DR Strings Black Beauties BKB-45 Coated Black Bass Guitar Strings – Medium Gauge, Medium Scale

I own 10 bass guitars and use a variety of DR string models on all of them. One of my favorite DR sets is their Sunbeams, which I use on all of my short scale basses. I was looking for something with a coating to try on my 4003 and had read good things about these Black Beauty strings which I discovered are basically coated Sunbeams, just like the other DR coated strings like the Red Devils!Prior to swtitching over to these I had been running with DR Lo-Riders on my 4003 which I also use on my Fender Jazz Basses. Contrary to the nice top end bite I get from these on my 62 and 73 Jazz, I just wasn't getting the classic RIC tone I wanted out of the 4003 with LO-Riders installed, so this is why I decided to give these a try.I had been running with DR Red Devils on my Fender Jaguar and my Gretch DuoJet for a long time so I already knew that these coated DRs have a great tone, reduced fret clatter and easy on the fingers to boot, so I already knew there was a good chance these Black Beauties were going to deliver what I was looking for.After installing them on the 4003 and adjusting the truss rods to account for the reduced string tension compared to the Lo-Riders I was thrilled with the results! These strings have proven to be the perfect match for the Rickenbacker! I am getting that classic 4001/4003 tone in spades and with the added bonus of less string noise when sliding, and much reduced fret clank when playing fast runs up and down the neck.Because these are coated, you need to take care when installing them that you don't just yank the strings through the bridge as you install them, otherwise you risk scraping off the micro-thin coating. When installed properly, you should not have to worry about the coating coming off with normal use. I use a pick most of the time and have not seen any evidence of the coating coming off where the pick contacts the strings, or in any of the most commonly played sections of the fingerboard.Have to take these 1-2 Star reviews on here with a grain of salt based on my own personal experience with these...I have read a few bad reviews on here complaining about the coating coming off or the strings being dead out of the box. I can't comment on the dead string issue, but in terms of the coating coming off, it sure sounds to me like these folks failed to read the instructions about using care during installation. If you just pull these quickly through the bridge holes like normal strings without regard for the coating, there is a very high probability that you will fracture the coating which will eventually result in the coating cracking off the string over time. I have DR coated strings on 6 of my 10 guitars and none of them have ever had a problem with the coating flaking off or the strings going dead prematurely. Two of my guitars have had a set of Red Devils on them for over 14 months and they still sound great even after hundreds of hours in the studio.In conclusion, I have nothing but high praise for these strings and recommend them for anyone looking for a high quality coated string with great tone and feel. The black strings also look really cool against the black JetGlo finish of my 4003!If you are looking for the same string in a different color, check out the Red Devils or the Cool Blue versions! Same string, just a different color coating.

Strings sound great, arrived unopened and in perfect condition

Love DR strings! Nice smooth sound with a touch of edge to them. Have been buying them for years! My “ go to strings” on my limited budget!

They came way earlier than the date said, but I am glad that they got here to the right address. Great job, Amazon. So far, so good...😎 I have bought them before and must admit that the strings have a "magical" quality about them as compared to my other bass string purchases and so I am trying to experience the "ol' black magic" of these "Black Beauties" bass strings, once again. If you never have experienced them, maybe next time you need a new set of strings, try them out. They have a very unique sound quality that can be hypnotic, and mesmerizing. My bass has never made the sounds that it does when rockin' a set of these "Black Beauties" strings. I recommend them. 😎

This is for DR Black Beauties 4 string set. Definitley my favorite bass strings. They are bright without sounding harsh, and plenty of deep tone. The coating makes them last a long time. The right length for most 34" basses. They feel good, not too much tension, just about the best strings that I have found for the money.

DR strings are simply the best bass guitar strings I have ever used for my guitar.

Great feel, great color, but most of all the tone is exceptional. I guess I’m going to have to make all of my bases look like a rainbow.

I'll start off by saying that I've been a big time DR fan for over 10 yrs and used DR's exclusively during that time. I took a chance about a year ago and decided to try the BB's and fell in love! This is the 4th set of BB's that I've ordered and they won't be my last... I really like them! They sound amazing and the feel is that of a regular non-coated string only they don't stick to your fingers like regular strings sometimes do (which is what causes blisters)... Especially if your hands sweat a lot. I am an agressive finger-style player and I absolutely love these strings! They look great, last longer than regular strings and sound just as good and better and they really make my Warwick's colors "pop" in the light. My only complaints are that a little bit of the black finish did wear off of the strings near the bridge (over the pickups) from extreme playing stresses on 2 of the 4 sets I've used. But, even with some of the finish wearing off of the string, I didn't notice any tone loss. Keep in mind, the black strings are difficult to see in the dark while on stage but it isn't something that one couldn't get used to. Both of my basses "sing" and "growl" with the BB's and they look evil awesome! I play in several bands from the most extreme death metal to the 1,4,5's of country and these are my strings of choice... I've used them in the studio recording, live shows and rehearsals. I am an agressive bass player and not very nice to strings... I thump on um! The set that is on my Warwick Streamer 4 string has been on for about 3 months and have 4 gigs, 10 rehearsals and a lot of playing hrs on them and they still sound 70% of new! The set that's on my Thumb 5 string bass has had the BB's on even longer and they still sound atleast 50% of new! Wish I would've discovered these earlier, could've saved a lot of money from having to buy regular strings every week!