Just got some, first impressions: 1) They look awesome on my blue St. Vincent. 2) They are less bright than comparable new uncoated strings, but brighter than old & dirty ones. (I bet they would stay that way over time.)
@@ronanconroy5282 Mine's the Sterling rather than the Ernie, since I'm not made of money, but yeah, and I love it. Having now spent some more time with the neons on it, I don't think they'll be my go-to strings. I find myself missing the upper harmonics from the low strings, even though there's still plenty of jangle overall (the mini humbuckers are hella bright). 5 & 6 have a super smooth round tone, almost like flat-wounds. That's not necessarily a bad thing, could even be great in the right context. It's just not the sound what I want most of the time. I don't regret trying them out though, and would get them again in a minute if I were playing in a New Wave act that dressed up in 80's outfits or something.
had a set of these on my Alder Body accoustic. great. cut the brightness down. been on it for 3 months now. i play it about an hour a day. strings are still fine.
I like them because they are easy to see. I put white ones on my dark fretboards. Blue on the Light ones. Had had no problems, been using them for months. Like their tone. Also have locking tuners On most my guitars.
These strings are definitely more for flash and flair, a one off sort of thing. I got neon orange before and they chipped away quickly. Recently gave them another shot with black beauties and they sounded better, but coating didn't last very long either. Switched over to Cleartone strings and so far have been very impressed with them so far. Push comes to shove, I can always go back to D'Addario or Ernie Ball.
Opinions are great, and much like opinions everyone has a different playing style. I use these on my bass and nothing but great things. The thinner gauge acoustic strings didn't last as long as I wanted but lasted longer than cheap daddario.
Thanks for this review. I was toying with the idea of getting yellow ones for my Evh bumblebee, just for fun. But I think I’ll stick with my Ernie’s. Thank you, you just saved me $12.
Someone gave these to me for free and I put them on for shits and giggles. Honestly I don’t mind the flaking as much as it ends up giving a cool sparkle effect to the guitar. I’ll keep them on til they break as per usual
Thank you for the review i was thinking of multicolor strings because they are same color order as rock smith... But it might be better to use normal strings when learning
I acquired a Jackson Soloist that had the neon green strings on it. I broke the b string pretty quick and it wouldn't stay in tune. I checked the intonation and it was really bad and it had a rough spot coming through the bridge. After that it stays in tune and has a really good tone. I probably should have put new strings on before setting the intonation?? And don't know how long they had been on. I like the concept and they are unique. I will try more if DR will send them. I'm not steering away from Ernie Ball and pay for it. Too many good years with no issues. Good job man! I enjoyed this video!
I put the blue ones on one of my custom electric cellos and I could have sworn the package said they were flatwound but now I can’t find any info on strings that are both flatwound AND coated. But I actually love them and I ordered some Black Beauties hoping that they’ll be a similar playing experience but maybe not look as goofy as the blue ones.
@@ronanconroy5282 Yeah, I think so! I put the Black Beauties on one of them and they work great. I think they’ll be my go-to strings now. Still have a slightly metallic twang almost like a banjo when I pluck them and respond really nice to the bow. Cheaper and more versatile than cello strings too.
@@kev.-. I did. I didn’t like the feel of them at all. They felt clinky and I didn’t find the coating made them last any longer than regular strings. I didn’t have any trouble with tuning but the colour flaked off. Will not buy again.
I don't know about these strings, but based on the quick pan you showed, I would guess these are similar to other multi-color UV inks. Namely that they all look purplish/pinkish under 385-395nm light. But they look fantastic under a 365nm light source. A lot of the cheapie halloween black-lights and cheapie flashlights use 385-395 bulbs or LEDs. So try getting a 365nm light. (you probably don't want to stare at them for a long time, but it's still UV-A so it's not harmful under long exposure to skin)
1st off I absolutely love DR strings. I use the DR PURE BLUES 45-105 on all of my Basses. I worked at Sam ash a couple years back and acquired and "acquired" a set of red coated strings for my black bass. Didn't like the way it looked it felt sticky and didn't even last for one show. I absolutely can't agree with you more and this was 2013 you would think that they would have made them better by now and yet I see more more people playing them I just don't get it. Hey to each their own.
