Ernie Ball Cobalt strings

  • Nope...last year I switched to La Bella strings after being a D'Addario player most of my life... I love the feel and tone of the La Bella's..

    Gettin' funky up in here..

  • Nope...last year I switched to La Bella strings after being a D'Addario player most of my life... I love the feel and tone of the La Bella's..

    La Bella are good and the custom options are awesome, but i had too many service f*** ups and too many strings DOA. Careful with them.


    I had Cobalts for a while - drastically different, for better or worse, both in sound and feel.
    They lasted a good while and i was impressed with the fact that these really are something new -
    but ultimately, not worth three times the price of a generic string package :S

    "But dignity is difficult to maintain
    stamina requires constant upkeep
    repetition is boring
    and you pay for grace."

  • Was playing on Slinky 09-46 (orange packaging).


    Switched to Cobalt strings to make a trial. These strings work very nice !! Greater definition, greater sensations of playing. I like them. Anyone tried them ?


    Cheers

    I like them a lot (10-46). Preferred set of strings on my electric guitars.

  • I've been using Cobalts for a year now. I was part of a test group for them. They have been great. I use a 9-46 gauge. I've had way less breakage than the Elixirs and these are not as stiff which is a bonus. Going to try the new m-steels at some point soon.

  • Funny, I have been using them on all of my guitars for over a year now.
    Lately, started wondering why my main guitar can never sound like I want it to.



    It's a super bright guitar and I have been through 5 different pickups, finally landing on the Bareknuckle Crawler and it has tamed it mostly, but......Monday I decided that it was the Cobalt's that were the last problem.


    They are TOO hi-fi on my guitar, which is a custom that already has an extremely broad eq with tons of lows and highs, and I was just getting too much bass and treble from the cobalt's.
    In my opinion they are great for metal and jazz, but don't do rock because they don't get that "grit" sound.


    I loved the feel and sound from them, but got a set of nickel wound D'Addario's and life is good now.

  • Nope...last year I switched to La Bella strings after being a D'Addario player most of my life... I love the feel and tone of the La Bella's..


    Wow, That's good to hear that they are working for you. I have had nothing but bad luck with LaBella's. Lots of strings that just won't tune right out of the package and others that break right at the tuning machine within a day of changing strings.

  • La Bella are good and the custom options are awesome, but i had too many service f*** ups and too many strings DOA. Careful with them.


    I had Cobalts for a while - drastically different, for better or worse, both in sound and feel.
    They lasted a good while and i was impressed with the fact that these really are something new -
    but ultimately, not worth three times the price of a generic string package


    so what did you switch too and is the choice working for you?

    Gettin' funky up in here..

  • Wow, That's good to hear that they are working for you. I have had nothing but bad luck with LaBella's. Lots of strings that just won't tune right out of the package and others that break right at the tuning machine within a day of changing strings.


    interesting.. I've yet to have one string break... what gauge do you use? I play a bit heavier than others.. for electric I'm on 11's and 12's on acoustic though I play Martin Lifespan SP's. They're not as bright as other stings I've tried.. just take a bit of the edge off.


    what brand did you switch too?

    Gettin' funky up in here..

  • D'addario XL.


    The gauges are a problem for me - i play a 7-string with very thick strings, so gauges always are.
    Turns out D'addario 8-string sets have all the gauges i need, and an extra string to... Umm... Dry my laundry on?
    As for the strings themselves, they're simple and good. Last longer than Slinkies for me.


    Slightly O/T:
    I think i spent too much time overcomplicating things like picks and strings -
    Gravity picks for 15$ a piece and cobalt strings for 10$ a pack, coupled with stainless steel low B ordered separately because 0.062 is too thin...
    Eh. It's all good fun, but i think i'll be sticking to my peasant Jazz III and D'addarios for a while.

    "But dignity is difficult to maintain
    stamina requires constant upkeep
    repetition is boring
    and you pay for grace."

  • When they first came out I liked Cobalt. Louder magnetic = louder response. Brighter, snappy, and even acoustically louder.


    But I don't know if they changed their formulation of the metal, or I've evolved. But I've gone away from them.


    I typically use Slinky on my Fender and Fender-like guitars, and D'addario pure nickel on my Humbuckers, a la LP.


    The Cobalt are too bright for the Fenders when I record, and I want a warmer tone for my LP, so Nickel it is.


    Also, I don't want enhanced magnetics in the strings. Even steel core Nickel coated are louder than strings before 1973 or so.


    Why am I seeking Vintage gear but trying to use Modern and Louder strings?!? So I'm using more Vintage-like strings is my point and letting the Pickups/Amp/Effect and to some extent The Pick be my "amplifiers", not the magnetics of the string beyond what used to be used.