I have been using Ernie Ball Bass Slinky Flatwounds for a couple years now, and I really like them in terms of tone, feel, and playability--but something alarming has happened that caused damage to my bass (see pictures).

After placing this bass in a temperature and humidity controlled storage area for 4 months:

* strings are completely covered in a reddish oxide
* the nickel/chrome on my tuning machines is badly etched off--now a dull color (see picture)
* the bridge and control knobs are not corroded and unaffected
* eight other instruments in the same storage, but strung with different brands, are not corroded and unaffected

Therefore it must be something about Ernie Ball Bass Slinky Flatwounds with cobalt.

Best guess: Chemistry! There is some kind of galvanic cell set up with these strings that causes corrosion and etching. No amount of cleaning or polishing can restore the finish on the tuning machines.

As much as I like these strings, I will not be buying them again.

I like to have a backup set of strings for every bass and guitar I have. I haven't decided what bass I'm going to put these on - yet. But, now I have two sets. I have the 45-105 set on a Sterling Sub Ray 4H, and like them. I imagine I'll like these, too...

These strings are the perfect balance between mellow flats and bright rounds. I've been playing bass for about 10 months now, and I never really loved the factory sound of my Squier Jazz Bass. Now that I have these strings, the sound is perfect, and my love for the instrument is greater than ever! I think they have an amazing warm sound, but also just enough brightness to play some rock or slap lines too. They're super smooth and easy to play as well. Would totally recommend.

I only use d'addario flat wounds but I decided to give these a try. These strings are great for beginners learning how to slap but that's about it. I've never gotten a blister from playing bass before. I've gotten several callouses but never a blister until I tried these. I would recommend them if you also plan on getting a string lubricant. Otherwise they will destroy your fingertips if you don't use a pick.

Was looking for a cheaper set of flatwounds so my sales rep recommended these. they sound amazing and feel smooth. the description of them sounding like a roundwound was dead on. definitely gonna but these again if i'm looking for a roundwound sound but flatwound feel

I have these on my Classic Sabre bass. They nail that late 70s funk tone perfectly. You will hear people say they sound like rounds, but that is not really true. They are a brighter, slightly zingy flat, but still a warm flat. Amazing feel. Very flexible almost wish I went 105.

GREAT STRINGS! THEY ARE SUPER SLICK AND SOUND GREAT ON MY FENDER P-BASS. I WOULD RECOMMEND THEM TO ANYONE WHO IS LOOKING FOR FLATWOUND BASS STRINGS.

These give my TI Jazz Flats a run for the money in the playability and sound department at a much more palatable price point. They are smooth to the touch, and made my bass louder and more articulate (if that makes sense) The low's are warm, the mid's pop and the highs sound great. I may have found my new favorite string.

What everyone is saying about theses strings is true! They have the playability of flats and a lot of the brightness of rounds.

The short version of this review is: These are awesome strings, but not the most versatile and therefore might not be for everyone.

Heres the long version:

On my Stingray these strings bring out the best of the classic growling overtones, but they also mitigate some of the super bright top end of the Ray. And yes, they are bright enough to slap, but their real forte is fingersyle. I wouldn't recommend these to someone who was predominantly into slap. If that's your thing then I think you'd be better served by rounds. And if you are super old school (the kinda person that stuffs foam in their bridge), you are probably gonna prefer the sound of traditional flats. I play mostly finger style funk and roots music, with the occasional slap and pop, so for me and my Stingray these strings are perfect.

These are the best bass strings I've ever tried. I noticed an increase in volume, guessing 'cus of cobalts magnetic properties. I've been playing since 1967, but mostly six string, not bass because I have short fingers. I found a shorter scale bass solved that problem, but I couldn't slide or bend the strings without damaging my calluses. With these strings I can slide and bend like crazy. And the crazy part is I can HEAR the bass better, like it's a more well defined sound. I use Ernie Ball cobalt heavy bottoms on my six string electrics pretty much for the same reasons, PLUS they last a TREMENDOUSLY long time between changes without loosing definition.

These strings just work! First, they last for a really long time. If you like you bass sound on the brighter side you'll easily get 6 months or longer out of a set. If you like a more traditional flatwound sound, you'll get years out of them. These strings work for any genre of music. They have all the attributes of a good flatwound string with the added benefit of enough "twang" to make them a good choice for any type of music. When they say it's the flatwound that sounds like a roundwound they aren't to far off. I swear by them. Highly recommended!

I have had these on my P-Bass since the first of May, they still sound great and are as super smooth and quiet. The only negative thing I can say is that if you like to run your strings through the body of your bass you may have trouble with the strings necking down before you get to the nut. I had this issue when I bought a set for my 5 string j bass. I went ahead and just ran the strings through the bridge and they sound great on that bass too.