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Post subject: Cobalt strings, like magic for my MIII!
Posted: Fri May 11, 2012 11:55 am
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I decided to try out some Ernie Ball Slinky Cobalts on my Fender Strat. They claim to maximize output and clarity and I gotta tell ya, they deliver the goods. Every preset on my amp just sounds cleaner and crisper and touch response even seems to have improved a little. AND... the fizz been greatly reduced!

Yes, that's right! I was playing through some clean settings, and thinking to myself, YES! this is how fender sparkling cleans are supposed to sound! So I tried to induce the fizz like I've done many times before, and on the cleanest of clean Deluxe or Twin setting, with the master volume loud, I could only just get a barely audible fizz trailing off in the distance. I'm not sure if the initial string strike is just so much more clear and audible that it masks the fizz better, but it just sounds... better! I've only had the strings on for a day, so I'm really hoping this is not just a fluke.

I was wondering if anyone else has tried these strings and had a similar experience?

Edit: I have a Fender Standard Strat with stock pickups. I went from nickel wound strings to the cobalts. So YMMV.


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Post subject: Re: Cobalt strings, like magic for my MIII!
Posted: Fri May 11, 2012 12:55 pm
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Installed a set and played at an outdoor gig. It was humid outside I use liquid baby powder and it seem to collect on the strings and build up before the first set was over. This never happened with the regular Slinkies I use. Had to take them off and go back to my regular Slinkies. Have another set and may try and not use the baby powder. Didn't really notice that much difference in them at the gig.


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Post subject: Re: Cobalt strings, like magic for my MIII!
Posted: Fri May 11, 2012 1:22 pm
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Are you even allowed to use liquid and powder to describe the same thing? /confused :?

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Post subject: Re: Cobalt strings, like magic for my MIII!
Posted: Fri May 11, 2012 1:41 pm
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Yes, Angelsoft Liquid Baby Powder. It is a talc suspended in a liquid. Used to get it at Family Dollar stores but now you have to get online. A bottle last forever. A half dime size squirt on the frettinghand and fingers and it drys in seconds to a fine talc powder. Lots of people use dry talc, especially country pickers, and I tried it but every time I tried to use it on stage ended up with powder everywhere. This stuff is great cause you just use a small amount it it dries quickly to a nice even application.

I'm sure that must be what built up on the Cobalts, the next day I couldn't get it off even with string cleaner. Never has happened with nickle strings. I'll even wipe my hand over the strings while it is still wet to get the strings dried and smooth.

Next change think I'll put the other set on and not use the stuff and see what happens.


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Post subject: Re: Cobalt strings, like magic for my MIII!
Posted: Fri May 11, 2012 8:57 pm
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Scorpaeon

While the improvement in tone that you describe from the Cobalt strings sounds impressive, are you sure it isn't just the normal brightness you get from any brand new set of strings ? If the strings have only been on for a day, they are undoubtedly still 'as new' and will take quite a while to loose their sparkle, depending on how much/how hard you play.

Also, I really can't see how the strings would improve the fizz issue, other than by rendering the played notes cleaner/sharper to your ears because the strings are new.


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Post subject: Re: Cobalt strings, like magic for my MIII!
Posted: Sat May 12, 2012 1:01 pm
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depepat wrote:
Scorpaeon

While the improvement in tone that you describe from the Cobalt strings sounds impressive, are you sure it isn't just the normal brightness you get from any brand new set of strings ? If the strings have only been on for a day, they are undoubtedly still 'as new' and will take quite a while to loose their sparkle, depending on how much/how hard you play.

Also, I really can't see how the strings would improve the fizz issue, other than by rendering the played notes cleaner/sharper to your ears because the strings are new.

I was kinda thinking the same thing, which is why I wanted to know if anyone else was using cobalt strings and what their experience was. Daddario has been my go to brand for a long time, and the Slinky cobalts are a brighter sounding string in general. Add to that the slightly higher output and I think its making a noticeable difference in my setup.

I've read some reviews and it seems that some people think they're magic, some people think they sound too "tinny", and others notice a little difference in output and clarity but not enough to justify the higher price per pack. Of course many factors go into the sound of your setup so results will vary.

For me, it sounds almost like I've added a little compression to my normal set up. But I didn't, its just the strings. I'm wondering if the Mustangs or maybe solid state amps in general benefit from using cobalt strings.

As for the fizz, I can't really explain it. I've never really been bothered by it and never really noticed it unless I was trying to induce it. It could be psychological, could be some other unknown variables, but it now seems even less noticeable than before.

I have a preset that I downloaded call Lenny Deluxe, its a clean deluxe model with a little reverb (an attempt to sound like SRV's Lenny). It sounded pretty good before, but now with the cobalt strings its just as smooth and glassy as you please. That is a definte noticable difference, not just in my head.


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Post subject: Re: Cobalt strings, like magic for my MIII!
Posted: Sun May 13, 2012 6:09 am
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The fizz is more evident on the lower strings because of the portion of the frequency spectrum that the fizz sound occupies, which is probably somewhere in the treble area. Lower strings don't normally have much treble so they don't mask the fizz.

Low strings that are new and crisp or otherwise bright and clear sounding are giving off trebly sound waves and are therefore likely to somewhat mask the fizz until they get dull with age and leave those frequencies for the fizz to occupy all by itself.


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Post subject: Re: Cobalt strings, like magic for my MIII!
Posted: Mon May 14, 2012 6:20 pm
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I guess it doesn't really matter a whole lot how it works. I really like the results I'm getting.

They are a bit more expensive, but supposed to last a good long time. I'm gonna stick with them and see how they do over time.


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