Ernie Ball Cobalt STINKS

[Johnny the Kid]

Re: Ernie Ball Cobalt STINKS

I've never had a pack of Elixirs that the coating lasted more than two weeks. To each his/her own.

I hate coated strings in general.

Dunlop Heavy Core 11-50 for my sixer's. I'm trying a set of the Super Bright 7 string hybrid (9-62 or 64) and they sound awesome too. I bought another pack of the heavy core 10-60's for it but I'm thinking these might be my new seven string set.

 

[Mincer]

Re: Ernie Ball Cobalt STINKS

I use D'Addario XLs, but have never tried the EB Cobalts. Are they the same price as regular strings or are they in the 'upscale' string category?

 

[allbutromeo]

Re: Ernie Ball Cobalt STINKS

I use D'Addario XLs, but have never tried the EB Cobalts. Are they the same price as regular strings or are they in the 'upscale' string category?

I think at most places now they run $10 a set. When they came out a few years ago they were around $13-14 a set.

 

[DKSEARS]

Re: Ernie Ball Cobalt STINKS

Interesting. I've never had a set of Cobalts rust. They are on most of my guitars right now and don't normally get change for two to three months, depending on how much I play that guitar.

I switched to Ernie Ball pure nickels from D'Addario XL's several years ago because the nickel plating on the wound strings would flake off when using metal picks. A couple years ago, I wanted to try something brighter and moved over to the Cobalts with an all around good experience, so far. I've been experimenting with M-Steels lately and like them better. The tone is similar, but I think they feel smoother.


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[jmh151]

Re: Ernie Ball Cobalt STINKS

Ernie Cobalt and coated
d'addario nyxl= never again because corrosion comes fast

Elixir strings=the best strings ever
one pack = one year or more

I agree completely. I'm sticking to Cleartone and Elixir.

I've tried cobalt and nyxl, both corrode terrably fast in comparison

 

[Diego]

Re: Ernie Ball Cobalt STINKS

I used to like EB Rock n Rolls a lot in my Strat for warming it up a bit.
Then I started using Dunlops which sound similar, feel looser as well, last longer and don't cost as much.

Elixirs by far last the longest for me, but they have a strange tonality in the high-end that I don't like at all. IMO, anything sounds better than those.
Why the rest of the EB Slinkies are so popular, I don't know. But I'll still buy some EB alternatives from time to time.
Their Earthwood sets for acoustic are pretty nice. But overall I'd rather have Rotosounds or D'addarios, even though my favorites are Dunlops without a question.

Only brands I refuse to use are GHS (Boomers and Dragon Skins are the worst sets I've ever tried) and LaBella (crap strings and non-existant customer service).
Never tried DR Strings. I think they focus a lot on pure steel strings, don't they?

And those cheesy Neon strings no one should use.

 

[mirkok1]

Re: Ernie Ball Cobalt STINKS

i love them. by far the best strings i have ever used. they have a different feel than other strings.

 

[B2D]

Re: Ernie Ball Cobalt STINKS

I'm a tried-and-true D'daddario user. Usually 010-.052 and tuned to Eb

I tried a pack of EB Cobalts earlier this year. They sounded a little smoother than the typical Slinkys (which I'm not a fan of) but they started corroding in less than a week and they had this weird feel to them, like the metal had a matte bead-blasted finish or something and they had this "tack" feel to them that I hated.

No one I know who's tried them likes them. Props to EB for trying something new but I think I'll pass.

 

[Johnny the Kid]

Re: Ernie Ball Cobalt STINKS

I think at most places now they run $10 a set. When they came out a few years ago they were around $13-14 a set.

$9-10 for a six string set, $10+ for a seven string set. When I bought mine a few weeks ago I think I paid 11 or 12 for them.

 

[JeffB]

Re: Ernie Ball Cobalt STINKS

To clarify, The cobalts and m-steel are not coated. They will corrode like any other string that isn't.

Neither sets stayed on my guitars long enough to worry about corroding. Hate the sound, hate the feel of the wound strings and the cobalt seemed to irritate my skin slightly.

