Frets really bring out the brightness of any strings in general, I would think.
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New EB Cobalt Flats?
- Thread starter king_biscuit
- Start date
Right now I have the 45-65-80-100 set on my bass and I ordered the 40-60-70-95 from BSO.
I think I might do some mix and matching. Maybe 45-60-70-100.
I think I might do some mix and matching. Maybe 45-60-70-100.
Yes, very true. The flats on my p bass sound great with real articulation. I do miss the thump the flats gave on the fretless Jazz when soloing the neck pickup, maybe I need a second fretless
Just installed a new set on a MM SR5 fretless and I guess there's sonething to the peg winding instructions. Silks on the chrome is not a high friction combo. I didn't need the double back teccnique on my LakLands so I didn't start out with that on the SR5. But, two of the five slipped badly and I had to go back an re-wrap. Should hold well now.
Strange. I have two basses with Cobalts and they still sound bright and clanky. I hope they settle a bit but not too much. Sorry they didn't work for you.
Same here, been on for a month and still as bright as when first put on. Played regularly, but not every day.
Me too, had high hopes, basic chemistry may play a role here, they did not just mellow, they went dead overnight after a rehearsal all of the strings not just one.
The bass did go from a warm house (rehearsal) to sitting in a car at below freezing for dinner for couple hours, then back to a warm house without being removed from the gig bag....
over time (i was playing the bass with them daily for several hours) i was also just not digging the grippy feel. I may try them again in the future?
Replaced with Dunlop Super Brights just this moment ($22 at GeetarCenter) another experiment
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The grippy feel was awkward during my first couple of weeks of heavy playing. It either wore off or I got used to it, not sure which.
Could be chemistry. I have that problem with Aquila thunderguts strings for ubass. My fingers stick like glue to them, others have no issue. The grippy feel went away on mine. They feel like fender flats now.Me too, had high hopes, basic chemistry may play a role here, they did not just mellow, they went dead overnight after a rehearsal all of the strings not just one.
The bass did go from a warm house (rehearsal) to sitting in a car at below freezing for dinner for couple hours, then back to a warm house without being removed from the gig bag....
over time (i was playing the bass with them daily for several hours) i was also just not digging the grippy feel. I may try them again in the future?
Replaced with Dunlop Super Brights just this moment ($22 at GeetarCenter) another experiment
Happy to report that EB customer service sent out a replacement set of strings as a result of my busted D string. Took about 2 days to get to me and of course no charge. Gotta love their customer service. I didn't notice any difference between the construction, packaging, bar codes or anything else between the replacement set and set I bought. I replaced the D string and very carefully tightened it up with the string resting on top of the nut and not under the string tree. I did this because I'm pretty sure the D string broke as a result of being getting stuck in the nut slot. Not exactly sure why since it's pretty standard D string gauge. Maybe it has something to do with the initial stickiness of the strings when they are new? In any case, no breakage this time. Got the bass all setup and inntonated, etc and have had a chance to use for a couple rehearsals and a gig. So far, I like these strings. They've got a great feel and the stickiness/roughness goes away pretty quickly. While they have a little looser feel than other flats like Chromes, these are still a bit stiffer than similar gauge rounds. I even went with a lighter set that normal with a .100 E string. I'd prefer a .60 D string - wish they did single strings.
In any case, I'm gonna keep them on for awhile. I'm surprised to hear the comments about the strings going dead or losing brightness. That's usually a desirable quality in flatwounds. While these maybe slightly brighter than other flats they're still not going to be anything like a typical roundwound string, nickel or stainless. I'm hoping they'll end up being a nice compromise between the 2.
In any case, I'm gonna keep them on for awhile. I'm surprised to hear the comments about the strings going dead or losing brightness. That's usually a desirable quality in flatwounds. While these maybe slightly brighter than other flats they're still not going to be anything like a typical roundwound string, nickel or stainless. I'm hoping they'll end up being a nice compromise between the 2.
I had my set go dead. I wanted the flat feel with round sound. I had that in these strings, and loved it initially. When they wend dead, they were still like flats tonally, similar to chromes, but chromes aren't grippy like these.
I have flats on another bass, but for a few songs I want/need roundwound zing, so I replaced them.
I may give EB cobalt flats another try, but for now it was an "ok" experience.
I have flats on another bass, but for a few songs I want/need roundwound zing, so I replaced them.
I may give EB cobalt flats another try, but for now it was an "ok" experience.
Me too, had high hopes, basic chemistry may play a role here, they did not just mellow, they went dead overnight after a rehearsal all of the strings not just one.
The bass did go from a warm house (rehearsal) to sitting in a car at below freezing for dinner for couple hours, then back to a warm house without being removed from the gig bag....
over time (i was playing the bass with them daily for several hours) i was also just not digging the grippy feel. I may try them again in the future?
Replaced with Dunlop Super Brights just this moment ($22 at GeetarCenter) another experiment
The Dunlop Super Brights died really quickly on me, but the Cobalts on my fretless just keep on trucking and still sound great. They don't have the top end zip they had when new, but they're still just as punchy and dynamic. By comparison, the Super Brights are just kind of rasty sounding.
