Ernie Ball Cobalt flats - the flats for those who don't necessarily want flats

[mcnach]

Do you like the feel of flatwound strings but you want the zing of roundwounds?

Cobalt Flats!

I bought them a few months ago to try them but stayed in my drawer until the weekend. I have just bought a nice Ibanez ATK300 which needed new strings... it had DR High Beams but they had lost a lot of their brightness and I like a bit of top end, especially as I get to slap a bit.
The ATK300 has a Bassculture pickup that is more like a Stingray one than the original... but as I haven't heard this bass with the original I can't say how close it is to one. The preamp is very different though and it does not sound much like a Stingray, to me... but it sounds very good. The preamp is nice. The midrange is in the right spot to add a bit of 'nasality' to give extra presence to the bass, or to cut it and blend in more in the background. The bass is phat city, yet not boomy, and the treble is not shrill and allows you to tame extra clang...

The cobalt flats seem a bit lower tension than I'd expect for the gauge, which is not bad. They have a nice bounce in them. They feel smooth, as you'd imagine. But the sound is nothing like any other flatwound I've ever tried. I've often tried half-rounds etc to compromise... nah. I never liked any of those. These ones sound like rounds after they've been on a bit on the bass, and retain a LOT of treble. Finger funk type basslines are a joy to play, and you can move quickly from low to high positions in the neck without sliding noises, so it sounds like your technique is a lot better than it is :-p
I am really liking them. I still want to try this bass with my usual steel strings for comparison, but I already know these strings are *the* flats for me. If you want a more traditional flatwound sound, it's easy to roll off treble and a bit of the mids (it may be the bass, but I feel these strings have a prominent midrange output regardless)...
I used the bass last night at rehearsal with my ska(ish) band and it fitted right in. There are a couple of songs where I have a bit of slap going on, and it sounded glorious.

[Beer of the Bass]

Hmm, I'd been thinking about trying these. My Sadowsky flatwounds are good in an old-school way, but I'll be doing some stuff this summer with a guitarist who likes to be loud, and a bit more brightness might not go amiss. Shame they cost a larger number of pounds than they do dollars!

[fretmeister]

I want to try some too.

The prices vary so much.

For the 5 string set, Strings Direct seem cheapest - they are actually about £15 cheaper than the official EBMM web shop!

I've got TI Flats on my ray5 at the moment. I'll have to wait until they've worn out.....

[mcnach]

[quote name='Beer of the Bass' timestamp='1462963972' post='3047288']
Hmm, I'd been thinking about trying these. My Sadowsky flatwounds are good in an old-school way, but I'll be doing some stuff this summer with a guitarist who likes to be loud, and a bit more brightness might not go amiss. Shame they cost a larger number of pounds than they do dollars!
[/quote]

I can't remember what I paid for them but I guess it couldn't have been much different from my usuals or I wouldn't have felt inclined to try them when I really don't have a *need*.
I suspect they'll last a long time at this level of brightness, 'though...

If you want to give the ATK a try, just let me know.

[Lozz196]

I keep promising myself a set of these, gonna have to bite the bullet and get some.

[MrDaveTheBass]

They're definitely worth a try. After 27 years of using rounds, I'm now on my second set of Cobalt Flats, and I think that I'll be using them for the foreseeable future.

They do sound different from rounds, but the tone is very useable and can be shaped easily with a bit of EQ. With the EQ flat, I've lost a little bit of the roundwound growl from my MM Sterling, but it can be dialed back in by boosting the treble a little.

The best thing about them is their feel - they're an absolute joy to play, and my right-hand picking fingers are no longer shredded after over-enthusiastic gigs.

Do pay attention to the instructions that come in the packet - you need a couple of extra turns around your tuning posts compared to ordinary rounds, and I almost cut my first set too short, and only just managed to hang them onto the tuners.

[mcnach]

[quote name='MrDaveTheBass' timestamp='1462975943' post='3047468']
They do sound different from rounds, but the tone is very useable and can be shaped easily with a bit of EQ. With the EQ flat, I've lost a little bit of the roundwound growl from my MM Sterling, but it can be dialed back in by boosting the treble a little.
[/quote]

That's exactly what I felt too. I generally like my rounds after they've been played in a bit and lose the initial extra brightness... so these sounded great to me from the beginning.

[Twincam]

How do these compare to fender flats, which are fairly bright Imo (for flats) and cover a lot of ground.

[mcnach]

[quote name='Twincam' timestamp='1462980915' post='3047537']
How do these compare to fender flats, which are fairly bright Imo (for flats) and cover a lot of ground.
[/quote]

I used those before, they were my favourite ones, for flats. The Cobalts are a lot brighter, no doubt, and a bit more midrange I'd say too, but still balanced. I think I could probably tame the sound of the cobalts to sound just like the Fender ones, but not viceversa. They also feel a bit more bouncy to the touch.

