New Ernie Ball Cobalt Strings - Anyone Tried 'Em?

Thomas-Hawk

Thomas-Hawk

Power User
They're supposed to have more "output" due to cobalt having stronger magnetic properties than nickel or stainless steel.

If you've tried them, what is your opinion?

I tried a set on my Les Paul (10 thru 46), and... I'm not that impressed. Some of the endorsers (JP, Slash, etc.) are saying they feel "buttery" or "smooth", but I typically play Elixir Nanowebs, and they're no where near as "buttery" feeling as Elixirs IMHO (which I really like, BTW). And, they're already starting to "dull" after having them on for just a week, where as my Elixirs last easily a month or more. To be fair, I don't think Ernie Ball is claiming extended life compared to other strings.

Also, if they have more "output", my Input indicators on my Axe sure can't tell the difference. They're still just "tickling the red" like my Elixirs did. ;)

Strings are obviously a personal choice. Just wanted to see what others thought about these compared to what they typically play. I'll be sticking with my Elixirs.

Thanks in advance for your opinions!
 
I'm throwing a set on my PRS CU-24 right now .... I'll play them in for a few days and let you know ....

BTW - The Guitar Tech that sold them to me said that they start out real bright, but mellow out over the first few days ( FWIW ) ....
 
Thanks Roger. And, I concur with the tech... they definitely started out bright, and have mellowed considerably over the last few days.
 
I appreciate you giving us some feedback here. I read a write up in the latest MF catalog and I was led to believe that they would last a lot longer than a regular set of strings. Now I don't go through strings that fast to begin with, but my kid does and at about twice the cost of a standard set of EB's that's kind of off putting if they don't live up to any of the hype.
 
I hope they sound better than the terrible promotion videos. I feel like if your trying to reveal a "revolutionary" product, you'd kinda want to spend time making sure the recording sounded good. Slash's video was practically inaudible.
 
Bought a pack today, put them on. So far I don't like them for soloing (too bright), but I do like them for riffing (better articulation and clarity, due to brightness probably). Hope they'll mellow out over time. Also, at $10 a pack they're like three times as much as GHS Boomers I'm otherwise using.
 
i ordered some 10's 2 months ago, will be here tomorrow i think, i normally use gibsons vintage nickle wound, (they are buttery for me.) and ernie ball slinky10, 11's and 12's when i tune to Eb or D when im on the cheap.

Had to at least try a few packs. Ill report back.....

i do need to try some elixer nanos some time, never have

also just put on an earvana to replace my 20 years old graphite on my fav axe,
hmm it might just work!! i was able to pull my kahler saddles in closer to the frame after intonating. an added plus!!
 
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plexi59 said:
Bought a pack today, put them on. So far I don't like them for soloing (too bright), but I do like them for riffing (better articulation and clarity, due to brightness probably). Hope they'll mellow out over time. Also, at $10 a pack they're like three times as much as GHS Boomers I'm otherwise using.
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Thanks for the feedback, plexi. What did you think of the feel, compared to the GHS Boomers?
 
They do seem to feel a bit stiffer than Boomers, and for the lack of a better word more "abrasive". They're nowhere near as stiff as D'Addarios, though.
 
plexi59 said:
They do seem to feel a bit stiffer than Boomers, and for the lack of a better word more "abrasive". They're nowhere near as stiff as D'Addarios, though.
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Stick with the Boomers, my favorite for the last 30 years. EB's usually last about one gig. Sounds like these new ones are keeping with that tradition.
 
Our bass player was talking about these at practice yesterday. He tossed a set on his bass this weekend and said he really likes them so far, though he was having some tuning issues at practice.

I've never even remotely liked Ernie Ball strings. I used Dean Markley's for 5 years or so and then went through a midlife string crisis, where I bought a pack of 10 different brands to try out. I settled on Elixir .10-.46 nanoweb.
 
The 10 cobalts are sure stiffer than slinkys and vintage gibsons, sound ok,, well see how they hold up this weekend.
silky? not really a term i would use.
 
Well I got two sets, the plan was to throw them on one of my Les Paul’s (a heavier wooded guitar) and an Ibanez JPM100P3 (a lighter wooded guitar).


Well they are on the Ibanez and just for a rough comparison decided to throw on a set of D'Addario on a JPM100P4. Keep in mind I know how both guitars sound and are not identical of course, but just for some point of reference, for they are the same pickups, wood and so on. ANYWAY---


I’m holding off putting them on the Les Paul although the Les Paul will probably be a better match for them. Very bright and as of right now, not really digging them at least on the Ibanez. They do have good points string definition being the top of the list, we will see what happens when they mellow a bit. There is something to the output being hotter also and at first I was getting some overtones I did not like and was ready to cut them off, but before I jumped the gun lowered the pickups a bit and that did the trick. Bottom line we will see, but that’s what’s up at this point and time.


Side note:


Something you guys my find amusing, since the Axe Fx II I have been riding the volume on the guitar itself allot (I really like doing this with allot of the Marshall stuff) a amp I never really played till the AF. Always a Boogie guy (and still am) Of coarse roll of that volume and depending on the guitar you are rolling of some highs or a ton of highs so I have been putting in treble compensators on the volume pots of all of my guitars and did this to the P3 while I had it on the bench putting on the cobalt strings. In hind sight the strings are so bright, maybe I should have waited on that guitar.

John
 
I've been using them for about 2 weeks now. I don't find them all that bright, compared to GHS Boomers or even Nickel Rockers. Hard to gauge though, because they're on a new (for me) guitar with less dynamic pickups than I'm used to. I really like the feel though, and that may be worth the price of admission.

They do have that soft feeling that's often described, and it seems easier to slide around on them when playing fast. I find I'm pulling off a few moves that were not quite there before. After a period of thinking maybe I'd ditch them, I decided to try them on my other guitars as well.
 
never heard any difference at all between the various brands. a nickel wound string is "much of a muchness" imo.
however, those elixir things do seem to last a bit longer than most.
 
R.D. said:
I'm throwing a set on my PRS CU-24 right now .... I'll play them in for a few days and let you know ....

BTW - The Guitar Tech that sold them to me said that they start out real bright, but mellow out over the first few days ( FWIW ) ....
Click to expand...

Put 'em on ..., played 'em a few days waiting for them to mellow ..., gave up and went back to my Blue Steels ....

Ultimately, for me it came down to feel .... They just felt STRANGE under my fingers, and I couldn't get used to it ....

As S.P. would say, just not my flavor of Ice-Cream !
 
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