# Strings! Ernie Ball Cobalt vs DR vs D'Addario



## Kwebb1023 (Jan 23, 2015)

Hey guys!

I'm wanting to hear from some other string people.
I'm curious what you guys think of the various strings.
The sets i'm specifically looking at are the Ernie Ball Cobalt Not Even Slinkys, DR Ddt's, and the d'addarios 12-60

Does one last significantly longer? Sound better for metal?
Playing mainly drop c with some drop b
I'm wanting the strings to keep their punch


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## Insinfier (Jan 23, 2015)

Best to try them for yourself and decide. I couldn't stand the Cobalts.


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## Hyacinth (Jan 23, 2015)

The Cobalts have a great amount of punch. I've tried a huge amount of string and the Cobalts are my favorites. They also last a bit longer than normal strings from what I've noticed.


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## TRENCHLORD (Jan 23, 2015)

Boomers (straight from ghs webstore)


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## Kwebb1023 (Jan 23, 2015)

What do you guys think of boomers?
The thick cores look interesting.

What about the dunlop zw 12-60's?


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## jonsick (Jan 23, 2015)

I'm a die-hard Ernie Ball fan.

I just didn't like the D'Addarios I tried. They just seemed too bland sounding. They lasted longer than the EBs, but the EBs sound better.

I've tried Dunlop strings a few times and I don't remember hating them. They just didn't offer much more or less than EBs. So it's a take it or leave it for me.

Try a few brands of the same gauge and go with your gut.


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## Omura (Jan 23, 2015)

I've tried all of them. 
EB: not a fan if the gauges for drop C, strings are ok, I find they tend to go black in patches, then the whole string follows quite quickly.
DR, I've bought 3 sets of DR strings, 2 were corroded on the high 3 strings where they cross over in the packet. The other was corrosion free, but all corroded quickly, and sounded dull after less than a week. 
Daddario, I currently use the 12-60 set, a long with daddario for all my other strings, they are slightly cheaper for me, are ALWAYS pristine out of the packet, and take a long time to tarnish. They hold their bright tone for the longest, and I've never broken one. 

Wildcard: cleartone 10-60 set, I bought one pack, they are a bitch toget in my country, but I eventually imported a set, the 2nd and 3rd string were a little corroded in one spot when I took them from the pack, but the strings held up very well, and sounded great, I didn't bother buying them again because they're such a pain for me to get hold of.


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## vilk (Jan 23, 2015)

I know it's not the best reason to buy a certain brand, but I always go D'addario because they actually put wound 3rds in their heavier sets like any self respecting string company should (or at least have both options).


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## thatguyupthere (Jan 23, 2015)

DR was my preference in terms of feel. They were hard unlike the cobalts which just felt soft and got dirty the first time I played them. NYXL's are pretty good. Still got dirty a little too quick.

I just got a free string change recently, I can't remember what they were, but they stayed in tune perfectly as soon as they were on and are still pretty clean after a few weeks. I'll have to come back on the brand.

Trial and error bro! What works for one won't work for others.


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## Duraesu (Jan 23, 2015)

I've had strings from many brands including those you mentioned... And always end up with Ernie Ball, for me they are the best and the cobalt series are awesome, strong and very durable. Punchy sound, warm and very active-pickup friendly. I just dont like their price... lol


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## cwhitey2 (Jan 23, 2015)

EB = crap. I have broken a sting in every set I have purchased.

EB Colbalts = More expensive sting s that still break.

DR = Overall I feel pretty mehhh about them...better than EB's!

D'Addario = Awesome.

D'Addario NYXL = Best ....ing strings I have ever purchased.


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## bostjan (Jan 23, 2015)

It's almost totally subjective.

I'd recommend D'Addarios, because the company knows their stuff, and the consistency of the product is higher than Ernie Ball or GHS.

However, GHS Boomers sound brighter than any other string I've tried. The brightness does fade quite rapidly, though.

DR's are something I will use on bass, and from time to time on guitar, but I've never really been sold on them, as far as performance. Usually I pick them up when they are on sale for cheap.


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## Enselmis (Jan 23, 2015)

I'm against EB as well. They die in hours. They look rusty after 2 days. Daddarios last many times longer and sound better to my ear.


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## pushpull7 (Jan 24, 2015)

I lozes at the differences in peoples taste......I have that too 

I like EB's just fine. In fact, on my 1520 the 9-42's couldn't be better. I liked the cobalts, but not at that price. D'ardarrio makes a fine string. I use the 9.5 to 44's on my strat 

Then it's back to EB 10-46's on the Carvin. 

