Ernie Ball Super Slinky Cobalts, a Reviting Review

When one becomes a musician of a string bearing instrument they often pick the least expensive strings at there local string dealer to start them off. Eventually those strings go bad and one will return to the store and pick up the same set. This continues on for sometime, and one slips into a string comfort zone. "I know these strings, they're only a few dollars, I've always used these, yep that'll do, good enough," they will think. I know that string comfort zone, I have walked upon it's beaten path, and now I'm glad to say I have strayed away! They future is here my friends, and it's a beautiful thing. Relax for a moment while I change your life. I read an article where a comparison was made between your classic Ernie Ball Super Slinky Electric guitar strings and Super Slinky Ernie Ball Cobalt guitar strings, a.k.a the future to revolutionizing your shredding. The difference between the two sets of strings is simple yet spectacular. The secret ingredient, cobalt, reacts swimmingly with the pickups on the guitar creating increased out put and clarity. In the article the author compares the two strings using a PRS McCarty and a Marshall JVM410C. The author also tested them using hum bucking pickups and then split coil to simulate a single coil sound to hear the results of the strings using different pickups. Right away the Cobalt's are praised by the author as he explains what he observes, "Starting with a very clean tone, the difference was noticeable, both in touch sensitivity and volume." They continue on to say how, with the single coil pickups in particular, the sound had noticeably more depth and higher output. The difference was the same with hum bucking pickups. In the article it also explains how when the gain was increased on the amplifier the touch sensitivity of the strings was less so but the clarity was still better then when the regular super slinkys were used. I did this same experiment, and my results were the same. With increased gain on my amp the Super Slinkys without the cobalt tend to lose their clarity. This becomes a problem especially when playing with a band and adding drums to the mix. My riffs and chords just stood out with the cobalt's. The one thing that turns people away from the cobalt's, the people in the string comfort zone, is the price. The regular slinkys are only $3.99 while the cobalt's are $9.99. Often many musicians don't think they are worth the try for nearly ten dollars. Often I hear, working at a music store, that some people think they have a low end guitar therefore they really only need the lower end strings. To that I would like to bring up that high end strings can make a lower end guitar sound like a dream.  All in all if your a fan of playing rock and roll or metal music there's no excuse to not try the Ernie Ball Cobalt's. Shell out the few extra dollars, shred on, and don't sacrifice clarity.