I don’t know about their neon strings, but I find DR strings to be my go to strings when I gig. Never had a tuning problem with them. Exact opposite actually.
If you're going for coated strings you might give Brian May's signature set a try, even though quite expensive, they last even longer than Elexir's. They also allow for a much lower action than Elexir's or any other coated strings due to the coating not causing fret buzz as the coating is made out of metal (a thin layer of 24k gold). This makes them heavier for the same gauge which causes them to have higher tension than one would expect from 9's. Due to this, on longer scale guitars they tend to break more easily than regular strings, you won't have this problem if you play in D standard though.
OR YOU JUST DONT PLAY AS HARD. I have had my strings for about 6 months now. I have had to tune them 8 times so far. I do admit tho they are now starting to slightly flake apart
@@michael88h like I said in the first comment. I had them about 6 months when they started flaking, I kept playing them for a while year almost but 6 months was enough I just didn't want to change my strings. The string started going to crap after the comment I put down
Got a few basses with the orange ones on. They glow like they're on fire under UV light and look awesome. I've had a set on my upright bass for years and the coating has only started flaking off in a few heavily-plucked areas just recently. Although they're not quite as bright on the highs, they keep tone very consistently over their lifetime and don't really fade like normal strings do. Be wary about putting them on a headless bass - the coating makes them a bit slippy when held with just one grub-screw and you'll have a hard time keeping them locked in, best having a string-lock system that uses at least two screws, or some other really substantial lock system.
I've got these on my Jackson bass and Jackson 6-string, they've been fine but the 6-string has started to flake slightly while the bass is still like I just put them on. Been on for 4 months now (both) with regular playing (metal). I would recommend these for bass, but for 6-strings I'd probz only get them if I could afford to change them every 4-5 months lol
They are just a novelty for a displayed guitar or if you wanted to play one song/solo in a gig under a blacklight. Or maybe even for a beginner to help make it easier for them to remember. Def not for every day use.
I have a Les Paul with the neon green DR. I just ordered some red white and blue like literally minutes ago for back ups are to be used in the next time a guitar needs new strings. I don’t play every day, I don’t play in a band, I may go a couple months without picking up my guitar and I’ve had the strings on here for a while now and I’ve had no problems. The coating does go away on areas that are heavily played but I just thought it was to be expected. I like the strings and I have gotten a lot of cool comments from people who see them on the guitar under a black light. I’m not trying to say I know more than someone else or that someone is wrong and I am right it’s just my humble opinion. But of course I am using a Les Paul and you are using a Stratocaster Ha Ha Ha Ha just a joke. No hate responding to my guitar joke!!
lol these strings really are divisive - some people absolutely love them, and some people cannot stand them. I love the controversy - somehow it's made this my most popular video :D
DR is great if you are playing in a club with an awful or dark lighting system but not for much of anything else accept for looks. They play like every other coated string, fun fact back in the mid 90's when these first came out they were different and when you would go play a show the color would rub off onto your hands so if you were under a black light your hands looked like some weird art project with GREEN glow in the dark paint on them but only on your fingers. But if you play in a very dark club these are great, otherwise it's a gimmick.
@@ronanconroy5282 Green was the only color back then and it made your hands look like you had squeezed and burst a glow in the dark frog with your bare hands, or murdered a leprechaun ☘️☘️ lmao 🐸👉🤪👈
love the look of colors... BUT. the tone is different from my ears. its sharper. i sometimes like that for surf rock. but for something like standard tuned foo fighters riffs... they sound "meh"... also i use locking tuners and they have lasted me about 1 months thus far (played 2 gigs last week, 1 rehearsal which forced me to tune a million times) next week I am playing a stadium crowd and its gonna be hot. I am bringing a second guitar exactly like the first to see if i can save myself. I only get one set... so I got to make it count.
