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DR Strings Bass Strings, Black Beauties BASS Black Coated Nickel Plated Bass Guitar Strings on Round Core

  • Based on 1,049 reviews
Condition: New
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Availability: Only 1 left in stock, order soon!
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Arrives Mar 12 – Mar 16
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Style: Strings


Features

  • Gauge: Medium (5-string)
  • Hand-made with black polymer coat
  • Signature crisp tone, clarity, and volume of dr's traditional handmade strings
  • Super-thin coating on the plain strings and on the wrap wire
  • Extended string life
  • The wrap wire is coated before the string is wound
  • This coating includes a corrosion inhibiting lacquer for extra protection against damaging substances such as perspiration, dirt

Description

Since 1989, dry has been committed to crafting hand made, superb-quality instrument strings. By blending the best of old-fashioned handmade craftsmanship With cutting edge materials or string coatings, dry continues to push the boundaries of the string-making process. That commitment to quality is what has brought countless top-flight bassists and guitarists to string-up with DRs - from u2's Adam Clayton to phish's Trey Anastasia and everywhere outside and in between. For reliable tone - acoustic or electric - you can rely on the handcrafted strings from dry with the dry Extra-Life black beauties bass strings, you'll snag the signature crisp tone, clarity, and volume of dr's traditional handmade strings. Yet, you'll get the added bonus of dr's super-thin coating on the plain strings and on the wrap wire, which extends the life of your favorite strings. And, just as the name suggests, dr's Extra-Life black beauties sport a stealth-style black coating. From the Manufacturer BLACK BEAUTIES™ Black Colored Bass Strings aren’t just about the sleek and sophisticated look. They feature a round core wire and a stainless- steel wrap wire to maintain brightness and feel. All strings in the set are coated with a jet-black version of DR’s K3™ ultra-hard coating, delivering longevity, more projection, fewer unwanted overtones, and outstanding clarity and articulation.

Brand: DR Strings


String Gauge: Medium


Color: Black


Instrument: Bass Guitar


String Material Type: Coated


Item Weight: 4.2 ounces


Product Dimensions: 6.6 x 6.8 x 0.8 inches


Item model number: BKB5-45


Is Discontinued By Manufacturer: No


Date First Available: April 13, 2004


Color Name: Black


Scale Length: Medium Scale


String Gauge: Medium


String Material: Coated


Number of Strings: 5


Musical Style: Rock, blues, country, metal, pop, jazz


Size: 45-125


Proficiency Level: All


Frequently asked questions

If you place your order now, the estimated arrival date for this product is: Mar 12 – Mar 16

Yes, absolutely! You may return this product for a full refund within 30 days of receiving it.

To initiate a return, please visit our Returns Center.

View our full returns policy here.

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Top Amazon Reviews


  • Bass guitar strings
Loved the sound and the way they look on my bass guitar.
Reviewed in the United States on September 22, 2024 by Gary Switzer

  • Looks cool, sounds better than Elixir’s!
I bought these strings when I switched from Polyweb Elixir strings that came on my stock Ibanez SR605, and I had changed them to put on Elixir’s because I had no complaints with the sound. When I switched to these, mostly for looks (don’t do that!) I was very surprised with the sound they put out! It didn’t have as much of a coated, muted, sound that the Elixirs had. Keep in mind, they need a couple weeks to break in but after that they sound amazing! I haven’t had any issues with coating flaking off in the 3 years I’ve used 3 sets of strings, along with no signs of wear, breaking, or excessive stretching. They stay in tune well as well, and the black looks amazing with my black hardware. The price is great as well, half the price of Elixir’s. ... show more
Reviewed in the United States on February 7, 2019 by Isaiah’s Opinions Isaiah’s Opinions

  • These are perfect if you are looking for quality with some color options.
This is my first time using these particular strings as I purchased them for a Dean electric green bass with black hardware. They not only look amazing on the bass, the also have a nice punch of sound without any tone issues and they also feel very good on the fingers. Will definitly be buying more of these for future projects. ... show more
Reviewed in the United States on May 2, 2023 by Mike Sweeney

  • Great strings!
I sought these strings out after seeing Peter Steele use them in a live Type O Negative video. I bought the light gauge 5 string pack and they literally changed how I play bass! I always used heavier strings, but after changing to these I can now do vibrato so easily that I now find myself doing it every time I can tastefully fit it in! I don’t know if it’s these strings in particular or the fact that I went from heavy to light, but whatever the reason I’m so glad I bought these! I love them! However… I do have one negative thing to say about these strings. I don’t know if it’s from the coating they put on these strings to make them black or what, but sliding on these strings actually burns my fingers. After 30 years of playing bass, I don’t recall ever experiencing this before. If you slide from say the 2nd fret to the 14th fret you’re going to feel a burn on whichever fretting finger you’re using and it sucks! Like I said, I’ve never experienced this in 30 years so it’s gotta be the strings. All in all though I still say it’s worth it to buy these strings though! Personally I love them! ... show more
Reviewed in the United States on August 22, 2023 by Christian

