substitute for DR strings

Ernie Ball. You can get 45-130's right now from Musician's Friend for $14.95 at their website. They're very good strings and, at that price, impossible to beat.

http://www.musiciansfriend.com/ex/shop/strings/by_vendor/011026044919067167194227314711?pid=100754

 

I find that Ernie Ball strings sound a lot different then Dr lo riders. www.JustStrings.com has some good deals on 5 string sets.

 

It's like Porsche says, "there is no substitute".

Seriously though, I haven't found anything that plays or sounds like the stainless Lo Riders I love. The only strings I play besides the Lo Riders on a regular basis are Roto 66's. In a pinch, maybe SR2000's. Only problem is, they are all around the same price as the DR's.

There are definitely cheaper strings out there, but I don't think you'll find one approximate to DR's for less than $20.

 

If you play about an hour or two everyday, how long will lo-riders last?

 

They are not overly bright like some stainless rounds, so they remain more consistent over their lifespan. I think they hold up real well, a lot better than most stainless strings I've tried. I've never tried the nickel Lo Riders.

Cleaning your hands before playing, and wiping the strings down after playing will help prolong the life as well.

 

I have actually just switched over from DR Hi-Beams to DR nickel Lo Riders. I don't think I will ever switch back. The Nickel Lo Riders are very even and consistant and on my Jazz bass, the entire range of the tone nob is good usable tone. The Hi Beams were way to harsh when I turned the tone nob up past half way.

I have to agree with Seamus when it comes to cleaning your hands and wiping your strings. I have been practicing this for quite a while now and my strings last more then a month, which is really good for me as I tend to kill strings pretty fast.

 

I've been using Ken Smith strings. A four string set is about $17. AMS has Blue Steels on sale for $12 a set.