On a strat...THAT strat...it look hideous. But i can imagin it looking great on another guitar. It needs to fit the look thats all. I heard alot or mixed stories. I think generally on bass guitars it looks way cooler
I ordered the yellow ones for my honey burst Gibson classic... Now I'm not sure if I should use them or not cause I don't need yellow dust to come into the pickups
Thick, hard colored paint / coating... all over the strings... and they are supposed to sound "better" than uncoated strings? Eh, not buying it. I use coated strings, but they aren't using weird paint or whatever to make them glow in the dark.
I got the multi color one put them in played the whole song bad horsie steve vai the didn't go out of tune even tho this song has agressive whammy bar actions
I know that I absolutely despise playing coated strings. They always feel gummy to me. For any serious use, I use D'Addario or Gibson strings. But I've been putting together a stage show that is blacklight effect heavy, so these strings could be yet another accent. Keep in mind, I'm not super hard on my strings. This is a useful video. Gives a better look than advertisements on what they actually look like.
cool, glad the video was useful. For a specific visual effect I can see how they'd be a cool addition, but for everyday playing I wasn't crazy about them
@@ronanconroy5282 I got the orange ones, lit them up with my setup, and the slight visual effect doesn't outweigh the coated feel for me. It's inline with the video in my opinion. But hey, I tried!
They look cool, but they just feel dead and flat even compared to cheap factory non-coated strings on budget guitars. My opinion? Stick with D'Adarrio, Ernie Ball, or Elixir! (Or just whatever you prefer that's not these!)
I find these strings are better for bass. They last more and sound better.
Bro on bass they suck
I think bass strings last longer in general since they are coil wound.
I agree, the tone is hella thicc
@@ludovico3325 Bro on bass they are awesome
Just got some, first impressions:
1) They look awesome on my blue St. Vincent.
2) They are less bright than comparable new uncoated strings, but brighter than old & dirty ones. (I bet they would stay that way over time.)
One of these? www.music-man.com/instruments/guitars/st-vincent
@@ronanconroy5282 Mine's the Sterling rather than the Ernie, since I'm not made of money, but yeah, and I love it.
Having now spent some more time with the neons on it, I don't think they'll be my go-to strings. I find myself missing the upper harmonics from the low strings, even though there's still plenty of jangle overall (the mini humbuckers are hella bright). 5 & 6 have a super smooth round tone, almost like flat-wounds. That's not necessarily a bad thing, could even be great in the right context. It's just not the sound what I want most of the time.
I don't regret trying them out though, and would get them again in a minute if I were playing in a New Wave act that dressed up in 80's outfits or something.
The coating completely came off on my strings before I'd even played it for longer than 5 minutes
whaaat?! man that's ridiculous.
@@ronanconroy5282 black metal man...kills everything it touches
@@watnoudan black metal played with neon strings really sounds like a great idea to me
wow, was just about to buy something like this. Very useful review thanks
glad it was useful! I still have a set of black strings I'd bought at the same time and never used...
had a set of these on my Alder Body accoustic. great. cut the brightness down. been on it for 3 months now. i play it about an hour a day. strings are still fine.
What kind of music do you play?
I like them because they are easy to see. I put white ones on my dark fretboards. Blue on the
Light ones. Had had no problems, been using them for months. Like their tone. Also have locking tuners
On most my guitars.
Interesting. I still have a set of black strings, maybe I'll have a better experience if I try those, than I had with the neons.
These strings are definitely more for flash and flair, a one off sort of thing. I got neon orange before and they chipped away quickly. Recently gave them another shot with black beauties and they sounded better, but coating didn't last very long either.
Switched over to Cleartone strings and so far have been very impressed with them so far. Push comes to shove, I can always go back to D'Addario or Ernie Ball.
I bought some of those Black Beauties too but haven't put them on yet...
Opinions are great, and much like opinions everyone has a different playing style. I use these on my bass and nothing but great things. The thinner gauge acoustic strings didn't last as long as I wanted but lasted longer than cheap daddario.