BTW, I like DR's ok.


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## Casper777 (Jan 24, 2015)

Dean Markley Blue Steel.... Expensive but really nice... Sound bright and clear quite long.

I have some sets of NYXL to try....


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## chopeth (Jan 24, 2015)

Casper777 said:


> Dean Markley Blue Steel.... Expensive but really nice... Sound bright and clear quite long.
> 
> I have some sets of NYXL to try....



Really? Plain Blue Steels costs exactly the same as EB or D'addario here.


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## Boojakki (Jan 24, 2015)

I also tried a lot of diff. strings from diff. companies.
I like Dean Markley (I use 10-46 and 10-54 sets from them, good if you regulary change strings for a fresh set anyway), Dunlop Heavy Core (I use the heavy and the heavier sets from them, a little inconsistent in quality but good sounding on my emg-equipped gits), and my all-time faves (always get back to them) regular D'Addarios, really can't go wrong with em.


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## Kwebb1023 (Jan 24, 2015)

I'm probably gonna splurge and grab 4-5 sets of the d'addarios.
I'm also thinking about grabbing a pair of cobalts and a set of ghs boomer heavy cores.
Just to compare

Anyone have any thoughts on Cleartone Heavies? With the thicker core?


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## cwhitey2 (Jan 24, 2015)

Kwebb1023 said:


> I'm probably gonna splurge and grab 4-5 sets of the d'addarios.
> I'm also thinking about grabbing a pair of cobalts and a set of ghs boomer heavy cores.
> Just to compare
> 
> Anyone have any thoughts on Cleartone Heavies? With the thicker core?



When i started playing i used them, but they were expensive so stopped.

Good strings nothing amazing about them tone wise but they seemed to last a little longer


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## axxessdenied (Jan 24, 2015)

Gibson brite wires are great. If you like daddario give them a try. Made in the same factory. 

Ghs boomers are great. Ghs were the first strings that I settled on.

I've got tons of packs of Ghs boomers and gibson strings.


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## Zado (Jan 24, 2015)

cwhitey2 said:


> D'Addario NYXL = Best ....ing strings I have ever purchased.



tell me more,I'm probably gonna get a set..how are they compared to the regular XL? more sparkling possibly?


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## FILTHnFEAR (Jan 24, 2015)

Get a few different sets from different brands. Try them out and see what YOU like best.

I go back and forth between EB's and D'Addarios. DR's sound good, but seem to go dead sooner than the other 2 brands mentioned.

Never tried GHS Boomers or Dunlop Heavy Core but need to, just to see. Oh, or Cirle K or Kalium. Hear a lot of good things about them though.


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## Rawkmann (Jan 24, 2015)

Tried so many strings over the years but always come back to D'Addarios. Tried the Cobalts but hated them. They sound very metallic but not in the good way lol


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## cwhitey2 (Jan 24, 2015)

Zado said:


> tell me more,I'm probably gonna get a set..how are they compared to the regular XL? more sparkling possibly?



They feel 'softer' under your fingers...i guess that's the word to use. Bending just feels awesome.

Tone = i think they are about the same as reg xl out of the box but their 'fresh' tone lasts longer.

They last me 3x as long as normal string. 

I have 6 guitars and they all have nyxl strings...so lengthening string life is a huge plus.


Are they for everyone...no. BUT i haven't met a person in real life that doesn't like them. 


...now i just need an endorsement


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## Warg Master (Jan 24, 2015)

I'm in the EB camp on this, haven't had any problems with the string and the sound of them is good to me  Cobalts... too bright for me.


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## Senior (Jan 24, 2015)

I have used Cobalts extensively since they came out, after using normal strings for 25 years or so. Cobalt PnC:

Pro: 
They last a long time

They hold up better than other strings under unusual conditions

They respond to boiling MUCH better than any other strings I have used. This might be important if you are broke as hell like me.  

They wont trigger nickel allergies (which is why I have to use them)

Con:
They sound bad, especially when new. Although they mellow out and sound more like normal strings after awhile (and will sound that way for most of their life) they never sound really good to me. 

They grab your fingers a lot more than nickel/steel. This means two things primarily - they wear on your fingers more (a couple weeks on them and your callouses will be HUGE) and they are noisy as hell. They will improve your right hand technique a lot in that sense. 

They are expensive, and a huge PITA to find if you need a 7 set.


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## GoldDragon (Jan 24, 2015)

D'Addario- You can always get individual strings at GC for cheap because they are so common.

