Good D'Addario experience and mini-review of 'EXP Reds'

[Ed_S]

A while ago, I had a less than perfect time with a set of D'Addario Half Rounds, and duly asked on BC if anybody else had similar experiences to share. Nobody seemed to have had the same issues so I was ready to put it down to a bad pack and move on; I'd bought them as an experiment along with some Rotosound Solo Bass (pressure-wound) and ascertained that neither were really my idea of fun irrespective of possible defects. Soon after, however, a guy called Don from D'Addario PM'd me to say that what I'd experienced certainly wasn't the norm, and offer me a free replacement set or alternatively something different to try. Given that at no point had I actually contacted the company directly to complain, I thought that was a very attentive gesture. Anyway, I figured that since I was still feeling experimental, I'd go for something different and accepted a set of 45-105 EXP Reds (EXPR165) which, for the uninitiated, are EXP coated, copper-plated steels. The strings arrived the next day and went on my 2008 MIA Standard P for a good work-out. As they're not something I've ever seen in the shops (or even online that often) and have never seen much discussion surrounding, I said that good or bad, I'd write a few words in review, so here goes...

Straight out of the packet I have to say they're very aesthetically pleasing strings and against a dark rosewood board the bright copper looks great. I don't know how long they'll last that way before tarnishing but the EXP coating should help on this front. Fitting went as smoothly as normal, but my one observation here is that the 'E' string is right on the first stage of the taper as it sits in the nut, so rather than being its full thickness at this point, it's probably about the full thickness of the 'A'. I realise that this wouldn't be the case had I top-loaded them rather than going through the body, but given that it's the stock option on the USA Precision (which isn't exactly an uncommon instrument) I'd have expected the extra 5mm of full thickness in the string required to get over the nut before tapering away to the peg. Anyhow, I don't think it's making any appreciable difference to feel (though maybe it would if I played with a very low action) or sound, so really just an observation.. on with the playing side of things...

For the most part, these strings are pleasantly familiar; it's just like playing a similarly sized set of ProSteels, the only difference being the EXP coating which I guess either bothers you or it doesn't. I'm not a huge fan of coated strings, but I can fully appreciate why it's a desirable feature of this particular product, and in its favour I'm only getting that slightly 'sticky' feel (that I find with all coated strings irrespective of manufacturer) on my plucking fingers, and then only really noticing it for as long as it takes to get into playing the music, whereupon I stop caring!

The blurb on the packaging says that the copper coating on the wrap wire "imparts a more 'acoustic' tone", and whilst initially skeptical, I can really hear what they're on about. I've had a number of acoustic basses over the years, the most recent being a Fender Kingman, and have always ended up moving them on for lack of practicality; my main gripe being that for their relative size and fragility in transport and the inherent difficulty of using acoustic instruments in loud rock performances, the difference in amplified tone has always been too subtle to justify. Well, that subtle difference in tone is right there on the P with the Reds fitted, which to my mind makes these strings a great way of showing willing (complete with visual cue) without putting yourself to all the trouble of using a real acoustic in a live setting. Even if you were using an acoustic as your main bass and wanted to keep an electric at the back of the stage as a backup, I could see these being a worthwhile addition.

So in sum, I'm suitably impressed, both with Don at D'Addario for his attention to customer service, and with EXP Reds for their subtle contribution to my pseudo-acoustic bass exploits.

[BassBod]

Thanks for that - I can remember the original XL Reds from the very early 80's. Probably the second set I put on my Pbass copy after the flats came off! Back them they were bright and twangy, and left your hands with a distinct copper smell, like you'd been handling loose change all night. I liked them...but a coated version must be an improvement.

[iiipopes]

I liked the old reds when I played bass guitar in jazz band in college. But all the above, and expensive, and, well...we'll see if the new reds address these issues.