DR Strings vs. others

[Chris Hales]

I've strung up a couple of basses with DR DDT and Pure Blues strings respectively and really like them for their soft feel and low finger noise.  Unfortunately, what I also notice is that they seem to go very dead very quickly and very suddenly - much more so that, for example, D'Addarios which seem to stay bright forever.

Is this just my imagination or has anyone else here noticed this, too?  Can anyone recommend a string has the smoothness of a DR string but stays bright like a D'Addario?

Cheers!


Chris  

 

 

Edited October 4 by Chris Hales

[Lozz196]

Might be worth trying Elixirs 

[Jamieboy]

That's not my experience with DR strings but YMMV of course. Pure Blues aren't meant to be overly bright so may not be easiest comparison. DR dragon skin plus are coated DR strings so they could be up your street if you like the feel of the brand but are focused on longevity. 

[Supernaut]

DR strings last a long time from my experience. Did you kink the string when installing? Cutting a roundcore string straight will kill it. 

[Jamieboy]

27 minutes ago, Supernaut said:

DR strings last a long time from my experience. Did you kink the string when installing? Cutting a roundcore string straight will kill it. 

Good point. Important not to overlook this.

[Chris Hales]

On 06/10/2025 at 15:25, Supernaut said:

DR strings last a long time from my experience. Did you kink the string when installing? Cutting a roundcore string straight will kill it. 

Yes, I did do that, so I'm pretty sure that's not the cause.  Also, I've had similar experience with DDT strings which have a hex core (and I think are stainless steel) so if there is a difference it's probably in the make up of the string.  I've noted that DR strings have more layers of thinner wrap wire, so maybe that's the difference?

 

 

On 05/10/2025 at 19:33, Jamieboy said:

That's not my experience with DR strings but YMMV of course. Pure Blues aren't meant to be overly bright so may not be easiest comparison. DR dragon skin plus are coated DR strings so they could be up your street if you like the feel of the brand but are focused on longevity. 

I'm not after a very bright sound and even with the Pure Blues I prefer them once they've settled in a bit.  My gripe isn't so much the longevity per se but that when they do start to go dull, they go very dull very quickly.  I have a couple of other basses strung up with D'Addario and Ernie Ball (both also nickel wound) so I'll see how they behave.

How often do you guys change you strings?  The Pure Blues have been on for about six months (probably an average of an hour of play each day) and are now really too dull to do anything useful.  

Cheers!

 

[LukeFRC]

I used to use fatbeams and after initial dull would go I would use them for over a year. 

[Sean]

I used a few sets of Black Beauties and another coloured coated variant some years ago and they were fantastic for about one rehearsal and 2 gigs and then they just suddenly died. I haven’t been anywhere near DR as a brand since. I remember playing them for the first time on a Spector Euro 4 LX (with an East Preamp) and thinking “wow” but then at the following gig I thought there was a preamp problem but it was the DRs that had just given up being zingy. 

[fretmeister]

The Mark Bass Advanced Soft Touch strings feel very much like DR to me, and cheaper. They have Stainless and Nickel.

[chris_b]

I spent years with DR LoRiders and HiBeams. I'm not a fan of "zinggg"and after they "settled in" each set lasted at least a year.

[Chris Hales]

7 hours ago, fretmeister said:

The Mark Bass Advanced Soft Touch strings feel very much like DR to me, and cheaper. They have Stainless and Nickel.

I'd been wondering about Markbass Strings - I'd seen somewhere that some of their sets are especially designed to be smooth to the touch, but I've also read reviews saying they can quickly and suddenly go very dead!

I've bought a set of Pure Blues so I'll string up my Jazz bass with those again and see how long they last.  At least I know I'll enjoy them for a few months!

Coincidentally, I dug out another bass that I'd strung up with D'Addario XLs (nickel wound) in February and they're still really bright so maybe that's the way I should go, even though I don't particularly like the feel of them!

It's all so complicated, isn't it?!!

 

[chris_b]

I was using D'Addario NYXL's and I was changing them yearly. What with Covid and a few other things the current set has been on my Jazz bass since 2019. They still have a little top end left but have mellowed into a really nice full, warm almost flats-like tone.