Definitely glad I watched your review, I'll be staying with my Elixir strings. Thank you
Thanks for this review. I was toying with the idea of getting yellow ones for my Evh bumblebee, just for fun. But I think I’ll stick with my Ernie’s. Thank you, you just saved me $12.
Someone gave these to me for free and I put them on for shits and giggles.
Honestly I don’t mind the flaking as much as it ends up giving a cool sparkle effect to the guitar. I’ll keep them on til they break as per usual
thank you for saving me time and money
Thank you for the review i was thinking of multicolor strings because they are same color order as rock smith... But it might be better to use normal strings when learning
They're not actually sucks. Also it's pretty fun when we shut the lights down and play if we want to practice at the midnight
I love these strings, I’ve been using them for years! They last for ages and and sound great!
I acquired a Jackson Soloist that had the neon green strings on it. I broke the b string pretty quick and it wouldn't stay in tune. I checked the intonation and it was really bad and it had a rough spot coming through the bridge. After that it stays in tune and has a really good tone. I probably should have put new strings on before setting the intonation?? And don't know how long they had been on. I like the concept and they are unique. I will try more if DR will send them. I'm not steering away from Ernie Ball and pay for it. Too many good years with no issues. Good job man! I enjoyed this video!
thanks for checking out the video!
Thank you very much for saving money
Great video, very USEFUL thanks a lot.
I put the blue ones on one of my custom electric cellos and I could have sworn the package said they were flatwound but now I can’t find any info on strings that are both flatwound AND coated. But I actually love them and I ordered some Black Beauties hoping that they’ll be a similar playing experience but maybe not look as goofy as the blue ones.
custom electric cellos? they sound cool!
@@ronanconroy5282 Yeah, I think so! I put the Black Beauties on one of them and they work great. I think they’ll be my go-to strings now. Still have a slightly metallic twang almost like a banjo when I pluck them and respond really nice to the bow. Cheaper and more versatile than cello strings too.
I’m going to pick up a set and give you my opinion.
So did you buy them? What are your opinions?
@@kev.-. I did. I didn’t like the feel of them at all. They felt clinky and I didn’t find the coating made them last any longer than regular strings. I didn’t have any trouble with tuning but the colour flaked off. Will not buy again.
@@triggerhare thanks
I’ve had mine for a few months, I don’t think they are any better than other bass strings, but they do look pretty cool.
@@triggerhare Do you play with a pick or with your fingers?
All the Neon strings are just for looks. They look pretty cool, if you hang your Axe on the wall.
:D
I don't know about these strings, but based on the quick pan you showed, I would guess these are similar to other multi-color UV inks. Namely that they all look purplish/pinkish under 385-395nm light. But they look fantastic under a 365nm light source. A lot of the cheapie halloween black-lights and cheapie flashlights use 385-395 bulbs or LEDs. So try getting a 365nm light. (you probably don't want to stare at them for a long time, but it's still UV-A so it's not harmful under long exposure to skin)
Thanks for this, i was looking to put on the multicoloured version, but if those strings only last 180 minutes max, then i'd better look elswhere..
I brought the multicoloured ones for rocksmith they where fine 👍
1st off I absolutely love DR strings. I use the DR PURE BLUES 45-105 on all of my Basses. I worked at Sam ash a couple years back and acquired and "acquired" a set of red coated strings for my black bass. Didn't like the way it looked it felt sticky and didn't even last for one show. I absolutely can't agree with you more and this was 2013 you would think that they would have made them better by now and yet I see more more people playing them I just don't get it. Hey to each their own.
Some people really love them, but yeh I don't see the appeal.
"I thought why?"
That's the strangest question I've ever heard why the fuck not
They could be cool for a Guitar your just going to hang on the wall and look at.
I don’t know about their neon strings, but I find DR strings to be my go to strings when I gig. Never had a tuning problem with them. Exact opposite actually.
Good to know, thanks!
