New EB Cobalt Flats?

[king_biscuit]

Interesting:

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Ernie Ball Slinky Flatwound Bass Strings combine the smooth feel of traditional flats and the modern power of Cobalts. Featuring a SuperBright Cobalt Ribbon wrap, Cobalt Underwraps and optimal hex-core to wrap ratio, the new Flatwound Bass strings are the first flat that actually feels like a flat and sounds like a round.

 

[SLaPiNFuNK]

Yup! I spoke with them at NAMM today about them.

They say they are as bright as cobalt rounds with the smooth flatwound feel and no fibgernoise.

Really excited about them! They expect to start shipping in March.

 

[iiipopes]

Any chance of a 40's set in both 4-string and 5-string?

 

[SLaPiNFuNK]

The 5-String set was only 45-100-130. I am sure they will have a single Low-B eventually that you can pair with a 4-String set.

I don't have a copy of the order I submitted to them today but I believe they are available in the same 4-String sets as the current Ernie Ball Flatwounds:

40-95
45-100
50-105
55-110

 

[Handyman]

If they're bright as rounds, why does their tone chart put them in the very far edge of the "warm" end?

Not that this will stop me from trying them.

 

[Gorn]

I love cobalt rounds. I'll try these.

 

[jamersonburton]

"sounds like rounds"? on the tone spectrum on their website it says you can't get any warmer than cobalt flats.

 

[Gorn]

"sounds like rounds"? on the tone spectrum on their website it says you can't get any warmer than cobalt flats.

Seems like sloppy, unsure-of-itself marketing jargon. Cobalt rounds are growly in a way I've never heard from another string. If the flats can get close to that without fingernoise, I'm on board.

The 45-100 rounds are perfect for me. I'll probably get the flats in 40-95.

 

[Root 5]

What's the skinny on cobalt? Is it a coated string? How long do they last? Do they tarnish?

 

[Gorn]

What's the skinny on cobalt? Is it a coated string? How long do they last? Do they tarnish?

Non coated. They last a long time and don't tarnish as far as I can tell.

 

[SLaPiNFuNK]

They are nickel iron and cobalt allow flat wound ribbon. Just like the rounds.

 

[iiipopes]

Cobalt is a metal similar to nickel. In a proper alloy, it can also be magnetic. Cobalt is the "-co" in "Alnico" magnets. (ALuminum-NIckel-CObalt in alloy with iron) It is not as common as nickel, hence it is not used as often because of the price and availability. Further reading:

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[iiipopes]

Yup! I spoke with them at NAMM today about them.

They say they are as bright as cobalt rounds with the smooth flatwound feel and no fibgernoise.

Really excited about them! They expect to start shipping in March.

Time for Ernie Ball to revise and update their website.

Now - to those who say the Cobalt Flats are described on the website as mellow - remember that Ernie Ball also makes conventional flats. They have been on the website for years, and are mellow strings, just like any other flat in this regard compared to rounds. The Cobalt Flats are NOT on the web site yet.

 

[Linnin]

I love cobalt rounds. I'll try these.

I look forward to your report, cap'n!

 

[king_biscuit]

What's the skinny on cobalt? Is it a coated string? How long do they last? Do they tarnish?

I tried several sets of cobalt rounds when they first came out. They sounded great -- more or less like stainless steel rounds -- but they died rather quickly and very completely! And unlike stainless strings, played in/dead cobalts sound pretty bad. Also, they did seem to tarnish pretty quickly. I'm still very curious about the new cobalt flats. Are they true flats or some sort of groundwound or compression wound string?



If these do what EB claims, they might be the ultimate fretless string!

 

[iiipopes]

Speculation: to get a string to be "bright," it has to be flexible so it readily vibrates in its overtones. That's why rounds are bright, flats are usually not: the round wire only touches the next wrap, theoretically, at one point, so it is flexible, like a string of pearls. Flats, with their ribbon wrap, have more side surface area contacting, so it is less flexible, like a row of bricks.

That said, I would imagine that the new Cobalt strings will be slightly chamfered or contoured, like Fender Flats now are, and which as a result, have more growl than something like Chromes, which are very tightly wound and are not as flexible.

 

[Root 5]

Thanks for the info everyone! I might try a set at some point.

 

[callofcthulhu]

Curious what the tension on these will be like.

I demand the stiffest of strings - Roto 77 is my benchmark.

 

[LowEndWooly]

I just stumbled on these.. they look great! I made the move to flats (chromes) and have been pretty happy; which surprised me because I came from Flex Steels and Cobalt rounds. I hope that they are right in their claim, that they are bright like rounds. Not only would this be a perfect set for a fretless, but a fretted, also! My stingray is asking to try these out in March!

 

[Thrillhouse]

I tried several sets of cobalt rounds when they first came out. They sounded great -- more or less like stainless steel rounds -- but they died rather quickly and very completely! And unlike stainless strings, played in/dead cobalts sound pretty bad. Also, they did seem to tarnish pretty quickly.

That was my exact experience as well. I was very surprised at just how great they sounded but they went dead and started to get gunky so quickly that I've not tried them since.