The unwound strings of all the brands sound virtually the same, the difference comes in the wound strings. The D'addarios I find to be balanced. Some of the hype strings get more of a piano or deeper sound from the bass strings.


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## SpaseMoonkey (Jan 24, 2015)

I've used D'Addario, EB Slinky/Cobalts, and Elixirs. I don't remember the Elixirs at all as I was a young lad. I've had nothing but horrible luck with EB, every set I owned one of the wound strings would always unwind. So I've stayed with D'Addario. 

I've got a pair of La'Bella and SIT laying around that I need to use. Waiting on some pickups to install then they will go in.


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## Zado (Jan 24, 2015)

cwhitey2 said:


> They feel 'softer' under your fingers...i guess that's the word to use. Bending just feels awesome.
> 
> Tone = i think they are about the same as reg xl out of the box but their 'fresh' tone lasts longer.
> 
> ...



I was sold ad "Softer"


No,really,if they are cool when bending and last longer,I'm definitely getting them,thanks mate!


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## axxessdenied (Jan 25, 2015)

Zado said:


> I was sold ad "Softer"
> 
> 
> No,really,if they are cool when bending and last longer,I'm definitely getting them,thanks mate!



Tension can range from strings to strings depending on who makes them. If you've had a floyd rose and swapped string gauges from one brand or another but kept the same gauge you still have to end up readjusting the floyd.


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## guitarfan85 (Jan 25, 2015)

For a while I used DR down tuning strings 11 to 54 now I'm on not too slink 12 to 56 and they feel and sound better upon installation. I'll have to see how they hold up. 

Only problem is the G string .26 I think? Or .23 sots higher over the fretboard over the rest. And I don't know why. Its taut all the way around


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## notasian (Jan 26, 2015)

had the colbalts, i loved the tight bright tone for metal but the wound strings were painful when sliding, like they really hurt, alot, like i was playing a bass guitar and they felt like ice so its easy to slip off them. went back to normal hybrid slinkys


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## geekusa (Feb 8, 2015)

Have not tried cobalts.

DR DDT 12-60 in drop B are my string of choice for tone and feel, I feel like they give you a good punchy sound without too much high end. I have had problems with intonation on a set or two, and strange dead spots on a few strings. Great sound, but consistency is a concern. Have not had corrosion problems that others seem to have had.

I switched to D'Addario about a year ago because they are the most consistent string that I have found from pack to pack and they sound good for about 3-4 weeks (Playing 8-10 hours a week) to my ears. They great to my ears, but I'm not as picky as some.


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## JustinG60 (Feb 11, 2015)

everyone complains about breaking Ernie Ball strings, maybe you play too hard?! play too thick of a pick? i play a .73 pick on 10's and i haven't broke a string in over a decade!

anyways, i loved the Cobalts for my JP12 but i don't like them on my Carvin with mahogany and swamp ash.

:end rant: my useful input is that the Cobalts have a darker/warmer sound than the regular ones.


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## protest (Feb 11, 2015)

Honest to God I can't really tell a difference. I've used varying sets of EB, D'addario, the NY XL ones, Dunlop Heavy Core, PRS, Boomers etc. The only thing I noticed was the PRS strings seemed "softer" I guess. They're pure nickel stings. I just find a set that has gauges that best match my scale length and tuning, and roll with it.


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## ibanice (Feb 11, 2015)

I'm on the d-addario boat. I've tried Rotosound, EB's Dunlop and many more. The worst is by far the EB's. I've tried the cobalts. Bought one set and have never bought another again and will never do that. They're a waste of money. The D-addario's are just better in everyway.


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## Senior (Feb 13, 2015)

slapped Cobalts on a strat, and holy shite they sound freaking awesome clean with SCs.


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## Michael T (Feb 13, 2015)

Not in your choices but personally I prefer Elixir. They just feel right and tone stays consistent through their life time.


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## 4Eyes (Feb 13, 2015)

I prefer Cobalts to regular nickel EB strings, they last to sound good longer, when you take care of 'em - clean them after each playing. they are bit darker sounding, but are more focused in the mids, which is nice.


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## MistaSnowman (Feb 13, 2015)

I prefer the Cobalts as well. They don't lose tone as quickly as the regular EB strings.


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## PBGas (Feb 13, 2015)

I've used the EB Titaniums and they had a strange feel to them after a week or so. I tried the Cobalts and I found that I just didn't like the feel of the wound strings after a couple of weeks. For some strange reason, the 4rth strings kept breaking on me. 

