretless
So what would you guys rather hear? I can't promise the playing will be good but the tone will be.
EBMM StingRay 5 - Single H, ceramic.
EBMM StingRay 5 - HH
EBMM StingRay 5 - HS
Fernandes APB-100 - fretted
Fernandes APB-100 - fretless
So what would you guys rather hear? I can't promise the playing will be good but the tone will be.
I had rotos77 before. The eb's are a lot brighter and smoother, but this is just after a week of having the eb's. I also find these new strings to have a freer, less contained tone if you know what I mean; not dead sounding. They are basically rounds tonally, but very smooth like a flat.
you mean that they have the sustain of rounds, and not the fast attack-short sustain of flats, right?
this would be great. right now I'm using the Thomastik Jazz Rounds, because they are rounds, but sound halfway through rounds and flats, but even being brighter and with the metallic bite of rounds, they have the sustain of flats
not like Labella's, though; more like Chromes or TI flats. I hope to find them soon in Europe.
someone has tried different gauges? I usually go with 40-100, and with Ernie Ball I like the Extra Slinky set (40-60-70-95), but I'm afraid that they'd sound too bright ahahah!
I'd say they are not quite as smooth as chromes, but pretty smooth overall. I don't think anyone has had them long enough to tell how they change over time.
I also agree that Roto77s are the worst string I have ever tried as well. No redeeming qualities at all.
I don't own any 35" scale basses due to lollipop guild arms but when I was cutting these I was taking note of the excess. I took just about an inch of the D string so stringing on a 35 shouldn't be a problem. Of course I've been wrong before.
By the way which Dargie do you have?
I'm sure Jason at bso can help us out with the winding length. I'm hoping they are at least 37.75" that is how long I need for my 35" 5 string through body
I had a DD1 SR5, actually sold this week and shipped today. Still have an SR5p that will get a set of these very soon.
Which config did you have? I still have my DD1 HS SR5. I might have to put some of these on there as well.
Enjoy the new SR5P!
I put a set of cobalt flats on my nordy VP5 a few days ago, it's been played a lot at home and once at rehearsal (Americana/country/folk).
They replaced a set of TI flats, somewhat broken in (my strings never REALLY go dead due to my body chemistry and borderline OCD hand-washing habits).
Other than the increased tension (which I prefer), the main is that the TI flats are much more midrangey whereas the cobalts are more even and have thicker low-end. I like them, but I don't find them to be as bright as some people say. They don't have as much "flat wound" personality as some strings do and as some have said they don't have a low mid Bump.
They don't sound like rounds to me, and they aren't as bright as most rounds. The jury is still out on whether they can deliver what I like about both rounds and flats. But they are a cool string. Kudos to EB for trying something different!
They replaced a set of TI flats, somewhat broken in (my strings never REALLY go dead due to my body chemistry and borderline OCD hand-washing habits).
Other than the increased tension (which I prefer), the main is that the TI flats are much more midrangey whereas the cobalts are more even and have thicker low-end. I like them, but I don't find them to be as bright as some people say. They don't have as much "flat wound" personality as some strings do and as some have said they don't have a low mid Bump.
They don't sound like rounds to me, and they aren't as bright as most rounds. The jury is still out on whether they can deliver what I like about both rounds and flats. But they are a cool string. Kudos to EB for trying something different!
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Sustain has nothing to do with flat or round. Sustain has to do with the instrument, the setup, and to a lesser extent the internal manufacturing of the strings. I just put a set of Chromes on a friend's J-bass that I set up for him to tour with, and it sustains until next Tuesday. Now, that said, some manufacturers do put damping material in their strings to emulate double bass gut strings, like Rotosound tapewounds, or a variety of double bass strings, like D'Addario Helicore Orchestral.
What you are most likely hearing with the thump is the foam rubber placed either under the strings or glued to the inside of the ash tray bridge cover that damps down the sustain.
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