[Beer of the Bass]

[quote name='mcnach' timestamp='1462966957' post='3047335']

I can't remember what I paid for them but I guess it couldn't have been much different from my usuals or I wouldn't have felt inclined to try them when I really don't have a *need*.
I suspect they'll last a long time at this level of brightness, 'though...

If you want to give the ATK a try, just let me know.
[/quote]

Actually, that could be quite useful - I'll maybe drop you a message. It's hard to figure out strings from reviews alone!

[mcnach]

[quote name='Beer of the Bass' timestamp='1462985637' post='3047608']
Actually, that could be quite useful - I'll maybe drop you a message. It's hard to figure out strings from reviews alone!
[/quote]

you know where to find me, Martin.

[Roger2611]

They may be worth a go on my fretless, I love the sound of rounds on a fretless but not the damage they do to the fret board, I will give some a go

[ezbass]

Another thumbs up for the Cobalts here too. Perfect description of them as sounding like used (but not over used) roundwounds.

[uk_lefty]

[quote name='Roger2611' timestamp='1462987431' post='3047637']
They may be worth a go on my fretless, I love the sound of rounds on a fretless but not the damage they do to the fret board, I will give some a go
[/quote]

Me too! Got standard Ernie ball flats at the moment but a but more of a roundwound tone would suit me better

[fleabag]

SIT Silencers are in the same ball park

[geoham]

I quite fancy them for my Lakland 5501 - reckon they'll be okay for the 35" scale? (Obviously just through the bridge, not through the body for flats!)

[Twincam]

[quote name='mcnach' timestamp='1462982422' post='3047564']


I used those before, they were my favourite ones, for flats. The Cobalts are a lot brighter, no doubt, and a bit more midrange I'd say too, but still balanced. I think I could probably tame the sound of the cobalts to sound just like the Fender ones, but not viceversa. They also feel a bit more bouncy to the touch.
[/quote]

Sounds like there the flats for me.

[Passinwind]

[quote name='mcnach' timestamp='1462961657' post='3047257']

The cobalt flats seem a bit lower tension than I'd expect for the gauge, which is not bad.
[/quote]

Which gauge are you using? I've had the lightest set on one of my fretless basses for around 8 months now. They are just a little stiffer feeling than the T-I Jazz Flats I had on that bass for 12 years (two sets in that time). They suit me a good bit better than the T-Is, which I also really still do like a lot.

[largo]

have you tried Status Hotwire Half-Rounds? Interested in a comparison.

[Owen]

I am feeling a bit light headed at the moment because I went onto youtube to hear these things. They sound really good. I will try some. However the video I watched was of a guy playing left handed with upsidedown strings. I can handle left handed but the upsidedown strings made everything wobbly in my head. He played lovely stuff though.

[media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HI2CgGaKKqI[/media]

[mcnach]

[quote name='geoham' timestamp='1463001202' post='3047793']
I quite fancy them for my Lakland 5501 - reckon they'll be okay for the 35" scale? (Obviously just through the bridge, not through the body for flats!)
[/quote]

I think so... they go through the body on my ATK (34") and there was plenty string left (which I cut)

[mcnach]

[quote name='Passinwind' timestamp='1463011487' post='3047869']
Which gauge are you using? I've had the lightest set on one of my fretless basses for around 8 months now. They are just a little stiffer feeling than the T-I Jazz Flats I had on that bass for 12 years (two sets in that time). They suit me a good bit better than the T-Is, which I also really still do like a lot.
[/quote]

105 - 85 - 65 - 45

[mcnach]

[quote name='largo' timestamp='1463035905' post='3047915']
have you tried Status Hotwire Half-Rounds? Interested in a comparison.
[/quote]

I did. I didn't find them that different from their standard flats, to be honest. Yeah they were a bit brighter, but not incredibly so. What put me off straight away was that the E string was dull dull dull... I contacted Status to see if it was normal or maybe I got a bad batch and they were not interested. So I lost interest in Status strings ever since.

The Cobalts are a lot brighter, and less flatwound-like than the halfrounds, for sure.

[hubrad]

[quote name='geoham' timestamp='1463001202' post='3047793']
I quite fancy them for my Lakland 5501 - reckon they'll be okay for the 35" scale? (Obviously just through the bridge, not through the body for flats!)
[/quote]
Depending on your bridge and nut, be prepared for a bit of judicious silk trimming. . On my 35" that I wanted to use them on, I need 945mm from ballend to topside of the nut. A couple of these strings give me 940mm! On another, with a different bridge, I reckon that I'd just get away with it.

[matski]

Do these cobalts 'go off' over time?