Ernie Ball Cobalts and Axe II?

J

Jeries

Power User
Anyone every try Ernie Ball Cobalts?

They feel great and have really strong output
It its basically like going from stock pickups to superhot pickups or using an overdrive pedal at all times...

Sounds a little too agressive and clippy with the axe (all the fenders and early presets are unusable)

any thoughts?

It also seemed like its output has taken away from the ability from my guitars and axe to copy other tones well and get a versatile sound
Put them in a guitar with a DiMarzio EVO2 and it made it sound brighter and hotter than an Evolution.
 
I can't justify spending $8+ dollars on a pair if strings. I'd love to hear what others say about this.
 
Sorry haha. i meant set of strings. I use EB skinny top heavy bottoms for my 6's and power slinkies for my 7's. I play 2+ hours a day and rarely have to change them. Maybe every 4-5 months.
 
I like them sound fine to me through the axe real clear and crisp. I get them for half price so all's good.
 
I dont have an axe II, but I have an Ultra, I have been using the Cobalt 10's for about 6 months, and Love Them......I love the extra output without giving up the advantages of a passive pickup over an active. I had EMG's for years, and really love the tone of each guitar with the passives I have. I do think they add a bit of brightness to the sound, but I can tweak that out usually, my guitars are usually a darker sound anyway. I used to play GHS Boomers and went on a string trek the past few years, tried about 6-8 brands and when the cobalts came out, thought I'd try them. Havent changed since.

I also tried years ago when they released 'Titanium' core strings. I hated those....I have never broke so many strings in my life. Since the Cobalts...havent snapped one yet, and usually get about 2 months out of a pair of strings playing 2-4 times a month.
 
shadoe said:
Sorry haha. i meant set of strings. I use EB skinny top heavy bottoms for my 6's and power slinkies for my 7's. I play 2+ hours a day and rarely have to change them. Maybe every 4-5 months.
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lucky! any non-coated string is useless within the week over here. rusts over even if i wipe it down after playing. i have to use coated's, but it goes from a week's use to months!
 
I use them now. When I first put them on, I didn't like the 'sticky' feel, but that soon went away.

They last a lot longer than my Ernie Ball Slinkies, and I like the warmer tone from them.

For those that experience the 'sticky feel' issues, I suggest leaving them on the guitar for a week or two and see how they bed in before you make a final decision.
 
Cobalts are the only strings I've ever used with my Axe II. I like 'em just fine. They feel a little strange, but they sound good to me.
 
shadoe said:
I can't justify spending $8+ dollars on a pair if strings. I'd love to hear what others say about this.
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Haha, in Oz a set is more like $20, and your normal slinkies are about $15. I'd be so happy with an $8 set of strings that didn't make my fingers bleed, let alone cobalts!
I have used cobalts in the past, and they sound great.
I use elixirs mostly. I go through strings too fast to justify using anything else..
 
Chris@KatsuKuriMedia said:
lucky! any non-coated string is useless within the week over here. rusts over even if i wipe it down after playing. i have to use coated's, but it goes from a week's use to months!
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I'm with you Chris, I always try out different brands but always come back to the elixirs. Those cobalt's sounded great for about 2 weeks and then had to be changed. I went 6 months on a set of elixirs before too. Also the reviews on the cobalts feeling silky? I'm not sure where they got that from because bending the wrapped strings just felt weird to me.
 
I just put a set of cobalts on for the first time.
The wound strings feel really weird to me, kind of sticky, but I really like the feel of the unwound strings, which feel softer and easier to bend than most strings I've tried.
I still prefer elixir strings though.
 
Chris@KatsuKuriMedia said:
lucky! any non-coated string is useless within the week over here. rusts over even if i wipe it down after playing. i have to use coated's, but it goes from a week's use to months!
Click to expand...

Jesus. Must be humid as hell in Hawaii! It also helps that my fingers just don't sweat. Don't get me wrong I play pretty fast and the perspiration is just absent. Now if my feet and pits were the same way.....
 
I really like the cobalt strings, the sound excellent and I like the feel of them too .. so far the best strings I've tried
during my 30 years of playing guitar. I've tried a fair amount of strings but always came back to daddario's but not
this time I do believe.

:)
 
earthling jerries
imho

I use them on 1 guitar. They are hot. they bend easy. they have presence.

but if you want to pick really fast they lack tension

this all in my earthly experience
 
I love the feel, I love the bendability but it sounds too hot to me- and sounds like i always have an OD or Boost pedal put on no matter what...

I can get good tones out of it but can't emulate other tones.

I used to break 2 packs of strings a week from the time I was 13-16

I'd say at about 22 I stopped breaking strings- I'm 27 now and I don't think I've broke a string while playing in 5 yrs...

I use Ernie Ball 8's not because I like Ernie Ball but because they're easy to find in 8's. They're readily available and cheap.
 
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