I think they would be better served putting r&D money into keeping their existings slinky strings from corroding and/or dying tonally so quickly. I love the consistency from pack to pack, the tension from string to string and the tone is nice, but they just die so quickly. People always cite all the endorsers on the package...but you have to remember all those people have their tech put a brand new set of strings every frikkin night and they don't pay for them. If I could afford 365 packs a year, I wouldn't complain either.

 

[Mincer]

Re: Ernie Ball Cobalt STINKS

I think at most places now they run $10 a set. When they came out a few years ago they were around $13-14 a set.

Yeah, that doesn't work for me. I usually get 10 packs of XLs at $30 or 3 packs for $10. The Florida humidity just kills any strings, and I don't like the feel or tone of any coated strings, either.

 

[stratguy23]

Re: Ernie Ball Cobalt STINKS

I think they would be better served putting r&D money into keeping their existings slinky strings from corroding and/or dying tonally so quickly. I love the consistency from pack to pack, the tension from string to string and the tone is nice, but they just die so quickly.

I completely agree about the short life of Slinkys - but if I were Ernie Ball, I would have no incentive to fix that. More packs of strings sold = more $.

My main gripes with the Cobalts were (1) rough feel on the wound strings, and (2) tonal imbalance with the unwound strings, which are the same ones as the regular Slinkys. You get really loud, brash wound strings and normal-sounding unwound strings.

The M-Steels solve this issue by having louder unwound strings, but they're not for me. They were so loud that I felt like I heard frequencies clashing with each other. They were certainly good for waking up dead-sounding guitars, though. In general, I'm not a fan of the rough feel of the cobalt-wrapped wound strings.

 

[Nagisa]

Re: Ernie Ball Cobalt STINKS

These "premium" metal strings are like the idea of Spaceballs 2: The Search for More Money. Normal strings were made to feel and sound the way they do. The new ones, the companies try to find something higher output or more durable, but the cost for those metals is about the same, the playability is inferior..but you get a bigger price tag.

Regular strings or Elixers are really the best options. I use Elixers since they actually do improve string life and the strings stay smooth on bends longer, but if you are giggig and replace strings often then EBs or Daddarios really are all you need.

 

[Demanic]

Re: Ernie Ball Cobalt STINKS

I like Cobalts. I like the low mid thickness. Top end isn't overly bright even new. I've had good experience with longevity. I have a set of Cobalt bass strings that have been on for almost two years.
And I like the feel of them. Velvety.

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[Archer_of_Fish]

Re: Ernie Ball Cobalt STINKS

I didnt have them on long enough for them to rust or go dead. I have never put on strings and had my favourite guitar, a guitar that usually sounds and feels great, sound and feel so horrible.

 

[astrozombie]

Re: Ernie Ball Cobalt STINKS

I use Ernie Ball strings. Sometimes I use 9s, sometimes I use 10s. I may even go up to 11s.

but cobalts? Never again. The feel was odd and the sound had a strange texture to my ears.

Totally different than regular slinky.

 

[Diego]

Re: Ernie Ball Cobalt STINKS

I didnt have them on long enough for them to rust or go dead. I have never put on strings and had my favourite guitar, a guitar that usually sounds and feels great, sound and feel so horrible.

I've never tried Cobalts, but you took every word out of my mouth if I was to describe my experience with GHS Dragon Skins.
By far the most expensive string set I've bought, and one of the very worst in every way.

 

[Johnny the Kid]

Re: Ernie Ball Cobalt STINKS

I've never tried Cobalts, but you took every word out of my mouth if I was to describe my experience with GHS Dragon Skins.
By far the most expensive string set I've bought, and one of the very worst in every way.

Dragon Skins are DR, not GHS.

 

[Diego]

Re: Ernie Ball Cobalt STINKS

Dragon Skins are DR, not GHS.

Oops. You are right. The dealer I buy my strings from has DR strings next to GHS and that threw me off.

 

[Johnny the Kid]

Re: Ernie Ball Cobalt STINKS

Oops. You are right. The dealer I buy my strings from has DR strings next to GHS and that threw me off.

No problem. Just want to direct the hate towards the true culprit.