If you're going for coated strings you might give Brian May's signature set a try, even though quite expensive, they last even longer than Elexir's. They also allow for a much lower action than Elexir's or any other coated strings due to the coating not causing fret buzz as the coating is made out of metal (a thin layer of 24k gold). This makes them heavier for the same gauge which causes them to have higher tension than one would expect from 9's. Due to this, on longer scale guitars they tend to break more easily than regular strings, you won't have this problem if you play in D standard though.
wow, gold plated? I'm tempted...
OR YOU JUST DONT PLAY AS HARD. I have had my strings for about 6 months now. I have had to tune them 8 times so far. I do admit tho they are now starting to slightly flake apart
True, I do play pretty hard :D
my bass have terrible strings too, and yes they started flaking crazy
Do they flake I dont wanna waste money. How long does the coating last.
@@michael88h like I said in the first comment. I had them about 6 months when they started flaking, I kept playing them for a while year almost but 6 months was enough I just didn't want to change my strings. The string started going to crap after the comment I put down
I got these for a halloween set I'm preparing for. And i gotta say. So far i like them a lot. They look badass to me
that sounds like a perfect use for them! nice!
I will pass on these strings. I was going to purchase a blue set for my bass. I'll pass. Thanks for the heads up.
Got a few basses with the orange ones on. They glow like they're on fire under UV light and look awesome. I've had a set on my upright bass for years and the coating has only started flaking off in a few heavily-plucked areas just recently. Although they're not quite as bright on the highs, they keep tone very consistently over their lifetime and don't really fade like normal strings do. Be wary about putting them on a headless bass - the coating makes them a bit slippy when held with just one grub-screw and you'll have a hard time keeping them locked in, best having a string-lock system that uses at least two screws, or some other really substantial lock system.
I've got these on my Jackson bass and Jackson 6-string, they've been fine but the 6-string has started to flake slightly while the bass is still like I just put them on. Been on for 4 months now (both) with regular playing (metal). I would recommend these for bass, but for 6-strings I'd probz only get them if I could afford to change them every 4-5 months lol
They’re a lot better on bass than guitar
Why? : CUZ looks cool
Xd
:D
I wanna try it cuz of Rocksmith, since the game shows the same colors on the strings it may be helpful.
Interesting, I hadn't thought of that! :D Anything that helps learn is good
They are just a novelty for a displayed guitar or if you wanted to play one song/solo in a gig under a blacklight. Or maybe even for a beginner to help make it easier for them to remember. Def not for every day use.
Agreed - cool visually for sure
I have a Les Paul with the neon green DR. I just ordered some red white and blue like literally minutes ago for back ups are to be used in the next time a guitar needs new strings. I don’t play every day, I don’t play in a band, I may go a couple months without picking up my guitar and I’ve had the strings on here for a while now and I’ve had no problems. The coating does go away on areas that are heavily played but I just thought it was to be expected. I like the strings and I have gotten a lot of cool comments from people who see them on the guitar under a black light. I’m not trying to say I know more than someone else or that someone is wrong and I am right it’s just my humble opinion. But of course I am using a Les Paul and you are using a Stratocaster Ha Ha Ha Ha just a joke. No hate responding to my guitar joke!!
lol these strings really are divisive - some people absolutely love them, and some people cannot stand them. I love the controversy - somehow it's made this my most popular video :D
Put them on my guitar yesterday. They'll be coming off tomorrow. Feel awful and sound terrible. Apart from that, what's not to love?
DR is great if you are playing in a club with an awful or dark lighting system but not for much of anything else accept for looks. They play like every other coated string, fun fact back in the mid 90's when these first came out they were different and when you would go play a show the color would rub off onto your hands so if you were under a black light your hands looked like some weird art project with GREEN glow in the dark paint on them but only on your fingers. But if you play in a very dark club these are great, otherwise it's a gimmick.
lol glad these didn't stain my hands like the 90s!
@@ronanconroy5282 Green was the only color back then and it made your hands look like you had squeezed and burst a glow in the dark frog with your bare hands, or murdered a leprechaun ☘️☘️ lmao 🐸👉🤪👈
Is there a reason you did not actually play these alleged 'neon strings' in your video? I was waiting for a demo by you. Any thoughts?
