What is going on with DR and bass strings

socialleper

socialleper

Bringer of doom and top shelf beer
May 31, 2009
10,133
13,622
5,141
Canyon Country, CA
#1
For the last two years I have been having an increasingly hard time finding DR bass strings anywhere. The inventory at stores is very random, and even online sellers have trouble getting them quickly. Now it seems like no one has my Sunbeam 45-130 set.

Is anyone else having trouble getting what you need from DR?
 
#4
I didn't know DR made 45-130's. I've been using 45-125's for years. It looks like the difference is only the 130 low B. I actually prefer the way the 125 speaks. Both are available on amazon.

While I hate Jeff Bezos' politics it's hard not to belong to Amazon Prime.

upload_2023-12-30_18-15-55.png


upload_2023-12-30_18-15-26.png
 
  • Like
Reactions: Yogi Bear, GTHintz and tindrum
#5
I seem to get my DR Fat Beams from Amazon somewhat regularly. In the past I would just get whatever was cheaper (125 vs 130 set) but it doesn't seem like the prices fluctuate as much as they used to. There would be times where one set would be priced about the same as a 4 string set. Sometimes cheaper. I have a 4 and two 5s that regularly have Fatbeams on and there were multiple times where the 4 needed new strings but a 5 string set was cheaper so I'd just order that.
 
  • Like
Reactions: ColdEye
#6
joel the bass player said:
I seem to get my DR Fat Beams from Amazon somewhat regularly. In the past I would just get whatever was cheaper (125 vs 130 set) but it doesn't seem like the prices fluctuate as much as they used to. There would be times where one set would be priced about the same as a 4 string set. Sometimes cheaper. I have a 4 and two 5s that regularly have Fatbeams on and there were multiple times where the 4 needed new strings but a 5 string set was cheaper so I'd just order that.
Click to expand...
Who knows what the root cause of the price fluctuations are? Distributors/retailer usually use a simple markup percentage which determines consumer prices. Fortunagely DR string prices haven't risen like some others. Just last year I was buying a 5 string set of Ernie Ball Cobalt Flats for $36. Today they're going for $59. The only thing I can think of for that is that the cobalt that EB uses is costing more as more cobalt is needed for EV's, driving the price of the material up significantly. Fortunately the only bass that I use EBCF's on is my Yamaha and I don't play my Yamaha all that much any more. It's largely a backup for my Sandberg.
DR Sunbeams sound great on jazz basses.
 
#7
I haven't had any problems finding normal sets. I have always skimmed ebay or reverb and just buy 40-100 sets from whoever has them, usually a few at a time.

Now for 5 string I use 40-100 and a 125 B, which packs don't exist from DR this way. I've done this before and again just this past November I went to a local DR dealer and special ordered two cases of Highbeams in the string gauges I need. They didn't charge me anything extra and only took couple weeks to get in.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top Bottom
Back