Yep but they were CHEAP and available in hand yesterday. (Jason may have been able to get another set to me in 2 days but the mail this time of year is a crapshoot)
2 shows this weekend, that I don't want to bring the Dolphin to (sketchy bars) and the Sadowsky's were worn out, so I took what I could get.
Soaking the EB'S in DNA to see if I can revive them... I think honestly it was condensation, it was really wet and cold last night... cold and wet to warm and wet=condensation...
Nearly 5 months and my Cobalt flats on my Sabre still feel and sound great. Granted, I'm not gigging regularly right now like most of you, but I do play them everyday. My two cents.
I find the grippiness goes away pretty quickly, even faster than Chromes. I've done a couple of gigs, jams, rehearsals and home practice and they are pretty smooth. IIRC, the grippiness on flats are as a result of the manufacturing process. Nearly all flats take time to settle in but are really designed for the long term use and tend to get better with age.
Just got a 5 string set installed on my squier vmp5 yesterday. First impression is that it's notbthebsound i want on that bass, BUT it's my favorite flat string I've tried. Reminds me of the evahs I have on my upright.
I'm going to let them settle a bit then probably move them to my fender mb5 jazz bass to see how they sound and finally try on my mim p4 nd store the b string. I thing they will end up on the mim eventually as I plan to convert it to fretless in one way or another.
I'll post some sound clips of all the variations when I'm done switching everything around.
I'm going to let them settle a bit then probably move them to my fender mb5 jazz bass to see how they sound and finally try on my mim p4 nd store the b string. I thing they will end up on the mim eventually as I plan to convert it to fretless in one way or another.
I'll post some sound clips of all the variations when I'm done switching everything around.
I just found an Achilles heel with these strings: high humidity + cobalt flats = grippy quicksand. Long story follows...
I put these on two basses recently, a traditional P and a Yamaha TRBX 505. I had two outdoor gigs this month and fearing cold weather, I figured flats would be nice to the fingers if it were actually cold. Well it wasn't for either, but you never know down here in GA. The first gig was backing a gospel choir and the TRBX sounds incredible with these. In fact, I was thinking of selling the TRBX because my Lull PJ5 is nearly perfect (which wears Chromes and I would have tried these on it if they'd fit string-through 35"). But once I put these on it, holy crap, I don't want to put it down, it's absolutely incredible with these strings. it finally growls like it's supposed to. Absolutely perfect combination, or so I thought...
The P sounds pretty good as well. It's got a Bill Lawrence P46, and these are quite versatile on it. Nice and punchy.
Yesterday's gig was a Southern rock / Country Christmas shindig in a little town deep in the heart of peanut farms and speed traps. I normally play the Lull PJ or Trad P with these guys. But I took both of these basses. Weather looked about perfect for our originally planned start time around 3pm: sunny in the high 70's, low humidity (relatively, this is still GA). Well the event planner decided to change things up without telling anyone so we ended up going on around 6. By then the humidity was pushing north of 80%.
No amount of Finger Ease or Fast Fret could tame the grippiness. It was like someone put Lester Hayes stickum all over my strings! It was absolutely awful. I was so wishing I was playing chromes or rounds!
I'll probable leave the cobalts on the Yamaha because they sound so good, but I'll never again use it on an outdoor gig in the South! The P however is going back to Fender 7150M's.
I put these on two basses recently, a traditional P and a Yamaha TRBX 505. I had two outdoor gigs this month and fearing cold weather, I figured flats would be nice to the fingers if it were actually cold. Well it wasn't for either, but you never know down here in GA. The first gig was backing a gospel choir and the TRBX sounds incredible with these. In fact, I was thinking of selling the TRBX because my Lull PJ5 is nearly perfect (which wears Chromes and I would have tried these on it if they'd fit string-through 35"). But once I put these on it, holy crap, I don't want to put it down, it's absolutely incredible with these strings. it finally growls like it's supposed to. Absolutely perfect combination, or so I thought...
The P sounds pretty good as well. It's got a Bill Lawrence P46, and these are quite versatile on it. Nice and punchy.
Yesterday's gig was a Southern rock / Country Christmas shindig in a little town deep in the heart of peanut farms and speed traps. I normally play the Lull PJ or Trad P with these guys. But I took both of these basses. Weather looked about perfect for our originally planned start time around 3pm: sunny in the high 70's, low humidity (relatively, this is still GA). Well the event planner decided to change things up without telling anyone so we ended up going on around 6. By then the humidity was pushing north of 80%.
No amount of Finger Ease or Fast Fret could tame the grippiness. It was like someone put Lester Hayes stickum all over my strings! It was absolutely awful. I was so wishing I was playing chromes or rounds!
I'll probable leave the cobalts on the Yamaha because they sound so good, but I'll never again use it on an outdoor gig in the South! The P however is going back to Fender 7150M's.
Just some follow up. These string are super even once I fine the right bass for them it'll be nice. Switching it up in the next couple days (closer to posting clips)