  • Great strings
Great strings! I'm on my 6th set if that says much... I'm playing a Warwick Thumb 5 string bass and they have a great look on it. The sound is amazing too but part of that is the bass. Warwicks are known for their sound... Anyway, I like the coated strings of DR by far more than any other that I've tried and these BBs sound fantastic on my bass! My only complaints and the reason for the 4 star rating is that on 2 of the 6 sets I've baught I've got a bad/dead string in the pack... One was the "G" string and the other was on the "A" string in 2 different sets. They were dead sounding new out of the package. I don't know whether or not it was my fault the string was dead from me cutting and winding the string on the tuning post but finding a single string to replace a bad one in the BBs has been difficult! My local music stores don't have singles in BBs and I haven't been able to find BB singles yet. The end result is needing to buy either another set of standard DR strings or another set of BB's to make up for the dead or faulty string (or just deal with it til it's time to replace them all). Whether or not it is my fault it's dead, I don't know but it's likely? I think that one reason might be the fact that the BB's have a solid core and the coating is on the wire that is then wrapped arround the core of the string. The result of this manufacturing process is that you have a "coated" string that feels and acts like a standard string... But, I think that occasionally the coated wrap will seporate from the core much easier resulting in a dead string if you're not carefull. Through trial and error (and a "tip" for others to try and use with the BBs), I have found that if you're extra carefull and make sure that you bend the string more than a 45 degree angle before you cut it to fit in the winding post, the chance of having the core seporate from the coated wrap is much less. And, keep in mind that because these strings are black, they are hard to see onstage in the dark while performing... Just means you gotta know where your fingers are or watch the inlays on your bass ;) But the BBs look cool and they sound and feel great! Personally, I can't tell the sound difference between these coated strings and a standard set but the feel is a little different. It's wierd, they are the same as standard string sets and yet different at the same time, feeling wise... I can't explain in words the feeling difference but I've found that most standard string sets can sometimes "eat" the calluses off my fingers where the BB's don't, or haven't yet anyway. This is a good thing for agressive finger style bass players like me! Over all, I would recomend them... If anything just to try... They do last longer! How much longer though, I don't know... Depends on how much you play, your tuning, how your instrument is set up, what kind of instrument you play and how clean you keep your hands. I have had my current set on for several months and they still sound like new. Personally, I'll continue to use them because I like them so much, I just wish that I could find single strings in the BBs other than buying a whole new set. I'm patiently waiting for DR to come out with a tapered set of BBs as the tapered sets fit better in the bridge of my Warwick Thumb. That's my experience with the BBs, give them a shot, chances are you'll be as happy as I am with them. ... show more
Reviewed in the United States on November 14, 2012 by Insomnatic

  • DR Black Beauties - my go to string for last 4-5 years
Look great, sound fantastic and last a long time! I also have an all black bass with the neon white strings. Same great sound… same great look!!
Reviewed in the United States on February 23, 2024 by Brian Simon

  • Excellent strings. Get these black beauties!
I have used another brand for about 20 years, but the last few packs went flat on me. So, I did some research and lots of sites pointed to DR's Black Beauties as a solid option. They were not wrong. These strings are GREAT. They have excellent punch, feel like regular round-wounds, and they hold up to a beating well. I am now a fan. Great strings AND a good price. I put a set of these on my Warwick Fortress 5 string and they just sound like thunder. I'm very pleased. ... show more
Reviewed in the United States on May 8, 2018 by Christine E.B. Howard Christine E.B. Howard

  • A nice midway between roundwound and tapewound
I used to play on flatwounds, but a change in music genre required me to add some high frequencies to my tone. I started with tapewounds, then moved to these (actually to DR Neon, which are the same only more fabulous). My first two sets gave me no issues for about half a year each - after that the coating started to peel off. This had no notable effect on tone, but I feared uneven string coating may put unnecessary strain on the frets. As for tone, it is significantly more mellow than roundwounds. People who are used to Elixir or other "invisible" coatings complain about this. I think this sound is part of what these strings are. Rounds without the edge. There is still enough meat in the hu mids for a proper growl. ... show more
Reviewed in the United States on February 2, 2020 by Peaceless Sam

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