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Time to switch to Dunlop Super Brights!!!
- Thread starter mmbongo
- Start date
DR's lack mids and overall output (actually, their coated strings have better output. I noticed it myself and Ed Friedland confirmed it).
There is something about their tone, which is unnatural, to me.
in comparison, superbrights:
just sound "right".
They have good fullness and warmth in the mids.
a nice high mid crunch, which lasts looooong into their life.
overall output is good.
their tone changes in pleasing ways, well into their life.
cost less
For a nickel plated string, I would be hard pressed to easily recommend a better sounding string. and considering all of the other positives, they are nearly perfect.
For a steel string: there are a couple of brands from which I like the tone a bit better. But the superbrights' stainless tone is very good. And they still have all of the positives. Most importantly, balanced feel and tension. which my other two tone favorites do NOT have.
both have a problem, which sort of cancel eachother out, in final scoring:
DR, being roundcore, must be handled with more care. Otherwise the windings can slip and kill the string.
Superbrights, the nickels at least, seem to have a fairly common issue where the smaller/higher strings, can arrive with kinks in them. I suspect that they need to lower the force or speed of the manufacturing machines, a little bit. My first two packs of the nickels, had this problem. The third pack did not. I have a 4th pack, yet unopened. I have heard from other users, who also found kinks.
I have only had one steel set, with no kinks. They are still on a bass which I do not use nearly as much, so I have not bought a second set, yet.
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If you are a 5 string player, I recommend ordering 4 string sets and then separately ordering the .130b string. Although the smaller guages aren't bad, the .130 feels more balanced than the .125 and especially the .120.
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Great price but they are, per description, higher tension which may not be attractive to some. FWIW, I'm not clear if they're actually higher tension or just stiffer to the touch.
Riis
I finally put them on my 4004 today, and I was blown away by how bright the D & G strings are!
Thanks to @mmbongo!
Thanks to @mmbongo!
I don't feel they are stiffer, they feel pretty supple.
They are springy, and lively but not stiff.
I like these strings more every day. I'm going to keep a few sets of these around. A little bit more springlike than XL's. They feel like they jump off of a pick. I'm interested in how the SS compare to the Nickel strings, because I'm totally in love with these.
I was just thinking the same thing. They just keep getting better. I play the stainless. They have more mids and high mids than the nickels to my ear with that stainless zing. Im finally changing mine on wednsday, after 8 sweat and beer soaked punk shows and about 10 3 hour practices,
I'm not gigging, or even playing with a regular group right now, so those bad boys would last forever for me right now. I'm practicing an hour a night, and most of that is learning to read music or brush up on songs so that I don't forget any.
I just got a SS set in the mail today from BSO. (45-65-85-105)
I strung them on my Geddy jazz bass and so far, I like them a lot. That bass must have been a lemon coming out if the factory because it always sounds dull and lifeless when played acoustically and not much better plugged in BUT the neck is really nice. I say all this to point out that with the Dunlops, it sounds much livelier. The tension on these strings is close to perfect for me so let's see how long they last. I'm used to DRs which last forever but these Dunlops have a much nicer price so we'll see.....
I strung them on my Geddy jazz bass and so far, I like them a lot. That bass must have been a lemon coming out if the factory because it always sounds dull and lifeless when played acoustically and not much better plugged in BUT the neck is really nice. I say all this to point out that with the Dunlops, it sounds much livelier. The tension on these strings is close to perfect for me so let's see how long they last. I'm used to DRs which last forever but these Dunlops have a much nicer price so we'll see.....
Been a long time user of DR hi beam strings but switched to Dunlop super bright nickel strings over the past few months. Love the feel and sound.
Just wondering though, how do the steel super brights compare to hi beams?
I haven't tried the steels yet.
Just wondering though, how do the steel super brights compare to hi beams?
I haven't tried the steels yet.
For me, I found the SBs to be not quite as zingy but a bit more anemic. My fingers also seem to give the SBs a quick death.
I may eventually try the nickels, but I was not sold on the SBs. Lots of people on here seem to be. That is fine, but I think with strings if one is curious you will simply have to go for it.
Its only been a couple of days but the SS Dunlops feel a bit more flexible than DR Hi Beams but still similar. They sound great so far! Can't wait to try them on my other basses
Sounds like i'll have to give the stainless steel super brights a try if they are more like hi beams than the nickel super brights!
These strings last a looooong time though so i dunno when i'll get through all these nickel sets I have haha
These strings last a looooong time though so i dunno when i'll get through all these nickel sets I have haha
I've been using DR Fat Beams on my Ric 4003 for several years now. Anybody switch over from those? Bassstringsonline has nickel and stainless steel, which are the ones people rave about? Can't beat the price!
- Apr 15, 2010
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- Spector Artist
I've put Superbrights on my both Spectors...They sounded very bright the first couple of days, Ok. Stainless steel set was dead within a week, the nickels stayed longer and felt nicer but the D string had lower output than the other strings. No way I gonna use them again, I turned back to my trusty DR LoRiders.
