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What makes DR Fat Beams different from DR Hi-Beams?

Tony G

Tony G

Supporting Member
Jan 20, 2006
11,211
1,651
#1
What makes DR Fat Beams different from DR Hi-Beams other than Marcus Miller being on the package and the slightly higher price tag? :D

DR seems to have no problem explaining what materials, core shapes, and construction techniques go into all of their other strings that make the different, but strangely don't go into detail about Fat Beams. I've used Hi-beams and Fat Beams interchangably for a while now, and while I'd like to think I hear a difference, I'm not sure I could prove it. Any thoughts?
 
#5
RapierSix said:
have fat and hi beams in my hand right now...

no difference in winding gauges.

Hi-Beams have MR-45, fat beams MM-45 (No clue what it means)

It could very well be just bogus marketing.... when i put my hi-beams on my p-bass I will compare their color to the fats
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Not the overall, but the individual winding wires in that go onto the string. A different combination could, in theory, create a different tone.
 
#8
Though I wonder about the argument of whether winding speed can make that much of a difference. (ie. Would a machine wrapping a sandwich slowly create a different package that a machine wrapping it quickly?) Maybe they're different alloys if not different gauges.

Personally, I think they're the same strings.
 
#11
jdombrow said:
"What makes DR Fat Beams different from DR Hi-Beams other than Marcus Miller being on the package and the slightly higher price tag?"

Here's an idea: Why don't you ask the people at DR Strings?:rollno:
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Here's an idea: how about trying to add positively to the conversation? :scowl:
You also seem to have forgotten to include my smilie face and the end of that quote. That was strategically placed there to show that the question I posed was kind of "tongue in cheek".

My question is valid and I posed it to the tb public just like thousands of other people pose questions about virtually all other gear, strings, etc. I was looking for a response from actual people that use both of these DR strings sets, to see what differences they perceive if any. As mentioned, I use DR Hi-Beams and Fat Beams all the time. They are my go-to string sets. Your post in this thread is not appreciated by me. It seems my "ignore" list will grow once more this evening.
 
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#12
I had Hi Beams and Fat Beams on the same bass back-to-back a couple years ago. Same gauge, everything.

I thought I noticed a little more mids with the Fat Beams, and a little more scoop with the Hi Beams. The Hi Beams felt, I thought, a little more flexible, and a little more "rolly" under my fingers.

It could have been real, or just my mind thinking "fat" when I had the Fat Beams on. Or maybe it was the Bass Player review that said the Fat Beams had more mids.

A lot of factors at work, and I fear marketing mumbo jumbo might actually be the correct answer.
 
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#13
jdombrow said:
"What makes DR Fat Beams different from DR Hi-Beams other than Marcus Miller being on the package and the slightly higher price tag?"

Here's an idea: Why don't you ask the people at DR Strings?:rollno:
Click to expand...

Yeah, I mean why would he want to talk about bass string in the strings forum of an online bass forum? What nerve.:rollno:

Like DR is gonna come out and say, "theres no difference, its just marketing".
 
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#15
looking at the catalog, the hi beams are 'tite fit stainless steel on a round core' whereas the fat beams are 'stainless steel on a round core' ...they seem to go out of their way to say 'tite fit' or not in their string descriptions...that was the only difference i saw...i have no idea what tite fit means :hmm:
 
#16
neptoon said:
looking at the catalog, the hi beams are 'tite fit stainless steel on a round core' whereas the fat beams are 'stainless steel on a round core' ...they seem to go out of their way to say 'tite fit' or not in their string descriptions...that was the only difference i saw...i have no idea what tite fit means :hmm:
Click to expand...

I just played a bass yesterday with the Marcus Fatbeams installed. I had never tried these strings. The above makes sense... the Fatbeams seem just a touch rougher to the hands than the very smooth, almost Nickel feeling Hi Beams. As far as I could tell (different bass, so hard to exactly know), the tone and tension felt pretty darn close.
 
#17
i remember when i got my curbow rockwood 6 string, it had fat beams on it...i remember them feeling quite coarse, and it turned me off to dr strings, despite the nice feel and tone...if the feel of those strings isn't something that's characteristic of dr strings in general, i may have to give them another shot
 

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