Cobalts are for real

[drTStingray]

I've had them on my Bongo from the spring and also on the Classic Ray (which I use most of the time) for six weeks.

If you want strings with massive zing from new these are not for you - they have a mellower quality from the start. However, I can produce plenty of zing on both basses if needed - indeed boosting the treble by a lot produces far too much.

The 60s tribute band I play in does a version of Come on Everybody - I play the Eddie Cochran guitar riff at the start on the bass and with a bit of treble boost on the Classic Ray it sounds like John Entwhistle or a fatter version of Duane Eddy.

In my experience these strings don't go off/dead - at least not yet anyway - anything but.

 

[Moe Owens]

Got a set for my guitar. Loved em! Got a set for my stingray, changed them out for DR Dragonskins

 

[laneline]

Yeah, I put a set on a guitar I rarely play, it's like a new guitar, amazing. Got a set for bass and at first loved them, then I didn't like the B string, after a little time passed I came back, they are great strings, I think it was my hands (arthritis ) not the strings. I also think they last longer than coated slinkys. A new threshold in strings has been reached indeed.

 

[OldManMusic]

I've had Cobalts on my go-to Bongo for a few months. They have outlived the normal Slinky's and they still sound great. I get a little hotter output from them, which the Bongo doesn't really need, but they have survived my sweaty hands through the hot summer gigs.

 

[Moe Owens]

I curious as to how long they will last. Cobalt is supposed to be highly resistant to corrosion

 

[Kong]

I think it depends on how you treat the strings.... Wipe them clean after playing, wash your hands before. This little clues help a lot, believe me.

I am verry curious about the Cobalt Strings. Living in a small town in Germany I am still waiting for them coming to my shop. I'll give 'em a try on my SR5 single H. Can't wait........

 

[backagain1]

I think it depends on how you treat the strings.... Wipe them clean after playing, wash your hands before. This little clues help a lot, believe me.

I am verry curious about the Cobalt Strings. Living in a small town in Germany I am still waiting for them coming to my shop. I'll give 'em a try on my SR5 single H. Can't wait........

I really like them on my SR5 H. I would love to try cobalt flatwounds.

 

[keko]

Finally arrived to my dealers store and my home:

Can't wait to put them on my reflex!

Review and possible video demo clip in next several weeks (I'm very busy at the moment)!

 

[KevinM]

You'll love 'em on your Reflex

 

[Gravesend Black]

Awesome. I'm big cobalts fan after 1.5 months of playing it.

 

[RolleHarris]

I put a set on my SR 4 in August and they still sound as good as new

 

[keko]

Huh ... ...Cobalts are for real, ...ohh yes, indeed!

Short personal review:

The loudest strings I ever tried.
Obviously most magnetic strings I tried, ...when tuning them (one by one) like they were glued to the pickup magnet pole pieces before tension was reached to "un-glued" them, much stronger than it was case with regular slinkys, Coated ones, ..or any non EB I tried so far!

Not so smooth under the fingers as I expected, but somewhere in between of regular and Coated set of slinkys!
Tension is higher than regular or Coated slinkys, ...I had to adjust a truss rod for 1/8 of turn in plus (clockwise)!

Most incredible growl when plugged in my gear, listened through studio headphones!!!

Higher output level is very present in a first touch of a finger (passive mode), ...I'll try to express that my way:
If we consider that in electro-acoustic business we say that +3 dB level is what human ear hear like a double volume, ...I'd say than that Cobalts on my EBMM reflex bass produces at last measurable +1 dB, ...or let's say about 20-25% louder volume in final!

I never had G and D strings so precise defined and focused so far, wow, ...and the low B is growling like a V8 5 liter car engine!!!

What to say at the end of this very personal review?

I'll just repeat the title, ...Cobalts are for real!

KH - Keko

 

[Gravesend Black]

Yeah I did not expect that it will be not so smooth as everyone said before I finally bought cobalts. But I was ok after 15 mins of playing. So it does not really matter for me compared to cobalts sound and durability. It's still ringing after more than 1.5 months. Not so perfect as fresh one but excuse me, sir!

 

[keko]

I tried to make a demo of Ernie Ball Cobalt 5 strings with my EBMM reflex 5 HH bass!
I used famous bass line "Smooth operator" from Sade, a little bit rearranged it (not too much), after played over the original track I continue to play a few times solo on different pickup switching positions. At the end of the video I do some low B Cobalt string demo, ...that's it!
I apologize for stupid Panasonic VHS-C camera demo titles in last 3/4 of video, it was turned on and I'm too lazy to record this again!
Sorry about a few ghost notes, but I'm also too lazy to repeat, ha, ha ...this was recorded at once, except intro show off the strings package and final show off too!

 

[five7]

Outstanding , Keko! Love the way your reflex sounds and that glossy fretboard looks killer.

 

[backagain1]

I tried to make a demo of Ernie Ball Cobalt 5 strings with my EBMM reflex 5 HH bass!
I used famous bass line "Smooth operator" from Sade, a little bit rearranged it (not too much), after played over the original track I continue to play a few times solo on different pickup switching positions. At the end of the video I do some low B Cobalt string demo, ...that's it!
I apologize for stupid Panasonic VHS-C camera demo titles in last 3/4 of video, it was turned on and I'm too lazy to record this again!
Sorry about a few ghost notes, but I'm also too lazy to repeat, ha, ha ...this was recorded at once, except intro show off the strings package and final show off too!

Great sound!!!! (Good tune, too.)

 

[Holdsg]

definitely a near-bridge experience for that tune! Awesome job Keko

 

[Holdsg]

I just have to add, I have Cobalts on roughly half of my collection at this point (including [cough] other manufacturers).
the round of choice for this cat.

 

[2ndBassGuitar]

I just put a set of Cobalts 50-105 on an older FBass BN4 in my collection and it breathed new life into the bass.

 

[backagain1]

I have cobalts on my SR5 and like them. I would love to try flatwound cobalts.

backagain1