Kong
Well-known member
I heard a lot of good things about the sound of the EB Slinky Cobalt Flats. As the Rotosound Flats on my P-Bass made in 1964 had been some years on that bass, I decided to get me some and check them out.
Ordered a set from Thomann, Germany, I like heavy strings, so I purchased the .055 - .075 - .090 - .110 gauge set. First I destrung the G - String, started to mount the new one, strictly as guessed - and it broke before getting in tune.
OK, this is possible, one bad string, no real problem. So I wrote an eMail to Thomann, they asked me for a foto of the string, and two days later I found a new one in my letterbox. This time I started the other way round. I mounted the E-, A- and D -string, all good. At last I took the new G - string, got it in tune, not bad so far. I grabbed the string with my right hand and tried to tighten it a bit, so it will stay in tune, gentle, -and it snapped. Again.
So I called Thomann and talked to a CS - man who said that one string may be a faulty string, but two of them may be my fault - or something about the bass? Maybe a sharp edge on the saddle?
So I explained that it is an original 1964 P - bass with an old bone saddle, nothing about brass, and that the strings broke twice at exactly the same spot, directly where the silk starts and the layers of metal are reduced to the core. The strings broke right in the air, between saddle and string tree, only by tension.
He admitted that at last it seems I knew what about I was talking. No real wonder, I am a working musician for more than 20 years, playing the bass for now 40 years. Later that day he called me back and asked, if it would be OK for me if they give my adress to "the manufacturer". I started laughing, because I couldn't imagine them bugging Ernie Ball or BP because of two broken strings... On a P - Bass...
"Yes, yes, "the manufacturer" will be interrested in problems due to his products." I knew that they maybe would contact Music Meyer, the german distributor, but interrest?
A week later a big box arrived, loaded with literally pounds of air bags, and a G - string. A reciepe said "no charge", nothing else. They showed no interrest to the issue at all.
Again I mounted the G - String, and as I know for now, real gentle. I didn't stretch the string and tuned it several times during the first some hours of playing. Now the strings stay in tune. But I think it is worth talking about this issue. Be carefull when stringing a bass with Cobalt Flats.
Now for the good things: I really dig the sound of the Cobalt flats. They sound like flats, but with a nice "zing" and high mids, a taste of Ernie Ball Cobalt Rounds I had on my Bongo 5 HH is hearable. I like the feel of the strings, nice surface. Nice, well ballanced string to string - sound, loads of tone and sustain compared to La Bella Deep Talking Bass in "Jamerson" - gauge. And, hey, much easier to play because the Slinkys are more flexible.
I want to thank Thomann Germany because of their outstanding customer service and Musix Meyer, the Ernie Ball Music Man - distributor for Germany for the help.
But I am asking Ernie Ball "String Development Departement" to take a good look at the strings, especially to the way they let the string get thinner. This sure is a weak spot. I will post the pics I sent to Thomann underneath to show that the strings broke literally on the same spot. The string that broke first has a knot at its end, so you can see this are two different strings.
Ordered a set from Thomann, Germany, I like heavy strings, so I purchased the .055 - .075 - .090 - .110 gauge set. First I destrung the G - String, started to mount the new one, strictly as guessed - and it broke before getting in tune.
OK, this is possible, one bad string, no real problem. So I wrote an eMail to Thomann, they asked me for a foto of the string, and two days later I found a new one in my letterbox. This time I started the other way round. I mounted the E-, A- and D -string, all good. At last I took the new G - string, got it in tune, not bad so far. I grabbed the string with my right hand and tried to tighten it a bit, so it will stay in tune, gentle, -and it snapped. Again.
So I called Thomann and talked to a CS - man who said that one string may be a faulty string, but two of them may be my fault - or something about the bass? Maybe a sharp edge on the saddle?
So I explained that it is an original 1964 P - bass with an old bone saddle, nothing about brass, and that the strings broke twice at exactly the same spot, directly where the silk starts and the layers of metal are reduced to the core. The strings broke right in the air, between saddle and string tree, only by tension.
He admitted that at last it seems I knew what about I was talking. No real wonder, I am a working musician for more than 20 years, playing the bass for now 40 years. Later that day he called me back and asked, if it would be OK for me if they give my adress to "the manufacturer". I started laughing, because I couldn't imagine them bugging Ernie Ball or BP because of two broken strings... On a P - Bass...
"Yes, yes, "the manufacturer" will be interrested in problems due to his products." I knew that they maybe would contact Music Meyer, the german distributor, but interrest?
A week later a big box arrived, loaded with literally pounds of air bags, and a G - string. A reciepe said "no charge", nothing else. They showed no interrest to the issue at all.
Again I mounted the G - String, and as I know for now, real gentle. I didn't stretch the string and tuned it several times during the first some hours of playing. Now the strings stay in tune. But I think it is worth talking about this issue. Be carefull when stringing a bass with Cobalt Flats.
Now for the good things: I really dig the sound of the Cobalt flats. They sound like flats, but with a nice "zing" and high mids, a taste of Ernie Ball Cobalt Rounds I had on my Bongo 5 HH is hearable. I like the feel of the strings, nice surface. Nice, well ballanced string to string - sound, loads of tone and sustain compared to La Bella Deep Talking Bass in "Jamerson" - gauge. And, hey, much easier to play because the Slinkys are more flexible.
I want to thank Thomann Germany because of their outstanding customer service and Musix Meyer, the Ernie Ball Music Man - distributor for Germany for the help.
But I am asking Ernie Ball "String Development Departement" to take a good look at the strings, especially to the way they let the string get thinner. This sure is a weak spot. I will post the pics I sent to Thomann underneath to show that the strings broke literally on the same spot. The string that broke first has a knot at its end, so you can see this are two different strings.
