Is it just something different or do cobalt strings sound GREAT?

addedc

addedc

Experienced
I usually play Ernie Ball Skinny skinny tops heavy bottoms. But the guitar store was out. So, of course, the owner talked me into buying a couple sets of the same gauge in cobalt at twice the price. I put them on my PRS Sc245 and god does it sound great. Is that just because of new strings or does cobalt make that big a difference? I am thinking that latter. And should I put the other set on a bright guitar, like a tele, or is that just too damn much?
 
I usually play a strat and change strings once a month. I haven’t changed strings on the PRS in maybe 2 months. The cobalt strings are tackier when sliding, but there’s a whole new tone there.
 
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Wow - well maybe it's the strings? Next time you're changing them, buy 2 sets - one of the cobalt sand one of the old type. Put the old type on and play for a couple of days, then put the collates on - that should give you the answer.
Thanks
Pauly
 
FWIW I tried out the cobalts last year on my strat.... not my cup of tea. I sensed a weird tonality that wasn't to my liking. Soon thereafter put on a set of DR Blues strings and everything AOK. YMMV
 
I tried the Cobalt strings a while ago and didn't like them .... They felt somewhat foreign under the fingers, and I didn't notice any difference in the sound either ... ? I tried the NYXL's and really dug those .... But, maybe it's time to re-try the Cobalts ?
 
addedc said:
I usually play Ernie Ball Skinny skinny tops heavy bottoms. But the guitar store was out. So, of course, the owner talked me into buying a couple sets of the same gauge in cobalt at twice the price. I put them on my PRS Sc245 and god does it sound great. Is that just because of new strings or does cobalt make that big a difference? I am thinking that latter. And should I put the other set on a bright guitar, like a tele, or is that just too damn much?
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You are correct. From my experience they do sound and feel different. I prefer NYXL's, but the cobalts are unique.
 
I haven’t played anything but EB skinny top heavy bottoms for at least 10 years. I guess I will try those NYXLs, too. I don’t love the feel of the cobalt strings but I sure like the sound.
 
Admin M@ said:
I was a DR zealot for centuries. Then out of the blue Mark Day got me hooked on these damned expensive elixir nanoweb.
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I'm hooked on the Elixer Nano's too (10-46), they last even longer than advertised! Before that I was suckered into the Cryogenically treated DM Blue Steels; they were nice strings, but not so nice you should pay that much extra for them.

Other than long lasting, I like the Nano's because the wound strings are really smooth, and your fingers don't get "stuck" on them like regular strings.

I've never tried the cobalt's, do they break easy like cobalt drill bits?
 
I love the EB Cobalts. Just something about them. They almost have a worn in feel fresh out of the package. They don’t seem to be as slick. And they last me awhile. I hate they they are are almost double the price for s pack but it’s wirth it to me.
 
I haven't tried the Cobalts but much like you I went in to buy my regular set - D'Addario EXL120's - but they were out. So I tried the NYXL's. Those are the longest lasting string I have ever owned. The thing I don't like about them is what most probably do like. They have a mid range honk about them. I don't like a string coloring my sound. Not that much.
 
I'm always wary about string comparisons. Even my own. Whenever you check out a new set of strings, you're always comparing brand new strings against your old, worn-out strings. That's a built-in advantage for whatever you just installed.

Still, I acknowledge that strings can make a difference. But I don't trust any difference I feel or hear until I've gone back and forth a few times, and noticed a consistent difference. I don't have enough experience with Cobalts to have an opinion I trust.
 
I tried em all, like Elixirs but for years I've been using strings called Wirez, not exceptional, just normal strings, I got several on special for $5/3 packs, stocked up on that deal!
 
Sort of a Roseanne Roseannadanna moment (hey, I’m old) but “never mind.” Everything that made the cobalts great at home seemed to make them not so great in the mix. I didn’t adjust EQ more than the tone controls but they didn’t seem to cut as well. Do you cobalt enthusiasts high cut these a little more?
 
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