Phil O'Keefe Posted June 12, 2015 Share Posted June 12, 2015 I've been trying out a couple sets on two of my basses, and I have to say, I really like them a lot. They use cobalt wraps, and the feel is typical flatwound-smooth, but the sound is noticeably brighter than most flats. Is anyone else using them? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators isaac42 Posted June 16, 2015 Moderators Share Posted June 16, 2015 Hadn't even heard of them until now. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members WRGKMC Posted June 16, 2015 Members Share Posted June 16, 2015 I been using Labella Flats on My Hofner club Bass. The strings are an oddball size. They are like 32" vs a normal 30" short scale. Normal short scale strings may or may not work depending on where the wraps begin. I'll have to see if they have something that will work but it wont be for awhile. I have another set of Hofner brand round wounds I'm going to try next. After that I'll try something else. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members WRGKMC Posted June 16, 2015 Members Share Posted June 16, 2015 Just came across something interesting I never knew before. I was looking up on how cobalt was applied or coated on strings. Apparently its a metal separated out of Nickel and Copper. Its Ferromagnetic like Nickel and Iron. There's a couple of versions that are radio active and can be built into cobalt bombs. I was curious about the metals Toxicity. It lead me to finding two diseases the metal can be responsible for. Back in 1966 Canadian Beer Manufacturers used Cobalt to stabilize Beer Foam. I don't know if it was around by the late 70's but I was drinking Molsen Ale by then. Hopefully it just gave me a magnetic personality and didn't impart two other diseases. One is toxin-induced cardiomyopathy often called beer drinker's cardiomyopathy. The other one is called Allergic contact dermatitis. Its said this kind of dermatitis can be caused by prolonged contact with both Nickel and Cobalt. Both are used in the manufacture ring of guitar strings. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Allergic_contact_dermatitis The symptoms of allergic contact dermatitis are very similar to the ones caused by irritant contact dermatitis, which makes the first even harder to diagnose. The first sign of allergic contact dermatitis is the presence of the rash or skin lesion at the site of exposure.[2] Depending on the type of allergen causing it, the rash can ooze, drain or crust and it can become raw, scaled or thickened. Also, it is possible that the skin lesion does not take the form of a rash but it may include papules, blisters, vesicles or even a simple red area. The main difference between the rash caused by allergic contact dermatitis and the one caused by irritant contact dermatitis is that the first one tends to be confined to the area where the trigger touched the skin, whereas in the second case, the rash is more likely to be more widespread on the skin.[3] Another characteristic of the allergic contact dermatitis rash is that it usually appears after a day or two after exposure to the allergen, unlike irritant contact dermatitis that appears immediately after the contact with the trigger. Other symptoms may include itching, skin redness or inflammation, localized swelling and the area may become more tender or warmer. If left untreated, the skin may darken and become leathery and cracked.[4] Pain can also be present.The symptoms of allergic contact may persist for as long as one month before resolving completely. Once an individual has developed a skin reaction to a certain substance it is most likely that they will have it for the rest of their life, and the symptoms will reappear when in contact with the allergen. This may be the cause of some unknown skin rashes I had on my leg. The descriptions nail the symptoms I had down to a T. I'm wondering if the pure nickel or nickel coated strings are responsible for this. I put in allot of hours playing and contact with metal on the finger tips may be the cause of toxicity. Symptoms did digress temporarily when I drank allot of fruit juices. Juices are antioxidants which remove metals from your system. Maybe I didn't have this allergy when I was much younger because my liver filtered toxins out better. I eventually went to a doctor and he gave me some kind of cream. The rash went away but the skin remains dark there. I still have some rashes on arms and on the scalp that come and go. I thought it was Psoriasis or something but the doctor said no. Maybe it is metal toxin. Maybe I'll switch to Stainless for awhile and see what happens. If it clears up when I do and comes back when I switch back to Nickel (or cobalt) That pretty much narrows it down. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members DeepEnd Posted June 16, 2015 Members Share Posted June 16, 2015 They sound like a good idea but I won't be trying them. As it happens, I have a set of Ernie Ball chrome plated steel flats on my bass because they were on clearance at Guitar Center when I bought it. I'll probably have them on it for years yet.As for contact dermatitis, it can be caused by any number of things. I can't wear those rubbery "Live Strong" type bracelets because of it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members thelurker Posted June 18, 2015 Members Share Posted June 18, 2015 Being a general novice at bass, I would like to lose the finger noise from rounds, but fear that I won't have enough "traction" with flats. We record with keys and guitar, so I'm not too worried if I lose a little high end, just more that my fingers will slide right off them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members WRGKMC Posted June 18, 2015 Members Share Posted June 18, 2015 Try half rounds. Most finger noise is eliminated but they retain the brightness over flats. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phil O'Keefe Posted June 30, 2015 Author Share Posted June 30, 2015 Being a general novice at bass, I would like to lose the finger noise from rounds, but fear that I won't have enough "traction" with flats. We record with keys and guitar, so I'm not too worried if I lose a little high end, just more that my fingers will slide right off them. Finger noise is greatly reduced with the Ernie Ball Slinky Flatwounds compared to roundwounds. As far as "traction", the feel is definitely smoother and silkier, but as someone who switches between roundwound and flatwound strings regularly (I have basses set up with each), you get used to it very quickly. Try a set sometime - maybe on a friend's bass who uses them, or at a local store, and see what you think. If you can deal with the feel (and I suspect you'll be able to with no problem), then try a set of the Ernie Balls... you'll kill the string noise, but keep more highs than you would with standard nickel flats. For anyone who'd like to check out my review, it's up now. Here is the link: http://www.harmonycentral.com/expert-reviews/ernie-ball-slinky-flatwound-bass-strings Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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