Try calling. I've had great luck with calling their tech support for both strings and basses. I know crazy, right 2016 and they actually pick up the phone but they really do. They send me a replacement set right away.
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New EB Cobalt Flats?
- Thread starter king_biscuit
- Start date
No it doesn't explain breakage at tuners. As I said later in my post, I think the strings get stuck in the nut for some reason and that's why they break near the post.
EB hasn't specifically said not to use through-body but other manufacturers (can't remember which off the top of my head - TI maybe?) advice against it.
Just got off the phone, following up on a call made back in April. My replacement order fell through the cracks. Going out today..
While on the phone, EB's CS informed me:
1. String through bodies are just fine.
2. They are advising everyone to NOT TRIM these strings. At All. Advisory is not in or on current packaging. That is going to result in some massive winding on tuners posts. perhaps even overlapping. Now that I could see leading to more string breakage, not less.
3. Lastly, they want us to stick with the convoluted insert/bend/wrap/route through post/wrap schema shown on the package insert.
Keep letting EB know of these breaks. perhaps they will re-engineer the string.
Ltd has a graphite nut, the Schecter is brass. logic would dictate the brass nut would have the binding problem. Strange times, indeed.
They had issues early on with strings breaking for no reason. Seems it was a manufacturing defect. I installed as to instructions and my D broke. Had an A string from another set break at the bridge. They were quick to help people out who had issues. Seems to be resolved now, I haven't heard many complaints lately like when they first hit the shelves.
I had to open the nut slot for a G string that was hanging up. Then, I use pencil graphite in all the slots. No problem. My sets are all on small post tuners with no issues.
I measure, crimp, cut, and install as per the instr on the packaging.
At least 3 wraps per post, usually 4+.
I measure, crimp, cut, and install as per the instr on the packaging.
At least 3 wraps per post, usually 4+.
LaBella Deep Talkin' Flats, IIRC.
Then, there is this from bassstringsonline.com:
Someone must have said Thru-Body Thump because the fine folks over at La Bella Strings heard it, engineered it to their standards and did it! Thats right, La Bella now offers Invalid Link Removed!
In the past, La Bella Deep Talkin' Flatwounds were not able to be used on thru-body instruments since they are wound so tightly the strings simply could not be forced through the extreem (sic) break angles of some thru-body instruments. The tight windings give these strings the feel and sound your bass is just crying out for. La Bella solved this problem with this newly engineered flavor of Deep Talkin' Flats specifically designed for your Thru-Body instrument.
La Bella strings are all built to order, so they are available in every gauge, every scale length, and every available number of strings they offer! Four, Five and Six string... Short, Medium, Long, and Extra Long scale... If you have an instrument that wants the thump, La Bella will make something to fit it!
Time to get that vintage thump on your Thru-Body bass!
Current protocol, per EB, is no cutting.
EB has, apparently.
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Bummer. The last two sets I had as stated earlier were and are perfect. I know the bad sets I had were making a strange "pinging" sound as I tuned them up. The good sets didn't make any strange noises.
I didn't have any issues with the replacement set they sent me but then again I only installed 1 string and did it very carefully.
What's odd to me is that the recommended installation has you loop them around themselves even with a slotted post. First, I've never had to do this owith any other string on a bass with Fender style slotted tuners (in my case that's been about 90% of basses I own/have owned). Second, if they strings are/were more brittle seems like a bad idea.
Oh the bright side, they strings sound and feel fantastic and flats last a long time so not something I'll have to deal with for a while. I also really like the purple silk on the ends.
What's odd to me is that the recommended installation has you loop them around themselves even with a slotted post. First, I've never had to do this owith any other string on a bass with Fender style slotted tuners (in my case that's been about 90% of basses I own/have owned). Second, if they strings are/were more brittle seems like a bad idea.
Oh the bright side, they strings sound and feel fantastic and flats last a long time so not something I'll have to deal with for a while. I also really like the purple silk on the ends.
The two sets I have on now were put on like a normal string. They have many months of no issues.
Just blew up the 055 G string on the Schecter. If I had to offer a caution on these strings, it would be:
Install them and never, EVER attempt to remove and replace or even loosen them for cleaning/maintenance.
Once bent and stretched, they are "set" for life. Cold-tempered, as it were.
They shatter like crystal if budged thereafter, at least for me.
Same results on both basses thus far. A string this expensive should not be this fragile, IMO.
YMMWV.
Install them and never, EVER attempt to remove and replace or even loosen them for cleaning/maintenance.
Once bent and stretched, they are "set" for life. Cold-tempered, as it were.
They shatter like crystal if budged thereafter, at least for me.
Same results on both basses thus far. A string this expensive should not be this fragile, IMO.
YMMWV.
The set on my Rickenbacker have been installed and removed 3 times without issue. When I tried that on an earlier set on my Jack Casady the A string snapped at the bridge as I started to play it. What I did notice on the sets that broke at installation turning the tuners the strings would make a strange pinging sound as it was coming up to pitch. It was kind of a scary sound that had me putting on safety glasses to tune as I was sure they would snap, and sure enough the D string did snap long before coming up to pitch. The newer sets had none of those issues.
I also am using safety glasses.
I hope the "new" set I was promised will not have problems.
Got the Cobalt Flatwounds for my MusicMan Bongo 5 and Stingray 4 a couple of weeks ago. Had been playing the Stingray 4, so was not touching the Bongo. Over the weekend, I decided to take out my Bongo and I saw particles of rust forming on the picking area. And it sure smelt like rust. Gave it a clean with the Ernie Ball String Cleaner. Restored the shine and the rust was gone. Yesterday, the strings totally died on me. Sounds were totally muddy. I did not have a great experience with the normal bass Cobalts, but nothing compares to my anger at seeing this exorbitantly priced Cobalt flatwound strings dying just like that in just less than a month. I have totally given up on Ernie Ball bass strings (I still like their guitar strings though). Disappointed.
I have used Cobalts since they have come out and have never experienced anything like that.
They lose the initial high end after a couple weeks and then sound more light a normal flat with more clarity and punch and a nice smooth top end. If you expect them to sound the same as they do when new well it's not going to happen. I like them better when the round clank is gone.
I guess I got lucky with these...haven't had any issues, even though I strung them up the "normal" way -- that is, without doing the little wrap trick around the tuner post. I do like the sound and feel, though...wasn't sure at first because they sound and feel nothing like my usual GHS flats, but they're growing on me. Will be interesting to see how they settle in.
I'll be honest I have spent a ton of money trying many different sets from rounds, tape wounds, flat wounds and compressed wounds. I still keep coming back to Cobalt Flats because they give me the best tone of any string I've used. Even in heavy gigging they hold up good months later. I've finally give up and have quit experimenting lol... For now !!!
