DR Fatbeams

[acidbass]

So after a lot of hearing about DR and how great their strings are, I finally decided to take the plunge and buy a set for my main Jazz bass (a Bravewood body, Wizard p/ups and a Fender Geddy Lee neck).

I'm normally an Elixir user and have been for the past five or six years - they're always consistently good in my experience and last ages! However, I like to try different strings now and again to see what I might be missing out on!

The set of DR's I bought was the Marcus Miller Signature Fatbeams (45-105). I'm not primarily a slap player, but like to dabble now and again, and have heard very good things about the tone of this set when played fingerstyle, which is my main method. I play primarily pop and rock bass parts, although I also play country, blues, soul and folk from time to time, so I'll get a chance to check out these strings in a variety of contexts.

Strung up my bass with them before last night's gig, and my initial impressions were that they are very punchy. The bottom end on the E string is very tight and focused, with the D and G giving a very bright and consistent twang with good fundamentals too. They are certainly rougher to the touch than the nanoweb-coated Elixirs, however I find that this actually improves my grip on the string and will make for more precise playing in time. Fingerstyle, they have good definition, but actually sound VERY similar to the Elixirs that I had on previously. I'm not sure if this is a good thing or a bad thing, as I had the Elixirs on my bass for around 3 months and they were veteran of probably 70-80 gigs during that time, and yet they still retained their quality. It remains to be seen whether or not the DR strings last anywhere near as long as the Elixirs, but only time will tell that. The one slight difference between Elixirs and these strings is that for the same gauge, they seem to have a slightly higher tension than their 45-105 Elixir counterparts, however they are definitely more flexible and therefore slapping and popping requires a little less effort in my experience.

The slap sound of these bad boys is absolutely immense! Really tight, clear and focused - I can see exactly why they're Marcus' string of choice. If you are a slap player, definitely consider a set of these, although perhaps a lighter gauge might be [i]slightly[/i] better for slap bass.

So far, so good, although I have yet to be convinced that these strings are better than my normal Elixirs. I think they are perhaps too close in sound to my regular set, and given that I have had nothing but good experiences with Elixirs (particular with lifespan), I can't see myself changing string brand just yet.

Anyone else use these babies?

Danny

[Lfalex v1.1]

Yes.
I have FatBeams on my Vigier and Squier VMJ. They sound great on both.
I put Sunbeams (they're the Nickels) on my MIA Jazz. Again, just what I wanted. Smooth, Warm goodness.

I also use/used Elixirs. I've found them to be very good also. However, on phenolic fretboards, they can be a bit plasticky/quacky sounding. I use the Elixirs on my Warwick Infinity, and they sound superb on it.

Life-wise, (uncoated) DRs are pretty good, but no match for the Elixirs...

[discreet]

I like 'em. I twang 'em with a pick.

[acidbass]

[quote name='discreet' post='1372884' date='Sep 14 2011, 09:57 AM']I like 'em. I twang 'em with a pick.[/quote]

As do I! I must say, the pick sound is really great, there's a certain metallic twang to it that I never got with Elixirs.

[Pete Academy]

I use those strings on my Jazz. Wouldn't use anything else.