---
product_id: 1772196
title: "DR Strings Bass Strings, Black Beauties BASS Black Coated Nickel Plated Bass Guitar Strings on Round Core (BKB5-45)"
brand: "dr strings"
price: "¥10501"
currency: JPY
in_stock: true
reviews_count: 13
category: "Dr Strings"
url: https://www.desertcart.jp/products/1772196-dr-strings-bass-strings-black-beauties-bass-black-coated-nickel
store_origin: JP
region: Japan
---

# Round core & stainless steel wrap for crisp tone 5-string medium gauge for versatile play Super-thin black polymer coating for extended life DR Strings Bass Strings, Black Beauties BASS Black Coated Nickel Plated Bass Guitar Strings on Round Core (BKB5-45)

**Brand:** dr strings
**Price:** ¥10501
**Availability:** ✅ In Stock

## Summary

> 🎶 Elevate your bass game with the sleek power of Black Beauties!

## Quick Answers

- **What is this?** DR Strings Bass Strings, Black Beauties BASS Black Coated Nickel Plated Bass Guitar Strings on Round Core (BKB5-45) by dr strings
- **How much does it cost?** ¥10501 with free shipping
- **Is it available?** Yes, in stock and ready to ship
- **Where can I buy it?** [www.desertcart.jp](https://www.desertcart.jp/products/1772196-dr-strings-bass-strings-black-beauties-bass-black-coated-nickel)

## Best For

- dr strings enthusiasts

## Why This Product

- Trusted dr strings brand quality
- Free international shipping included
- Worldwide delivery with tracking
- 15-day hassle-free returns

## Key Features

- • **Reduced Fret Noise:** Coating minimizes fret clatter and string noise for smooth, professional play.
- • **Endorsed by Legends:** Trusted by top bassists like U2’s Adam Clayton for studio and stage excellence.
- • **Signature DR Crisp Tone:** Experience the iconic clarity and volume handcrafted since 1989.
- • **Stealth Black Polymer Coating:** Ultra-thin K3™ coating resists corrosion & sweat for longer-lasting strings.
- • **Versatile 5-String Medium Gauge:** Perfect balance of tension and feel for all genres from rock to jazz.

## Overview

DR Strings Black Beauties are premium 5-string medium gauge bass strings featuring a hand-applied black polymer coating that extends string life and reduces unwanted noise. Crafted with a round core and stainless steel wrap wire, these strings deliver DR’s signature crisp tone, clarity, and volume. Ideal for professional bassists seeking durability and a stealthy aesthetic, they are favored by renowned musicians and suitable across multiple genres.

## Description

Product 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.

Review: 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.
Review: Great product - Bought these several times love them and they look and sound amazing!

## 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

## Technical Specifications

| Specification | Value |
|---------------|-------|
| ASIN | B0009FC928 |
| Best Sellers Rank | #626 in Musical Instruments ( See Top 100 in Musical Instruments ) #4 in Bass Guitar Strings |
| Body Material | Metal |
| Color Name | Black |
| Customer Reviews | 4.6 4.6 out of 5 stars (5,059) |
| Date First Available | April 13, 2004 |
| Is Discontinued By Manufacturer | No |
| Item Weight | 4.2 ounces |
| Item model number | BKB5-45 |
| Material Type | Stainless Steel |
| Musical Style | Rock, blues, country, metal, pop, jazz |
| Number of Strings | 5 |
| Product Dimensions | 6.6 x 6.8 x 0.8 inches |
| Proficiency Level | All |
| Scale Length | Medium Scale |
| Size | 5-String(45-125) |
| String Gauge | Medium |
| String Material | Coated |

## Product Details

- **Brand:** DR Strings
- **Color:** Black
- **Instrument:** Bass Guitar
- **String Gauge:** Medium
- **String Material Type:** Coated

## Images

![DR Strings Bass Strings, Black Beauties BASS Black Coated Nickel Plated Bass Guitar Strings on Round Core (BKB5-45) - Image 1](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/816AQUCW8uL.jpg)
![DR Strings Bass Strings, Black Beauties BASS Black Coated Nickel Plated Bass Guitar Strings on Round Core (BKB5-45) - Image 2](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/713Ptdd-XWL.jpg)
![DR Strings Bass Strings, Black Beauties BASS Black Coated Nickel Plated Bass Guitar Strings on Round Core (BKB5-45) - Image 3](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/81TI-CxGyOL.jpg)
![DR Strings Bass Strings, Black Beauties BASS Black Coated Nickel Plated Bass Guitar Strings on Round Core (BKB5-45) - Image 4](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/81+j93lOR1L.jpg)
![DR Strings Bass Strings, Black Beauties BASS Black Coated Nickel Plated Bass Guitar Strings on Round Core (BKB5-45) - Image 5](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/81pi4JzqWcL.jpg)

## Available Options

This product comes in different **Size, Style** options.

## Questions & Answers

**Q: I did a search for short scale black beauties and the bkb5-45 string came up.  i don't see anything that says short scale though.  thoughts?**
A: These are not short scale bass strings. These have a scale length of 37 3/4". I do not believe DR makes Black Beauties in Short Scale.

**Q: do these strings help with frett clicking noise? Even with a light touch some of my strings click when they contact a frett. Thanks**
A: That's almost more of a setup question than a string question. I *think* the coating might moderate any contact noise with the frets. I play rather lightly; my setup is moderately low, and the pickups are not right up to the strings - maybe 3/16"-4/16". I can hammer on notes without noticing any click. That's with my instrument and technique, though. Your results may vary.

**Q: Long Scale ??**
A: I put them on my standard length 5-string and clipped off about 4-6" after fully wound. hope that helps

**Q: What is the difference between the regular black beauties and the "limited edition" strings?**
A: They are $1.47 less, and you get to pay $26.99 for shipping. The strings are the same.

## Customer Reviews

### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Best sounding, playing strings I have found for my Rickenbacker 4003!
*by T***T on December 5, 2013*

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.

### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Great product
*by J***A on January 1, 2026*

Bought these several times love them and they look and sound amazing!

### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Sound quality
*by A***I on January 24, 2026*

Great strings easy to install sounds unbelievable very happy with this purchase will definitely purchase more in the future

## Frequently Bought Together

- DR Strings Bass Strings, Black Beauties BASS Black Coated Nickel Plated Bass Guitar Strings on Round Core
- DR Strings Black Beauties-Black Coated Bass Guitar Strings 45-105 (BKB-45)
- DR Strings BLACK BEAUTIES Bass Guitar Strings (BKB-40)

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*Product available on Desertcart Japan*
*Store origin: JP*
*Last updated: 2026-03-03*