I started out as a kid using D'Addario's like 35+ years ago and now I am back again using them.
I love the new NYXL series strings. They last, sound great and have a great feel to them.


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## Discoqueen (Feb 15, 2015)

I like the cobalts for metal and rock, D'addarios for jazz and blues, and I have never playeed the other brand.


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## filipe (Feb 15, 2015)

In all my experiences Ernie Ball breaks easily and lasts 1 week (at least for me) D'addarios last a bit longer but I dont like their tone compared to EB, the best strins I ever used were the Elixir nanowebs with a great tone and long lasting time (6 months).


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## BIG ND SWEATY (Feb 15, 2015)

Cobalts are my absolute favorite with La Bella being 2nd. they seem to keep the fresh string sound for a longer time and they have a more full sound compared to other brands. I recently put some La Bella strings on my guitar, I wouldn't have had to if EB would just do a fucking wound G Cobalt set, but the Cobalts I had on there before were about 3.5 months old and sounded as if they were maybe 3 weeks old and that's with daily playing and not wiping down the strings when I was done playing.


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## Kobalt (Feb 15, 2015)

Kwebb1023 said:


> Hey guys!
> 
> I'm wanting to hear from some other string people.
> I'm curious what you guys think of the various strings.
> ...


Unless you're on an extremely tight budget, I'd say your best bet is to buy all of them and try them out. Different strokes for different folks, you know...

I've enjoyed the one set of Ernie Ball Cobalt I've tried. Never played DR's DDT line before, but I absolutely adore the Tite-Fit line. My best guess about DDT's has been that they are the "heavy core" version of the Tite-Fit, although I could be waaaay off the mark. As far as D'addario's, they are pretty much run of the mill man, it's hard to say anything bad about them. Maybe their tone isn't for everybody? But they are also so cheap, they're worth throwing on your guitar at any moment.

Does one last longer than the other? When looking at uncoated/untreated strings, I honestly think it should be the least of your concerns and would rather focus on tone and feel.

You can buy strings for so cheap, nowadays, just buy a bunch and experiment. But if I must absolutely suggest one out of all three, I'd go with the Cobalt's mainly because I don't know DDT's. If I must suggest something to consider, I'd also look into the DR Tite-Fit's - they are available in quite a bunch of gauges, I would be surprised if you couldn't find something you'd like. If you're really worried about string life, Elixir Nanoweb, for sure.


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## gogolXmogol (Feb 16, 2015)

Recently I'm enjoying daddario strings, good sounding relatively cheap strings. 11-56 set fits well in my 25.5 drop C guitar.


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## fantasyl (Feb 17, 2015)

Tried few sets of Cobalt, but their sound is too bright for my taste. They lose the hurting brightness after a couple of weeks, but their sound remain brighter than D'addario or EB Power Slinky (both sounds equally good to me).

Neither, however, IMHO is as good as Elixir Nanoweb, as other have said they last much longer, and keep their good tone for all their lifetime


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## Tzar27 (Feb 17, 2015)

D'Addario are probably my favorite strings, but I haven't tried the XL series yet. I actually enjoy EB for the most part, it just depends on the strings. I love their thicker sets. I have Beefy Slinkys on my Carvin in Drop G# right now and I used Not-Even Slinky Cobalts on my Explorer in E standard for a while, that was fun 

DR is okay and they work pretty well. Their DDT series are well-balanced for drop tunings so that's cool.

I personally cannot stand Elixir. They feel "waxy" and sound way too dull for my tastes I restring at least once a month and only play a couple hours a day over three different guitars so I don't really get the full benefit of coated strings, so that might just be me. If I want a flat sound, I'll get me some D'Addario flatwounds and save 10 bucks


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## O00Coolzero00O (Apr 1, 2015)

I'm an EB fan, but on the fence about the Cobalts. They sometimes sound too shrill to me.


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## FifthCircleSquared (Apr 2, 2015)

I was a long time Cobalt user before switching over to D'Addarios, as I just couldn't find a set that EB's that would maintain tension correctly in D standard.

I'm happy to report that the D'Addarios sound good, take a beating, and last longer than 3 weeks. I use their 11-52 set (EXL116).

I also enjoy Elixer Nanowebs, and would use them if they offered more gauges.


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## vkw619 (Apr 4, 2015)

D'Addario NYXL's are my favorite strings after trying every brand I could get my hands on.
I use 10-46 with a .62 single for my RGD
and 10-52 for my Ibby 6 string in drop Eb
And .9-46 for my Dean 6 in E standard

Makes the guitar just resonate so much more in my opinion and just feel so nice to play.


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