DR Strings BKB-40 Black Beauties Coated Steel Medium Bass Strings

I own 10 bass guitars and use a variety of DR string models on all of them. One of my favorite DR sets is their Sunbeams, which I use on all of my short scale basses. I was looking for something with a coating to try on my 4003 and had read good things about these Black Beauty strings which I discovered are basically coated Sunbeams, just like the other DR coated strings like the Red Devils! Prior to swtitching over to these I had been running with DR Lo-Riders on my 4003 which I also use on my Fender Jazz Basses. Contrary to the nice top end bite I get from these on my 62 and 73 Jazz, I just wasn't getting the classic RIC tone I wanted out of the 4003 with LO-Riders installed, so this is why I decided to give these a try. I had been running with DR Red Devils on my Fender Jaguar and my Gretch DuoJet for a long time so I already knew that these coated DRs have a great tone, reduced fret clatter and easy on the fingers to boot, so I already knew there was a good chance these Black Beauties were going to deliver what I was looking for. After installing them on the 4003 and adjusting the truss rods to account for the reduced string tension compared to the Lo-Riders I was thrilled with the results! These strings have proven to be the perfect match for the Rickenbacker! I am getting that classic 4001/4003 tone in spades and with the added bonus of less string noise when sliding, and much reduced fret clank when playing fast runs up and down the neck. Because these are coated, you need to take care when installing them that you don't just yank the strings through the bridge as you install them, otherwise you risk scraping off the micro-thin coating. When installed properly, you should not have to worry about the coating coming off with normal use. I use a pick most of the time and have not seen any evidence of the coating coming off where the pick contacts the strings, or in any of the most commonly played sections of the fingerboard. Have to take these 1-2 Star reviews on here with a grain of salt based on my own personal experience with these... I have read a few bad reviews on here complaining about the coating coming off or the strings being dead out of the box. I can't comment on the dead string issue, but in terms of the coating coming off, it sure sounds to me like these folks failed to read the instructions about using care during installation. If you just pull these quickly through the bridge holes like normal strings without regard for the coating, there is a very high probability that you will fracture the coating which will eventually result in the coating cracking off the string over time. I have DR coated strings on 6 of my 10 guitars and none of them have ever had a problem with the coating flaking off or the strings going dead prematurely. Two of my guitars have had a set of Red Devils on them for over 14 months and they still sound great even after hundreds of hours in the studio. In conclusion, I have nothing but high praise for these strings and recommend them for anyone looking for a high quality coated string with great tone and feel. The black strings also look really cool against the black JetGlo finish of my 4003! If you are looking for the same string in a different color, check out the Red Devils or the Cool Blue versions! Same string, just a different color coating.

Insanely good strings, great feel on the fingers, and the sound is exactly what i needed, be aware that these are coated so you won't be grounding your bass when touching the strings! (If you have hum on the bass) Normal roundwounds without coating made my fingers bleed while playing songs with a lot of slides, this one never made that happends, pretty happy with these strings, would recommend!

Sound good and look great. Easy install and they hold a tune very well.

These strings are Fantastic!!!! Great sound, great feel!!!! Make sure you completely open the box before installing to read the very important information!!

If I knew anything about Guitar strings at all this review would probably be much more helpful and written better but here is the situation. I am a piggy bank for my 2 twin boys and one of them wanted these strings so bad he bugged me for days. He took out the trash, mowed the lawn, and even did laundry (which I had to redo) but, you get the idea. So after I soaked him for all I could get I went ahead and ordered these and then held them over his head for another day to get a few more extra chores out of him. At the end of it he put the strings on his guitar and he loves them. He was crazy about the black on black esthetics of the strings and the gravelly sound..... at least that's what he said anyways. So if you can decipher that teenager/ musician code I would say they were worth the torture he put us through.

After swapping out all of the chrome hardware for black, I decided to take it a step further with some black strings. I could not be happier with how they look. And since assessing strings based solely on their looks doesn't make sense, I waited a few weeks before determining if the sound would be acceptable. Out of the box they definitely sounded different than a lot of the strings I've used. Not quite as bright, but they had a good punch. I've been playing with a classic rock band and they really cut through the mix with the P bass. After a few weeks they don't appear to have changed in sound, and I'm really liking the tone. I have actually gotten some compliments from the other guys in the band on the tone. I only have two minor issues with the strings... 1) It took a while to get used to how they feel. The black coating makes them feel a little "sticky". At first I wasn't sure if I would get used to it, but adjusting has been relatively easy. I assume they won't feel acceptable for everyone. 2) The black coating will come off if you scrape the strings against any metal surfaces. It has also been coming off near the pickups where I pluck/pick. It's difficult to notice from a distance, so I can live with what I would consider normal wear and tear. Overall, I'm happy with the strings. As long as the tone holds out, and they don't go dead to quickly, I'll definitely be sticking to the Black Beauties for the next set.

Get on time, they're good strings!

Great tone!