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DR Strings Bass Strings, Black Beauties - Extra-Life, Black-Coated

  • Based on 1,485 reviews
Condition: New
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Availability: Only 5 left in stock, order soon!
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Arrives Tuesday, May 21
Order within 22 hours and 42 minutes
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Features

  • Gauge: Medium
  • 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

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.


Item Weight: 4 ounces


Product Dimensions: 6 x 6 x 0.5 inches


Domestic Shipping: Item can be shipped within U.S.


Country of Origin: USA


Item model number: BKB-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: 4


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


Size: 45-105


Proficiency Level: All


Frequently asked questions

If you place your order now, the estimated arrival date for this product is: Tuesday, May 21

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


  • Looks amazing, but not my taste tonally
I bought these mainly for the looks - I have a "stealth edition" Stingray fretless (all black, with blackout hardware and an ebony fingerboard), and I have to admit, it looks absolutely incredible with these strings on it... unfortunately, I've never been a huge fan of the DR sound - too scooped for my taste, especially on a fretless. I really wish I liked the sound more, but it's just not "my" tone - I've always been a D'Addario man. Personal taste in tone aside, these strings are obviously very well made, and the black coating has held up impressively well. They don't feel like the coated strings I've tried before, which had a very slick, plasticky feel - these feel like regular strings. ... show more
Reviewed in the United States on July 29, 2017 by Matthew G.

  • So far so good. Nice strings. Would buy them again.
Like lots of other folks, I bought these to try them. I wanted to see how they feel and how they look on my MusicMan Stingray 4. As far as feel, they feel like regular strings with a very thin coating. I like the way they feel. My son, who also plays bass, doesn't care for the feel. Soundwise, to my son and me, they sound very good. On my guitar and through my amp, they have a good sound. On my rig, they don't sound muted, dead or anything like what I've read about in other reviews. To me they actually sound a bit better than the regular strings they replaced. Sometimes regular medium strings can sound a bit metallic and I have to adjust EQ a lot but not with these. They sounded very good. Nice deep tones, good mid-range and no metallic sounds at all. So, maybe I'll check back in a few months so relay how well they've lasted but for now, I'm happy. Hope this helps. ... show more
Reviewed in the United States on September 1, 2018 by Cramer

  • Take note! Round wire core, not Hex core..
So I did not realize this til after I purchased them. These DR's are constructed over a round core wire, leading them to have less tension than strings made over a hex core. It is also important on how you install these, but this I mean cutting of the excess wire at the tuner ends.. Read the inside of the package!! you must crimp over the wire at 90 degrees or the wrapping will loosen and cause the string to go 'dead' quickly. I play my bass tuned down so I need a higher tension hex core wire. I am going back to the Rotosounds NXB45 black coated strings. Not saying these are bad strings, they just weren't for me. ... show more
Reviewed in the United States on January 11, 2021 by Woz

  • Best sounding, playing strings I have found for my Rickenbacker 4003!
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. ... show more
Reviewed in the United States on December 5, 2013 by The Resident Gourmet

  • Good sound, nice finish
Great tone, so far the black finish is holding up well. A solid replacement set of strings. Edit- I tried using a steel pick for a change and it destroyed the black coating in two songs. Obviously that is an unusual situation to judge bass strings on, just saying that neither fingers nor Tortex damaged the coating at all but steel killed it instantly. ... show more
Reviewed in the United States on March 17, 2018 by Keith Sollenberger

  • Sharp Looking Strings
After swapping out all of the chrome hardware for black, I decided to take it a step further with some black strings. I could not be happier with how they look. And since assessing strings based solely on their looks doesn't make sense, I waited a few weeks before determining if the sound would be acceptable. Out of the box they definitely sounded different than a lot of the strings I've used. Not quite as bright, but they had a good punch. I've been playing with a classic rock band and they really cut through the mix with the P bass. After a few weeks they don't appear to have changed in sound, and I'm really liking the tone. I have actually gotten some compliments from the other guys in the band on the tone. I only have two minor issues with the strings... 1) It took a while to get used to how they feel. The black coating makes them feel a little "sticky". At first I wasn't sure if I would get used to it, but adjusting has been relatively easy. I assume they won't feel acceptable for everyone. 2) The black coating will come off if you scrape the strings against any metal surfaces. It has also been coming off near the pickups where I pluck/pick. It's difficult to notice from a distance, so I can live with what I would consider normal wear and tear. Overall, I'm happy with the strings. As long as the tone holds out, and they don't go dead to quickly, I'll definitely be sticking to the Black Beauties for the next set. ... show more
Reviewed in the United States on April 6, 2017 by asromzek

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