Because they kept going out of tune and never settled in enough to use at my gig, so I took them off the guitar.
“Chewsday”🤣🤣🤣🤣
love the look of colors... BUT. the tone is different from my ears. its sharper. i sometimes like that for surf rock. but for something like standard tuned foo fighters riffs... they sound "meh"... also i use locking tuners and they have lasted me about 1 months thus far (played 2 gigs last week, 1 rehearsal which forced me to tune a million times) next week I am playing a stadium crowd and its gonna be hot. I am bringing a second guitar exactly like the first to see if i can save myself. I only get one set... so I got to make it count.
I hate having to tune a million times. Such a vibe suck
I wonder if the coating on the strings would hold up to fingerstyle playing any better...that's the style I play a lot of...
I do some fingerstyle. They sound nice. They're great for cleans and distortion too. Really not bad. They're also just fun lol
On a strat...THAT strat...it look hideous. But i can imagin it looking great on another guitar. It needs to fit the look thats all. I heard alot or mixed stories. I think generally on bass guitars it looks way cooler
Lol yeh that's why I was looking at those luminous pink and green guitars in the store, thinking those would probably work better with these strings!
I ordered the yellow ones for my honey burst Gibson classic... Now I'm not sure if I should use them or not cause I don't need yellow dust to come into the pickups
did you end up using them? :D
@@ronanconroy5282 I did... But soon I removed them again because I couldn't do slides properly... The coated strings seem to brake my fingers
@@smailee716 :D
@@smailee716 interesting
Shoulda gotten white, blues looks dumb on a sunburst
🤣
Weird my Da’s name is Ron Conroy.
😅
Thick, hard colored paint / coating... all over the strings... and they are supposed to sound "better" than uncoated strings? Eh, not buying it. I use coated strings, but they aren't using weird paint or whatever to make them glow in the dark.
Do you play with a pick or with your fingers?
Depends on the song and style. Usually pick, but for some blues and folk and other stuff I fingerpick. Less often on the electric, though.
They Dull the Tone. Some might like that, but most will notice it seems to dampen the power of the string with way less sustain.
I picked up some gold-plated strings I'm interested to try soon, I wonder how they'll affect the tone
They suck no matter how you string them
Basel Alansari 😂
I got the multi color one put them in played the whole song bad horsie steve vai the didn't go out of tune even tho this song has agressive whammy bar actions
What kind of guitar was it?
I'd never heard that song before but was just checking it out. Some insane playing in there!
@@ronanconroy5282 it's Vig Screech it has licensed floyd rose
@@Teckamel ah, ok. Does it have nut and bridge tuner locking?
@@ronanconroy5282 yes it does, 2 locking points
I know that I absolutely despise playing coated strings. They always feel gummy to me. For any serious use, I use D'Addario or Gibson strings.
But I've been putting together a stage show that is blacklight effect heavy, so these strings could be yet another accent.
Keep in mind, I'm not super hard on my strings.
This is a useful video. Gives a better look than advertisements on what they actually look like.
cool, glad the video was useful. For a specific visual effect I can see how they'd be a cool addition, but for everyday playing I wasn't crazy about them
@@ronanconroy5282 I got the orange ones, lit them up with my setup, and the slight visual effect doesn't outweigh the coated feel for me. It's inline with the video in my opinion. But hey, I tried!
They look cool, but they just feel dead and flat even compared to cheap factory non-coated strings on budget guitars. My opinion? Stick with D'Adarrio, Ernie Ball, or Elixir! (Or just whatever you prefer that's not these!)
I tend to agree, but I'm fascinated by the wildly varying opinions throughout the comments :D
Are they worth the money.
Not in my opinion...
😂🔝🔝🔝
So long story short.... They're junk since the coating comes off rather quickly
Some people love them, idk. For me, they're not worth trying again any time soon
Now your guitar looks like a toy. What a lammy product.
lol yeh I just tried the black strings too and they were annoying: still had tuning issues. Taking them off and no more chances for DR Strings :D
They look great, but are rubbish.
😅