Weststarx Posted June 6, 2014 Share Posted June 6, 2014 Hello all, I've recently come across the DR neon coloured bass strings. They absolutely awesome, especially under UV light and some green ones would look cool on my blacked out P Bass. The question is to anyone thats used them, do they sound any good with all that coating on them? Price wise they cost around £30 a set so I would like to think they do! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JapanAxe Posted June 6, 2014 Share Posted June 6, 2014 I once tried a bass with these on and I have to say they felt rather rough to me. Any idea if they do neon flats? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mikeh Posted June 6, 2014 Share Posted June 6, 2014 I have some orange ones on my all black power jazz special. Look great under stage lighting. Only think was as a coated string they did deaden quicker than I would have liked. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheGreek Posted June 6, 2014 Share Posted June 6, 2014 I try to use DRs where possible - I've had 2 sets of the Orange which I really liked, the coating coming off hasn't been an issue for me (finger and slap player) but there have been threads here where it was for pick players. I didn't notice them dying any quicker than anything else - in fact there are other brands which are more notorious for this. They are quite pricey though and some see them as a bit of a gimmick.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Oopsdabassist Posted June 6, 2014 Share Posted June 6, 2014 I've had a set of greens on my black Yamaha for nigh on three years now, love em! Yeah they feel bit rough.......but I'm a MAN, I can take it! I don't like zingy strings anyway so dead sounding is exactly what I want And yay they DO look awesome under UV!!!!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chrismuzz Posted June 6, 2014 Share Posted June 6, 2014 They do look wicked! Sound pretty good too but they dull very quickly and the coating does flake off. Also don't do any sliding when they're on, you'll burn your fingers off! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Oopsdabassist Posted June 6, 2014 Share Posted June 6, 2014 I play slides when we do Bluest Blue, sounds great, feels fine...man up Chris lol Mine is starting to flake a little bit on the E where I use the pick, but I'm mainly a fingerstylee so nothing too dramatic. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Weststarx Posted June 6, 2014 Author Share Posted June 6, 2014 Well I'm a pick player so maybe I will get some and only use them for a special occasion haha! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MiltyG565 Posted June 12, 2014 Share Posted June 12, 2014 [quote name='JapanAxe' timestamp='1402057095' post='2469594'] I once tried a bass with these on and I have to say they felt rather rough to me. Any idea if they do neon flats? [/quote] They don't. They do flats, and they do neons, but not neon flats. Having said that, I borrowed my mates guitar for a few weeks once, and he had them on the guitar. Can't say I noticed them being rough (although they were played in). To the OP - they actually sound quite good. They have a pretty unique tone. It's hard to describe, but the strings have a slight plasticy feel to them, but it gives a really balanced tone somewhere between half rounds and round wounds, IME. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chrismuzz Posted June 12, 2014 Share Posted June 12, 2014 [quote name='Oopsdabassist' timestamp='1402072102' post='2469820'] I play slides when we do Bluest Blue, sounds great, feels fine...man up Chris lol [/quote] I have been spoilt by the girly softness of Elixirs I think Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fretmeister Posted June 15, 2014 Share Posted June 15, 2014 I had some green ones. Didn't like the sound, but I've not had other DRs for years so I can't remember if it's just a DR thing or these strings in particular. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pete.young Posted June 24, 2014 Share Posted June 24, 2014 I had a set of Neon Greens on my Bass Collection, took them off after a year but there was still a bit of life left in them. I'd say they're similiar to Sunbeams. It's not an issue if a bit of the colour wears off - just use a highlighter pen to put it back. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
P-T-P Posted June 25, 2014 Share Posted June 25, 2014 I've used DR Extras for the past 4 or 5 years, doing maybe 100 gigs a year and felt they lasted really well. Would change maybe 2 or 3 times a year. They sounded like a set of nickelwounds which has maybe done one or two gigs - crunchy but not overly bright. They'd stay that way for ages. The last set I used had the new K3 coating which I believe is what's on the Neons too. They've lasted way over a year, but that's because they are horrid compared to the older ones and I've avoided playing the bass they went on - but I'm too tight to just throw them out lol. The K3 ones are definitely closer to a non-coated steelwound string for brightness, but they also started to fade quicker The "burning fingers when sliding" comment is also very familiar. A couple of our numbers I slide up and down the E string (from G 3rd fret to octave and back) a four times in two bars and it is impossible to do on the K3 coated strings, by the second one my fingers are on fire. All in all, I'm really disappointed with them now and I've just bought some Super Slinky, see how they go. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PaulWarning Posted June 25, 2014 Share Posted June 25, 2014 I've used these for a while,on balance I think I prefer Elixers but I use these because, like you've seen they look good under UV lighting, especially seeing as how I play in a punk covers band, they last me about 6 months, flake a bit where I hit them with my pick but nothing too serious , lose a bit of zing but it is a bass I play so I'm not bothered about that. As for the roughness I've never had any trouble playing London Calling. Some people complain Elixirs are too smooth! I get them from the USA via ebay, about £25 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
winterfire666 Posted June 25, 2014 Share Posted June 25, 2014 (edited) i love the K3 ones for feel and playability but at the time 40's were not available only 45's and they were a bit heavy for me. to me they didnt feel rough but kinda grippy, which was unusual but nice. im gonna try some light guage ones when i run out of my supply of sadowsky blue labels. Edited June 25, 2014 by winterfire666 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
anaxcrosswords Posted May 6, 2015 Share Posted May 6, 2015 I've been rummaging through these on Ebay and I'm quite taken by the blue ones. Before I invest, though... they obviously look great under UV but do they have much visual effect under normal LED stage lighting? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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