These strings have a darker growl when compared to DR Lowriders (my normal choice). The sound is cool for most styles: old-style Led Zep-ish bass, Sabbath, blues; but lack top end and super low end definition for funk. Thats ok. I don't do much funking :). The only real drawback with the coated string is that they are not electrically conductive. Why does this matter? Because. When your fingers are on the strings, your body becomes part of the circuit and acts as a shield. Players probably notice a buzz while not touching their strings, and notice it goes away when you make contact with them (or any grounded guitar part like the bridge). With these "insulated" strings, the buzz is always there. An active bass would see less of this problem, but my Music Man Stingray is not fully active. Bottom line: will work great for live gigs (unless your gear or location is really noisy), and will excel with active basses, but I wouldn't use them for a critical recording with a passive bass unless you can figure out a way to electrically connect your body to the bass circuitry.